This is a VERY new release and it’s already being sold for 20% off – woot!
You can find it at SCRAPBOOK STEALS.COM. It looks like they have all if not the majority of the new line and it’s all 20% off retail. There are 12×12 paper kits, card sets, enamel dots, photo overlays, etc.
I love deals like this because the discount basically covers the shipping (or even more). So cost-wise it’s almost like shopping at a local scrapbook store – which I don’t have access to anymore, boo hoo.
*Image via the Simple Stories blog
If you remember, Simple Stories “Life Documented” is the line that got delayed for so long because of a union dispute at the LA docks. I feel so badly for Simple Stories because the focus of this line is the new year and I’m sure they lost a lot of sales because it wasn’t available at the end of 2014 as intended.
Instead, they couldn’t provide it to vendors until 2015 had already begun and I’m sure lots of scrappers and planner junkies who PLANNED (see what I did there? eh? eh?) to use this line for their 2015 scrapping and planning had to buy another line so they could get started.
Here’s a cool video by Simple Stories showing the planner in action and a quick glimpse at the end of using it for pocket page scrapping.
I wish Simple Stories well and hope they’re able to sell a buncha’ Life Documented via SCRAPBOOK STEALS.COM and other vendors!
PS: Remember that SS just released an e-book for inspiration in using this fun line!
I know it’s Super Bowl Sunday* but what I’ve got for you is scrapbooking-related, LOL. Speaking of which, I hope all you football wives and moms are taking lots of pics and making some rad scrapbooks after this! Super Bowl times make for some great memories.
Here are some fun finds and bits of news from around the scrappy interwebs this week . . .
– I know a lot of overseas folks will be so happy to hear that BeckyHiggins.com NOW SHIPS INTERNATIONALLY!! Although in reading the comments on the blog post, it seems that many aren’t happy with the cost. I personally agree with the comments that point out Becky doesn’t set the shipping costs. She was asked to make international shipping available and she did. She doesn’t control the price and can’t take a loss on each order by lowering that. What do you think?
– One of these is gone but there are still three left . . .
– Simple Stories has another Simple Inspiration ebook out, this one for their new “Life Documented” line. It’s free and you can see it HERE.
– I absolutely love this page, both the idea and the execution!
– I’ll close with a little blog milestone: This weekend, I reached 700 subscribers to my blog posts! I’m so excited and grateful! I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to read and to support my blog. It truly means the world to me :) If you would like to subscribe, just enter your email address in the box at the top right of this site. You will ONLY receive an email when a new post is published. Promise. I do plan to start another mailing list but it will be separate from this one which is basically an RSS feed.
* Whoops! I had a busy weekend and thought I’d scheduled this post to go up late Sunday night but apparently not, LOL. Sorry ’bout that. To further apologize, I’ll add 2 more tidbits you might like:
Crafty Steals has a bundle today of October Afternoon Mini Market alpha stickers – only $12.99 for 18 packs! If you’ve never used these alphas, I highly recommend them. The rectangle ones especially are the perfect size for so many projects.
And Simple Stories released some free printables to go with their new “Life Documented” line!
They are made to be used with their planner line specifically but you can use them in your own planner, pocket page scrapping, or regular scrapbooking. Enjoy!
Here’s a round-up of some cool scrappy things I saw this week and want to share with you!
– If you’re thinking about downsizing your scrapbooking in 2015 – like, literally, to 6×8 or 8×8 – check out Blackbird Darlin’s POST. She does a great job of explaining how she’ll be doing it this year and what she learned from last year.
– I got to meet Nancy Nalley last year at CHA. She’s super nice and wicked smart, just like you’d expect. Anyhow, she goes to every CHA then writes great recaps. You can check them out on SCRAPBOOK UPDATE, including her Top 10 Picks from CHA.
– If you’ve been one of the many waiting for the Simple Stories “Life Documented” line to finally clear customs, you’re in luck!
From Simple Stories:
After 7 weeks sitting on the dock in Southern California due to union/labor issues, we are SO EXCITED to announce that the container carrying our Life Documented Planner & Scrapbook collections has arrived in our warehouse! We are working as quickly as possible to ship product to our distributors and retailers. Watch for the Life Documented Planner & Scrapbook collections to hit your favorite retailer soon!
Phew!
– Remember when I talked about Create and Craft USA? I was watching Bravo this weekend and on comes a Create and Craft commercial! It was so cool. It was a cute, crafty bit and at the end it advertised how they’re live online 24/7 and on DISH Channel 221 11-5 ET. (We have DISH so that’s what it mentioned, but they’re also on DirecTV at the same time, Channel 85/222). I think I have yet to catch any presentations that are specifically scrapbooking but I keep holding out hope :)
I think C and C were very smart to advertise on Bravo network, don’t you? There’s a lot of overlap between “Scrapbookers” and “Real Housewives Fans”, LOL. Count me in! Every city, every season . . .
– Yeah, I’m mostly into pocket page scrapbooking these days but when time allows, I still bust out some 2-pagers. I’m always on the hunt for inspiration, especially layouts that use a lot of photos. Check out this BEAUTIFUL layout from the EVALICIOUS BLOG:
Isn’t it lovely? I’m on a scrapbooking forum with the lovely Rona who created this layout. She recently became the Design Team Coordinator for Evalicious and just prior to that, she’d organized an Evalicous puffy sticker group buy for us. Which reminds me . . . I still need to post my pics from that. You can see lots more pics and some close-ups of Rona’s layout at the link above.
Wow, that’s a long title! But I wanted to make sure you didn’t pass over this post in your reader, girlie. There’s some really great deals here.
Here’s my favorite: Simple Stories “100 Days of Summer NSD Value Pack” for $12.50 {retail value $20}. This line is my all-time favorite of the 13 Simple Stories lines {although when I see the new line “SUMMER FRESH” in person, it just may bonk down to #2, hee}. The colors are soooo warm and sunny. They go with all your summer photos. Not to mention if you love the 4×6 transparencies, this is the cheapest way to get them. They’re normally exclusive to the Collection Packs which run over $20.
Simple Stories “Life Documented NSD Value Pack” for $5.00 is next {retail value $8.00}. This was the first ever Simple Stories line and it made history. Actually, it was this lines’ huge success that enabled Memory Works to go forward with SS and make it a long-term line. So I think we all owe Life Documented a huge thank you :) It’s great for Project 365-type scrapbooks or just your everyday layouts. The banner papers are my favorites. If you missed the line the first time round, or you loved it and would like some papers, this is your deal!
Now we have Simple Stories “Destinations NSD Value Pack” for $12.50 {retail value $20}. This is another of my faves. What I love about this line – well, so many things – but because of the primary colors mixed with black accents, it is a PERFECT match for scrapbooking Disney photos. To me, so much of the Disney stuff is too bright and flashy but this is more subtle while still getting the colors right. It looks fabulous with other vacation layouts as well, and many of the papers/elements can be used on everyday pages.
Simple Stories “Elementary NSD Value Pack” for $10.00 {retail value $18.00}. Here’s another example where Simple Stories gets the colors just right. Have you ever wanted to do a School Days album for your kids? This is the perfect way to get it done quickly and beautifully. All the journaling cards, elements, and papers make it easy. I used this line to do a School Days album for myself. My photos from “way back then” (ha) are a little bit dull or have flatter colors than today’s photos, so this line went perfectly with that. I had tried it with other lines and it never looked right because the contrast was too great. What a great value … almost half the retail cost.
Have you seen the Simple Stories lines in person? These photos just don’t do them justice, do you agree? If you order them, you won’t be sorry. They are to die for in real life. So maybe this National Scrapbook Day, you’re going to a crop and need some projects you can work on. Try one or more of these kits and I guarantee you’ll have a fun and productive day. And you truly can’t beat these prices. Get ’em before they sell out!
There are 4 more National Scrapbook Day specials at Memory Works. I’ll try to post about them soon but if you want to take a peek, they’re right HERE. They’re from another brand you know and love.
If you’re leery to order from a consultant like me … well, don’t be! It’s just like shopping online anywhere -> load cart and check-out with your goods, lady! I’ll send you a Paypal invoice (or send you my address to mail a check) and your order will be shipped from Utah straight to your house within 1-2 business days. I don’t spam you with a bunch of e-mail or anything. You only wanna’ order one time, it’s hunky with me!
Hit me with your questions or if I can place the order for you: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Thank you!
You can see the whole line on the Simple Stories blog HERE.
OMG ~ I am loving all those Designer Cardstocks! Actually, hate to say but I’ll have to buy this entire collection. It coordinates perfectly with the original “Life Documented” line and I still have some of it … hollah! And just like “Life Documented,” the new line “Year.o.Graphy” is going to be perfect for Project 365/Project Life type scrapbooking, don’t you think?
Yes, you can buy Simple Stories “Year.o.Graphy” from online retailers … but why wouldn’t you order it straight from the friendly MEMORY WORKS CONSULTANT right here in front of you?
I wanted to explain the difference between what comes in the Simple Stories 12×12 Collection Kits vs. the other items you can buy separately. I’ll use the upcoming “100 Days of Summer” line to explain.
The 12×12 COLLECTION KIT contains:
{6} sheets of 12×12, double-sided Designer Cardstock paper
{1} 12×12 sheet of Fundamentals cardstock stickers
{1} 12×12 sheet of Expressions cardstock stickers
{30} cut-apart, double-sided Element pieces (sizes 4×6, 6×8, 4×4, 2×12, 4×12, and 6×12)
BONUS: {6} 4×6 transparency photo overlays exclusive to the Collection Kit
In other words, you get EVERYTHING in the kit.
But you can also buy most of the items separately*
* Except for the {6} 4×6 transparency photo overlays because they are exclusive to the Collection Kit
The cover of the Collection Kits show each of the items inside:
The top half shows the cut-apart Element pieces. They come in {6} actual sheets that are double-sided so they’re represented on the cover as 12 items (6 double-sided sheets = 12). Hope that makes sense :)
The top half also shows the Fundamentals and Expressions stickers and the 4×6 transparencies, along the upper right-hand side.
Then the bottom half shows the {6} sheets of Designer Cardstock paper; again, it’s {6} sheets that are double-sided so you see all 12 sides.
To summarize: In the 12×12 Collection Kit, you get all of the items and you get the 4×6 Transparencies.
If you want only select items from the kit, or if you want to order extras of particular items, we also sell them separately.
This holds true for all three existing Simple Stories lines ~ Life Documented, ele.ment.ary, Destinations ~ and the forthcoming 100 Days of Summer. (I’m taking PRE-ORDERS now).
I hope that explains what exactly is in the Simple Stories 12×12 Collection Kits vs. the items you can buy separately. If you have any questions, please leave a Comment here or e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
If you’ve been waiting for the new Simple Stories lines ~ Life Documented, ele.ment.ary, and Destinations ~ you know that I’ve been saying they were predicted to be available in late February or March. Well, late February kinda slipped right by me … but then March slapped me in the face and woke me up, LOL! I got to wonderin’ about Simple Stories …
… So I posted on the MW consultant board asking for an update on the release date. One of the owners, Amber, posted right away to say that they’ve been very busy at the MW offices.
She said the consultants can expect an e-mail on Friday (tomorrow, 3-4-11) with all of the details on the new Simple Stories!! But “basically the new collections will be available for consultants to purchase from the website sometime on Friday and we will begin shipping next week!”
So if all goes as planned, it sounds like those of you who have placed PRE-ORDERS with me should be able to go on MY WEBSITE and place your actual order TOMORROW!!!! {Geesh, can you tell I’m a might excited?} And you are pre-PAID, baby! As soon as I see your order, I hit “approve” and off we go.
Note: Pre-orders are now closed. As of Friday, March 4, you can order Simple Stories items straight from my website with no need for a pre-order :)
I have a busy weekend … ironically, I’m leaving Friday for a weekend scrapbook retreat ~ HOLLAH! But I’m taking my laptop with me and will keep you updated, m-kay?
I’m not just excited for YOU ~ although I AM very excited for you ~ but I’m excited for me because I’m ordering at least one set of each new Simple Stories kit and accessories for myself. I have the “first edition” kits of Life Documented and ele.ment.ary … and LURVE them … but they have been re-issued per se with more elements this time.
And one thing I’ve found to be true about Simple Stories: You can never have too much. All of the papers are double-sided so the options are endless, not to mention the style that’s so versatile and colors that look good with pretty much any photo you put near them. With the divided page protector method, I love using these kits to get lots of scrappin’ done in a shorter amount of time.
And if that’s not enough … Destinations is completely new so I’ve never even seen it in person before. I know I’m going to love it, because it retains the Simple Stories style I already adore … and it adds the fun new topic of travel, along with some black accents that are going to look rockin’ with my plethora of Disney photos and other travel photos.
So now that I’ve explained all about the Simple Stories lines by MEMORY WORKS and teased you a bit in my LAST ENTRY, it’s time to talk about what’s next … a new line, two revamped lines, and PRE-ORDERS on all three!
The newest Simple Stories line is called “Destinations” …
DESTINATIONS COLLECTION KIT
Collection Kit – MSRP $20.99 (includes entire collection components, plus bonus transparancy overlays exclusive to kit)
Collection Kit contents:
{6} sheets of 12×12 double-sided, designer cardstock paper
{1} 12×12 sheet of Fundamentals cardstock stickers
{1} 12×12 sheet of Expressions cardstock stickers
{30} double-sided, cut-apart element pieces; sizes 4×6, 6×8, 2×12, 4×12, and 6×12
BONUS: {6} 4×6 transparency photo overlays exclusive to the Collection Kit
*The Collection Kit has all of the elements listed below in one kit, or you can buy the elements separately … except for the 4×6 transparency photo overlays, which only come in the Collection Kit.
DOUBLE-SIDED DESIGNER CARDSTOCK {6}
Designer Cardstock Paper Pack – MSRP $5.50
(includes six 12×12 sheets of designer cardstock paper; one sheet of each design)
Signature Elements Paper Pack – MSRP $6.00
(includes six 12×12, double-sided sheets of signature cut-apart element pieces; one sheet of each style)
4×6 TRANSPARENCY PHOTO OVERLAYS {2 of each 3 designs}
* Exclusive to Collection Kit
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A revamped version will be out of our first Simple Stories line, “Life Documented” …
Collection Kit – MSRP $20.99
(includes entire collection components, plus bonus transparancy overlays exclusive to kit)
It will be like the existing “Life Documented” kit, but it will include 2 new double-sided cardstocks (4 new designs):
And 2 new 12×12 cardstock sticker sheets:
Fundamentals sticker sheet
Expressions sticker sheet
Specifically, the Collection Pack includes:
{6} sheets of 12×12, double-sided, designer cardstock paper
{1} 12×12 sheet of Fundamentals cardstock stickers
{1} 12×12 sheet of Expressions cardstock stickers
{30} signature pre-designed, double-sided, cut-apart Element pieces in a variety of sizes including 4×6, 6×8, 4×4, 2×12,
4×12 & 6×12
{6} bonus 4×6 transparency photo overlays exclusive to Collection Kit.
Note: The price on the “Life Documented” kit did go from $16.99 to $20.99, due to the 2 additional designer cardstocks and 2 additional sticker sheets. So a $4 increase but the additional items are worth about $8 … not bad.
Designer Cardstock Paper Pack – MSRP $5.50 (includes six 12×12 sheets of designer cardstock paper; one sheet of each design)
Signature Elements Paper Pack – MSRP $6.00 (includes six 12×12 sheets of signature cut-apart element pieces; one sheet of each style)
A revamped version will also be out of our second Simple Stories line called “ele.ment.ary” …
Collection Kit – MSRP $20.99
(includes entire collection components, plus bonus transparancy overlays exclusive to kit)
It will be like the existing “ele.ment.ary” kit, but it will include 2 new double-sided cardstocks (4 new designs):
And 2 new 12×12 cardstock sticker sheets:
Fundamentals sticker sheet
Expressions sticker sheet
Specifically, the Collection Pack includes:
{6} sheets of 12×12, double-sided, designer cardstock paper
{1} 12×12 sheet of Fundamentals cardstock stickers
{1} 12×12 sheet of Expressions cardstock stickers
{30} signature pre-designed, double-sided, cut-apart Element pieces in a variety of sizes including 4×6, 6×8, 4×4, 2×12,
4×12 & 6×12
{6} bonus 4×6 transparency photo overlays exclusive to Collection Kit.
Note: The price on the “ele.ment.ary” kit did go from $16.99 to $20.99, due to the 2 additional designer cardstocks and 2 additional sticker sheets. So a $4 increase but the additional items are worth about $8.
Designer Cardstock Paper Pack – MSRP $5.50 (includes six 12×12 sheets of designer cardstock paper; one sheet of each design)
Signature Elements Paper Pack – MSRP $6.00 (includes six 12×12 sheets of signature cut-apart element pieces; one sheet of each style)
Now that you’ve seen the new “Destinations” kit and the revamped “Life Documented” and “ele.ment.ary” kits, now it’s time to talk pre-orders. The word I’m getting from Home Office is that Destinations and Life Documented will be available in late February/early March, and ele.ment.ary some time in March. If you place a pre-order now, please understand that I can’t promise when these items will be available. But when they ARE available, I’ll be posting here on my blog to let you know (so please Subscribe to my blog, if you don’t already). If you pay for a pre-order, I’ll e-mail you when the time comes to place your actual order. Sound good?
Here is how the pre-orders will work:
I’ll collect and process payments until the release date(s). When the kits and additional items become available, I’ll e-mail you with instructions on what to do then.
{Which will be to log into my Memory Works WEBSITE, place the pre-paid for items in your shopping cart, enter your shipping address, and submit your order. I will automatically be notified that your order has been placed and, instead of having to wait for your payment to be received, I’ll be able to approve your order for processing immediately … assuming your payment has been received and processed already}.
{But don’t worry about that part right now, LOL}.
To place your pre-order now, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include:
1. Item(s) requested and cost
2. Shipping address
3. Total due including items, tax*, and shipping/handling**
4. Payment method – check, money order, or Paypal
~ I prefer Paypal, and will e-mail a Paypal invoice to you ASAP
~ If paying by check or money order, I’ll e-mail you back with my address. Please be aware that I can’t approve your order until the check/MO have been received and cleared.
* Sales tax amount is based on the tax rate for the address you’re shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.
** Please see THIS post for information on Memory Works shipping/handling information and costs.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns :) If you know of anyone who plans to order Simple Stories “Destinations”, “ele.ment.ary,” or “Life Documented,” please send them my way!
Yeah, this gets kind of confusing even to me, and I’m a MEMORY WORKS consultant, LOL!
Here’s the scoop … and I’m gonna’ go back to the beginning:
Memory Works is a direct sales company from Utah (kind of a “mom and pop” if you will) who for al has sold scrapbooking products from a variety of popular companies, including BASIC GREY, MY MINDS EYE, BO BUNNY, PINK PAISLEE, and more.
I joined Memory Works as a consultant in February 2007, when all of my local scrapbook stores closed and I was no longer able to get my fix of the “latest and greatest” products … so I decided to become a Memory Works CONSULTANT to support my habit (yes, I am purposely making a drug reference … ‘cuz it’s all so addicting!)
In 2010, Memory Works began producing their OWN line of products called Simple Stories. Here is the philosophy behind it, from the SIMPLE STORIES BLOG by Amber Crowell, the co-owner (with her husband Kevin Crowell) of Memory Works:
About Simple Stories
A Simple Solution
As a busy mom and scrapbook business owner who is passionate about telling our story, I became frustrated, stressed and guilty with the hobby that I loved so much. Instead of scrapbooking as a creative outlet or something that brought me joy – it started to become just another job on my to do list. It seemed I never had enough time to scrapbook. I put creative pressure on myself to make every page perfect or to compose the most eloquent journaling. I felt guilty for being so behind, and was overwhelmed with so many photos.
In fact, as my children grew it become disheartening as they wanted to see photos or look through albums. I had piles of half finished layouts, photos still on my computer and incomplete albums – but nothing to really tell our story!
With all my supplies, years of scrapbooking, and passion for preserving our memories I had very little to show for it. Thanks to Stacy Julian and Big Picture Scrapbooking, I started storing my printed photos in divided 4×6 page protectors in a 12×12 album – just so my children could view our photos before I scrapbooked them. I’ll never forget the first time we looked through our “album” together – It was amazing to see our children laughing, smiling, and remembering. No patterned paper, no embellishments, no perfectly designed layouts – just our memories and our story. At that moment I realized what my hobby was all about.
I loved the concept of simply inserting photos into divided page protectors, along with decorative scrapbook elements, for quick and easy scrapbooking and instant gratification. However, I wanted an even simpler solution for my busy life. Instead of cutting, cropping, embellishing and creating my own handmade elements from scratch I wanted a product that featured stylish, pre-designed element pieces in just the right sizes (to fit those page protector pockets perfectly!)
That’s where the Simple Stories concept was born and we’re thrilled to now share our solution with other scrapbookers: A system that would allow them to balance their hobby with their busy lives and products that would help them share their memories in a simple, yet beautiful, way! It was a dream come true to finally be able to launch our Simple Stories concept in January 2010 when we introduced our signature kit Life Documented.
Needless to say, Amber is SO not alone and the Simple Stories concept took off mightily, with crazy-good sales for the first SS line, “Life Documented.” I was one of those anxiously in line to purchase this amazing kit, as I planned to use it for my first go at PROJECT 365.
With all the buzz about Life Documented, I decided to take pre-orders for the kit so that it wouldn’t sell out before I and my customers got one, LOL. And since it was already January and many of us were using the kit for a project that started January 1, everyone wanted their Life Documented kits ASAP. The pre-orders worked out famously, as we all got our kits quite quickly and, after anxiously awaiting them, were so impressed with the quality and design of the product.
Note: If you go to the Simple Stories section of my WEBSITE currently, it does show a listing for the (original version) of the Life Documented kit. However, it has been out of stock for a while and, to my understanding, will not be re-stocked. But don’t despair … a new and improved version is on the way!
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Now fast forward to Summer of 2010. Based on the huge success of the Life Documented kit, Memory Works decided to launch a second kit in the Simple Stories series. It’s called “ele.ment.ary” and it uses the same simple scrapping approach but this time to make School Days albums or just to make layouts for all those school photos.
As MAY FLAUM from SCRAPBOOK UPDATE showed HERE, with the Simple Stories lines, you don’t have to stick to the divided page protector method … you can also use the products on regular layouts, card, and other projects. One really cool thing about ele.ment.ary is that, unlike the bright-bright colors of most school lines, it’s kind of distressed and mellow looking … which means it looks GREAT with old school photos. Now I’m not calling you “old” but you could certainly scrapbook some of YOUR school photos with this, couldn’t you? {If it makes you feel any better, I’m “old”, too, LOL}.
I could tell that “ele.ment.ary” was going to be popular, so I also took pre-orders on it. Again, all went very well … my customers and I were able to get our kits and accessories quickly. And again, we were very happy with the quality and design of the ele.ment.ary products.
If you’re interested, there are still some (original version) ele.ment.ary kits available HERE along with some of the matching accessories. For the reason I say “original version,” you have to stay tuned, silly …
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Now we’re in 2011 and it’s time for yet a third Simple Stories line … “Destinations.” This new line will be perfect for scrapping those vacations, past or present. I know that when Memory Works asked its consultants and customers what topics they would like to see covered by Simple Stories, “vacations and travel” was at the top of the list. Ask, and you shall receive!
I think Destinations is going to look beyond awesome with Disney photos, with it’s mix of primary colors along with black touches to bring out the “Mickey” and “Minnie” in all of your photos. It’s also, like the other Simple Stories lines, so stinkin’ versatile that you’ll be able to use it on many, many layouts. I’ve started scrapping all our trip photos using the divided page protector method, for three reasons:
1. On vacations, I take TONS of photos. If I were to scrap my usual layouts for all of the photos I want to include, my travel scrapbooks would take forevah! to complete, and they would weigh more than a cruise ship.
2. I want my travel books completed quickly, while the memories are still fresh for my journaling, while the ticket stubs are still handy, and we can enjoy reliving the trip and sharing it with others right away.
3. It’s so easy! Develop photos, slip ’em in the pockets, journal on a 4×6, pop that in, add some pretty paper and accents … DONE. Not as fancy as usual but DONE.
Anyhow, I was one of the many who asked for a Simple Stories travel line, so of course I *need* to order some Destinations! For one thing, I have a stack of Disney photos just waiting to be scrapped. I also think this line will look great with pictures from our Seattle trip, don’t you? Not to mention school field trips and other random events throughout the year.
All 3 Simple Stories lines have a unique, kind of colorful, kind of shabby look that so many of us love. I know that many people, while they love the concept of PROJECT LIFE by BECKY HIGGINS … just don’t care for such a clean, linear, precise look in their scrapbook products. Well, if that’s the case, be sure to check out the Simple Stories line. I think you’ll really like it.
So where does that leave us today? Why, anxiously awaiting the release of – as my post title indicates – the NEW “Destinations” line and ~ could it be? ~ a re-release of the popular “ele.ment.ary” and “Life Documented” lines!
Stay tuned … more information is right around the corner :)
{I mean, really, STAY TUNED! My next entry will tell you about how to PRE-ORDER “Destinations” … and some other things …}.
I used the Simple Stories “Life Documented” line to do my Project 365 last year (2010). HERE is a post about it so you can see what I’m talking about.
I’m hearing different reasons why people aren’t happy with Project Life by Becky Higgins this year, so I thought I’d offer up Life Documented again. Here is what I have in stock at home right now:
Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit for $16.99
******** I HAVE (9) KITS IN STOCK ********* ETA 1/11/11: Sorry, all have been sold.
We R Memory Keepers (WRMK) page protectors:
MULTI-PACK (10 for $5.50)
This is a variety of page pocket configurations
******** I HAVE (10) PACKS IN STOCK ******* ETA 1/11/11: Sorry, all have been sold.
HORIZONTAL 4×6 slots only (25 for $11.50)
******** I HAVE (2) PACKS IN STOCK ******* ETA 1/11/11: 1 left.
And the kiwi green WRMK 12×12 D-RING ALBUM ($30.00)
It comes with (10) regular 12×12 page protectors
******** I HAVE (1) ALBUM IN STOCK ******** ETA 1/11/11: Still available.
I also have (4) PRISM CARDSTOCK PACKS for $3.75 each ETA 1/11/11: 3 still available.
They have 7 sheets of 7 different colors which match Life Documented
HERE is a link to my website with all the Simple Stories and accessories, include the “Life Documented” and “ele.ment.ary” lines.
Speaking of Simple Stories “ele.ment.ary” I still have some of that in stock, too … (3) Collection Packs, (3) Designer Cardstock Packs, and (2) matching cardstock packs. ETA 1/11/11: 2 of each still available
If you order from my website, Memory Works shipping rates will apply. If you order from me (what I have in stock, shown above), I will Flat Rate ship super quick and split the shipping cost with you (I’m actually losing money but I want to sell these babies! So a great deal for you!)
Even if you don’t do Project 365 per se, “Life Documented” can easily be adapted to Photo a Week, Photo a Month, a regular family album, or whatever you like. It’s THE most versatile scrapbooking line I’ve ever seen and the colors/design are gorgeous. You have to see it in person :)
Give me a shout out if you’re interested or have any questions. Leave a comment below or e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. First come, first served :)
HERE is where I showed you sneak peek of the new MEMORY WORKS line for SIMPLE STORIES called “ele.ment.ary.” HERE is where you can see ALL the many pieces to the kit itself and the accessories you can buy separately.
*** The anticipated release date is August 16, 2010 ***
As I said in that last entry, I’ll be taking pre-orders for the entire “ele.ment.ary” line, just as I did for LIFE DOCUMENTED. I was just waiting to hear from home office what the prices were going to be … and I have them now! So here we go …
A .pdf catalog should be out soon and when it is, I’ll post it here. In the meantime, you can see all of the items on the post I did HERE.
As mentioned before, Memory Works is only producing half as many “ele.ment.ary” kits as they did for “Life Documented.” Based on the huge popularity of Life Documented, I think it would be very smart to get in early on this one. That’s why I love pre-orders. Once the kit is released in mid-August, I’ll already have your payment in hand and can place the order as soon as it hits the website. Standby your e-mail though, because I’ll notify you when to place your actual order!
Here is how the pre-orders will work:
1. You decide which item(s) you want from the list above.
2. Add the appropriate tax for the city/county of the shipping address.
3. Add shipping/handling charges (see end of this post).
4. E-mail your request to me along with how you would like to pay (check, money order, or Paypal).
I’ll collect and process payments until the projected “ele.ment.ary” availability of Mid-August. When the kit and items become available, I’ll e-mail you with instructions on what to do then.
{Which will be to log into my Memory Works website, place the pre-paid for items in your shopping cart, enter your shipping address, and submit your order. I will automatically be notified that your order has been placed and, instead of having to wait for your payment to be received, I’ll be able to approve your order for processing immediately … assuming your payment has been received and processed already}.
{But don’t worry about that part right now, LOL}.
To place your pre-order now, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include:
1. Item(s) requested and cost
2. Shipping address
3. Total due including items, tax*, and shipping/handling**
4. Payment method – check, money order, or Paypal
~ I prefer Paypal, and will e-mail a Paypal invoice to you ASAP
~ If paying by check or money order, I’ll e-mail you back with my address
* Sales tax amount is based on the tax rate for the address you’re shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.
** Please see THIS post for information on Memory Works shipping/handling information and costs.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns :) If you know of anyone who plans to order Simple Stories “ele.ment.ary,” please send them my way!
I will leave you with one last bit of Memory Works gossip:
Wait for it …
Wait for it …
Word on the street is that Memory Works owners Kevin and Amber are already at work on a third Simple Stories kit! Anticipated release is October/November 2010. How cool is that?
With the amazing success of the first Simple Stories kit by Memory Works – LIFE DOCUMENTED ~ it’s now time for the next Simple Stories kit. Woot woot!
MEMORY WORKS will be giving sneak peeks all this week on the SIMPLE STORIES BLOG, so if anyone is looking for me, I’ll be over there, LOL.
Now, I don’t know if THIS is a sneak peek in itself – what do you think?
I was thinking maybe the colors and school-lined paper here were some hints to what the new line will look like. Hmmm … I mean, I don’t have any insider info or anything, so that’s total speculation on my part. I’m just glad reveal time is almost here and that I finally get to see the next kit in the SIMPLE STORIES line. Hallelujah!
CHECK THIS OUT!SCRAPBOOK UPDATE did a review of Simple Stories and they’re giving away a free kit. Just leave a comment ***ON THE SCRAPBOOK UPDATE SITE*** by midnight PST on May 31, 2010. Good luck!
I went to a crop with friends last Saturday and had a blast. I took my laptop, little Epson Picturemate PRINTER, and all my SIMPLE STORIES stuff so I could try and get caught up with my PROJECT 365. I’ve been seriously lagging, gurl … mmm hmmm! I’ve continued to take photos every day (well, I thought I had, ha) but I hadn’t scrapped or journaled anything since (gulp) early February.
At the crop, I spent the better part of 7 hours just choosing, editing, and printing 10 weeks worth of photos … yep, 70 photos! Yike, that was intense. As I went along, I realized that I hadn’t been taking an actual “photo a day” like I thought I had. There were definitely 7+ photos per week but some days I had none, other days I had 10, kwim? So printing out my photos took WAY more time than it should have, because I had to first print out photos that had for each actual date, then try to find “filler” pics that weren’t day/date-specific to fill in the blanks with.
I thought about just switching my project from “photo a day” to “7 photos per week” but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Yet in a weird way, I hated the “fibbing” that I had to do in order to have a photo to print for each day. Isn’t that psycho weird? I know. I can’t help it. I also hated that it took so much extra time and effort … It made something that should’ve been fun into a chore, a hassle, and that’s SO not what I want this project to be.
So I came away from that little nightmare experience recommitted to taking, literally, a photo per day. I put a Post It note on my kitchen cupboard that I’ll see every day to remind me. I definitely have no shortage of photo subjects, I just get so busy, I forget to take the photo sometimes. My photo today was of all the (non-perishable) stuff that was still sitting on the kitchen counter from my Costco trip yesterday. I HAYTE putting Costo groceries away. They’re even worse than regular groceries. Can I get an “amen”?!?!?
That might seem a silly thing to take a photo of, and pre-Project 365, I never would have taken that photo. But I think it will be a fun thing to look back on in years to come … “The things we used to buy at Costco and how mom hated putting them away so much, they would stay on the counter for a day or two.” Cuz that’s real life around here, folks! And that’s what my Project 365 is all about.
I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any completed pages to share. Since I was SO far behind, I decided the best way to get caught up was to use a “one step at a time” approach. Instead of printing the photos for a week, choosing the papers, embellishing, and journaling, I got ALL the photos printed and put in the page protector slots (or at least an approximation of where they will go). Then I chose the Simple Stories paper/strip/cards I would use as the base for each open slot. And that’s as far as I got.
Now I need to embellish and journal 10 weeks worth and I’ll be caught up. Well, let me rephrase that: I’ll be caught up through April 11, 2010. And then I’ll be only a week ~ no, make that two ~ behind, LOL! Wish me luck that I can get caught up by this weekend … that’s the goal.
If you’re doing Project 365 this year, how’s it going for you? Please tell me you’re not in the same dire straits as I am! And if you’re not doing Project 365, doesn’t my post make you happy that you’re not?!?!? Yeah, that’s me, a cautionary tale for Project 365.
As I told you about HERE, I had a Scrapbook Open House on Saturday. My friend who holds a monthly crop for several friends in her development’s clubhouse was kind enough to let me display all my SIMPLE STORIES merch and invite all my crop buddies and customers to come check it out.
The good news is: There were 6 of us at the crop for most of the day and I got to chat and have fun with my friends. Several customers stopped by and I was able to show them how Simple Stories works, along with some new MEMORY WORKS products I had in stock.
The bad, well okay, decent news: I sold a “moderate” amount of stuff, LOL! It wasn’t gangbusters like I had hoped, but I did sell enough to make me happy I’d done it. I think the best part was that, even for the customers who didn’t buy anything, I was able to show Simple Stories to them and every single customer seemed interested. Maybe it wasn’t in their budget for now, but hopefully it will be in the future.
Thanks for cheering me on. I know you were with me in spirit. I did have a fun day, and made some progress on my Project 365 album. I took my laptop and little Epson printer so I could try to get caught up. For my photos, I chose, edited, and printed them right there at the crop and then scrapped them (with the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit and WRMK pocket page protectors). I didn’t do any journaling at the crop ‘cuz when I do, I tend to make mistakes. So now I’m only 1 week behind in photos and 2 weeks behind in journaling. Hey, if you knew all the stuff going on in my personal life right now, you’d be impressed, I swear! LOL :)
Overall, a fun and worthwhile day. Hope you had a scrap happy weekend, too.
I know that most scrapbook consultants have parties as the main way they get their products “out there.” Well, you know me, I have to be different, LOL! In my 3 years as a MEMORY WORKS Consultant (just had my 3-year anniversary on 2-6-10, yeah!), I’ve never officially had an MW party. Instead I prefer to have crops, where my products are for sale and customers can browse/purchase at their leisure, and now I’m having my second Scrapbook Open House.
The way an Open House works (and this is my own definition; it’s not something that Memory Works promotes as an option, per se) is that you find a customer who would like to be the hostess (they get hostess credit), decide your hours, send out flyers to your customers, offer some incentives for them to come by … and then PRAY that they do, LOL!
The first open house I did was in November 2008. I had a fabulous make-n-take, a 12×12 2-page layout with MY MINDS EYE products, that was hugely popular. It was a class kit from Memory Works, so I didn’t even have to come up with the idea or put it together. The hostess provided cookies, hot cider, and such. Ladies stopped by, did the M&T while they chatted with scrappy friends and had a snack, or they just purchased the kit and took it home. It was a great success and lots of fun.
Now with a crop (which is what I do more often) you get reservations and payment ahead of time, so you know financially how you’re doing as you go along, how much food to provide, etc. But with an Open House, other than the few ladies who might RSVP on their own, you really don’t know how many will show up. So from my perspective as a consultant, that’s a wee bit aggravating … yet the nature of the beast, so that’s okay :)
For the customer, open houses are great because they are TOTALLY at your convenience. You can stop by when you have time, stay for as little or as long as you want, do a quick shop or relax and stay awhile, chat with your scrappy friends without having to lug all your stuff like you would to a crop, get to see new products, and touch base with your consultant.
And those are all the reasons I like to have an Open House once in a while. It’s truly a win-win-win, LOL. The hostess gets free stuff, customers have an easy event to attend, and I hopefully make my customers happy and sell some things. This time, I’m most excited about it because I get to show off SIMPLE STORIES in person. I’ve been selling lots of it online (thank you, my dear customers!), but this is the first time I’ll show it off in person.
I think my job will be pretty easy, as it really does sell itself. I do look forward to seeing that A-HA moment in ladies’ eyes when they see how easy and fast it is, how fun it is to work with, and what a solution it can be to some scrapping dilemmas they might be facing.
1. That feeling of being “behind” ~ We all have super busy periods in our lives, or you just lose your mojo to scrap. Then you feel like you’re so far behind. You’re still taking photos as you always have, but they’re stacking up (literally, or at least on your computer) and how will you ever catch up?
2. You took a family trip, remodeled your house, or had a new baby and the amount of photos you took is, well, kind of embarrassing really :) You want to show off all the amazing photos and not have to skip any of them, but if you do regular layouts for every photo, you’ll need at least 2 albums … and 2 weeks of home vacation just to have the time, LOL.
3. You’d like to do PROJECT 365, 52, or 12. You want to do a weekly GRATITUDE ALBUM. You’d like to do a Year in Review album with just the best pics from each month.
Yep, Simple Stories takes care of all of these Scrapper Issues :) I think that’s why so many people have purchased it and are excited about it. It’s just a bonus that the kit itself is so dang pretty and fun. Anyway, I look forward to seeing reactions in person and hope my IRL scrap friends like Simple Stories as much as I do (wait, is that even possible???).
My Scrapbook Open House tomorrow is being held at the clubhouse of a sweet scrappy friend. She hosts a group of friends for a monthly crop, which we love because it’s free, easy, and fun! You can actually go to the entire crop day without spending any money (nice when money is tight), if you bring your own munchies and drinks. And avoid the inevitable trips to Starbucks and Michaels, LOL.
Tomorrow happens to be the February date for our monthly ‘friends crop.’ Since she’ll have the clubhouse open anyway, she agreed to be the hostess for my Open House (LOVE her!). There are usually 4 to 6 of us cropping all day from 9am to 9pm; I’m not sure how many are expected this time. Then from 10am to 8pm, I’ll have my Memory Works area set up with products, some snacks/drinks, a quick make-n-take, and free gifts for those who stop by.
I’m kind of nervous that no one will come to the Open House. You just never know. I’ve stocked up on a bunch of Simple Stories PRODUCTS ~ kits, page protector packs, cardstock packs, and even an album.
I’ll have my album available to flip through and show samples of how you can use the kit, and the M&T is made from Simple Stories products. I have copies printed of the new SIMPLE STORIES IDEA GUIDE and CATALOG.
Please keep your fingers crossed that I make some sales Saturday!
I’m going to look on the bright side: Even if I don’t have many customers, I still get to scrapbook all day, right?
The SIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS went on sale Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9am MST … and I ordered mine 1/15/10 at 9:01 MST :) I know, I know, I lagged for a whole minute! Here is what I ordered:
And the kiwi green WRMK 12×12 D-RING ALBUM ($30.00), which comes with (10) regular 12×12 page protectors
I received my package of goodies exactly one week later (the following Friday). Usually I get MW orders within 4-5 days but, understandably, it took longer this time because they were swamped with orders. That weekend, I set about getting started with my Simple Stories kit, which I’m using to complete my PROJECT 365 for 2010.
The kit is so detailed and nice-looking, that you can definitely “keep it simple” and use nothing but what comes in the kit, by cutting the cardstock elements apart, printing out and using the digital elements, etc. and just slipping them right into the page protector slots. Adding your photos and journaling would be the rest of the process, and you’d be DUNZO! Whoo hoo, love the simplicity and quickness of that.
But after seeing Simple Stories page samples from the Memory Works design team and guest designer BRENDA HURD, I decided to go a little more elaborate with mine. I really liked how they added flowers, ribbon, stamping, and other embellishments to dress it up and have a little fun with it.
So I went digging through my stash and began gathering things that I could use. I found lots of matching flowers and ribbons (Why, yes, I DO know that I have a ribbon issue! I’m on Step 7 of 12. I’ve humbly asked God to remove this shortcoming. I’m waiting to hear back) …
I decided to use one of the patterned, double-sided cardstock sheets to open my Project 365 album, with the title page/front page using one side, and then turning the page to an Introduction page on the left. {It has a bunch of personal info on it and with the nasty spammers I get on the blog, I can’t share the whole thing here, sorry … }. Here’s the bottom right of the Intro page, where I used a file tab sticker and alpha letters from the SS kit, and some light green glitter chipboard letters I had (thanks SSS SECRET SANTA!).
I printed out my photos and started popping them into the slots, along with strips, embellishment, and journaling cards from the kit. I also used one of the transparencies here, to give special honor to the photo of receiving my long-awaited Simple Stories shipment!
On the first page, I used the January month card. There’s a card for every month, which I love.
I kept the cover sheet from the kit and slipped it in a page protector, for when I take my Project 365 album {which will be my demo album} to Memory Works parties and crops.
I’m not sure why I took a photo of my WRMK album. I think because I’m in love with it and want to marry it …
I got all my P365 photos printed up to that point, which was the end of Week 3, and got them in the page protectors where I liked them. Some of the photos didn’t fit effortlessly into the slotted pages so rather than fight or force, I decided to make a front and back 12×12 layout using some of the Prism cardstock as a background.
At that point, I had a better feel for the colors and style of the kit, and went shopping in my stash again for things I could use to dress it up. I found chipboard numbers, journaling items, metal frames, and all kinds of bling. Hmmm … I’m getting so much stuff, I need a container of some kind to hold them on my desk. Shouldn’t be a problem, as I’m the Queen of Rubbermaid storage containers, LOL.
So that’s how things went on my first Simple Stories outing. Obviously, now that I’ve got the basic layout of my pages in place, it’s time to USE some of that fine stashness I’ve gathered.
I’ve never done Project 365 and I’ve never scrapbooked this way, with the divided page protectors. This is going to be a fun and growing experience for me and my scrapbooking, and I’m really looking forward to it.
As you probably know by now (LOL!), I’m a consultant for MEMORY WORKS, and SIMPLE STORIESis their hot new product (the very 1st product of their own!). It’s been very popular with scrappers doing PROJECT 365, or those who just want to get some fast scrapping done … while keeping it cute and stylish :) I have an online friend who wants to use this kit to get a quick scrapbook done for her 2009 family album, as she was busy with kids and craziness, and didn’t get many of her photos scrapped.
Anyway, I placed this order ~ which was #1 of 2 ~ the second that Simple Stories products went live on my Memory Works website last Friday (1-15-10). Memory Works said to expect a longer shipping time than usual because this was so popular and they have a small staff. Usually my orders ship to me within 1 business day; they said to allow 4-7 business days for Simple Stories, and that was accurate since it shipped on Day 5 and arrived here on Day 7.
As you can see, I ordered my own stuff and a bunch of extras to sell at my next crop and to friends. (I’m already holding a few things, wink). There’s my gorgeous Kiwi green album by We R Memory Keepers, the Simple Stories kits, coordinating cardstock packs, and 2 kinds of page protector packs.
My 2nd order is due here Monday … more of the same. I decided to get extras with the profits I made from the first round of selling (it sold VERY well!). Like they say, a good businesswoman reinvests her profits in her business :) I heard … and it may just be a rumor … that this could be the only run of this version of “Life Documented” kits. I mean, Memory Works will probably issue future Simple Stories kits along these same lines that coordinate and everything, but I like THIS particular kit so much, I wanted to get lots of extras while I could. You know, once they’re gone, they’re gone, kind of a thang.
I’ll be playing with Simple Stories all weekend, getting my Project 365 all caught up (Weeks 1 through 3). I’ll post close-ups of the kit contents themselves, probably on Monday because I have a very busy weekend.
Did you order Simple Stories? Didja get it yet? What do you think?
I feel like BECKY HIGGINS today! You know how everyone gets so excited over her scrapbook kits, like the school days one, and more recently, PROJECT LIFE??? Well, today is the day that theSIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” line and accessories went on sale … 1-15-10 at 9am MST, to be exact.
Late lastnight, the CATALOG of Simple Stories items was released to consultants and boy is it purdy. It’s a .PDF file that I can e-mail to customers, and the whole line in is in there, including the much anticipated matching Prism cardstock, along with How To’s and samples. Very well done, I thought.
I was was up super late lastnight (too embarrassed to tell you HOW late….), getting all my ducks in a row with my pre-orders. I tallied down who had pre-ordered what, the amount due, and whether their Paypal payment had been received. I made sure my Memory Works WEBSITE was pulled up, that all my billing and address info was correct, and that I was logged in. Then I went to bed for a few hours (ahem…) and was up by 7am to be ready for the 8am (my time) launch.
Once the Simple Stories items were showing on my MW website, I placed my very own order for an album, kit, a Prism cardstock pack, and some page protector packs. I added extras of everything (except the album; oh, I got that cool Kiwi green color, btw!) so I have some stock to sell at my next crop. I hit Send and sang Hallelujah! Did a little happy dance. Whoo hoo, I GOT ME MINES!
Then I went to my e-mail … and felt like Becky :)
The order invoices starting coming in, right from the beginning! I checked each one to make sure the correct items were ordered that they had requested, then verified payment had been received, and hit “Order Fulfillment” on my MW website. Questions were coming in pretty regularly, and new orders that hadn’t been pre-paid, so I typed up Paypal invoices, sent them right off, received payment SO quickly (these girls are excited!…well, that or they had to leave for work, sheesh). More Order Fulfillments and lots of happy customers!
Yeah, I felt like about 1% of the stress that Becky Higgins must feel the day her new kits go on sale to the general public. Gah! It’s fun, exhilarating, exciting, and stressful, all rolled into one. I know I’ve gone on and on about this kit/line, and I thank you for your patience if you normally come here just to read sarcastic scrapbook commentary and see what’s in stock at Michaels, LOL! I’ll get back to that good stuff soon, I promise. In fact, I have a VERY good article coming up that you’re going to want to read. It applies to a scrapbook industry controversy, so should be interesting, eh?
Anyway, I’m so happy today is here, excited to keep selling Simple Stories products in the future, and SO appreciative of my lovely customers and understanding SBO readers who have been nothing but wonderful to me :) Hollah!
The best part is going to be seeing what people DO with this kit. I’ve seen (MW owner) Amber’s samples on the simple stories blog, and I know the MW Design Team got the kit a day or two early and are busy creating with it. But I really want to see what the everyday scrapper like me does with it, and hear their feedback. I hope it turns out to be a good solution for Project 365’ers, for busy moms who want to get some photos in an album BEFORE their kids are grown and gone, and for new scrappers who maybe have been intimidated by traditional scrapping and might feel like this is something they can do to get started.
Again, just feelin’ the love today. Thanks to all! Have a WONDERFUL day!
ETA 1-15-10: Holy cow, the Prism Cardstock Pack (it matches with Life Documented kit) has already sold out! I hope they’ll get more soon. You get (7) pieces of pebbled, 12×12 cardstock for $3.75 …
ETA 1-18-10: It’s back! The Prism cardstock that matches Simple Stories “Life Documented” is back in stock :)
