Our State Fair is a Great State Fair!

 Hey, Memory Bound friends...it's almost time for the Iowa State Fair! 

The fair brings hot weather, food on a stick, and many photo ops. Save those precious memories using the huge selection of fair-themed products we have at Memory Bound!

My family has camped at the fair since I was a little girl, so we spend a LOT of time there. Of course, I take hundreds of pictures each year. Sometimes I give myself photo challenges, like taking pictures of everything on a stick, or every type of animal. Taking pictures is one of the best ways to enjoy and remember the fair! I always look forward to scrapbooking my fair memories.

Here are some ideas to help you plan your fair photos this year. Just looking at these pictures makes me excited for fair time!

 Save tickets & other memorabilia -- You can put them on a scrapbook page or make them into a mini-album, as I have done several times...

 

 
  
Find extra information online or
in the newspaper to include in journaling, or visit the fair website HERE for lots of information. Click on "About Us" and "History" for a trip down memory lane!
  
Get shots of all the things you enjoyed – livestock, food, entertainment, games, Ye Old Mill, the crowd, vendors, contests, etc. Here are a few photo ideas to get you started!

The Agriculture Building, outside...
   

...and inside!

 

The Polk County Master Gardeners' area behind the Ag Building--

 

 

Animals of all kinds!

 

 
 

I especially love taking pictures of sheep wearing Spandex! :)
 

  Food! There's no shortage of it!

 

 

Favorite things to see, like the beautiful quilt exhibits --

 

-- and the crowds!

And don't forget a few nighttime shots, too. Evenings at the fair are very special! Stand at the top of the hill and try some sunset shots.

 

 

...and night shots of your favorite areas.

I hope these ideas will help inspire your fair photography this year! With lots of photos to choose from, you'll be able to create wonderful scrapbook pages or mini-albums your family will treasure for years to come!
Janet

Remember the Fair: State Fair Mini-Album Class

 Hello, Memory Bound friends!
It's almost Iowa State Fair time! 
Many of us look forward to making new memories each August. Whether you go for the food, entertainment, barns, rides, competitions, or all of the above, you'll want to scrapbook your fair memories to look back on in years to come. If you have photos from the 2013 fair or years past, our State Fair Mini-Album will give you the perfect spot to keep photos and stories from your days at the fair.

This is the third year in which we've offered a State Fair Mini-Album class! Betsy has designed an adorable album packed with fair details for this year's class. Be sure to sign up soon because this class will fill faster than you can eat a corn dog! :)
Janet

 State Fair Mini-Album

Saturday, August 24, 9:30am-12:30pm
Instructor: Betsy Grabinski 
Fee: $25 / Skill Level: Any  Bring Basic Class Kit plus border punch of your choice, pop dots, corner rounder, ¼” Tacky Tape or Scor-Tape, brown Distress Ink, blending tool, & splat mat. Optional: Crop-A-Dile &Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher. 

 Celebrate Iowa’s premier summer event and make an album to store all your memories from your trip to the fair! Whether it’s your 1st or 50th visit, we’ll have fun sharing fair stories and favorite activities while creating an album to preserve your memories. Don’t forget to take your camera to the fair so you’ll have lots to put in it!

Scrapbooking Humor!

Who can relate to THIS? LOL
Have a crafty day, everyone!
Janet

Super Easy Card Idea

Hello, Memory Bound friends! 

I'm the first to admit that I love "clean and simple" cards. I'm partial to simple geometric shapes, and I love it when I find a design that takes just a minute to make but still looks great!

I made this card for my daughter awhile back using scraps of cardstock and one of my favorite heart-shaped dies (Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers). Of course, you could make the same card using any shaped die or punch. The possibilities are endless!

I started with a plain card base cut from kraft cardstock. I made a larger 5x7 card but any size would work.

I printed my text and cut it into a strip, notching the ends with my Cutterbee scissors. Then I folded it like a banner and adhered it to the bottom of the the card.

Then I cut 4 hearts using different colors of cardstock. To make them more interesting, I decided that each one should have a different type of texture. I used used my crimper on the brown heart and embossed the blue heart (Seeing Dots embossing folder). The green heart was made with a scrap of embossed cardstock so it already had a texture, and the the pink heart was left plain. I tied a piece of twine in a bow and glued it to the pink heart with a tiny dot of liquid glue. Then I adhered the hearts to the card with pop dots.

Finally, I fancied up the envelope by die cutting the letters of her name in the same colors as the hearts.

There you go. Simple and fun. Now go make this card today!

Happy crafting! :)

Janet 

Christmas Tree Canvas Class

 Hello, Memory Bound friends!
Have you seen Maggie's beautiful Christmas Tree Canvas project? Wouldn't it look great in your home during the holidays? Well, you can make your own canvas in Maggie's upcoming class scheduled for August 1!

You'll learn all kinds of fun mixed media techniques while you create this stunning home decor piece for the holidays. Give it as a gift or keep it to decorate your own home! Check out the details below, then call us right away at (515) 965-1102 to register for this special class!
Janet

 

Christmas Tree Canvas 
Thursday, August 1, 5:30-8pm
Instructor: Maggie Benge Fee: $21 / Skill Level: Any
Bring Basic Class Kit, Radiant Rain Shimmering Mist (Gold Pearl & Bashful Blue), heat gun, black ink pad, Snow Cap paint dabber, Distress Ink (Evergreen Bough and Vintage Photo), blending tool, Glossy Accents

This workshop will have you wishing for snowy days after you create a beautiful winter tree canvas.  This technique-driven class allows you to experiment with all sorts of mixed media: gesso, modeling paste, glossy accents, shimmering mist, distress stain, ink, and more. Leave with the knowledge you need to make a canvas for every occasion.

Welcome to Vegas!!

Welcome to Vegas, Memory Bound Friends!



The CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) Summer 2013 convention will take place from July 22nd to 25th and we will be bringing all the excitement right to you! At the convention, manufacturers release their new collections and product!! 
We LOVE CHA week! 

Kellie and Dawn are busy ordering NEW collections
and product AS WE SPEAK!
(YIPPIE!!)

So, if you see anything you like,
let us know and we will try to get it in for you!

Click here for a web-site of sneak peeks!

********************************************
A collection I just have to share with you is the new one from Simple Stories called Say Cheese! The inspiration for this collection is Disney! Just what I have been waiting for...I might finally be able to complete my Disney scrapbook from my 2011 trip!

Click here to view more of this fabulous collection!

Get a Jump Start on Christmas!

Hello, Memory Bound friends!

 Katie and I have had a great time creating 12 bright and fun Christmas cards for our Christmas Cards in July class on July 28! We hope you can join us to get a big jump start on the holiday season!

 If you can't attend, you can purchase a kit which includes detailed instructions and photos so you can make the cards at your convenience, at home or in our workroom!

FYI, this is a special class offered in July only, so don't miss out! We plan to offer our regular Christmas Card Extravaganza classes this fall as we've done in years past. Look for this information on our 4th quarter newsletter, available in September.

Check out the details, then give us a call at (515) 965-1102 to register!
Janet

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Christmas Cards in July

Sunday, July 28, 12:30-3:30pm
Instructors: Katie Belding & Janet Petersma
Fee: $24  / Skill Level: Any (fast-paced)
Bring Basic Class Kit, corner rounder, pop dots, glue dots, Jellyroll Glaze pen (clear), Xyron X, Optional: Stickles (Xmas Red and Icicle)

 Get a BIG jump on Christmas this year! We'll use a variety of techniques to create 12 festive cards perfect for all the special people on your holiday list!