Our Top 13 Blog Posts of 2013

Happy New Year, 
Memory Bound friends!
We hope everyone had a safe and happy celebration to welcome the year 2014! A new year gives us the opportunity to reflect on the year which just ended. With that in mind, we thought it would be fun to put together a list of our 
TOP 13 BLOG POSTS of 2013! 

As I looked back over the past year, a few things came to mind: 

We've had a great year of fun and creativity at Memory Bound! WOW! 2013 was packed with classes, special events, and fantastic paper-crafting projects -- too many to mention! 

Based on the number of "page views", we can see that more and more customers are reading our blog for inspiration. Thank you so much for visiting! We love blog comments and look forward to reading more comments in 2014! 

Posts about upcoming classes are very popular -- so popular that I couldn't choose just one to share, so I did not include class posts on our Top 13 list. Keep visiting our blog in 2014 for detailed info about the great classes you'll find ONLY at Memory Bound!

So without further ado...and in no particular order...here are our TOP 13 BLOG POSTS of 2013! Or -- because it was impossible to choose -- at least some of our favorites! Click on the links provided to read them all!


 Dawn's Scrap Room Series
Without a doubt the most popular blog posts of the year featured Dawn's Scrap Room. This six-part series showed how Dawn started from scratch to create a beautiful work space:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

  
Betsy's Card Box 
Some of our most popular posts featured staff projects. Betsy's card box, made as a gift for her grandma, combines two of our favorite topics -- card making and organization!

We Are Big News!

Who could forget the day that Channel 13 came to Memory Bound? Our "We Are Big News!" post was one of the year's most popular! Who knows...maybe the folks from DUCK DYNASTY will visit in 2014! :)

Magnetic Die Storage
Everyone loves posts about getting organized! With all of the metal dies on the market, our Magnetic Die Storage post was one of the year's most popular.

Scrapbooking Garage Sale
And who doesn't love a scrapbooking garage sale? We look forward to these big events throughout the year so we can clear out the old to make room for the new! All of our garage sale posts were very popular this past year. This is a good reminder to get ready for our next garage sale, planned for April!

Scenes from Our Wedding Showcase
We had several open houses throughout the year featuring ideas GALORE to inspire you! From weddings to Halloween, graduation to Christmas...the Memory Bound staff put together fantastic displays of project ideas. Our Wedding Showcase post featured many inspiring photos!

Diane's Hawaii Album
Everyone loves our "Staff Project" posts -- so much that I couldn't choose just one. Diane's amazing Hawaii album was one of the most-viewed posts.

Holiday Crafting with Dawn
Dawn used her beautiful new craft room to create several great Christmas projects. I'm sure this popular post will continue to inspire for years to come!

Necktie for Dad

Pat had her video debut in this post featuring an adorable scoring board project for Father's Day! I sure hope a sequel is in the works! :)

Tulle Balls 
Who could forget Maggie's tulle balls? Perfect for any special occasion, tulle balls can be used to decorate your event venue or even a bedroom!

Washi Tape Storage

We love our Washi tape, and Gloria's innovative idea for Washi tape storage using a spice rack was one of the year's most popular posts!

Washi Tape Bows
Speaking of Washi tape, our Washi Tape Bows post featuring an idea from October Afternoon inspired many customers to give it a try!

Life is Short
And finally, this post was one of our all-time favorites. Click on the link to see it. Great advice in any year! :)

 Happy New Year, everyone! We look forward another year of inspiration and creativity in 2014!
Janet

Fun at the Cookie Exchange & Favorite Things Party!

 The annual Memory Bound staff cookie exchange party was held last weekend at Katie's house. A great time was had by all! In addition to sharing cookies, the group decided to do a "My Favorite Things" gift exchange, an idea from Heidi Swapp's blog. What a fun activity! More on that in a bit...

Here are a few pictures which Dawn took throughout the evening! Everyone brought an appetizer to share. As you can see, we had no shortage of food!

 

We shared a few funny stories (at least the ones we could remember!) which have taken place during the past year. We always have lots of laughs working at Memory Bound!

 

The evening also included a tour of Katie's brand new craft room! It's a beautiful space, and I hope we can share more pictures of it in a future post!

 

Here are Mindy, Jennifer, Diana, and Betsy enjoying a few snacks before the cookie exchange.

 

We had a beautiful array of yummy cookies! Everyone who brought cookies could take a nice assortment home.

 

 

 

The best part of the evening was the "My Favorite Things" gift exchange. There were 16 people participating, so each person brought 16 of one of their favorite items (it could be anything -- embellishments, Diet Coke, nail polish, etc.) to share with everyone else. Of course, the gifts were all beautifully wrapped! As each gift was opened, the person giving it explained a bit about why the item is her favorite thing.

 

 

 
 
  

 

 

Everyone loved the gift exchange, including Jana and her mom Diane!

 Katie set up a display so we could take a picture of all of the gifts together after they were opened. As you can see, the gifts included scrapbooking tools and supplies, food, beverages, music (yes, Maggie compiled a CD of her holiday favorites!), candles, and much, much more. Each gift was a unique reflection of the person giving it!

It was so much fun that the Memory Bound gals are already making plans to do another "My Favorite Things" gift exchange in the summer, because it's too long to wait until next Christmas! If you're looking for a fun idea for your next gathering, we know you'd enjoy it, too. If you give it a try, let us know! :)

Thanks to Katie for hosting the party and to everyone who made it so much fun!
Janet

Be Inspired to be Creative in 2014!

 Our first newsletter of the New Year should be arriving in your mailbox any day now, or stop by the store to pick up a copy. The newsletter is also available for viewing and printing online. Just click on the photo at the right of this page to download your copy!

I love the theme that Dawn and Kellie chose for 2014:  
Be Inspired to Be Creative! 
For so many of us, Memory Bound is much more than simply the BEST place to purchase our favorite paper crafting supplies. It's the place where we get inspired to try new things, create meaningful scrapbooks for generations to come, make unique home decor pieces, create birthday party decorations, wedding invitations, locker decorations, and so, so much more! In short, Memory Bound inspires us to be creative, which is good for the soul and just plain FUN!

When you look through the newsletter, you'll see the many ways Memory Bound can inspire YOU in 2014! We have something for everyone, including two big weekend crops, some awesome Disney Day classes and promotions, a Mixed Media showcase featuring customer projects, and a wide array of unique classes you'll find ONLY at Memory Bound! We can't wait to inspire YOU in 2014!
Janet

Quick & Easy Washi Tape Cards

 Happy Holidays, 
Memory Bound friends!

Washi Tape continues to be one of the most popular products in the paper crafting industry! Take a look at just SOME of the Washi tape we have right now at Memory Bound! It comes in so many wonderful colors and patterns and can be used in so many ways. (Be sure to check out Gloria's idea for Washi tape Christmas light bulbs here!)

 We have a wonderful display of cards made using ONLY Washi tape, plus stamped text, twine, and a punched flower. As you can see, Washi tape can be torn, cut, or snipped into banners. It can wrap side to side around a card front, taping it to the back -- with no cutting whatsoever! Seriously...these cards couldn't be easier! If you're short on a Christmas card or two, just layer strips of Christmas-themed or red/green Washi tape and finish with a stamped or printed "Merry Christmas". You can even make your own thank you cards in the same way to send after the holidays!
  

 

Here's a Christmas tree card I found on the internet. So cute and it couldn't be simpler! This would be a fun idea to use on a gift tag or bag.

 We hope that these quick and easy designs will inspire you to use Washi tape on your cards and projects! And if Santa needs a few ideas for your stocking, you might help him out by picking up a few rolls of Washi tape! 

Happy Holiday crafting!
Janet

Quick & Easy Christmas Lights with Washi Tape!

Happy Holidays, 
Memory Bound friends!
This past weekend, the Memory Bound staff held a cookie exchange and "My Favorite Things" gift exchange. (Look for a post soon with pictures from the fun evening!) Meanwhile I'd like to share a super-cute idea from the party, designed by our staff member Gloria using one of our Accu Cut dies and Washi tape!

Gloria cut out Christmas lights in a variety of colors in our Accu-Cut die cutting center. Then she wrapped a strip of silver/gray Washi tape around the top of the bulb. (Washi tape is perfect for this, because you just fold it to fit!) For a final touch, she used a quilting wheel to create the lines across the top of the bulb. Gloria attached all of the bulbs to yarn and taped a container of her favorite lip gloss to the back side. She displayed them in a holiday lights box, then cut them apart to give one to each person! It was such a cute idea!

You could easily adapt this idea to create ornaments, tags for gift bags, a garland, and so much more! Kids would enjoy helping with this quick and easy craft idea, too! Our Accu-Cut center is available free of charge if you purchase your cardstock at Memory Bound. Stop in and we'd be happy to get you started! 

Thanks for the fun idea, Gloria!
Janet

Mixed Media Happy Hour

Hello, Memory Bound friends!

Have you heard about the mixed media trend? Mixed media can be defined as a work of visual art that combines various distinct art media. For example, a canvas project that combines paint, ink, and collage techniques would be considered mixed media. Paper crafters around the world have enjoyed learning about mixed media products and techniques to expand their crafting horizons!

If you'd like to dabble in mixed media but aren't sure where to start, look no further than our Mixed Media Happy Hour! This fun group meets monthly to work on altered books, and Maggie introduces a new mixed media product or technique each month. New folks are always welcome, so come and explore the colorful world of mixed media! Our next class is Tuesday, December 17, 6-8pm. Check out the details below, then call us to register at (515) 965-1102!

Janet

Mixed Media Happy Hour

Tuesdays - Oct 15, Nov 19, Dec 17, 6-8pm
Instructor:  Maggie Benge
Fee: $10 / Skill Level: Any 
Bring Basic Class Kit, hardbound book, any mixed media supplies & tools you’re using in your book. 
Explore the world of Mixed Media as you alter a hardbound book! Each month new techniques will be introduced. 
OCT:  VIVA Inka Gold Metallic Rub and work on altered book.  
NOV:  Explore surface techniques. 
DEC: Receive a $10 Memory Bound Gift Card, enjoy a holiday treat, and work on anything you like this evening!

Last Chance - December Journal Kits!

Happy Holidays, 
Memory Bound friends!

It's hard to believe that December is here! Even though Santa will be here before you know it, there's still plenty of time to create a fun December Journal to capture your holiday memories! Our December Journal Kit ($34.99) makes it easy: It includes everything you need to create a 6x6 album you will treasure for years to come. This kit also makes a great gift, or you can even use it for next year's holiday season.

But hurry! We have just a few of our December Journal Kits left, so call us at (515) 965-1102 right away if you'd like one, or click HERE to order online right now!

Janet

 December Journal Kit

December Journals are a wonderful way to document your holiday season! This kit has optional numbers if you want to record something each day during December. Or use it for any holiday happenings by adding photos, shopping lists, memorabilia, recipes, receipts, etc! Get instructions and everything you need to create a 6x6 journal using the Winter Wonderland collection from My Mind's Eye! Includes paper, stickers, chipboard elements, ribbon, die cuts and more!