Busy Weekend

I won the paper give-a-way at a favorite blog/podcast last week! Thank you Samantha - keep up the good work! I look forward to making some "cool" designs with these papers. Keep checking her blog she has great information!






Check out Michaels this week. They have new $1 stamps and they are cute!







Packed my bags. I've gotten quite a collection of these Joann's scrapbooking totes. I snagged them all on clearence so have less than $20 in all 4 of them! Well all I can say is I match!

















The latest one opens I got Thursday and it opens up and holds a ton of stuff very organized - this is just the label. Not bad for $2.96










GUESS THEY WANTED ME TO TAKE THEM TOO.... HOW DO 2 GROWN MALE KITTIES FIT IN A LITTLE PET TAXI AND LIKE IT - THEY SLEPT THERE FOR HOURS






I tried to follow the rules by making page kits but didn't put the embellishments in the kits so ended up taking a lot of stuff and the totes served their purpose and held up. I have a better idea of what to expect and do the next big crop I attend.


I was cranking out the pages this weekend














These two are made with the Little Yellow Bicycle line of papers and I plan on submitting to 2peas challenge - maybe I'll win the bike....


Here are some of the layouts that I created during the "Flip Flop Crop" in Conyers GA on Saturday. I had such a good time. Met some great women and won some awesome prizes....



The beach page I won first prize using the supplies contained in the kit they gave us when we walked in the door.

It's amazing how different each person's take is with the same goodies given to them. I happened to take along some extra beach photos of many years ago in Daytona and the colors in the packet were just too bright for me so I used the white cardstock and the rules said all inks were ok so I dragged my trusty chalk cat eyes to make it look a little like sand (well the color at least) then I brought along a spray ink so the dots really did the trick for the effect. I am crazy about circles right now and the border punches so I had to put both of those in the design. Just enough ribbon and brads to add a nice touch to the edge. The buttons I took the time to sew on and the title was provided but I added the Daytona for my needs - which was still in the rules as long as I used the paper provided and another chance to use the Cricut. I won $10 in vendor merchandise for this one!



I paid to use a Cricut there for $5 - I was taking advantage of that. I had never used one before and they are the greatest!




MY NEW TOY - LOVE THE CRICUT EXPRESSION!!!!!











Worked on a bunch of different old birthday pages of me. A rare chance to use my flowers......










These next 2 pages are very special to me. There are of friends at a favorite gathering each year at our church (Sunrise Baptist Church). They have a women's conference each year called Rubies of the Faith. This is 2005 and my best friend from Baltimore came to visit to attend and in the photo a dear prayer warrior friend that has since went home to be with the Lord is pictured beautifully in her turquoise shirt ..... Alfreda "Freda" Vincent..... she is so missed by so many but I can still picture her "with her tambourine up in heaven". She was originally from Liberia and was such a woman of God. The man serving us our meals is our pastor (don't find many churches like ours). Pastor David



Poe is the sweetest man and best pastor I know. His wife "Miss Billie" is always our keynote speaker and blesses our socks off. It's a special time for all and we all look forward to it each year.

Site full of info and a free giveaway

Check out the gal she has a great website and is so creative

http://www.mphoinix.blogspot.com/

Acrylic Album

Are you dying to try making a new acrylic album.....
Here is a great video to show you just how to do it right

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1459208328/bclid1460943184/bctid1467273048

Photos of completed album:
http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=galleries&u=13796&m=view&id=1330215

PODCAST site - no IPOD needed to watch

I found a great site for a podcast of scrapbooking. They are very professionally done and give great information. Check it out

http://www.paperclipping.com/

New Site

I have been watching this scrapbooking site grow for the last couple weeks. I really enjoyed the posting about different websites to purchase from. Today she is doing a contest for FREE PAPER - an entry for a kind post.

Check her out
http://web.mac.com/samanthascraps/The_Everyday_Scrapper/Blog/Entries/2008/4/9_Free_Paper_Giveaway.html#

Is Scrapbooking on it's Way OUT?

I was checking out the 2peas general scrapbooking board this morning with my breakfast and came upon this posting - made me start thinking.....

http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2534082


The LSS like any small business right now need to continue to evolve and find their nitch because we are out there buying that's for sure and as scrapbookers we need to look at where and how we buy before we complain or judge the store owners.

I think if the LSS did kits or clubs that would boost their business.

My local quilting shop does a "block of the month" where you pay $5 for the year and every month on a specific Sunday you bring your completed block in and get the next month at no charge. If you bring in on another day you have to pay for the block again $5 - as long as you are on time it's free and $5 for the entire year. The plus for the store is while you are there that day you buy other stuff. I would say that 75%+ of these people are buying on that day. That would be something different for a LSS to do.

But we as scrapbookers/consumers need to think about where/how we spend our scrapbooking dollars and not complain/judge our local stores too harshly as we are part of the problem. Sure we are going to want to get the most for our money and buy tools/supplies with our 40% off coupon or when they are on sale at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, AC Moore, Archivers, Target, Joanns, etc. But that is where our stores make their money. The LSS need to carry punches, tools, whatever that the chains don't carry so we have to buy from them. They don't make much on paper. Think about the overhead involved in the store building and hours for employees. Many of the LSS owners are at their store 7 days a week and I'm sure they aren't making much per hour if they broke it down that way.... Any small business is part "labor of love" but their comes a point that it makes no sense to keep losing money or giving away your time for free. We as scrapbookers/consumers think they can sit there and scrap all day in between customers and would love to do that. But the reality isn't all that rosey.

We like these people that have went out on a limb and put up their income/reputation/time/energy/talents/ etc to keep our passion of scrapbooking alive in today's economy but are we supporting them and the other question is are they supporting us with things we can't get anywhere else and making us want to drive xx miles to get to the few stores that are still open.

Well now that I've had a rant and shared my "expert business advice" ha ha

I just hope it will make people think and help the industry that we all love and need. I know you fellow scrappers who have more knowledge of the business can come up with better idea than I can. I just hope that the LSS start evolving before it's too late! My old boss used to say if you're doing something the same way you did 2 years ago you are losing money & time and it can be done a better way - you have to stay on top of the market not just be in the market. I really see how true that is in today's economy.

Have a blessed day!

Homemade/Mock Clip it Up

CHEAP KNOCK OFF OF THE "CLIP IT UP"

I had been wanting to do the one that hangs on the wall or under shelves but since I've been booted out of my scraproom by my DS moving back home my DH wouldn't let me do anything on the walls in the dining room. It's that old 1950's pine paneling and he just loves it. He panics when I even hang a picture up. Anway after much searching and inspiration here is my take on the Clip It Up.......

I took the idea of some fellow scrapbooker and made my own version of a clip it up using a black metal paper towel holder purchased at Family Dollar for $4. Had a box of 50 Heavy Duty sheet protectors, 100 left over pieces of cardstock from Sams Cub & purchased a package of 1-1/2" binder rings at Staples for $1.99. I'm pleased with the results. This version holds a lot. I've found it works best using it like a stand up book. I did have some old little tiny weights that I found in an old tool box a while ago and taped it on the bottom using black electic tape so I don't even see it because it is a little top heavy. If I had the 2" binder rings I could have put 100 sheets of protectors on it. I put my letter stickers, masks, die cuts, in it and have lots of room for more stuff. It would even be great for acrylic stamps. I would guess if I bought all the materials it would have cost me less than $20 and it holds much more than the base and top version of the Clip it Up. Sorry for the glare in the photos.

Have a blessed day!

Shout Out to SheetLoad

Card Inspiration from "SHEETLOAD OF CARDS - APRIL 2008"

Stumbled upon this great website and online downloadable magazine/newsletter filled with great ideas, sketches, and inspiration for your spring cardmaking.

http://sheetload.blogspot.com/

Download your issue now.

http://sheetload.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-issue-of-sheetload-is-ready-to.html

Great Givaway Today

Check out this blog for a givaway today - Happy anniversary Samm!

http://samm-l.blogspot.com/2008/04/its-my-blogoversary-blog-candy-alert.html