SUNDAY (9/19) - AWESOME HAPPENINGS!

First off - All day on Sunday (FOR $2.00) you can come over to SB2 and make Sample Boards of all the cool products listed below. Each board is $2.00 (Cash please) and this donation actually goes to our local VEAP!

Distress Inks
Stickles
Ranger Adirondack Paint Dabbers
Distress Stickles
Memento Inks

I am putting my sample boards in a 3-ring binder. These are awesome to have!! I can pull the sample board out and look at the colors quickly and easily versus sorting through my craft drawers looking for just the right color of something!

**THEN**
We have Nonnie's spectacular Alcohol Inks w/A Twist of Autumn Class from 12pm-2pm ($25). THESE ARE JUST FABULOUS!!! My name was first on the list for this class! WOW!!!! The samples say it all!!!!!!

**RIGHT AFTER THAT**
We have a new instructor, Rhonda, who is just not quite ready to let summer go and has created 4 wonderful cards that include a googly-eyed owl, kite, pinwheel and a sun. These cards would be perfect for anyone...even that hard to find a card for, male in your life. All of these were so cute I had to sign myself up for this class too!!!! 3pm-5pm ($25)

SATURDAY 9/18 CROP IS FULL....BUT!!!!!

Okay, so our "We Love Tim Holtz" Saturday crop is full - waiting list only! HOWEVER! There will be make-n-takes and sales and demo's and other fun stuff so it is worth your while to stop on in and say hello there!!!

We would absolutely love to see you!!!

FRIDAY CROP AT SB2!

Our Friday Night Crop is $30

WE HAVE 2 SPOTS OPEN!!

Sue & SB2 are now "sponsoring" the crop this night! SHE HAS AN AMAZING GOODY BAG PLANNED!!!!!

I will be hosting the crop from from 5pm to Midnight! There will be hourly sales, a free make-n-take and with Sue and Susan hanging around...you just never know what will happen! IT WILL BE A BLAST!!!!

Call 952-884-0885 to reserve your spot now!

Today's (Thurs 9/16) Events at Scrapbooks Too

LITTLE YELLOW BICYCLE HALLOWEEN ENVELOPE BOOK TODAY!!

Today, September 16th, 2PM to 4PM $25

SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE---HELP US GIVE A WARM SB2 WELCOME TO our LYB friends!

Join Sue’s friends Thom, Lori and Sharon (as in Sharon Ann) from Little Yellow Bicycle as they take you through the steps making an amazing Halloween Envelope Book using their brand new Booville Collection! The kit bag you get will have lots of goodies---well over the cost of the class! And did I mention---there will be giveaways?

Again, for those taking the class, you'll get 25% off of all the Little Yellow Bicycle products so you can make all your Halloween goodies at a fraction of the cost.

Lori and Sharon do all the designing for LYB, and Thom does all the selling---so what a great opportunity to tell them what you love and find out all about the creative process involved in bringing a line to market.

(Please bring a Crop-a-Dile or Big Bite to class - if you have one)

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TONIGHT'S CROP SPONSORED BY OCTOBER AFTERNOON!

5 SPOTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!!

Tonight...Thursday, beginning at 5pm we'll be cropping with October Afternoon!

**IF YOU PLAN TO ARRIVE EARLY - PLEASE CALL AND LET US KNOW!! We have a class in the afternoon and would like to adjust the seating chart in advance so we don't have to keep moving you around!

October Afternoon is another one of the hottest companies in the industry, and they are located in Apple Valley! They've agreed to sponsor our crop, and provide our customers with a goody bag and a fun make and take!

A few spots remain---the cost of this crop is $20 Includes above mentioned treats, snacks, beverages---and sales, including "Croppers only" prices on the October Afternoon Seaside and Thrift Store collections!

8/26-8/29 HOT DEALS AT SB2!

Thursday, August 26th through Sunday, August 29th - All Stickles are 20% off! These are fabulous for outlining titles, adding bling to scrap pages or cards and whatever else you can dream up! I hate to admit this but...I own one of EVERY color! How about you?

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Make Your Own Stickles Sample Board on Sunday, August 29th!!!! For ONLY $2 you can make this sample board and start your own book of all the colors of stickles, paints and whatever...so you can know what the colors already look like when you are creating your works of art!
The monies go to a good cause - VEAP - which is a local non-profit organization serving the communities of Edina, Burnsville and Minneapolis!!
- We do these sample boards every Tuesday and Sunday!!! Tuesday, August 31st will be Adirondack Paint Dabbers!!!!

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Mark Your Calendars!!! Next Wednesday, September 1st and Thursday, September 2nd we are having a "Need More Space Sale"!!!! We will have boatloads of 25 cent paper and tables packed full of clearance merchandise!! We have not done a sale like this for YEARS!!! There will be something for EVERYONE!!!

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Impression Obsession Trunk Show COMING AGAIN!!!! Please join us Wednesday, September 8th from 2pm-8pm with host Mary Lou and participate in a free make-n-take! Come check out the catalogs - with over 4,000 stamps I am sure you will find something you have just got to have! During this event all Impression Obsession stamps will be "Buy One ~ Get One Half"!! This includes special orders!!!

8/19-8/22 HOT DEAL AT SB2

DISTRESS INK SALE---NOW THROUGH SUNDAY AUGUST 22nd

All Tim Holtz DISTRESS INK PADS are 20% off! In Stock Only. Now's the time to try out a few new colors!
There are 36 colors for you to choose from so come on over and find a new favorite!

8/16-8/18 Hot Deals

ALL IN-STOCK SPELLBINDERS are "Buy one, get one HALF". (Valid until Wednesday, August 18th)

**We moved more items to the Dollar Bills section!

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Zing Embossing Powder STILL BUY ONE ~ GET ONE FREE

Martha Stewart Glitter Jars STILL BUY ONE ~ GET ONE FREE

American Crafts Ink Pads STILL BUY ONE ~ GET ONE FREE

Too Busy To Scrap?

I had grandiose ideas of getting a whole lot of scrapping done this past weekend. Well, due to an unexpected turn of events...it didn't happen. So now I find myself getting stressed because I am way behind on my personal projects. There is no good reason for this feeling...it's not like I'm on a deadline or anything...silly, isn't it?

So I found myself trying to streamline the process in order to possibly save myself some undue anxiety.

Here are some tips that hopefully will help you as well:

1) Don't journal - For me it can be really hard to come up with the perfect sentiment so I figure sometimes it's gotta be okay to let the photo tell the story.

2) Make your scrapbooking a gift - Sometimes if I can't get started I find it beneficial to do a quick little "something" for a friend. Most of the time this sparks my creativity and my pages and/or cards flow freely.

3) Use advertising for design inspiration - There was an ad for some sort of energy drink in my mailbox the other day and I loved the colors so much I made a card using them. So before you toss them see if you can get some inspiration for your next project.

4) Stick with your tried & true favorites - I have some friends who have the most gorgeous layouts and I would love to "scraplift" them. However, my experimenting needs to be put on hold until I have the time to try it. So for layouts that need to be completed...stick with your style and what you are familiar with.

5) Use ready-made embellishments - It takes time to make your own embellishments or even to cut titles or other designs, etc using a die-cutting machine and when I am busy...every second counts. So I often find myself grabbing stickers or even pre-made diecuts that we have at SB2 to save myself some time.

I would love to hear about more time-saving tips from all of my blog followers.

Altering Stickers!

Recently I have been playing around with stickers and have been having a whole lot of fun "dressing them up".

Have you thought about adding a little "something" to help your stickers attract more attention?

You can add texture, color, dimension or BLING (did someone say GLITTER?)!!!!!

Here are some fun things for you to try:

1) Give your stickers a distressed/antique look by sanding them with some fine grain sandpaper.

2) Paint them! Acrylic paint works best. Try experimenting with fun designs and patterns... maybe even stencils!

3) You can add some beautiful soft color to stickers using watercolor pencils or for more zing try those Twinkling H20's.

4) If you have a large solid sticker - add a rub-on to it for a little style.

5) Personalize those stickers with googly eyes, buttons, sequins - possibilities are endless!

6) You ink the edges of card stock and photo's - why not stickers?

7) Add stitching around your stickers...either with a gel pen or use your sewing machine if you feel adventurous.

8) Stamp small designs on your stickers or if you are feeling really creative, try doodling!

Specials This Week!

** HOT DEALS**:
ALL PATTERNED PAPER IS 40% OFF!!
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4th

Ribbon by-the-yard STILL 75% OFF!!


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American Crafts Pigment Ink Pads will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

American Crafts ZING Embossing Powder will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

Martha Stewart Glitter Jars will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

HOT DEALS

**HOT DEALS **

Ribbon by-the-yard is 75% OFF!!! (Does not include Dollar Bills or Clearance)

This sale starts Thursday, July 29th and ends Sunday, August 1st!

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American Crafts Pigment Ink Pads will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

American Crafts ZING Embossing Powder will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

Martha Stewart Glitter Jars will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

Blue! Yellow! Red!

So I have had a tiny little bit of time to play while Sue and Susan are gone to CHA and I have found a new love for the following color combination: Royal Blue, Yellow and Red.

I actually did a couple of cards with this color combo and it is really cool! One card has blue for the background. I put a large red strip on the right side with a little yellow ribbon peeking out from underneath the red strip.

I haven't yet tried a scrap page with these colors but I was thinking what a great color combo for pictures at the playground, birthday, a day at the fair - the possibilities are endless!!!

Store Specials!!

A follower of my blog suggested I post store specials on the blog! That is a great idea -Thanks Em!

This week's specials are:

Page Kits are "Buy One - Get One 75% OFF"!!! This includes all kits up front near the register and on the back wall near our Dollar Bills section!

American Crafts Pigment Ink Pads will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

American Crafts ZING Embossing Powder will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

Martha Stewart Glitter Jars will be "Buy One - Get One FREE"!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! This means that while we have them in stock this deal will be on-going!!!!!

Photo Backup Plan

I recently touched based with a friend who has probably a half a dozen memory cards for her camera. It turns out all of her photos are on these cards - she never deletes any. She just buys a new memory card when it's full. These cards are her life in photos.

However, she has no backup source. If one of these cards ever got ruined she would lose those photos!

Are all your pictures on your computer? Do you have them on memory cards or maybe disks?
You might want to have yet another backup plan...just in case. Our world is ever-changing and you just never know what may happen on any given day. Computers can malfunction, you can get a virus and of course, there is just plain old human error.

We got to talking about alternate backup sources and I thought I would pass on some useful information to my fellow crafters.

Several years ago I learned my lesson when my computer crashed and I lost everything on it...including some photos of one of my former dogs. Those were basically the only photos (save 1) that had of her. Right now I actually only have a few pictures on my computer. All the others have been uploaded to disks and stored away (from sunlight/heat/water etc). But I also have them stored somewhere else.

There are many online services that will store your photos for you FOR FREE (all you need to do is sign up for an online account). Plus these services offer you the option of printing services and/or making gifts such as calendars, mugs, key chains, handbags, etc. Most of these places will give you 25 (or more) FREE photos just for signing up and you can opt to have more offers and coupons sent to your email.

The one I use is Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com). Once a week I try to upload any new photos from my computer/memory card just as a precaution. With S.F. I can order pictures through them and have them delivered either to my home (via regular mail usually - I did just receive one via UPS) or I can pick them up at my local Target.

A friend of mine uses Kodak Easy Share(www.kodakgallery.com). Kodak is linked to CVS Pharmacy (but double check yours) or you can also have them delivered via regular mail.

I know there is also SnapFish and many others - feel free to ask your friends or relatives what online source (if any) they use. Prices for photos or other fun gifts will vary along with print quality etc.

You also have the option of printing out duplicate photos and storing them in your scrapbooks or an acid free/archival box in a cool, dark and dry environment. Be sure to keep away from attics, basements, laundry rooms etc.

What's your backup plan? Now is the time to think of one!!

It's all about time...

I don't know about you but lately I just don't seem to have alot of time. Of course this means that my scrapping has pretty much gone by the wayside. However, I did run across an article that I had ripped out of a magazine way back when that had 5 tips for getting a layout done in an hour or less. Here are those 5 suggestions with a few tidbits of my own!

1) Mix older photo's with your current photo's - a "then and now" layout. I did this with my parents 50th wedding Anniversary and it was fantastic!
2) Scrapbook an older photo from today's current perspective. What do you think when you look at the photo? Does it reflect happiness, sadness?
3) Create a mini-book of the year's highlights! Whether it's this year or a previous year - what a great way to cover important events for everyone!
4) Create themed pages! Put a couple year's worth of Easter or Halloween on one page and label them with dates.
5) My favorite "rule" is "You don't have to scrap every picture"!! Pick out your favorites and put the others either in a "pocket" on the same page so you can still look at them or put them in a page that has separate pockets for each photo. Be sure to label the back of the photo with an archival, acid-free pen!!

Thanks for reading!

Welcome

When Sue first asked me to write a blog, I immediately agreed. It was only later that I asked myself just what exactly I agreed to. I had no idea what a blog was...how to start...you get the picture!

So I did some research on it with the help of Google of course. Here is how "THEY" (whomever they are) define a blog:
A blog is a website containing information on a variety of topics and is usually written by one person.

Now, there is more to this but that is pretty much it in a nutshell.

I am still unlocking the mysteries of this whole blog thing but I invite you along on this journey - where together I hope we can build a community of crafters interested in learning, sharing and making the most of our great hobby!