Wednesday, May 24, 2006

I just have time for a quick note today. My mother and I are leaving on an Alaskan cruise tomorrow, and so this week has been a blur. She is a reluctant participant, so I hope everything goes well. We're going with a group of about 50 sponsored by my cousin Leslie's cross stitch and framing store in Bolivar. My mom's twin sister is Leslie's mother, so I thought it would be a good trip for the "twins" to make together.

I didn't get the Style to Go kits for this week done, and I apologize. When I get back, I'm going to crank out several, and get caught up.

I'll also announce the Design Team when I get back, and I'm going to introduce you to each one of them "in-depth!" They are so talented, and just an all-round nice, friendly, enthusiastic, scrapbook-lovin' group. I know that working with them will be fun.

Be sure and stop in Scrapbook Generation and let my sister Karin vent about not getting to go on the cruise. I suggested that she go with us, but our mom said "Karin needs to stay and run the store." So while I'm off having a great time, she'll be working! Aren't sisters wonderful?

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Warm and sunny weather made for a near perfect Relay For Life last night. Scrapbook Generation sponsored a team that raised over $1,000, and had lots of fun in the process.

Thanks so much to Marti Blattert, Traci Snavely, Karen Fielding, and cancer survivor Jennifer Mattix, who joined Karin, Stacey, Allison, and I in the fund raising effort. And thanks to all our customers who helped out by bidding on items in our silent auction, attending the benefit crop, making donations, and dropping money in the collection jar!

We had such a great time last night, watching Jennifer in the survivor lap, walking the track ourselves, eating (of course!), participating the candlelight ceremony of hope, and seeing other friends who were there on teams. Thousands of people were at the Hillcrest football field, all joined together for the same purpose -- fighting the disease who has robbed us all of good friends and beloved family.

My favorite part of the evening was walking around the track with grandson Andrew in a stroller. He was absolutely enthralled by all the people and noise -- and especially by the purple and white balloons.

My other favorite (I tend to have lots of favorites!) part of the evening was sitting under our canopy/tent/gazebo and talking and laughing with our group. Linda Hoover joined us for a while, and we all had lots of fun getting to know each other a little better.

We're all tired today, but it's a good tired.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

The suspense is over...at least for us! We've spent the last two days looking through all the great entries we received for Scrapbook Generation's first Design Team. It was hard work, but we have finally made the decision on the six people who will make up the group.

Since it's about closing time today, we'll make the calls on Thursday. (We tried to get Lisa Bearnson to make the calls, but she was busy! You'll have to settle for one of us.)

Thanks to everyone who brought in entries. There was an abundance of talent represented, and we wish we could have chosen all of you!

Today's excitement at Scrapbook Generation:
New arrivals...
-- Imagination Project (this includes Gin-X, Chloe's Closet, and Center City Designs): 70 new papers from 14 collections, featuring just about every color combination imaginable! Almost all of the collections have matching "coaster" embellishments (printed chipboard, just like real coasters) including letter sets, quote sets, and die cut flowers; plus the Gin-X white Kellerman rub-ons are back in stock.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Monday will be a big day at Scrapbook Generation, because that is when the Design Team entries as due. I can't wait to see them! I know the hard part will be narrowing down the group to a set of finalists, and then choosing the team. We promise to announce our selections as soon as possible. I know how "un-fun" it is to wait for news like that.

On Tuesday, Allison will be teaching a "CD Case Folding Photo Frame" class at 6 p.m., and the class is also offered Thursday, May 25th at 2 p.m. She has really created a great project, using BasicGrey's bright Color Me Silly paper collection, Prima flowers, and other goodies...all for only $5!

Plans for the retreat are going well, and we're starting to get quite a few people signed up. I find myself constantly thinking of neat things we can do to make the weekend special for everyone.

Today's excitement at Scrapbook Generation:
New arrivals...
-- EK Success: the extremely cute new Bookworks collection, featuring bookboard covers and binding coils, a huge assortment of matching stickers, rub-ons, ribbons, flash cards, and more; Paper Shapers in new double punches, fold over punches, and buckle punches; mini Fastenaters;
-- BasicGrey: the long-awaited ribbon sets to match the five new paper collections (prettiest ribbon I've every seen); huge metal bookplates; and the chipboard monograms are back in stock;
-- Making Memories: card and envelope making template kit;
-- Arctic Frog: By the Sea papers in blues and tans, plus matching accents and letter sets;
-- Scrapbooks Etc.: a new baby idea book;
-- Creating Keepsakes: the latest edition of Paper Crafts;
-- Queen and Co.: Sprinkle brads (the cute ones packaged in nail polish bottles; Alpha Betty's (acrylic letters) in compacts;
-- Colorbox: new supply of those great fluid chalk inkpad sets that include a stylus for application;
-- Many vendors: graduation items galore, from rub-ons to paper to stickers to embellishments;
-- Scrapbook Generation: two more Sweet and Simple page kits (one uses BasicGrey paper, and the other uses Doodlebug paper).

Monday, May 08, 2006

National Scrapbook Day turned out to be a rousing success at Scrapbook Generation...I think. I can't testify to everything that went on around here that day, because I was gone part of the time, due to that thing my sister Karin calls "overbooking." Translated, that means I rarely and/or never turn down a chance to promote scrapbooking, which further means that sometimes I wear both of us out.

About a year ago, I told a friend that I would present a program on scrapbooking at the state Lions Club convention in the spring of 2006. Who knew that it would fall on National Scrapbook Day, one of the most hectic days here at the store. But it did.

I spoke to about 125 women (and a couple of men) at the spouse luncheon at the Missouri Lions Club Convention, held at University Plaza Hotel. I told them my top ten reasons why scrapbooking is a great hobby, and then they each assembled a tag from a kit we had put together for them. I hope they enjoyed themselves. It was an honor for me to take part in their convention, since my dad was a Lions Club member for almost 50 years.

Back at the store, we had 20 women cropping for 12 hours as part of our National Scrapbook Day hoopla. We used a luau theme, and I believe that everyone had a great time. I know I did. I was worn out, and Karin was too, but I just had a wonderful feeling when the day was finally over.

Last year at this time, we were still a new-new-new store, and we were still feeling our way in the new roles we had created for ourselves at Scrapbook Generation. This year, most of the croppers here all day were "regulars" we have come to know and care about. Over the past year and a half, they have learned about our lives, and we have learned about theirs. As we laughed and talked together, I felt like I was entertaining friends in my home, not customers in my store.

So even though there was overbooking going on, what a great day it was here!

Today's excitement at Scrapbook Generation:
New arrivals...
-- Queen & Company: Beadifuls (in lip gloss containers), Sassy Sequins (in compacts, with matching mini-brads), and Fab Flowers (huge sequins);
-- Sweet and Simple: a new page kit using Chatterbox paper and Bazzill cardstock.

Sale...
-- The front table is loaded with items marked down 50%.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

One of the fun aspects of owning a business like Scrapbook Generation is that you never know who is going to walk in the front door. The first day we were open, one of my former students (actually, she was one of my newspaper editors) walked through the door, and literally did a double take when she saw me.

Saturday, there were quite a few people in the store, and while Stacey was running the register, I was helping, off and on, a young couple. Later when the wife was checking out, the husband was standing in the front of the store, looking at one of the scrapbook pages I had made. The page has a large photo of a church singing group, Sweet Spirit, that Stacey was in during junior high. The eight girls all had on matching outfits, and yes, it was during the era of big hair. When the husband said "Why, that's Jeanne, that's my sister," both Stacey and I looked up, and then we all started to laugh, because we knew each other...about 18 years ago! It was Adam Bryan, who lived in Mansfield with his family during his early childhood. He hadn't recognized us, and we hadn't recognized him. We had a good visit after that, and had a good laugh over what a funny situation led us to discovering our "identities."

May Schedule at Scrapbook Generation:
-- Wednesday, May 3, 1-5 p.m. -- Weekday Getaway crop
-- Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, all day -- National Scrapbook Day sale and drawing for $100 shopping spree and Midnight Madness crops for four
-- Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. -- National Scrapbook Day luau theme crop (sold out)
-- Monday, May 8, 10 a.m. -- three new "Sweet and Simple" page kits go on sale
-- Wednesday, May 10, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. -- Ladies Who Lunch crop
-- Thursday, May 11, 2 p.m. -- Anna Griffin Diamond Decor class (only one spot left)
-- Friday, May 12, 5 p.m. - midnight -- Midnight Madness crop
-- Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. -- No Frills crop
-- Monday, May 15 -- Design Team entries due
-- Tuesday, May 16, 6 p.m. -- CD Folding Photo Frame class
-- Wednesday, May 17, 1-5 p.m. -- Red and Purple crop
-- Friday, May 19 -- Greene County Relay For Life
-- Saturday, May 20, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. -- Scrap and Sandwich crop
-- Monday, May 22 -- three new "Style to Go" page kits go on sale
-- Tuesday, May 23 -- May contest entries due
-- Wednesday, May 24, 1-5 p.m. -- Mom's Afternoon crop
-- Thursday, May 25, 2 p.m. -- CD Folding Photo Frame class
-- Friday, May 26, 5 p.m. - midnight -- Free VIP Crop
-- Saturday, May 27, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. -- Free VIP Crop
-- Tuesday, May 30, 6 p.m. -- Love in Bloom card class

Today's excitement at Scrapbook Generation:
New arrivals...
-- Queen and Company: bon bon brads, hook-ups, chic charms, and bling rings, all in several color and theme combinations (and packaged in cute little compacts!);
-- Heidi Swapp: fuzzy rub-ons;
-- Making Memories: 1-inch tall gameboard (chipboard) letters in valentine, sky, meadow, red wagon, and spotlight colors.
 
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