It’s always been known as National Scrapbook Day here in the ol’ US of A but with scrapbooking being such a global community, I’ve noticed a lot of scrappers now referring to it as International Scrapbook Day or iNSD which I think is awesome!
I hope you’re having a day full of scrappy goodness. I have to work today (boo hoo) but – purely in the interest of promoting our hobby and doing something scrappy today – I plan to hit a few of the online NSD sales and see what trouble I can get into ;)
I’m also planning to talk by phone with a long-time online scrapbook friend later this morning. We’ve “known” each other for years but this will be the first time we’ve spoken. I cherish the friendships I’ve made through this blog and the scrapbook message boards I’m on. In fact, one of my BFF’s is someone I met through a scrapbook MB <3.
I wanted to share a freebie that I KNOW you’re gonna’ like – and it’s from one of my fave companies, SIMPLE STORIES.
These free printables go with their brand new “Good Day Sunshine” line and HERE is the link. It can take a while to load so be patient, girlie.
Also, check out one of my other fave companies, BASIC GREY today! You can get this FREE PRINTABLE . . .
and they’re having a great sale, giveaways, etc.
Man, you need to go strolling around the scrappy internet today. There are so many sales, freebies, games, giveaways, and challenges! And THIS is why interNational Scrapbook Day is one of my favorite holidays of the year :)
LOVE TO ALL MY SCRAPPIN’ FRIENDS and HAPPY interNATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY!!!!
Starting today {Tuesday, 04-29-14}, Simple Stories is revealing their new lines for Spring 2014. As always, I’m very excited because SS is one of my favorite scrapbooking companies. Here is a taste of each of their new lines:
In their Spring 2014 catalog, they also have some of the products that were introduced at CHA WINTER 2014. This includes: Photo Flips, Photo Crops, 12×12 and 6×8 Pocket Pages, 6×8 Insta-Pocket Pages, and Burlap 6×8 Sn@p! Binders, along with the solid color 6×8 and 12×12 albums they’ve carried for a bit now. {Btw, Simple Stories gave me one of the 12×12 albums and page protectors to try out; they are AWESOME! Great quality and just lovely}.
I don’t think I ever got around to posting the SS photos I took at CHA so here are some of the items in person:
Yeah, my camera broke mid-CHA so these are blurry iPhone photos. The lighting there is horrible for photo-taking anyway. Hopefully they’re better than nothing, LOL!
My early faves from the Simple Stories Spring 2014 catalog are:
The whole “Good Day Sunshine” line with all the watercolor elements and pretty summer colors, and the 12×12 ombre papers – swoon!
The “Story of Us” 12×12 papers with gold and silver bokeh, chevrons, and dots.
“Hello Baby”, such a soft and sweet baby line great for either gender. I may spend a paycheck on the pastel-colored woodgrain papers, yikes.
Stay tuned to the SIMPLE STORIES BLOG this week for lots of excitement as they reveal these new lines! Which ones are catching your eye just based on the preview?
As I talked about HERE, I recently went to my annual scrapbook retreat with friends. I had a complete blast, as I always do. This retreat weekend is something I look forward to all year. Daily life is so busy – family, work, home – that I rarely get to scrapbook at home. That’s why I enjoy and look forward to crops and retreats so much.
I worked extra hard all week so that I’d be ahead on my work come Friday, and was able to head up to the lake retreat house first thing in the morning. I was the first to arrive {that NEVER happens! LOL} and quickly got to unloading my heavily-packed car. Personal stuff went into a downstairs bedroom and scrappy stuff upstairs to the main part of the house.
Since I was there first, I was able to take some photos of the house empty. You can see how super cool it is and perfectly set up for a scrapbooking crew like us. Starting at the left of the photo: Crop tables with Ott lights; living room with big comfy couches, TV, and fireplace; 2 more scrapping’ tables where me and my mom sat; large kitchen; and big dining room table.
This is the view from the front deck toward the lake. Because of our drought, the water is very low this year and you can barely see it there in the background :(
Here’s my table with all my scrap-crap unloaded but before getting organized. All the stuff in the back row was already there – printer, lamp, Iris drawers, etc.
Here’s me all set up and ready to scrap the long weekend away! Epson PictureMate? Check! Bag in Bag full of embellishments, enamel dots, and labels? Check! Basic Grey Magnetic Mat double down? Check! Stack of free printables? Check! Let’s get this pawty stawted, homes!
This was my table on Day 3. Ahhhh . . . coffee and scrapbooking. My idea of heaven.
This is one reason I love my Project Life storage solution so much. {If you haven’t read my post about it, they’re just plastic shoeboxes from Michaels with all my 3×4 and 4×6 cards divided by brand and line with simple labels}. See how I put them on top of the existing Iris drawers? It was so easy to pull down the box I needed, flip the lid off, and go to town. If I’d had a large case with an attached lid, where would I have even put it? And so heavy! If I’d used one of the those fancy divided cubby units that I so admire when I see them on Pinterest {ha!}, how would I have transported it to the retreat without all the cards falling out and getting mixed up?
“Scrabpook Obsession, you can love your Project Life storage system. Just don’t LOOOOOOOOVE your Project Life storage system.” {10 points if you can name the movie I’m referencing!}
Anyhoo, I worked solely on pocket pages with my goal being to get 2013 photos completely done including Project Life. Welllll . . . that didn’t happen, LOL! More like February, March, and October to December 2013. Oh well. Best laid plans and all that. I did get 20 pocket pages scrapped. I just counted how many photos:
One hundred and five. Bladow.
105 photos and lots of handwritten journaling, capturing memories, reliving our fun year = what a blessing. Wish I could go on a retreat every month. I dare say I’d be totally ‘caught up.’ Which will never happen in reality but it’s fun to dream about, yeah? If I’d done traditional layouts, I predict I would’ve scrapped about 20 photos.
I even got some organizing done while I was there. I made more labeled dividers for my PL storage {yikes! I’ve collected even MORE cards since I showed you my storage system HERE}. And I got a lot of my divided page protectors out of their packaging and into a 12×12 ring binder, divided up into the various pocket configurations. Made it much easier to find the specific type I was looking for instead of digging into a mixed up multi-pack each time.
I’ll close with this photo of some beautiful deer. I was standing on the front patio early in the evening, talking to one of my kids on the phone, when these deer just walked right up to me. Aren’t they amazing?
Yes, of course, I took a ton of photos and now these darlings will have a pocket page spread of their own. Anyone know a good “deer” line?? :D
Do you go on scrapbook retreats? Do you get a lot done or is it more of a social thing?
I wanted to let you know I’ve added several more products to the original list of SCRAPBOOK PRODUCT ERRORS AND TYPOS. Take a look and have a giggle :) As a teaser, can you see what’s wrong with these stickers?
I have to say, this blog entry was an interesting topic when I went to CHA. Since I was talking directly to scrapbooking companies who’ve been mentioned here, I had this loose-woman-in-a-confessional booth need to REPENT! Confess that I was the evil blogger who kept a list of their foibles.
Thankfully, they laughed.
They did take the time to explain the manufacturing process and how it’s almost impossible to keep errors like these from slipping through once in a while. They said not to blame it on the overseas manufacturers, that they only print what they’re given. But, as in any other business, breakdowns in communication happen sometimes. They do have many pairs of eyes look through everything but they’re humans and they miss things. Or corrections are made but the wrong computer file is sent. The best they can do is try to fix it and offer the customer a digital or hard copy replacement. In the case where the line won’t be reprinted, all they can do is offer another product as an apology.
The sweet folks at SIMPLE STORIES showed me an example of how specific and exacting they have to be with the product makers. For a pack of die cuts like these . . .
. . . they have to send specs about EXACTLY how they want them in the package. The large red hearts on the bottom vertically, the blue HOME on top of that vertically, the teal scallop horizontally, etc. I think she used another pack as an example but that was the gist of it. Anyway, just something I never gave any thought to and found very interesting.
So, maybe I’ve softened a little bit on the manufacturers. Well, or not. I’ve never been “burn them at the stake!!!” for these errors. I just think it’s fun to keep a list and also like sharing it with you so, if it’s an error that would bug you, you can steer clear of that product. As long as the companies are willing to make things right with their customers when these problems are found, then I have their back. It’s the best they can do, right?
So check out the updated list linked above and, as always, give me a shout out if you find any new ones ;)
ETA 05-01-14: You can no longer buy the entire “True Scrap Pocket Pages” event that’s linked below. HERE is where you can purchase the same classes a la carte {that’s a fancy way of saying “individually” ;)
If you’ve been hangin’ around the blog, you know I’ve been very excited to attend TRUE SCRAP POCKET PAGES :) I signed up on Black Friday and had to wait for.EV.er for it to actually get here, LOL. I could kinda’ care less about Christmas and my birthdays because I don’t receive much these days . . . but sign me up for a scrapbook class or event, and it’s all I can think about. Am I alone here?
So today it was finally time for TS Pocket Pages. I really enjoyed my experience and wanted to share a review. Did you know you can buy these classes individually later? Lain usually sells True Scrap classes a la carte a month or two after the event; I’ll make sure and post here when they’re available. If you don’t want to miss that, you can sign up in the top right sidebar to receive an e-mail every time I post.
It actually started Friday night with a Pajama Party from 9-10pm EST. This is a chance for all the attendees to check out the chat room, get to know the hostess Lain, say hi to everyone, and chit chat about scrapbooking for an hour. There are often technical things to work through, too – like changing browsers, watching videos straight from the LOAD site, getting close to your router, etc. – so I highly suggest attending PJ parties before any of Lain’s events or at least checking out the online classroom at least 1 hour before start time. She usually uses Cisco Webex for which you’ll need to download Quicktime if you’re not on a Mac. I usually sail right into class but this time I couldn’t access the classroom using Safari. I switched over the Chrome and had no problem, although Lain says that most people who have problems are using Chrome (guess I’m an anomaly, LOL – wouldn’t be the first time!).
On Saturday, I got to sleep in because it didn’t start until 9:30am my time. There were scrappers from other parts of the world like my buddy AussieGal (Janet) who had to be up at 4:30, ugh. What a trooper! If you’re not that devoted or have other plans, there are always full replays of the class videos including the chat. Love that feature. I also love the replays because here is my routine: While the event – class videos and chat – are going on live, I give that my full attention. I watch the video, participate in the chat, etc. {And the chat moves VERY fast so you have to be a bit of a scrapbook Olympian to follow it}. Then later I’ll watch the videos individually to take notes, follow the projects more closely, and sometimes create the project.
In this case, the pocket page classes were more process-oriented where the instructor walked you through how and why they do PROJECT LIFE or pocket page scrapbooking. They shared what products they use, how their space is set up, how they choose and print photos, do journaling, etc.
Usually with True Scrap classes, there’s a project to create and I’ll do that after the fact. This time, I think I’ll watch again whenever I need Project Life or pocket page inspiration or just want to watch or listen to something scrappy. There were SO many ideas and tips to incorporate into my own pocket page scrapping. Another great feature of True Scrap events is the Supply List. This is sent out ahead of time in case you want to gather products and create along with the instructor. But it’s REALLY useful for after the fact when you fall in love with the products they use and want to know “Where’d she get that?!?!” If the item isn’t on the Supply List, they’re really great about following up and putting a link to the item in the chat and/or in the Post-Call Guide.
So, now for a quick review of each class. I included the class times so you could get a sense of how long the event is, and the class name/description in italics. My reviews follow in regular type.
12:30PM* – Meet and Greet
*All times are EST
Again, just a time to check in, make sure your connection is working, etc. We all said hi to old and new friends, said where we were from, and compared temperatures; those with snow and ice didn’t appreciate hearing from us in Cali, Hawaii, and Arizona, I’m sure.
1PM – Pocket Scrapping 101: Back to Basics from Layle Koncar
As a dedicated “traditional” scrapbooker, Layle Koncar had to find a way to make pocket scrapbooking work for her – and she did it! She’s sharing her secrets to take you from pocket scrapping zero to hero in this comprehensive class, “Pocket Scrapping 101: Back to Basics.” If you’re new to pocket pages, this is a can’t miss primer for how to approach the system from Planning and Organization to Color and Design. And if you’re an experienced pocket scrapper, you’ll still find plenty of tips, hints, and time- saving secrets. This is one class you’re sure to watch again and again!
I’ve been scrapbooking pocket-page style for a few years now but even I enjoyed this “basic” look at the topic. If you’re new to pocket page or Project Life-type scrapbooking, this is a great class. Layle talked about all the products that can be used, how to organize products, how to store and use memorabilia, etc. One of my favorite things about Layle is she’s so down-to-earth, like your funny BFF who always makes you smile. She told a story about Hawaii that had me ROFL *and* LMBO. Word. We found out that Layle had done her video, it was almost an hour (which doesn’t allow for chat time), so she took 2 segments out, and submitted it. Well, it’s the real world and things happen – so we ended up seeing the long version. No one was complaining though – more learnin’ for us :) And Ms. Lain Problem Solver is going to Skype with Layle soon, get all our questions answered, and share it via e-mail. So we got the best of both worlds.
2PM – Do You Hear What I Hear? Including Your Family’s Perspectives in Your Pocket Spreads from Marcy Penner
Most scrapbookers realize that pretty soon, their scrapbooks become a reflection of their perspective on their life. And that’s great! But what about those other special people who inhabit your world? Is it possible to include more “voices” in your pocket pages? As Marcy Penner can attest, YES! Marcy will create a weekly spread in her Project Life album with a focus on adding other voices and perspectives. You’ll learn specific tips and ideas for including family members in your process, as well as where to find content that will add additional perspectives to your pages. After “Do You Hear What I Hear? Including Your Family’s Perspectives in Your Pocket Spreads,” you’ll be hearing voices – in a good way!
In addition to all the ways I learned to include my family members’ voices in my pages, I also liked watching her process. She has a clever Design A template on poster board that she uses to design her pages before slipping everything into protectors. Someone in class mentioned seeing online where another scrapper made a template on their desktop using washi tape! I usually just design my pages right on top of the page protectors themselves but will consider making one of these templates. Marcy shared photography, placement, embellishing, and color tips as well. Her process and pages are very detailed and not something I personally (a very simple and time-challenged scrapper) would re-create. But I can take 1 or 2 of her ideas per layout and still get my money’s worth from the class.
3PM – KISS: Keep It Simple, Scrappy! Simplifying the Pocket Page Process from Monica McNeil
So you’ve got plenty of product, plenty of pictures, plenty of memories, but not much time. Monica McNeil is right there with you! In “KISS: Keep It Simple, Scrappy! Simplifying the Pocket Page Process in Three Simple Steps” she’s going to share her methodology of batch-processing her pocket page spreads. She works on several weeks at once, and also finds time to go back to older years to deal with those pesky missing weeks. (You DO have missing weeks, don’t you?) Jam-packed with ways to keep your process simple, “KISS” will give you the tools to actually have time to cultivate that good life, instead of spending all your time recording it. Join Monica to use your kits, preserve your memories, and showcase your photographs in a flash.
This was one of my favorite classes from True Scrap Pocket Pages. I wasn’t familiar with Monica prior to this but I really like her scrapbooking style and how she teaches. I’m in the same boat – super busy, wanting to do Project Life and pocket page scrapbooking, but having to adapt it to something I can handle time-wise. Even though she keeps it simple, Monica’s pages tell the story, are fun to do, and look great. She gave concrete tips like batch processing, using label stickers, tagging photos, and going back to complete older albums.
4PM – Outside the Lines: Creative Approaches to Adding Journaling to Your Pocket Pages from Stephanie Bryan
Do photos come easier than words for you? You’re not alone! As an experienced pocket page veteran, Stephanie Bryan knows that you can get into ruts, making your whole project feel like a trip to the dentist rather than the joy it can (and should!) be. Over the past years, she’s discovered ways to re-invigorate her journaling by including the stories in unique and fun ways. She’ll be sharing these techniques with you in “Outside the Lines: Creative Approaches to Adding Journaling to Your Pocket Pages.”
I’m a pretty boring journaler with my pocket pages. I usually handwrite straight onto the provided journaling cards and call it a day. I really enjoyed Stephanie’s class for all her ideas to get me out of that rut. She utilizes things like flip up journaling cards, tags in pockets, journaling on photos, and using her die cutting machine to spice things up a bit. As with Marcy’s class, I admire Stephanie’s pages for their artistry more than I would plan to replicate them but, hey, that’s great, too! “Aspirational scrapbooking,” right? It’s all good.
5PM – Playing Big: Adding 12×12 photos and layouts to your Pocket Pages Albums from Lilith Eeckels
Pocket pages are wonderful for capturing little moments. But what about those BIG little moments – the ones that deserve more than a 3×4 or 4×6 spot? Lillith Eeckels wants to help you get those special times into your pocket page albums. In “Playing Big: Adding 12×12 Photos and Layouts to Your Pocket Page Albums” she’ll show you how to scrapbook everyday moments in the traditional 12×12 size, and then how to add those oversized pages to your albums. She’ll also share her tips for making the whole process easy, enjoyable, and achievable. Let’s get BIG!
Lilith you may know as a former Two Peas GARDEN GIRL. I love her style and always enjoy her scrapbooking videos. In this case, I don’t have a wide format printer and don’t send my photos out for printing either so I probably won’t use her 12×12 photo or collage ideas. But she did teach me a thing or three I WILL use! She showed a great way of incorporating regular 12×12 layouts within your pocket page/Project Life layouts to where they look cohesive and not “out of place” like I’ve seen them do. I also enjoyed watching her layer on 3×4 and 4×6 cards. She has a great attitude about embracing mistakes and not stressing on things too much. Lilith was raised in South Africa and lives in Belgium (we learned in class), so she has a lovely accent, too.
6PM – Hybrid Hints for Paper People from Traci Reed
Traci Reed is the resident Digi girl for True Scrap events, but even though she loves those pixels, she works her pocket pages in paper style… with a little help from her digi background! In “Hybrid Hints for Paper People,” Traci will show you how to use digital techniques and tools to expand what you can do with your paper pocket pages. That’s right – you can have the best of both worlds, and Traci will be your guide in getting it all!
I’m a strictly paper scrapbooker so I have to admit I didn’t get as much out of this class. She delves right in with Photoshop, a program I doubt I’ll ever own, but the music playing while she demos her work was great! I have nothing against digi-scrapping, it’s just not for me. I’m on the computer ALLLLL day for work, personal, blogging, and comms with my scrappy peeps. When I sit down to scrapbook, I want the creative “paper and glue” outlet. But I think most scrappers are open to digital or at least hybrid scrapbooking. You’ll enjoy this class if that’s the case for you. Traci is a very accomplished digital designer and teacher and her Project Life pages are stunning. She has a pleasant teaching style and her interaction during chats always makes me laugh. Traci did surprise me at the end by printing out her digi-fied photos, cutting them out, adhering to card stock, and embellishing with physical scrapbooking products and stamping. So check out her class and see if you like it!
To give you an idea of the amazing prizes handed out, here are the ones from “True Scrap Pocket Pages”:
Layle – Simple Stories “Daily Grind” prize package
Marcy – Studio Calico Project Life kit
Monica – Full Project Life set of choice including album
Stephanie – Life Pages kit from Gossamer Blue
Lilith – Layle Koncar’s “Pick a Card, Any Card” class
Traci – Digital kit with printables $40 collection brand new
If you’ve read this sooper dooper long review and want to just buy the whole event, you can still purchase “TRUE SCRAP: POCKET PAGES” at this link. I just put it in a shopping cart and entered the code ASAP90 which still worked to bring the price from $149 way down to $59. I thought that code had expired but I guess not – it’s worth a try! If not, wait for those a la carte prices in the next month or so and you can buy just the classes that sound the best to you!
Thanks for reading my reviews. Please post ANY questions or comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Are you wondering when the new SIMPLE STORIES lines will be out from CHA Winter 2014 earlier this month? Well, never fear! Your courageous Super Scrappy Enabler is here! Yes, I have a cape, gold cuff bracelets, and everything. For reals.
Here are the release dates of the new lines, as per their blog:
{I’ll just put a sample image from each line but you can see a lot more by clicking on the links}.
If you click on any of the links above, they will take you to the specific post on the Simple Stories blog where that line was debuted. You can double-check I got the release dates right, LOL. {Sorry, it’s almost midnight as I write this and it’s been a long day . . . even super heroes aren’t perfect}.
Mid-February and Mid-March is when they are ESTIMATED to ship to retailers. Allow a little time for vendors to receive the items and list them in their stores.
Alas, I won’t be selling my beloved Simple Stories products anymore because Memory Works closed at the end of 2013 :( I still love SS products and, while probably not as often, I will continue to post Simple Stories news when I can.
Top 3 on my wish list are:
1. Homespun
2. Hey Pop!
3. Wedding Sn@p Set
YES! I got to go to CHA* for the first time!!! And it was absolutely amazing! Scrapbook Bucket List item checked off! I could only go for one day (Saturday) but I’m so grateful even for that. It’s like Rome or Disneyland – there is NO possible way to see and do everything you want to in one day. So I ran around like a scrappy chicken with my head cut off and crammed as much as I could into 7 hours.
*Are you wondering what the hay CHA is? Check THIS out.
There was so much greatness packed into those 7 hours that I can’t put it all in one blog post. I’ll do a series over the next week or two and that way I can be more detailed (maybe TOO detailed but humor me, LOL!) Simple Stories and Basic Grey might take 2 posts each. We’ll see how it goes. But I want to share the experience with you of being a total geeky newb in the Emerald City. I must say, Oz was extremely welcoming :) And no flying monkeys. BONUS!
Pinch me. I still kind of can’t believe it. OUCH! Jeez, I didn’t mean ACTUALLY pinch me. It was a figure of speech. Sheesh. That’s okay, it didn’t hurt that much. Between CHA yesterday and the Golden Globes and The Bachelor tonight, I’m in heaven anyway. I still love you <3
For an idea of what’s to come, below are some of the booths I went to and people I met.
I got a tour of these booths, met some wonderful people, and got you some good intel: BASIC GREY – Talked to one of the owners, Rachel Brenchley, and briefly met Kelly Purkey SIMPLE STORIES – Met the owners Kevin and Amber Crowell, and Jodi, Sue, and Layle Koncar ECHO PARK / CARTA BELLA – Met Andrea Smith WEBSTER’S PAGES – Met Allison Kreft and Shimelle PROJECT LIFE – Met Becky Higgins CHICKANIDDY CRAFTS – Met Heidi Sonboul’s husband MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas) – Met Shelby Strichard
As you can see, I’m a Paper Girl. If you’re looking for inks and stamps and tools, I’m not your gal. I mean, all that stuff is awesome but I had to prioritize so I went for my first love: PAPER!!! I’m a confessed PAPER SNIFFER from way back, remember? I’ve always been open with you about that. Don’t hate.
I also got to meet Nancy Nalley from SCRAPBOOK UPDATE and we had a quick fun convo at the end of the day. I hope I remembered to mention every person and booth I visited. If not, I’ll include them later, swear!
Overall, I will say that my photos will not be the best you’ll see out there (camera problems so most are iPhone photos). I didn’t take a TON of project photos because I know each manufacturer posts those on their blog, etc. My focus will be on telling you the story of the day, how amazing and fun it was to be there, the conversations I had with some of my favorite companies, what I’ll do differently next time, and hopefully some insider information that you won’t hear anywhere else. The posts will be LONG. I’m verbose. Deal with it.
I did offer those I interviewed the chance to do a run-through of our exchange before I post it. I don’t have the greatest memory and I’d feel HORRIBLE if I misquoted someone. I also don’t want to share any details they’d rather keep under wraps for now, or anything too personal. They are businesses, just real people making a living, and I totally respect that. But if there’s a delay in posting anything, that’ll be why – just wanted you to know ☺
So please come back to read more about my adventures at CHA 2014. If you want to make sure and not miss a post, you can sign up for updates in the top right corner. That way, you get an e-mail every time I post.
In the meantime, if you’re Jonesing for CHA product and project photos, I encourage you to check out all the vendor blog links in my Blogroll on the lower right. If you go to their blogs, you can usually find a link to their Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook where they’re sharing photos from CHA and/or products debuting at CHA. Also, in my post above, anything that’s bolded is a link to their blog or website.
Another way to see amazing pics from the floor of CHA is check out Melissa Stinson/Scrappy Jedi’s FLICKR FEED. She has a nice camera and her CHA photos are wicked good. I was hoping to meet Melissa @ CHA but never saw her, dangit! I’ve followed her blog for years and am a big fan.
Sorry no pretty pictures this time. I’m still downloading and editing them – I took almost 500 total. In 7 hours. Yikes. Excessive much?
As they teased about HERE, Simple Stories has a bunch of new lines coming out this CHA. Today they started 6 days of reveals. For Day One, we have Simple Stories “DIY Design It Yourself” and you can find the entire line HERE on their blog.
Here are just a few of my favorite pieces:
Color & Hearts & Arrows & . . . Ampersands!
These burlap banners are very useable for layering :)
LOVE the text paper with all those cute fonts and colors.
I don’t know if this is what they intended, but this is how I see the Simple Stories “DIY Design It Yourself” line . . .
With their Sn@p! and Simple Stories lines in the past, they did all the layering for you. For example, see the “layers” incorporated into this DAILY GRIND paper?
With “DIY”, you buy the separate elements and layer it yourself. That way, you get exactly the look, colors, and elements YOU like. Pretty genius.
What do you think of Simple Stories new line, “DIY Design It Yourself” . . . does any of it go on your wish list?
A sweet scrapper named Wendy e-mailed this question to me recently:
I was wondering if you think I could combine SS Smarty Pants with SS Elementary in the same album. I already have Elementary, but have had my eye on Smarty Pants since it was released. Are the colors close enough, or are they way off in real life? I read your Blog so I know you are an expert on SS. THANKS!
I thought I would share the answer publicly just in case someday a scrapper is Googling and has the same question, LOL!
Here are images of both lines from the SIMPLE STORIES blog:
You can see why it would be hard to tell if they go together well, huh? So I took a photo today of both lines . . . I just HAPPENED to have a bit (cough cough I’M NOT A SUPPLY HOARDER! coughcough) of each line on hand :)
The primary colors are basically the same shades in both lines. The main difference is that “Elementary” is pretty grungy with a brown/cream tone throughout whereas “Smarty Pants” is cleaner and has white backgrounds.
That said, I don’t see why you couldn’t mix the 2 lines together. Some people are picky about only using cream with cream and white with white, but that’s not something that bothers me. I think these would be a nice mix, actually. They kind of balance each other out.
Wendy, I hope that was helpful! Readers, what do you think – would you mix these 2 lines together? Please leave a Comment below! Diverse opinions welcomed and I will NOT point and laugh, I promise ;)
If you hadn’t already heard, MEMORY WORKS is closing effective 12-31-13. I wrote about the sad saga HERE. So this month is my last hurrah, so to speak :(
I wanted to let you know that “Daily Grind”, the newest line from SIMPLE STORIES is in stock and you can see it all HERE.
I already have some Daily Grind in hand myself. Wanna’ see? I got a sampling of the loose papers, Elements papers, and the Simple Elements chevron papers. I’m showing you the front and back sides of the papers. I also got the bingo card paper, Sn@p Cards, and Sn@p Cuts.
How about some “Daily Grind” inspiration from the Simple Stories DT?
**BY TONYA**
**BY MELISSA STINSON**
**BY EMILY LANHAM**
**BY VICKI BOUTIN**
If I’ve convinced you of its pure beauty and necessity in your life, I’d really appreciate one last order from ya’ :) Just check it out HERE, then e-mail me with your order: scrapbook obsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
I’ll send you a Paypal invoice right away and once that’s cleared, Memory Works will ship “Daily Grind” {or any other scrappy goodness that falls into your cart} straight to you from the home office in Utah within 1-2 business days.
As I posted here yesterday, the scrapbook company I’ve been a consultant for since 2007 is closing their doors effective 12-31-13. They also own Simple Stories and want to focus on that part of their business.
What that means is a HUGE CLOSEOUT SALE – hey, at least something good comes of it, right?
Effective November 2, 2013 all products will be clearance priced at an additional 30% discount. There will be no further reduction in price. As products sell out they will not be reordered or replaced.
Please take a look and if there’s anything you’d like to order for 30% OFF (even Clearance!), e-mail your order to me at: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com
I will send you a Paypal invoice ASAP. Once payment is received, your order will be sent from the MW warehouse in Utah straight to you! They normally ship within 1-2 business days of order completion – although I’d allow a bit of extra time as they are flooded with orders.
I’ve been checking the MW site and don’t see the discount but please know that EVERYTHING* is 30% off. When I put things into my cart as a consultant, the discount is definitely showing. I’m off to order some goodies myself!
*NOTE: The Sn@p! albums and pages are not showing the discount and it being Saturday, there’s no one in home office for me to ask. If you want Sn@p! albums for 30% off, please send me an e-mail and I’ll find out Monday ~ thanks!
ETA 11-04-13: Apparently, the Sn@p! albums and page protectors are NOT part of this sale – sorry! But all of the Simple Stories lines and Sn@p! lines ARE part of the 30% off sale.
First come, first served and once it’s gone, it’s gone! MW carries all the major brands; here is just a sample of what we have:
SIMPLE STORIES “Everyday” Sn@p! Cards
BELLA BLVD “Daily Chevies”
GLITZ DESIGNS “Hello December”
MY MINDS EYE “Chalk Studio”
This is my last hurrah as a Memory Works Consultant. I would really appreciate your order :)
Well, I teased you about it HERE . . . but now as of 8am MST on Monday 10-28-13, I can share the images finally! Phew, it was a long 3 days, LOL :D
Without further adieu, here is the new line from Simple Stories called “Daily Grind”. Have fun scrolling . . . and here’s a tissue for your drooling.
Note: All images including layout provided by Simple Stories.
My 5 favorite things about Simple Stories “Daily Grind”:
1. Bright primary colors combined with the warmth of dark wood is a great look. It somewhat reminds me of another favorite line, Glitz Design – Color Me Happy Collection
2. Versatile, daily use designs like calendar/dates, Instagram, phone, clock, house, hearts, and stars. And COFFEE!
3. The Simple Basics kit full of colorful chevrons and polka dots just makes me happy!
4. A new line of Sn@p! cards . . . can’t get enough of them.
5. That modern cursive font is one of my favorites.
Another similarity this line triggered for me was the translucent speech bubble images that reminds me of this:
I think many of us have been asking ourselves this question, given that these albums have been showing up on clearance at Michaels, in kits, etc. When a product is discounted, it makes you wonder (fear!) that it’s end-of-the-line time for that product.
When this question was recently posted at Two Peas, I decided to contact LAYLE KONCAR, the marketing director for Simple Stories, and get an answer directly from her. Here was her answer: “We’re not phasing them out.”
YAYYY!!!! I know a lot of scrappers will be happy to hear that. While the new ‘leather’ 6×8 Sn@p! albums are lusciously wonderful (!) . . . {EEEE! Can you say “December Daily”??}
. . . the older version is special. The chipboard covers and cloth spines can be altered and customized to your heart’s content. Besides, I just love kraft <3
I’m the Marketing Director for Simple Stories. I assure you, we are NOT phasing out our SN@P! Binders; they continue to be one of our best selling products. You will continue to see us release products that coordinate the SN@P! Binders as well as our faux leather 6×8 and 12×12 albums. We have some SUPER fun things coming out at CHA related to the SN@P! Binders – stay tuned
Not only is Simple Stories NOT phasing out the Sn@p! binders, they are ADDING things related to them. Couldn’t be better news than that!
I’m a Memory Works Consultant (owned by the same family who owns Simple Stories), and we have the Sn@p! binders in stock RIGHT HERE . . . in case you can’t find the color you need elsewhere :) Please e-mail me with your order: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. I’ll send you a Paypal invoice lickety split and once paid, your Sn@p! binders {and maybe some other lovely products we carry like the new Sn@p! sets??} will be shipped directly to you within 1-2 business days.
Simple Stories Sn@p! “Everyday” ~ my FAVE of the new Sn@p! sets
If you haven’t already signed up for True Scrap 5, ya’ gotta’ do it today, mah people! Just click here to sign up!
Inspiration and Education from 15 A-list instructors…
Five virtual project make-and-takes…
Pre-Event PJ Party…
Virtual goodie bag…
All for one low price…
All from YOUR computer!
If you enter the discount code LUCKY50, you’ll get $50 off the event! Crazy good, huh? But the deadline to use that code is today – Monday, 09/30/13 at midnight.
If you’re not sure what True Scrap 5 is or would like some help making up your mind, I’ve written a mega post about it HERE.
I’ll be attending this amazing online event and hope you can too! Would love to see you there. The chat rooms are SO fun! Not to mention all the learnin’ that goes on :)
I’ll be posting photos and a review soon so stay tuned …
PS: I’m going to compare these albums to the ‘old’ 6×8 Sn@p binders and to the 12×12 leather albums by WRMK. If you have any other questions you’d like answered about them, please post in Comments below. Thanks!
I’ve never been a huge fan of Autumn. The green that I love turns orange and red, the kids are gone all day at school {yes, for me that’s a downside, lol}, and the weather turns chilly. I’ve always been more of a Spring and Summer girl.
But lately October has become one of my favorite months of the year. Wanna’ know why? ‘Cuz it’s TRUE SCRAP time in the hizzy, fer shizzle!!!
And October 11-12, 2013 is time for TRUE SCRAP 5. {If you’re signing up right away, make sure to use the discount code at the end of this article!}
Have you attended a True Scrap event yet? I’ve done 2 and if YOU haven’t … well, Sis, you are missing out. What is True Scrap 5? Here’s a description from the organizer herself, Lain Ehmann:
True Scrap is the galaxy’s ONLY online, live virtual paper crafting event. With inspiration brought right to your desktop, there’s no need to change out of your PJs because you’re logging on, right from home!
All your favorite people and things right in one place. Learn new skills while getting a new take on old favorites! And speaking of old favorites… you’re going to notice many familiar True Scrap instructors as well as some newcomers. Old or new, they’re sure to inspire with a passion for crafting. Can’t wait for you to join us!
And here is what’s included:
Inspiration and Education from 15 A-list instructors…
Five virtual project make-and-takes…
Pre-Event PJ Party…
Virtual goodie bag…
All for one low price…
All from YOUR computer!
Now that your brain is tick-tick-ticking, thinking, wondering if this is something you should do, let me tell about the classes/instructors and your answer will certainly be YES.
BLADOW!
“Project Miscellany: Playing with Paints, Paper, Stamps, Stitches and More”
with STEPHANIE ACKERMAN
“You Can’t Do That… Or Can You? Playing with Photos”
with TRACY BANKS {aka the famous Mercy Tiara from Youtube}
“Greatest Hits: The Music of Your Life”
with MONICA BRADFORD {did you see the scrapbook Youtube for “Call Me, Maybe”? That’s Monica, lol}
“Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun: Creating Two-Page Layouts”
with JENNIFER GALLACHER {Two Peas Garden Girl}
“Memory-Keeping with Stamps, Dies, and Punches – Oh My!”
with BEV KRAMLICH GREY {from Technique Tuesday}
“From Your Phone to Your Wall: Using Instagram Photos for Canvas Art”
with STEPHANIE HAMEN {from My Craft Channel and Fiskars}
“Design Your Story with Bits and Pieces”
with NOELL HYMAN {aka host of scrapbooking podcast Paperclipping Roundtable}
“The Art of the Everyday: As Seen Through Your Camera Lens”
with KATRINA KENNEDY
“Pick a Card, Any Card: Using 3×4 and 4×6 Cards on Your Pages”
with LAYLE KONCAR {from my favorite company Simple Stories}
“Stamp It Up a Notch”
with NICHOL MAGOUIRK{Simples Stories “Life Documented” design team member}
“The Simple Things: A Creative Journal”
with HEIDI SWAPP {yes, I mean THAT Heidi Swapp!}
“Memory Minutes: Documenting Your Stories in Bite-Sized Chunks”
with TAMMY TUTEROW
Man, that took a long time to look up 15 blogs, copy/paste their links, and share their photos. Phew! You guys owe me big time.
Anyhow … Registration for this one-of-a-kind event opened today: Tuesday, August 20, 2013.
And you’re going to love me because, if you send me bag of Starbucks medium roast coffee OR a signed photo of Patrick Dempsey, I’m going to give YOU a discount code for True Scrap 5!! Deal? Deal!
Just kiddin’ … no coffee or McDreamy bribery needed … I’m going to give it to you anyway. Here are the deets:
Regular registration is $197 but MY readers can use the code LUCKY50 to save $50 through 9/30/13
EXTRA BONUS: To encourage quick action, receive a complete set of replays from “True Scrap Young At Heart” valued at $97 – FREE to anyone who registers before 8/31! That’s 5 classes and 2 virtual make and takes, from instructors like former CK Hall-of-Famer CD MUCKOSKY, TRACI REED, and STEPHANIE ACKERMAN!
So there you go!
If you sign up by 09/30/13, use code LUCKY50 at checkout to save $50.
If you sign up by 08/31/13*, use code LUCKY50 at checkout to save $50 AND get “True Scrap Young at Heart” $97 class for free
*Psst! I would pick this one. Just sayin’ …
If you’re still undecided, check out all the class descriptions, the sponsor {aka Prize Patrol!}, the Pajama Party, and all the other fun stuff RIGHT HERE – True Scrap 5 Info!
Sorry for such a long post! If you’re still here, “Brava!” to you, my scrappy friend. I know it’s a chunk of change to spend (don’t forget to use my discount code!) but I’m telling you it’s worth it. If you have ANY questions about True Scrap 5, let me know and I’ll get ’em answered.
I’m sorry for the late notice. I got this on Friday but failed to post it. The deadline for them to include your card and/or donation is this Friday 05-31-13. So there’s still a little time left to do a quick card and get it in the mail to Bo Bunny.
I hope you’re able to participate. I think “small” gifts like this will make a big impact <3
This is my absolute all-time favorite Simple Stories collection! I probably have said that before but it’s all their fault! Simple Stories keeps putting out new things that keep topping the last. What’s an obsessed scrapper to do?
It’s now in stock on my Memory Works website and I’m SO stoked! I was lucky enough to get a box of this pre-release so I can tell you first hand – it is aMAYzingly gorgeous and fun. You are going to love it. Or should I say {heart} it?
Just click right HERE to see the whole line and place an order.
PS: Please don’t be skerred to order from me just ‘cuz I’m a ‘consultant’. I won’t add you to an annoying mailing list or bug you for future orders. I’m more like an online store – just fill your cart, check out, and I’ll send you a Paypal invoice right away. Once payment is received, I approve the order and it’s shipped straight to you from our home office in Utah within 1-2 business days. {Monday is a holiday so I would order today for maximum speed, lol}.
So you heard the EXCITING NEWS that Simple Stories new “I {Heart} Summer” line is coming out 05-20-13, right?
Well, if you can’t wait until then to see this SS goodness in person, check THIS out! Free printables from the “I {Heart} Summer” line! Yep, just click on the link, open up the .pdf file, and print ’em out on white cardstock for use in your layouts and Project Life albums.
Here are some of them – sorry they’re HUGE:
It don’t get much better than that.
Word.
PS: You can find a bunch of other Simple Stories free printables HERE.
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double down? Check! Stack of 
or pocket page scrapbooking. They shared what products they use, how their space is set up, how they choose and print photos, do journaling, etc. 
