Upcoming Kids' Class: Scrappin' Kidz-September

When my daughter was young, I tried to give her piano lessons. Unfortunately, it didn't go so well. In spite of my background in music, she didn't want to learn from her mom! So we signed her up for private lessons with an area teacher, and she went on to become an accomplished pianist. 

Over the years, I've heard similar stories from moms who would like their kids to learn paper paper crafting skills. Even if you have the best-equipped craft room this side of the Mississippi, kids often learn best with an instructor other than mom!

Lucky for you, we have Diana at Memory Bound! Diana has been teaching our monthly kids' classes for several years now and loves working with children of all ages. Kids also LOVE coming to her workshops. They'll have a great time while they're picking up those paper crafting skills you want them to learn, and they'll leave with a completed project they'll be proud to share! Give us a call to sign up your child for our September session. You'll find details below!

Janet

Scrappin' Kidz - September

Monday, September 10, 4-5pm / Fee: $12

Instructor: Diana Tuttle

Skill Level: Ages 8+ or younger with an adult or older sibling.  Bring Basic Class Kit plus Tombo or Zip Dry liquid glue. Kids love Diana's classes! In September, kids will make a magnetic message board and matching pencil cup!

New Holiday Projects

We are busy making all kinds of fall and winter projects at Memory Bound!  Here are a couple that I have been working on.

WOOD REINDEER - I spray painted the reindeer with Hammered Pewter and dusted the antlers with Sparkle Tinsel from American Crafts and Diamond Dust.  I neck is wrapped with white glitter tulle and snowflake charm.

JOY - I covered the paper mache letters with the Simple Stories papers and added hooks from 7 Gypsies to the top of the "J" and the "Y".  I used the Tim Holtz fragments along with Glossy Accents and placed that on photos.  Once that was dry, I cut around the fragments and turned them into charms.  I hung the charms with Tim Holtz jump rings to the Swivel Clasps.  The letters were hot glued together and tied with coordinating ribbon. 

Stop by Memory Bound to see these projects and many more.

Dawn

Handmade cards? We've got 'em!

Hello, Memory Bound friends! 

Let's face it: There are times when we'd like to send a handmade card but don't have time to make one. Next time that happens to you, don't run to the grocery store to pick one up. Stop by Memory Bound instead! 

We've got a great assortment of wonderful cards designed and created by our talented staff in our "Staff Studio". And for just $4, they are much more affordable -- and MUCH, MUCH more beautiful! -- than the store-bought kind. We have a variety of designs and themes, with more being added all the time!

 The “Staff Studio” is your opportunity to purchase and give handmade cards without spending the extra time to make them. We’re excited to show off the creations of our Memory Bound designers. Be sure to take a look and stock up next time you're in the store!

 Janet

Fun with Wordle!

  Hello, Memory Bound friends! We are always on the lookout for fun card ideas at Memory Bound, so I was excited when Jean recently shared this idea with me from the summer 2012 issue of Paper Creations.

The samples below, taken from the magazine article, feature a word cluster on the front of cards called a "Wordle". Wordle is a free internet site which creates interesting graphic arrangements from words (or links) which you type or paste into it. Click HERE to go to the Wordle site. 

The size of the words is governed by how frequently they're used, so in this case the card-maker typed in "PARTY" several times so that it would be the largest word in the space.

Wordle allows you to choose the number of words, colors, and arrangement of your text. After you've created and played with your Wordle until it's just the way you want it, you can print it out and cut it to fit your card. If you want more printing and re-sizing options, check out the FAQ section on the Wordle site or see my suggestions below.

 A few years back I used Wordle to create a unique text element for a scrapbook page. I had forgotten how much fun Wordle can be! Here are two samples I made quickly to show you some other design ideas. As you can see, the text arrangements generated by Wordle would be fun for cards, layouts, or even wall art!

 In this example, I pasted the URL of my personal blog into Wordle. Wordle looked at my most recent posts to generate the text, then I selected the colors and arrangement.

 

 In this example, I pasted the text from a Word document into Wordle to show you how it looks with lots of words in both the horizontal and vertical position.

 My Firefox browser settings were not compatible with Wordle, so I tried Wordle in Internet Explorer and it worked great. In order to create a re-sizable JPEG file, I took a screenshot of the Wordle text, then opened it in my photo-editing program (I use Picasa). From there, I could re-size, edit, and print the Wordle just like any photo.

Thanks, Jean, for sharing this fun idea with us! The creative possibilities are endless!
Janet

Scenes from our Staff Crop

 Hello, Memory Bound friends!
Every once in awhile, the talented ladies who work at Memory Bound get together for a Staff Crop. As you'll see from these photos, it's always a good AND productive time! 

Katie and Maggie look like they brought along a lot of work to do! Katie is making good use of those WRMK divided page protectors. They're great for getting a lot of scrapbooking done quickly!

 Tess is hard at work here cropping some photos. If you've never met Tess, you'll know her because she always has a smile on her face!

I have no idea what Tess is up to in this picture! Whatever it is, Pat is patiently going along with it! LOL

Here's "Vanna" showing one of our Iris boxes! ;)
 

  Pat was putting the finishing touches on her Las Vegas album that day. Click HERE to see pictures of Pat's wonderful completed album!

Heidi brought a lot of scrapbooking to do, including a kitty layout! I love how she's using 6x6 patterned papers as a page background. 

 Heidi completed this Snow Fun layout at the crop. Too cute!

Bonnie brought a lot of photos of her dad's tractors. Good thing she has this table all to herself -- looks like she needs it! :)

Love the picture of her feet!

 As you can see, scrapbooking with friends is always a great time! This fall, gather your cropping buddies and plan a crop date at Memory Bound. Our work room is almost always available for cropping -- and it's free of charge! Just give us a call if you'd like spend an afternoon or a day cropping with us so that we can be sure we can accommodate you. We know you'll have just as much fun as the Memory Bound staff!

Janet

Trends in Paper Crafting - Part 1

 Note: We've had some problems with the photos not displaying in this post. Hopefully this time everything is working!

Hello, Memory Bound friends! It's an exciting time at the store, as we are starting to receive all the great products we ordered last month at the trade show!

Just like in fashion or home decor, there are trends in paper crafting. As we walked the trade show, we paid special attention to styles so that we could report back to you with news of what's HOT in paper crafting! As you start to see new products coming in to Memory Bound, keep an eye out for these trends! 

So here's Part 1 of our trend report, with our observations listed in no particular order...

Small Binders & Journals

Many manufacturers are offering small binders (both 3-ring and spiral) as an alternative to the more traditional 12x12 scrapbook album. In addition to the smaller format, companies are producing a wide assortment of divided page protectors and papers which can be cut into small elements to fit into the slots. These wonderful tools allow scrapbookers to preserve memories in fun new ways. An example of this trend can be found in the SN@P! line by Simple Stories.

Mixed Media

Paper crafting has been influenced by a wide variety of other art forms, enabling once-traditional paper crafters to explore new media such as wood, metal, and fabric. Manufacturers have embraced the mixed media trend and are offering a huge array of new products to support it. Of course, Tim Holtz continues to be one of the main creative engines behind the mixed media trend, as we all eagerly await the new products and techniques he brings to us! 

Special note: September is Mixed Media Month at Memory Bound, with several great opportunities to learn more about this trend! Check out our current newsletter HERE for details.

 

 

Banners 

 Banners are EVERYWHERE! We saw pennant and notched-style banners on scrapbook pages and cards, and full-sized banners in various themes. We even saw banner-shaped mini-albums! I think banners are here to stay.

 

 Chevrons

 Chevrons are a very popular design element right now! We saw this fun zig zag design on paper, embellishments, ribbon, fabric, stamps, and more. Chevrons add energy and a sense of movement to your designs.

 

Watch for these stylish elements on new products as they arrive at Memory Bound! Which of these trends are your favorites?

Janet

Mixed Media Mondays in September

September is Mixed Media Month 
at Memory Bound! 

Mixed media is artwork which uses more than one medium (or material) -- such as paper, metal, wood, or fabric, to name a few. We invite you to learn more about this new trend in paper crafting at our Mixed Media Monday Make-N-Takes in September. Stop in to create a seasonal project and learn a new trick or two to expand your creative boundaries!

Janet

 Mixed Media Mondays

Mondays in September – Sept 10, 17, and 24

1-6pm each day 

Sample a little mixed media on Mondays in September. Each week, we’ll explore different mediums such as gesso, canvas, tissue, metal, and more.  $1-2 materials fee

On September 10, we'll be making a beautiful mosaic leaf. On September 17, join us to make a pretty fall leaf card. On September 24, you won't want to miss our awesome October 31 tag!

Staff Project: Heidi's Float Trip Mini-Album

 Hello, Memory Bound friends! With kids headed back to school, it's a great time to start scrapbooking all the wonderful memories from the summer. In today's post, we'll provide all the inspiration you need to get started on preserving those special memories! Our staff member Heidi recently completed a wonderful mini-album about her family's summer float trip. You're sure to be inspired by the treasure she created! Take a look...

Heidi used the "Down the Boardwalk" line by We R Memory Keepers to create the covers and pages of her album. She added a sheet of acrylic on the front and back of the album for extra stability and bound the album using The Cinch. This great tool makes it easy to add coil binding to any project.

As you can see, Heidi's album is packed with details!

This is the third time her family has gone on a float trip down the Jacks River south of the Ozarks. It was important to Heidi to document all the fun they had during this special time together, so she made a point of taking detailed photos which captured the essence of the trip.

I love how Heidi took pictures of her family's water shoes. She even used the wrapping from the shoe box as a trim across the top of the page!

Heidi's album is full of fun pictures like this one! She included tons of detailed elements, such as the embossed bag -- re-purposed packaging from a Memory Bound gift card!

 Inside is a tag with her daughter's initial on one side...

...and a picture of the Pringles can on the other!

 Click on the collages below for a closer look at some additional details of Heidi's awesome project.

 

Check out the fun pocket she included for brochures and other memorabilia!

 Thanks so much, Heidi, for sharing your beautiful mini-album with us! Your family will treasure it for years to come.

Janet