scrapbook paper organization

So I got my Scrapbook Paper Organization all finished! Now I'm ready to scrap!

 

The top half was organized by Color Wheel

 

These are the labels I'm using:

Pinks

Purples

Blues

Greens

Yellows

Oranges

Reds

Neutrals

(have enough for a drawer each of Black, Browns, Tans, and Whites)

Metallics

 

The bottom half was organized by Scrapbook Themes:

 

Celebrate (birthdays, parties)

School

Boy

Girl

Animals/Pets

Travel

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Christmas

 

I decided to include ABC stickers, Title Stickers and Themed Stickers along with the paper as I tend to scrap thematically or seasonally.  Now I am so motivated to DO SOMETHING!

Where to start? Where to start?

Creative Memories bankruptcy update 6/22/13

According to a call with Home Office Executives this week here is the latest on what they will share:

What We Know

1.       PRODUCTS:

·         For our FUTURE STATE some of our general products will be similar, but “sourced differently, re-imagined and re-packaged”  to help us manage our supply chain more effectively.

·         Some of our CURRENT products have hit the “low inventory, out of stock” list based on availability. We’ve created an “out of stock, expected to return” list (for the near-term, not long-term).

·         LAST CHANCE ORDER period proposed for July 8^th -31^st  is for traditional coversets in 12x12 only, and refills and page protectors in both 12x12 and 8x8 sizes (at full value, no reduction in price).

·         All other products will be available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST during that time. 

 

2.       HOST REWARDS and REWARDS CLUB:

·         Host Credit must be ENTERED by June 30^th and will no longer be available to earn after that date.

·         Host credit must be REDEEMED by August 21^st.

·         Rewards Club Credit can still be EARNED up to August 21^st and must be REDEEMED by August 21^st!

 

3.       DIGITAL:

·         All Digital Product Credits and Coupon Codes (including current “April Afternoon” CD that states expiration of 2014) must be REDEEMED by August 21^st.

·         Digitally produced Custom Pages, Custom Coversets, Page Prints, Calendars, Storybooks and all digital products will still be able to be produced until August 21^st (hopefully longer, but can’t promise)

·         Current digital platform will not be brought forward into the new company.

·         SBC and MM are usable, but going into the future, you may not be able to call the company for support or print through CM.

·         The new APP will be the new platform for the next generation of digital – modern, mobile, online, across platforms – much easier for consultants to maintain .  CM will let us know more as we move through the process. 

·         We will no longer produce digital products in house in the new company.  Requires a significant investment in the system and support we have right now.  We will work to provide a transition that will be seamless for customers. 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>

Here is what Donna Lyn recommends:

1. Figure out what you need to complete the album sets you currently have. 

2. Order the products that you need to finish your current and future projects.

3. Digital as we know it right now will not be part of the new CM, so focus on what you can complete by August 21st.

4. Plan to back up your StoryBookCreator projects you have on your hard drive onto an external drive or other backup method of your choice if you’d like to print it again.  This is good communication for any questions regarding projects that are currently stored at the CM Digital Center.

5. Let me know by June 30th if you have a large "stock-up" order. Gather your order and orders from a few of your scrapbooking buddies, and we'll put your order through as a Catalog Party. You'll get free hostess credit to spend as you wish. BUT, you must do this before June 30th, the last date for all Host Credit to be entered.  You will have until August 21 to redeem your Host Credit.

Thank you for your loyalty and support during this transition time!

Happy Scrappin',
DL

 

an update from Rhonda Anderson

The rumors are flying and it has been difficult to sort it all out but I want to be as helpful as possible so that

1. We aren't unnecessarily stockpiling and

2. We aren't caught off guard.

Some Consultants have contacted Rhonda Anderson, Creative Memories co-founder directly trying to get clarification on what will and won't be available if the court approves the launch of a "new" CM.

What I have heard (and granted this is hearsay) is that they are restricted on what they can share about their future product line by the bankruptcy ruling. But Rhonda did share that they will have Refill Pages for a variety of Fast to Fabulous albums in a variety of colors ("some very, very simple").  These refill pages will be the same size as our current albums.  

"I can also tell you that we believe Page Protectors are an important product."

As soon as they have permission from the Court they will share more information.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Personally (this is Donna Lyn typing), I have a Fast to Fabulous Kit and I love it! I love the album and I like the predesigned pages. What I don't like about the predesigned pages is that they have 2-4 photos per page and I usually put 4-7 photos per page but I can work around this by using photo mounting paper and also cropping photos smaller, etc..  Not as ideal as blank pages but workable for sure. And much faster if you just add your photos and journaling.

Here is what my Fast to Fabulous "Sunshine Getaway" looks like:

It also came with a pack of mounting paper and a pack of Page Protectors.

If you like BLANK PAGES, you will have to order NOW. Even the Fast to Fabulous Kits are not guaranteed to be here as all of the plans for the re-launch of a "new" CM are contingent upon court approval (June 26).

If it is approved, I am excited about it because I do love these F2F Kits and of course, there is nothing like Creative Memories quality album covers. So I am excited to see the larger variety that will be offered in this area.

However, this leaves me with a current dilemma in ordering enough Blank Refill pages to fill my current coversets. Although...if pre-designed page refills will be available, those will fit into my existing coversets, so that might just work! (And as Rhonda supposedly said, "some are very, very simple"). 

If you like BLANK refill pages, you will want to order them NOW. If the court approves, they will make them on demand through July. That means they "promise" not to run out and will make as many as are ordered. Including Page Protectors. Now is the time to count up what you need and preorder them. I hope this helps you make an informed decision on what is best for your scrapbooking needs and your budget.

Happy (?) Scrappin',
DL

 

Creative Memories website is down temporarily

If you've been trying to order or access www.mycmsite.com/donnalyn and aren't having any luck, do not panic. They haven't closed up shop yet! Creative Memories is aware of the situation and they are trying to fix it just as fast as they can.

A lot of the cutting tools, papers and embellishments are almost gone. They will let us order Refill Pages and Page Protectors until the end of July. They "promise" that (upon Court approval) we will be able to order pages and page protectors per demand. Everything else though is While Supplies Last.

Here is an update on their website issue: 


...As you know, we have had intermittent system issues since Friday last week and we have all hands on deck working on a solution.

In an attempt to solve the system issues it is necessary that we are shutting down and reboot all websites and support systems today (Wednesday, June 19) at approximately 4:00 PM CT. The process can take several hours to complete.

...We appreciate your continued patience.

Your Creative Memories Home Office Team

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Creative Memories bankruptcy update 6/15/13

Here is what I know as of today and this is all pending Court approval:

1. An extensive list of Current products (including many coversets) will be While Supplies last in June

2. Refill Pages and Page Protectors will be on a LAST CHANCE availability in July. They will make as many of these as needed starting July 8 (again this is assuming the Court approves this plan). So we will have July 8-31 to order Refill Pages and Page Protectors (and many Coversets).

3. Rewards Club ends August 21. So if you are a Rewards Club member and have credit, you need to use it or lose it by August 21.  

4. The "new" Creative Memories will launch in the U.S.A. this Fall. They have not said if they are changing their name or not. It will be a party plan business like CM currently is.

5. The "new" CM will offer "fresh" and "new" Albums and Pages. They will not give any more specifics other than they keep saying how Fast to Fabulous has been a big seller for them. They are moving to a SIMPLE offering of albums to complete quickly. They are closing out the old and rolling in the new.

Picfolios

Fast to Fabulous Albums

 

 

What is Fast to Fabulous? Basically their beautiful coversets with 12x12 pages that are predesigned...all you have to do is add photos and you're done! You can also add stickers, title stickers and journaling to personalize your album and make it more meaningful.

Fast to Fabulous Baby Girl

 

 

So it sounds like they are going in this direction. The only thing I don't understand is why Page Protectors would be on a LAST CHANCE in July. Unless they are changing the size? Or repackaging? But if they are just repackaging, then we should be able to purchase 12x12 sizes in the future I would think they wouldn't tell us to get them in July. I wish I knew! I think if the Court approves their plan, then they will be able to tell us more. I would hate to stock up on Page Protectors in July and then have them reintroduced in the Fall.

 

"All great changes are preceded by chaos." 

 

Here are some more Fast to Fabulous kits that are currently available:

 

 



color wheel paper organization

having fun organizing my paper storage today for easy accessibility!

 

 

I started with the basic color wheel for my mostly solid card stock.

 

 

After the basic color wheel, I still have 16 available spots!

I think I'll use the rest of the slots for themed papers and maybe even album projects.

 

So now instead of taking over the dining room table....which I don't really like leaving out like this,

 

 I may have to start scrapbooking in my office credenza because it is conveniently located next to my new paper storage...

 

Happy Scrappin'!

 

Creative Memories bankruptcy update

The following email went out to Rewards Club members today. It says that there will be a "last chance" order period in July for some core products, like Refills, Page Protectors and some core albums. This is pending court approval. They are intending to re-launch (perhaps under a new brand name or new packaging?) in the "future" but they have not been specific in how soon the future would be. Recently CM closed in Australia and their While Supplies Last lasted about two hours. I'm optimistic yet cautious as so much of this is out of CM's hands now and in the hands of the Court.

 

What do you need currently to make progress on your Creative Memories albums? Please take stock of what you have and decide what you may need in the near future to complete your current album projects. I will help you as best I can with keeping you up to date with news from CM. It is my heartfelt desire that our albums, pages and page protectors be around for generations to come.

 

Hugging my CM albums today,

Donna Lyn 

 

Dear Rewards Club Member,

Thank you for your membership, and for your belief in Creative Memories products and mission.

As you may know, we're working on exciting plans for a bright new future for our business that will bring the mission to even more people. As we’ve shared before, we intend to emerge from Chapter 11 with a simpler, more focused business model, and will be sharing more with you as we go.

As part of the Chapter 11 process, Creative Memories has sent a few official notifications on behalf of the Court, and you will be getting another one later today. It will likely be in "legalese," so we'd like to explain what it includes.

The future business we're working on includes new, fresh products and programs. To make that happen, we need to begin transitioning out of current products and programs. So we've filed a motion for the Court's consideration. It establishes procedures and modifies some of our programs related to while supplies last for many traditional products and a last chance order opportunity.

What's been put before the Court is our intention, and it does require Court approval, so it is not a certainty yet. But upon approval, what does that mean for you and for the Rewards Club?

• We will stop accepting new members or renewing existing memberships of the Rewards Club (this is effective as of the filing today, June 12, 2013).
• We will honor Rewards Club Credits, and the Rewards Club program will continue until August 21, 2013.
• Due to the while supplies last of traditional products, we will not be restocking much of the current inventory on hand, so this is an excellent time to use your Club Credits to get those products you've had your eye on.
• We will issue Club Credits to compensate for unused days of Membership. We will use August 21 as the final day for the Rewards Club and base calculations on the membership fee of $39. So for example, if an individual bought a membership on June 1, 2013, then as of August 21, 2013 she would have used 82 days of the membership, leaving 283 days used.  Thus, she would be credited with $30.24 in Rewards Club Credit ($39 x (283/365)).
• For some core products, like Refills, Page Protectors and some core albums, we will be offering a "last chance" order period in July, during which time we will do our best to manufacture to demand. We will communicate more about that as it gets closer, including the specific products available for a last chance order.

All of this is pending approval from the Court, so items like the reimbursement of Club Credits will happen when and if we get approval.

We understand this is big news, but hope, if approved as proposed, the transition period will be sufficient for you to get the supplies you need. And please know that we will welcome you with open arms as we re-launch in the future.

Thank you from the Creative Memories Home Office Team

 

 

 

scrapbook store closing

 

My favorite (and only) local scrapbook store is closing.

 

This is so sad to me. It has been a gathering place for the past several years where I have met many scrapbookers who have become dear friends. One Saturday a month from about 4pm-11pm I pull up a chair and get to work on my scrapbooks with Michael Jackson playing overhead. My friends and I would take a break and head out to a local restaurant for dinner. One time we even skipped out for an entire movie! Tuesday afternoons I used to pop in on a regular basis and get my photos into albums and journal our family memories. I was just putting Tuesday scrapbooking back into my calendar when I heard the news.

 

I'm not sure what we are going to do. I wish there was a "gathering place" nearby where women could get together and work on their projects together. Yes, we can meet in each other's houses but there is something more focused about being somewhere with sets of long tables and good lighting (and the laundry not buzzing at me or the 'should,' 'more importants' or 'to do's' distracting me).

 

I went to their close-out sale and picked up this awesome scrapbook paper storage unit:

 

 

For some reason my husband was not happy with this purchase. He didn't understand it. So I just set it up in my office and so far have left it empty until I figure out how I'm going to use it. I've noticed though that every time I walk by it I get a little pop of JOY!  It makes me happy. So in my mind it was a good buy. It also gives me many happy memories of my local scrapbook store. 

 

How about you? Have you noticed stores going out of business? Or are you fortunate enough to still have a local place to scrap?  Have you purchased any Scrapbook Furniture? How are you using it and how has it helped with your creativity or productivity? I would love to read your thoughts! (Post a comment below.)  

Laying out a Travel Album

 

First I jot down our itinerary



 

 

Next, get the Photos developed

 

 

 

Using plastic Page Guides, I stack photos/memorabilia by subject/date using the guides to keep each event/day separate. This is just a loose filing to start the process. (You can use anything to make your own 'guides' - pieces of cardboard, heavy colored cardstock, or even scrapbook pages that you will use later.)

 

 

 

 

Then I lay out empty Guides on my pool table (as many will fit). I transfer each day's "pile" onto these guides - just start tossing photos onto them, purging duplicate photos or photos that won't fit, using my itinerary as a reminder of chronology, and including Memorabilia where appropriate. This is also a great way to see if you can get your photos into some double-page spreads, or if just a single side is needed. You can shift Guides around as needed.

 

So this is what a Guide might look like during this process:

 

 

Kind of a 'rough draft' if you will.  But this is a brilliant way for you to get an overview of your entire album and it's especially important in my case where we took so many photos I'm not sure that we can get our trip into one album.

 

 

Soon you will have a series of these "laid out" Guides. After the first batch is done, I throw another layer of Guides on top of the first set and keep going.

 

And add another layer, and another....we took so many photos on our Washington D.C. and New York trip that I ended up with 5 layers of Guides!  Which ended up being exactly 97 sides (49 pages). 

 

Creative Memories recommends 40 pages max (80 sides)...I've seen 45 pages (90 sides) but that is really pushing it. So I either need to:

 

1. Purge some pages/photos/memorabilia

or

2. Split the Trip into 2 albums.

 

Oh, what to do? what to do?

 

For now, I stacked the Guides (starting with the last page which will end up on the bottom), then stacking each Guide on top until I end up with the first page on the very top. They are all neatly in a Power Sort Box (no longer available to purchase from Creative Memories I'm sorry to say but some Consultants still have them if you want me to search for you), waiting for me to decide if I'll do one album or two. 

 

Next step: transferring these 'layouts' onto actual real scrapbook pages with mounting tape and then adding photojournaling and embellishments.

Creative Memories update

Creative Memories has announced that they had to make the difficult decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. My intent with this post is to keep you informed, not to worry you. An email is going out to all Rewards Club members so I wanted to let you know what is happening. The 'good news' is that they want to use this opportunity to streamline their product offerings and refocus on their core mission which is preserving memories.

As you know, I'm a huge fan of Creative Memories albums, scrapbook pages, and page protectors (and tape runner, personal trimmer, and Power Palettes....). I'm sure 12x12 albums and scrapbook pages will remain part of their core products. They are going to streamline their product offerings, however, so what you may notice is that a lot of products will be available 'while supplies last' and may not have much warning. If you've had your eye on something, you may want to purchase it now instead of waiting until later. All of the Nancy O'Dell products are currently on hold and not available to order (however, they are working on getting these back so stay tuned).

If you do order online, I suggest using a credit card vs. a debit card. The hearing is scheduled for May 9th so we should hear soon how this will all play out.

The leadership of Creative Memories is very committed to their future and mission. If you would like any more info on this, they have set up a web page including a letter to their fans on creativememories.com / restructuring.

Thank you for your loyalty to Creative Memories and your support!

Happy Scrappin', dl 

Album Progress update

 

I was so inspired getting ready for scrapbooking retreat, that later on Saturday I delved right into updating Sugar's School album. I've never been one to sit through an entire movie during family movie night (I mean how many times can one watch Kung Foo Panda? A ton of times -  apparently, for My Hero, it never gets old....Skadoosh!)  I just plopped Sugar's school album, her folder of memorabilia, photos, my trimmer and tape runner onto the family room floor and went to town on her album! 3rd grade and 4th grade, Complete! Check! 

 

A simple 4-page spread for each school year. Only one more year to go (she's currently in 5th grade...this is her last year of elementary school). Preschool through 5th grade fits perfectly into the Picfolio Album with a few pages to spare in the back for her 5th grade party/'graduation' photos.