Scrapbooking Ideas From The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store

Retreat Summary

WOW!  What a weekend.  I don’t know if I can totally sum it up the way the girls did on the message board…but I will try and then you can go there to check out what they had to say.  Yes, I know we are a bit behind with the summary, but we were BEAT!  Not only were we tierd but most of us or our families came down with the BUG the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday….well you get the picture….following.  I think as of today, all are well and back to work…full steam ahead!

So the weekend started with the early opening of The Memory Zone Scrapbook Store and many took advantage of this, getting their first fix of some NEW products.  After a quick shopping spree they were rewarded with a pack of money to head to “Vegas” with.  When they arrived at the Knights of Columbus Hall…VEGAS is what they got…Marlene greated them, all DECKED OUT, with a Dice Necklace, some more ”casino cash” and directions down the strip to their assigned hotel for check in.  Each table was assigned a Vegas Hotel Name, making locating your seat or group easier.   Quickly they all unloaded the cars, with many trips, and set up shop.  All were delighted to be at an 8 foot table, which is quite a bit of space until you see what all they bring in…the funny thing is, many brought extra tables to set up.

All of our meals were catered by Christo’s and the food was fabulous, which is what I hear from folks everytime they visit Vegas… This proved to be a GREAT set up…Barb didn’t have to do dishes and I got to mingle this year, we were not trapped in the kitchen!

Saturday we filled the day with demonstrations and make & takes.  We featured several new product lines…3 Bugs in a Rug new products - Snips & Snails, Happy Bird-day, Butterfly Kisses, & Home Grown.  We also rolled out BoBunny’s New Class Kits - Life is Good Beach Word Book, Paw-sitively Word Book, I Love My Dog Word Book, Heart & Home Word Book, Friends To The End, Boys Will Be Boys, and Play Hard Layouts. We introduced many to the Bazzill In Stitch’z Line, Fiskars Border Punches, Crafter’s Workshop Templates, Glimmer Mist and MORE!  I have to say, it was GREAT walking around after a demo or make & take and see folks using the technique or products that they had just learned about!

Saturday Night we brought in some FUN Entertainment….3 black jack dealers and tables for folks to take a chance at their luck.  Many were hesitant….ok ALL were hesitant, but easily persuaded when more PLAY MONEY is dangled in their faces, the hesitance stemmed from fear…no one knew how to play Black Jack, but no worries, Mike, T.Jay and Michelle our special guest dealers were gracious at teaching and before long they were all placing bets like they had been gambling for years!

All weekend the girls were collecting PLAY money….to be able to buy auction items…I am NO AUCTIONIER!  But we had a great time!  The reviews were wonderful and I appreciate all the feedback.  We did vote on the Theme for a next retreat and DISNEY wins.  Be sure to watch for us to make an announcement about future retreat opportunities.

On a more serious note….

Many of you are aware that each year we have a FUND RAISING event at our retreat.  We have been known to raise money and donate to many different organizations including National MS Society, Pediatrics Chrones Research as well as specific individuals that are facing tragedy or life threatening situations.  This year we chose the Twellman Family as our benefit recipient.   Nick Twellman is a 16 year old boy who is facing MANY MANY challenges right now. You can read about Nick and his family by visiting www.caringbridge.org (enter nicktwellman) in the search, no spaces, …Michelle, Nicks mom is a customer of ours, she loves scrapbooking her family, but right now, she is just praying that she will have years with her son to continue to take pictures that she will someday be able to sit down and scrapbook again.   Please pray for the Twellman family as you pray for all those special people in your life today.

In summary…every year, we do our best to put on what we think is the BEST DARN Scrapbooking event around and based on the feedback, I think we nailed it!  Thank you!

Recycle Your Scrapbook Packaging~

We’re seeing it as the new trend in scrapbooking/papercrafting,

reduce~ reuse~ recycle!

Using the packaging your scrapbook supplies came in for your projects. Some companies are taking extra steps to make their packaging useful.

Take for instance packaging from a Reminisce line. When I opened the 3D stickers I found a very cool “No Parking” sign on the inside. The wheels in my head started turning and I automatically start thinking mini album. I was lucky enough to have two sticker packages with the same design and now I have my front and back covers.

I cut all the pieces down to the size of the no parking signs and altered the front cover to get the desired look for my theme. I was even able to run the sign through my printer to add some extra title work. {note to self: let the ink dry before you start working on your project or the ink will smear} I then used my Bind It All by Zutter to bind everything together. Now how easy was that? A cute mini and I saved the environment too! My kids would be proud.

Want to see more of this project… check out the TMZ gallery!

Toodles!
charity

National MS Awareness Month - Multiple Sclerosis

About five years ago, around the time we were packing up the downtown store to move to Miller Dr. I started noticing that my right hand had some numbness.  I figured I had pulled a muscle at first.  Then I decided it had to be a pinched nerve.  I didn’t worry much about it, figured when we got the move done I would slow down, have it checked out and get it fixed.  Well, the numbness got worse, it became constant.  I made an appointment with my physician, who referred me to a Neurologist, I assumed he too thought it might be a pinched nerve somewhere.

The next thing I know, after my MRI, I got a phone call from my neurologis…I remember his words exactly…”Your MRI shows several white lessions on the brain that are consistent with demylinating diseases, like Multiple Sclerosis.  Give my receptionist a call first thing in the morning, make an appointment and lets run some other tests.” I hung up the phone, walked to the living room, looked at my husband, and began to cry.  I told him what the doctor said, I made a few other phone calls to a few more of my family members and a couple of my closest friends.  I remember I didn’t sleep well that night.  I felt like my whole body was numb at that point.  The next day, I called made an appointment and that was the begining of the series of tests that I think are the WORST in the world….LOL!  I am not a big fan of needles…ok, better put, I HATE THEM!

Completing all the testing, ruling out all other options and getting the final diagnosis took about 3 months.  There is no cure for MS at this time, however there are a few FDA Approved Disease-Modifying drugs on the market…all are INJECTIONS!  WHAT?  NO WAY!!!!  I did not know how I would EVER be able to do it…give my self an injection.  But I did it!  The week after Christmas I met with a nurse who went over all the ins and outs of injections for the drug that I would be taking.  I eventually came to terms with it, I still do not like it!  I am not any better when it comes to having a shot at the doctors office and I am a night mare when it comes to having an IV started…but I get by.

I am lucky, I have very few residual effects from the lesions.  The numbness is here to stay and some days it is worst than other.  Heat and fatigue make it more noticeable and irritating.  I get this itch some times, but the funny thing, the itch feels like it is on the inside, I can scratch and scratch and it does not touch it, drives me crazy.  In four years I have had 4 MRI’s, just had one last week.  They don’t bother me much, I’m not claustrophobic,  I mean, I don’t enjoy them, but I deal.  Most of the time I lay there, talking to God, and He reminds me of ALL the things in my life that I have to be Thankful for!  I know that everything happens for a reason and someday I will better understand what part MS plays in my purpose in life.  For now I just take things one day at a time.  I try to learn what I can about this unpredictable disease and I enjoy life to the fullest.

Someone once asked me if I was going to scrapbook about the experience of being diagnosed.  At the time, it was the one thing I wanted to forget about more than anything else…I even tried to pretend it was just a nightmare.  But it is real, and maybe that is the next step!  So what do you think?  I say we all find one thing in our life that we would really have just as well have ignored, pretended never have happened, or wished we could just wake up out of the nightmare….and scrap about it.   I will work on my layout over the next few days…ok, it might take a couple of weeks…but I will get it done, and you can hold me to it!

Don’t forget to share your layouts with us in our gallery.

If you are interested in finding out more about MS and find out what you can do to help find a cure, visit the National MS Society Website. Or feel free to stop in and get your own MS Awareness Bracelet.  FREE while supplies last.  Together we can make a difference and STRIKE out MS!

By Rhonda Hurford