Survey Says...

I have posted a brief survey to attempt to find out what would be the best way to help my Creative Memories customers. I hope to find out what types of products and projects you like, how I can best assist you and what types of events to schedule to give you opportunities to work on and complete your albums. Once you answer the 7 questions at the very bottom of my blog, leave me a comment connected to this posting with your name/email or phone number in it. Everyone who takes the survey and leaves a comment will be entered into a draw for a gift of FREE Creative Memories product on March 15th!

I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks and good luck!

Noreen

Under a Buck!

I had a great weekend!

1) My ribs are still sore and achy, but not as painful as before!
2) We had Grayson's third b-day party in our (almost) complete basement!
3) I scrapbooked for the first time in our (almost) complete basement!
4) It was the Family Day holiday here in Alberta, so it was a quiet, relaxing day!


Grayson had a great time at his party. He wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine theme, and he got it...decorations, cake, games, hats and loot bags all with Thomas! We had a few of his friends over and they had a great time running around with lots of room to spread out in. They played a lot in his new playroom - where ALL his toys are now contained in one space (a parent's dream!!) Here are some party pics:

After the party, I had a great time finally spreading out all my scrapbooking stuff! My new table and cabinets have not been assembled and installed yet, so I just used the folding tables that we used for the kids party, but I was thrilled to be able to have all my supplies in one place and actually get some scrapping done! AND, I did a two page spread for UNDER A BUCK! Here it is:

Summer Vacation by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 double layout. Scenic Route Paper, Creative Memories Paper, Circle punch and Vellum Stickers, Memory Makers Brads, McGill Mini File punch.

Can you believe it? Less than a loonie??? YES-SIR-REE! Last week my LSS (Scrapbookers Paradise) was having a 4 for $1.00 paper sale, so I went to town- I probably bought 50 sheets! And, they had a bunch of other great sales as well - I got chipboard letters, raised embellishments, die cut pages, and a couple of back issues of Digital Scrapbooking and Canadian Scrapbooker magazine all for $40.00! WOW! Michaels was having a 3 for $1.00 sale, but you can't beat .25 per page, can you?! Just shows you that you can be a frugal scrapbooker!

Anyway, when I sat down to get caught up on last summer's holdiay photos, I chose one of the new patterned papers I had purchased and found a few scraps of coordinating solid colored cardstock in my stash. I cut the patterned paper into strips (it was a paper by Scenic Route with a variety of patterns and the three strips of lettering) and positioned them to outline my photos. (PS...I got 9 photos on this layout!) For embellishments, I punched out three circles from the back side of the same piece of paper with my CM Circle punch and added three little brads (Memory Makers) that I already had. I punched a tag with my new McGill file punch (cute, eh?) added two vellum title stickers from CM and finshed off by journaling. So, I figured everything added up to about $1.00 (OK, maybe $1.10!) You can really stre-e-e-tch your supplies when you don't wallpaper the entire background, and using your tools to make custom embellishments from patterned paper really saves $ (and time trying to finding matching items.) I love it! And I especially love the picture in the bottom right hand corner of my Grayson standing in the back of our Jeep warming up after his watery adventures! That's the beauty of scrapbooking, eh? The pictures and stories help capture those moments you want to relive again and again!

Have a great week, and I'd love to hear your comments...

Noreen

Digital fun

So, I have been out of commission again for a week now - I cracked some ribs last week while having a coughing fit! The Doctor says this is not uncommon in pregnant women as the ribcage is already stretched. I don't know how I manage these things. And, to make matters worse, I had just gone back to work the week before! Sheesh!

Anyway, I still can't do too much physically, but I can sit at my computer propped up with lots of pillows, so I took advantage of this unexpected "found" time and really got into my digital scrapbooking. I learned to use Creative Memories new Storybook Creator + software and I just completed a couple of cute holiday layouts:

(Edited...sorry I had to temporarily remove these LO's as I have submmitted them for publication June 8-08.)

Learning the software was really easy and intuitive. I also have Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, but even though I have a little bit of Graphic Design background using Corel Draw, I will still need to take a tutorial on PSP6 and play around with it a little more. I didn't know if I would like digital scrapbooking, because I really love touching and working with paper and embellishments etc., but I think after doing just a couple of layouts, I think I might be hooked! I can see so many advantages of using digital:

• you can buy a kit once and use/re-use it forever
• it's very portable - if you use a laptop, you can digi-scrap anywhere
• there's no need to haul out lots of supplies (this is great because my basement studio STILL isn't done, although the carpet is being installed as we speak!) and no clean-up
• you can get a lot done in a short period of time, leave it, then come back to it
• you can get lots of cool effects with photos or embellishments
• it's lots of fun to share by emailing or by posting

I am also working on an 8x8 Storybook using the CM software, so I will post that when it is finished. I'd love to hear your comments on my layouts!

Have a great day,

Noreen

PS...I can't tell you how excited I was to see a comment posted on my blog by Wendy Smedley!!! I feel like I've just met a scrapbooking celebrity! Thanks Wendy...you made my day!

Mental Organization

As I mentioned in a previous post I am anxious to get my scrapbooking supplies and product inventory all organized into my new basement workshop. Alas, it is STILL not ready, although our contractor is aiming to be done in just two more weeks. SO...since I can't organize my physical space, I have been organizing my head space! I have just spent the day catching up on business details, and have just finished the first newsletter I will send to my customer base since early in the fall (due to my health related leave of absence). I have scheduled some scrapbooking workshops and an all day crop for my customers to look forward to and am ready to ramp up my business once again.

I have also been "creating" some storage in preparation of my new space...I was truly inspired by the fabulous book I was talking about before - The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker - and I covered a bunch of cardboard magazine holders and clear front binders with lovely leftover scrapbook papers (as seen in the pictures of co-authors Aby Garvey's office). I am also updating an old Rolodex with the same papers. I saw this done by Leah Fung on her blog as one of her project kits. It is so cute and so useful! I will post a picture of the items once I have the set complete.

And, I am really excited about my first foray into Digital scrapbooking. I am still learning the various software applications, but am pleased with how it all comes together so neatly...no tools and papers and stickers spread out all over my dining room table! I hope to post one or two layouts in the next week or so after I am figure out what I am doing!

Hope your week is going well...have a good one and make time to scrap!
Noreen