Scrapbooking Ideas From The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store

Can you tell me how to get….how to get the Sesame Street?

So we have the countdown going at my house, 9 days until we go to Sesame Street Live! I think I am more excited to go than Mikey. I was debating on if he would sit through the whole thing. I tested him by taking him to see “Bolt” at the movie theater. He did excellent! He consumed a whole bag of greasy popcorn and sat in one spot. So on to the show we go!

So as a scrapbooking mama, I am clearing my SD card to get some awesome photos to scrapbook. EK Success has lots of cute Sesame street embellishments and papers you can find at The Memory Zone. But what I am most excited about is the NEW Sesame Street Cricut cartridges that arrived this week. I was lucky enough to get to try it out at the CHA convention back in July. Super cute die cuts, perfect for the layouts I will get to design after the show.

If you aren’t familiar with the Cricut or Cricut Expression, stop in at the Memory Zone for a demo. If you have a Cricut machine and need some pointers, check out our calendar for some fun classes.

Stay tuned for a preview of the Sesame Street Cricut cartridge and my layouts following the show.

by Heather Wolff

Flock~ Adding Dimension with FUN FLOCK

Hey, hey…you wanna be a FLOCK STAR?

Flocking powder…you’ve heard of it, but have you added it as a staple of your scrap booking and paper crafting supplies?

What?…you don’t know how to get started with it? Well now, we can’t have that…pay attention you are about to become America’s next FLOCK STAR!

Flocking powder is made by several companies. It is a very fine fiber medium available in a variety of colors. For my lesson on flocking I am using FUN FLOCK by “STAMPENDOUS.” It’s perfect for creating fuzzy accents for your scrapbook pages, cards, or home décor projects. It can even be mixed with glitter adding a sparkling bold edge to your stamped images, die cuts or chipboard.

The simplest technique for applying FUN FLOCK is by making use of The Glue Pad by Tusienko Products and following these easy steps:

1.) Using your Glue Pad just as you would an ink pad, stamp your image on your desired project.

2.) Sprinkle FUN FLOCK on the image.

3.) Press slightly.
4.) Let dry briefly.
5.) Gently tap off excess flocking powder.

6.) Let dry completely.

This technique can be used for free hand or stencil “drawing” with a Zig two way glue pen. Filling in specific areas of a stamp by “coloring” it in with the glue pen is a great option for a touch of texture anywhere. Try it for bunny tails, flower centers, baby animals, or any other application that needs a bit of softness. You can also flock specific areas of patterned paper by employing the same method.

Another method for applying FUN FLOCK is to make use of some great products offered by several manufacturers such as Making Memories or Doodlebug. The double adhesive stickers are letters, shapes, phrases, flowers, flourishes and many more!

1.) Apply the double faced adhesive sticker to your project.
2.) Peel off top layer of sticker.
3.) Sprinkle FUN FLOCK on the image.
4.) Press slightly.
5.) Gently tap off excess flocking powder.

Die cut accents love FUN FLOCK! One of my personal favorites is QuicKutz. They are great for cards, so cute on scrap book pages and super versatile. Basically it’s the same simple process for flocking as in example one.

1.) Cut out desired accent.
2.) Cover surface with glue. (for my example I simply pressed my die cut firmly onto my Glue Pad)
3.) Sprinkle with FUN FLOCK.
4.) Press gently.
5.) Dry briefly.
6.) Tap off excess.
7.) Assemble die cut image if necessary or use as is.

To intensify the color or coverage of FUN FLOCK another technique is to heat emboss and apply the flocking to the liquid embossing powder.

1.) Stamp image or color in image with embossing ink pad.
2.) Sprinkle embossing powder in the same color as FUN FLOCK.
3.) Apply heat to melt embossing powder.
4.) When melted, sprinkle FUN FLOCK onto surface.
5.) Wait to cool.
6.) Tap off excess.

Chipboard loves FUN FLOCK. It has a chunkier nature on the page, and with its’ abundance of shapes, sizes and letters the end product can be perfectly personalized to accent any project. I have found through my quality adventures with chipboard and flocking it has a better overall look if the chipboard is painted the same color as your flocking over it. Any acrylic paint will do, but I really love the quick drying Making Memories brand. I find the same is true when using chipboard and glitter. The color naturally intensifies with the undercoat of paint!

Now that you are a FLOCK STAR, let me share a few helpful hints I have discovered along the way.

1.) I love the Craft Mat to work on with flock. It makes it easy to pick up and scoot the excess right back in the jar.
2.) Test your colors, before applying to your project. I really like sour apple green on pink, but it barely showed up. Lesson learned…test it first.
3.) When using die cut accents, use the same color cardstock as you are going to flock with, it gives a better overall appearance to the finished accent.
4.) Glue dots make fun flower centers covered in FUN FLOCK or as a dotted flocked accent.
5.) Red Tacky Tape can be used as a great flocked border or ribbon-type accent along a scrap book page, card, or project and it is super easy!
6.) EXPERIMENT! FUN FLOCK is inexpensive, comes in a big variety of colors and a small jar lasts a LONG TIME!

Hey, hey…now YOU’RE A FLOCK STAR!

I sure hope you all are inspired to add this fun and versatile product as a staple of your scrap book and paper crafting supply cabinet or tote. Hope you share your work in the Memory Zone Scrapbook Store’s gallery!
Kelly Crowl

Crafters Workshop - Do You Doodle?????

Doodle -v., -dled, -dling, -dles. v.intr.

1. To scribble aimlessly, especially when preoccupied.
2. To kill time.

v.tr.

To draw (figures) while preoccupied.

n.

A figure, design, or scribble drawn or written absent-mindedly.

I’m not sure that the definition is “SPOT ON” when it comes to scrapbooking.  I like to think that I am totally occupied while I have my scrapbooking products sitting right in front of me.  There are so many HOT Trends when it comes to the world of scrapbooking, and “Doodling” is becoming one of the HOTTEST!  Why? You might ask.  Because it is easy!  Anyone can do it…and I mean ANYONE!  I tend to be drawn to the techniques that are simple.

Doodling can be as simple as your own handy work or hand drawn dash and dots, made using a photo safe, archival pens and more.  My favorite way to add doodling to a page is using these wonderful templates made by The Crafter’s Workshop.  Wow!  It seems like not so long ago that they had only a few to choose from and now they have so many that it is hard to choose and more releases expected to ship in January.

Why do I like these templates so well?  For one thing there are so many different designs to choose from.  Some are themed while many are versitle enough to use anywhere.  They are inexpensive, reusable and can be used in conjunction with each other for additional designs.  But wait, don’t limit your self to just doodling with pens.  Use chalks or water colors for a more subtle look.  Inks and Glimmer Mist can be a great medium as well.  And if you have ever seen any of The Memory Zone Designers Work, you will notice they use them for stitching templates, as well.

Be sure to check out entire selection of Doodling Templates in store or online.  For even more information on The Crafter’s Workshop Templates take a peak at what they have to say. Then grab some templates and get started….and HAVE FUN!

by Rhonda

Revolution Love by Quickutz - Update

After running into some obstacles, QuicKutz has made an executive decision to discontinue the manufacturing of the Revolution Love, which was set to hit the store shelves January 2009. While we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, we agree that this is in the best interests of all involved…the consumers and retailers as well as QuicKutz. Here is the official statement from QuicKutz:

QuicKutz would like to thank you for your patience with us over the past few months concerning the Revolution Love tool. We know it has been a source of excitement and anticipation among so many of our retailers and customers. We’d like to share our current plans concerning the Love as well as make an exciting QuicKutz announcement.

We showed a proto-type version of our Revolution Love at CHA last summer where we received some good critical feedback. Since that time we’ve been working diligently to improve the machine, but some issues were proving hard to resolve. Our priority as a company has always been to put out the best products possible in terms of quality and style.  We concluded that the Love in its current form did not meet our standards. For the long-term benefit for our customers, we decided to cancel production of the Love and to start from scratch.

We are excited to announce, that a new and much improved tool in both form and function is in the works and should be available summer of 2009. The name of this tool has not yet been determined, but we have been very impressed with its development so far and the quality that it has demonstrated.

Some of the tool’s key features will include:

• A 12 1/2 inch wide opening that can accommodate a 12×12 sheet of paper
• The ability to be both a manual crank tool and motorized electric
• The retail price will be comparable to the Love

We are certain that you too will be very happy with this new tool and we promise that it is more than worth the wait! Thank you for your continued support. Happy Holidays,

The QuicKutz Team

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have concerning this news or any other issues you may have.

- Marlene

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist with Kelly

In my CHA 08 Review I promised to go into more detail about one of my favorite new products Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. Glimmer Mist is a water-based tinted or dyed liquid that adds a fine subtle shimmer and color to many different surfaces. It is acid-free and archival safe two important factors in scrap booking. The variety of colors available is huge and the company comes out with seasonal or limited edition colors frequently. This stuff is really “hot” in the scrap booking industry right now and rightfully so, it has some amazing versatility.

When you purchase your Glimmer Mist you will notice at the base or bottom of your bottle a shimmer layer separated from the rest of the liquid. It is vitally important that you shake your bottle thoroughly before and during use. The ultra fine particles must be incorporated well so as not to clog your sprayer.

The versatility of this product begins with coverage. Glimmer Mist offers the flexibility of a light misted coverage, a more random raindrop-type/splattered coverage or a pooling/water colored type of coverage. To achieve the light mist effect it is best (after shaking your bottle) to spray over a covered or protected surface. I like the Ranger Industries Craft Mat or you garbage can. You will want to hold your project away from the bottle approximately twelve inches and spray with your bottle moving quickly across the surface. (I strongly encourage a few practice sprays before going directly onto your project.) One shade of Glimmer Mist may look great, but you can really customize you project by layering multiple colors of this awesome product.

To get the more splattered or random droplet effect (shake your bottle well) and you will want to get closer to your project, like around six inches away and spray only moving the bottle slightly. Again, I recommend a few practice squirts to get the look you want, and always be ready to layer up some complimentary colors of Glimmer Mist.

The pooling effect or water colored look is amazing and very easy to achieve by spraying Glimmer Mist (after shaking the bottle) very close to your project. You can let dry and spray other colors to add depth and intensity, making the project totally unique. Using a heat gun to dry Glimmer Mist between applications will speed up the process and help reduce the buckling of your paper.

Heavy weight paper takes Glimmer Mist pretty well, but you will notice some buckling of lighter paper products due to the water-based nature of the product. The buckling will lessen if you apply a heat gun to the paper after misting. You can press paper between some thing heavy or even iron it.

Versatility of this product continues by the types of surfaces that look great with Glimmer Mist on them. Cardstock is just the tip of the iceberg with Glimmer Mist. As scrap bookers we all have scraps of old patterned papers in our drawer or files, why not pull some out, add some Glimmer Mist and revive those scraps into something uniquely yours?

Don’t stop there, try this stuff with a mask or stencil and you can make your own custom accent or background paper. I recently used some of the laser cut paper from KI Memories as a mask with the Passion Red color of Glimmer Mist in a fine mist application. The background paper I ended up with was exactly what I wanted, a soft shimmer & a pretty floral look that was not too overpowering to my little neighbor’s baby picture. Simply lay down the mask on your paper, attach with removal adhesive. Spray Glimmer Mist, let dry and remove mask…honestly, how simple is that?

Glimmer Mist will adhere flawlessly to acrylic accents, wood products, metal, tin, and glass. Don’t forget about ribbon, lace, twill or fabrics, they can all be altered beautifully with a single color of Glimmer Mist or two or three. There are endless possibilities; lace can even be used as a mask.

A match made in heaven for Glimmer Mist is chipboard! Plain, coated, painted, textured, or smooth, Glimmer Mist is a perfect compliment to chipboard. Tattered Angels is even coming out with their own line of Chipboard Accents and Glimmer Screens (think masks). When The Memory Zone receives their first shipment, I am in line for it! I previewed the stuff at CHA and I loved the flourishes and they have the cutest little owls and snowmen.

One of Glimmer Mists’ Design Team Members, Denise Thomas, demonstrated how to make a watercolor like background with Glimmer Mist while we were at their booth at the show. Let me share this quick technique with you.

Cover your work surface.

Get your heat gun plugged in and your brayer ready.

Shake your Glimmer Mist bottle.

Spray to pool the colors on your paper.

Brayer over the pooled Glimmer Mist and dry with heat gun.

Grab another color and repeat.

Continue on until you are satisfied with your background.

{*Please note: the camera and pictures do not do this product justice, seeing its’ subtleties in person is quite striking compared to what actually shows up here.}

For my example here I began with an 8×8 sheet of white cardstock and applied a few squirts of Yellow Daisy, dried it after I ran the brayer over it. I then followed with Passion Red a few more squirts than the yellow rolled it with the brayer and dried it. I then hit the project pretty heavy with Dewberry and ran the brayer over it. Dried it thoroughly and touched up with Snowflake, a really soft blue in any bare spots.

I continued on to using the finished product for one card and one 8×8 layout. I used a piece of it for my card background and punched some of the scraps with my QuicKutz to make the tiny tag. With the leftovers I used my QuicKutz again and made some Daisy embellishments to compliment my Sunset layout.

As you can tell Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist is so versatile and ultra unique it is no wonder it is taking the scrap book and paper crafting world by storm! I just love the stuff and am wishing for every shade they make! Let me give you a few tips I’ve gotten along the way to totally falling for this cool product.

*Clogged sprayers can best be avoided be shaking your Glimmer Mist thoroughly before and during every use, but if it does get clogged, pop off the top portion of the sprayer & blow out with canned air.
*Not liking the pattern of spray can be best solved by a practice run on a scrap before attacking your project. Also keep the tips of your finger out of the way of the spray field eliminated unwanted droplets. And go back to my initial instructions of applying as a refresher course.
*Curling or buckle paper is to be expected when working with a water-based product such as this. I’ve found the heat gun is the best to reduce it. Also ironing you paper when done misting or pressing between heavy objects.
*It will wash out of clothes and off of hands.
*It will fade in the sun.
*It will run if it gets wet.
* If stamping, you can spray it over archival ink. However, not using over archival ink, spray Glimmer Mist first, dry and then stamp your image(s).

There you have it… more detailed information about this awesome, beautiful, versatile and wonderful new product from Tattered Angels, Glimmer Mist. It is definitely one of my favorite new items and is now a staple in my scrap book room! Let me know what you come up with. While you’re at it, why not post and share your projects in The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store, LLC’s gallery.
Hope to see you shimmering soon!
Happy Scrappin’!
Kelly Crowl

New Hours for 2009 - Closed on Sundays!

As of January 1^st, 2009 The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store hours of operation will be as listed.

2009 Store Hours
Sunday Closed
Monday 10-6
Tuesday 10-8
Wednesday 10 – 6
Thursday 10-6
Friday 10-6
Saturday 10-6

As we have changed the hours several times over the last year in attempt find the best fit for both you (the customer) and the store, it seems that there is never going to be a “perfect” answer. While with any change at this time of obvious economical strain on Fortune 500 companies, you can only imagine that as a small business owner we are constantly evaluating every detail that we can to make sure that we can keep our doors open to provide our customers with the service and products that will allow you to preserve and cherish your precious memories for generations to come. We are always open to suggestions and love to hear you comments on what would make your experience an enjoyable one.

HOW, you ask will simply changing the day we are closed and opening another play a role in the success of our business? Well, you see… I believe that the answer lies in the following…

It has always been heavy on my heart that we should not be open on Sundays and lately I have spent an even larger amount of time in prayer and devotion with special attention on what I had not done that God had asked of me. After a period of time, it became very clear. Most are familiar with the Commandment “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8. However, I feel that I was challenged greatly when I felt led to study Hebrews Chapter 4. Since then I have continually had numerous chapters of Hebrews laid on my heart in recent weeks. This is a book I have for some reason never studied to any remarkable depth. In my bible the heading to Chapter 4 is A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God. Therefore, I feel that It is just what I am supposed to do… be closed on Sundays and other things will fall into place.

God Bless,
Marlene

A place where you can shop, learn, vent, cry, confide and Have Fun!

As a retail store owner, I get a couple of pretty good retailer magazines with articles relating to our industry, products, ideas, etc. Well I received my online issue today. I have not had time to read everything, but I did take a minute to read the Letter from the Editor.

“Economic swings and political turmoil have put so many at odds with the things they would rather be doing….like living.” Points out Kevin Nelson: Scrapbook Business Editor.He goes on to say…”The scrapbook industry was created to inspire people to realize that their legacy and family is more important than anything else they can do or accomplish here.” How true, how true?And yet we seem to overlook it on a daily basis, as is evident by the decline in business over the past year.That being said, it is no secret that business is slow.But we know that if we continue to do what we do best, we will continue to be able to provide you with a top notch local scrapbook store, a place where you can shop, learn, vent, cry, confide and Have Fun!Because, as Kevin pointed out in closing… Consumers want to take their time in stores, get to know the store owners, and develop a mutual bond. Nothing takes the place of going where the people know your name and you look forward to going back.”

See you real soon!
Rhonda