Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Tennessee Visit and Updates

Felix and I attended the SRT Track Experience at the Nashville Superspeedway last weekend. It was probably one of the most awesome experiences I have ever had! Not only did I get to drive many different vehicles, but I also learned some very important things about driving, and how to maintain control of your vehicle at all times, in all situations. I got to drive on the actual speedway itself, and drove with and rode with members of the Richard Petty Driving Team. I never realized just how much fun cars could be, nor did I realize how much I could still learn after having driven for 30 years.

Of course, while we were out there, Felix and I just HAD to go visit some local scrapbook stores. We went to two of them, the Sassy Scrapper, one in Lebanon TN and the other in Murfreesboro TN. The owner of these stores, Mary, was very kind and welcoming, and her staff were equally as wonderful. The stores were set up very beautifully, and had a very nice selection of merchandise available. I picked up a bunch of things I knew I couldn't live without, and let Felix pick up the tab!

In our quest for a stamp store, we went to the address listed in our GPS, but found instead a metaphysical shop/coffee house (TheMysticCoffeehouse.com), and out of complete curiousity had to go inside and investigate. We met the owner, Kara, who was absolutely wonderful. She made us each an elixir, which is some sort of health drink, that Felix didn't care for but I liked. Then she showed us the metaphysical store in the back, which had lots of interesting books, bumper stickers, and lots of crystals and stones. It felt very warm and comfortable in her shop, and we stayed and visited with her for a bit. We discovered she had an oxygen bar, which we had to try out for ourselves. Apparently, with an oxygen bar, you breathe in 95% pure oxygen instead of the very low percentage we normally get in our usual breaths. This is supposed to be pure food for our brains, and help to clear our bodies of toxins. They use aromatherapy with it, to enhance the effects. It was really quite interesting, and if you ever get the chance to try it, you should. See what you think. It is apparently a big hit in California, where all the people are into the health thing bigtime. Maybe it will make its way down here eventually. Who knows?!

Emery took excellent care of the store while we were away, and received several more orders. When we got in today, there were still items to be put out, so I spent the day putting out more paper, stickers, new colors in the Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powders, and the like. Tomorrow I'm going to tackle the eyelets and brads again, and see if I can rearrange them into themes (once again!). They somehow seem to mysteriously reposition themselves into various different spots in the display. Hmmmm... maybe we have gremlins....

We'll be open on Monday, Labor Day, from 10 AM until 5 PM, so come on out, visit for a while, and see some new stuff.

We have a couple spots left on the Disney 8x8 Album for Saturday, September the 1st. Call and reserve your spot so you can make this adorable little album. Refreshments will be served, and we will be taking a break during this 4-hour class. Remember, it will be 10 full page layouts that you make, plus you get all the supplies to make the pages (paper and embellishments) and the album, too. That's an excellent deal for only $55!!! If you can't make the class but want to reserve a kit or private lessons, please call us (504-301-1081). Pics of the book and more info can be found on our website when you click on the class listing in the calendar.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Thursday, August 23, 2007

New Basic Grey "Mellow" and "Obscure" Collections

We have two of the new releases from Basic Grey, Mellow and Obscure. These gorgeous papers are very different from previous Basic Grey collections, and I think they would work well with just about any theme. There are images of all sorts of things on some of them, and really cute little boys and girls and puppies. Of course, we do have the rub-ons and die-cut shapes to go with them. Stop in and check them out. Click the links below to go to Basic Grey's website and see the actual papers.

http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=69
http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=72

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Friday, August 17, 2007

Crafters' Hurricane Preparedness

Hurricanes, as we all know, are serious, and we need to be serious about how we prepare for them. As crafters, we do not want to see our creations destroyed, however, we may be faced with having to leave some things behind should we evacuate. We would like to give you some tips on how to best prepare things relating to your crafting.

Create an identification tag to be stored with your photos in Ziplocs*. This identification tag should have your full name, cell phone number, and e-mail address on it. If you are comfortable with it, you can put your mailing address on it, however, most people are easily reached by cell phone or e-mail these days. Laminate the I.D. tags if you have time.

Place ALL photographs into Ziploc bags (NOT the generic brand, these need to seal tightly), with an I.D. tag and a couple packs of desiccant or silica powder in each one to absorb any moisture that may be in the air inside the bag when you seal it. Remember to keep out at least one photo of each family member and pet (with you in the picture with your pet) to bring with you.

Place groupings of these smaller sets of photos in Ziplocs into a larger gallon-sized Ziploc, also with a couple packs of desiccant and an I.D. tag.

Take all of your photos (and memorabilia, too, if you’ve got it packed) and place them into a heavy-duty black garbage bag, which you should tie shut with a strong cord or zip tie. Take regular shipping tape and wrap it tightly over the cord or zip tie, several times. Place this into another black bag, and wrap it up the same way. Remember to include an I.D. tag in the black bags.

Place the entire black bag with all of the photos and memorabilia into an airtight (if possible) plastic or rubber container, or at least a bin with a snap-on lid. Using shipping tape, again, tape around the entire bin in one long continuous pull of the tape, wrapping at least twice.

Store these bins at least 4 feet above floor level, preferably on an inside closet shelf.

If you must leave behind albums, seal them up the same way you did your photographs. Ziploc makes Big Bags, which fit even bedding and clothes in them, so your albums should fit very well. Tape these bags shut across the seal, with shipping tape, and then finish protecting them as you did your photos.

If it floods above the 4 feet, the bin should float up. If the roof is torn off and the bin is blown away, wherever it lands, whomever finds it should be able to identify the owner (you), and your items should be safe and dry.

When you evacuate, you should always bring with you all birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, name change documents, passports, social security cards, and the declarations page of every insurance policy you own (homeowner’s, renter’s, auto, boat, etc.). You should also have a list prepared ahead of time with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of ALL of the physicians that you and your family members are being treated by. Also make a list of every medication being taken, with the name of the person taking the medication, the doctor who prescribed it, the full name of the medication, the strength, and how it is supposed to be taken. Note any other special medical or physical needs that you or your family members may have.

Don’t forget your pets. You need to bring vaccination certificates for each pet, along with any medications or special needs items they have, just like for your family members. List the pets’ names, veterinarian’s name, address, phone number, and medications on the same list as you put your medications.

Laminate this document of medical information, as well. For safekeeping, make another copy of this document, laminate it, and give it to another family member in case you lose yours.

While there are no guarantees in life, the above tips should help to protect your photos and memorabilia.

*Ziploc makes Double Guard Freezer Bags in Medium and Large sizes that are essentially a bag in a bag, with a double zipper. These are recommended, but you can use regular Ziploc bags if you cannot find the Double Guard bags.

This information was the collaborative effort by Dee Famularo and Marlane Mayo.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

New Collections and Products from CHA In

The Karen Foster Design products are IN!!! Themes include The Winery, The Tooth Fairy, Fairies, Dinosaurs, and the NEW LINE OF GREETING CARDS!!! The greeting cards are made from double-sided cardstock weight patterned papers, with rub-ons and rub-bits in themes like Congratulations, Thank You, Happy Birthday, and more. The brads that go with all of the Karen Foster Design themes are really charming (pardon the pun!).

We also received in the new Die Cuts With a View Once Upon A Time collection, along with the Fairies collection. (Fairies seem to be big in all the companies right now.) Self-adhesive chipboard shapes complement this delightful line. With these papers your little prince or princess will become true royalty!

Stamping Station has also arrived, with new Louisiana BRADS and stickers, and title-toppers in many different themes, including a lot of sports themes (volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, football, wrestling, softball).

Page Refills for the Crop In Style Paper Taker are in, which allows even further organization of your papers.

The MIMI Paper Organizers, with 7 expandable acid-free pockets that safely organize 250 sheets of 12x12 paper, are also in. These organizers can be secured shut so your papers will remain safe and unrumpled. They fit perfectly into several of the MIMI totes.

Speaking of the MIMI totes, we just got in a new shipment of their Large Wheeled Totes. One of the new colors is an absolutely gorgeous Crimson and Tan Microsuede tote!! You've got to see this one!!

Last, but definitely not least, we also received a new shipment of the AMM (All My Memories) Tote-ally Cool 2 totes. These are the larger ones, with a magnetic carousel that attaches to the base of the tote if you wish (it's removable). We have these in black pinstripe, pink camouflage, and raspberry.

Tomorrow's going to be one heck of a day, trying to find space for all this new stuff. Why don't you just come save me the trouble and get it while it's still all laid out on the tables?! LOL

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Little Tidbits of Info

So what did you think of the Timeless Touches webisode on www.CraftTVWeekly.com? Didn't I tell you it was easy?! I loved how she made the little pom pon on the top of the party hat. It's a good idea for use in other applications, too, where you need a puff of fiber, but not actual stitching.

For those of you who missed out on the BoBunny Flexible Ruler, we have more on the way, but we also have a fantastic alternative. We discovered a flexible quilting ruler in a beautiful red color that is EXACTLY the same as the BoBunny one, except it is only $9.99, not $14.99!!! Go figure!!! I personally prefer the red one; I think it is prettier.

Did you know that red is going to be a prominent color in the coming season? No, I'm not talking about Christmas, I'm talking about everyday papers. A lot of the patterned papers we're seeing for the upcoming season have bright reds in them. Beautiful.

We have more large chipboard alphabets on the way, too, for those of you who've been asking for them. We expect them in Monday, along with a lot of other new products. The new Karen Foster Design lines should arrive then, too. We'll post more tomorrow about what actually is delivered.

Update on Adhesive Challenge: Kokuyo is still ahead of the K&Company adhesive, but not by much. It seemed everybody preferred the K&Company glue runner Thursday and Friday.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Tomorrow's Webisode / Current Adhesive Challenge

Remember tomorrow is the www.CraftTVWeekly.com webisode on Timeless Touches. Our class with the Timeless Touches products is scheduled for next week, so after you see how they are used, call to reserve your spot in the class. These are fun, easy to use stitching templates that will dress up your scrapbook pages and greeting cards, and have people oooohing and aaaahing over your creations. Only you will know how simple it actually was to create!

Stop in and take our Adhesive Challenge. We are comparing the Kokuyo Dot N Roller glue runner with the K&Company Wackytac glue runner. Give us your feedback on how you feel about their price, adherence, ease of use, and any other comments you may have on them.

So far, Kokuyo is preferred 3 to 1.

One comment made was that the K&Company's glue runner is very small and easy to handle, but for people with arthritis, it may be TOO small. Another was that it was very smooth and easy to use. A comment about the Kokuyo was that its adhesion appears to be very permanent, and this particular customer said that although it was a dollar more expensive than the other one, she would prefer it and purchase the Kokuyo.

We try to bring our customers items that they find useful, and doing things like the Adhesive Challenge helps us to know better what YOU want. If you haven't tried either of these yet, come by and test drive them.

Today we received the Sugar Paper by Doodlebug. It is gorgeous, brightly colored cardstock-weight paper covered entirely with glitter that looks like a sugar coating. We have all of the colors it is offered in (12). We also received some Karen Foster Design reorders, and are expecting our CHA shipment of Karen Foster Design products this Friday or Saturday.

We are also expecting (tomorrow, Friday) more pink Crop-A-Dile cases with eyelets, the Sizzix Adapters for Quickutz dies, clear crown bling stickers, All My Memories' Tote-ally Cool 2 Totes (wait til you see the colors!), the Scrap-O-Dex, more diecut papers from Creative Imaginations, new Disney papers, and, last but not least, the LARGE COLUZZLE CIRCLE!!! Yes, we have finally gotten them in!!! Phone orders will be accepted if you cannot get in to get one tomorrow, as we know these won't last long.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Shop Smarter -- Is It Really a Bargain? Some Scrapbooking and Papercrafting Products Do Have A Shelf Life!!!

We’ve had a lot of customers balk at the idea of using rub-ons because they had already tried them and it was a disaster. When asked the brand or where they purchased the items, they always reply “from the dollar store or one of the big box stores.” Well, you truly get what you pay for. When you purchase a product, you have to ask yourself: WHY is this item so cheap? Is it because they really are inexpensive to manufacture and that huge company is passing on the savings to me? Or are the items low-priced because they are discontinued or old stock closeouts the manufacturer unloaded to make way for new? And its not just rub-ons, so think twice when you pick up an item that appears to be a bargain – chances are, it could be more of a robbery. Your faith in the product might be stolen.

When you’re out shopping for your papercrafting products, consider how much you’re really paying. Purchasing lower-priced products at a discount outlet might save you a few dollars up front, but it could easily cost you more before the project is complete. It could cost more money to purchase a replacement item from a reputable scrapbook store, or worse, it could ruin your layout or frustrate you into never using a really fantastic product or technique.

We work very hard here at Scrappersaurus to always bring you the highest quality items, of the freshest stock available to us. We never purchase readily consumable clearance items from our manufacturers, simply because we do not want to run the risk of the items not working properly.

We stand behind all our products, and if ever you have a problem with ANYthing you purchase from us, let us know and we’ll make it right.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Monday, August 6, 2007




I know I mentioned it already, but people are asking about the Crafter's Workshop doodling and journaling genies. They're quite adorable templates, and one is just arrows--real big arrows! Another one is just circles (or dots, depending on how you view it). We also have the "Doohickeys" which is the one with punctuation marks, including the big brackets everybody loves to put their titles in lately. When I say big, these templates are 12x12 in size, so you can imagine how large these shapes are. I would have to say the brackets are at least around 3" high. Very fun.
Today we received new papers from SEI--very cute, especially the dog one, which has a weiner dog on it! (I'm partial to weiners because I've always owned them.) These papers are very bright and lively, not at all like some of the boring, bland papers we've seen over the past couple of seasons. The matching rub-ons are equally as bright and fun, and in different colors.

We also received more K&Co. tape roller adhesives and refills, more green Crop-A-Diles in the case with eyelets, Chatterbox journaling genies, and Jolee's embellishments. Plus, we got a new shipment of the vanishing ink pens in today, a different brand from before, and at a better price. It seemed like every time we turned around we were getting another shipment of something in! It turned out to be a really busy Monday.

Speaking of busy Mondays, I want to thank all the customers from the Westbank who came in today. We appreciate the drive in to see us, and look forward to seeing you back again soon.

I've got this mondo headache again, and for the life of me I can't figure out what's causing it. Nothing helps. It makes it hard to look at the screen, or at anything bright. I was thankful to be inside all day and not out in the sun. Especially since the thermometer outside read 100 degrees when I did step out to get a Smoothie for us. I really feel for the people who have to work outdoors in this heat. I could never make it through a whole day without passing out, I'm sure.
Maybe my headache is from all the ordering I've been doing. I can't count how many orders I've placed since the week before CHA. And, I'm still going strong. I love being able to bring in new items for you all to see and play with, and I can tell you this, you're going to LOVE what's coming!!! One hint--have you seen the new collections from Basic Grey? Wicked is about all I can say to describe one of them.

For the rest of this week we're going to give you 25% off all holiday items (paper, embellishments, and rub-ons). But you have to mention you saw the sale on the blog to get the discount.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Friday, August 3, 2007

Epson Scrapbook Central Kiosk

Earlier this year we acquired the new Epson Scrapbook Central kiosk. It is kind of like the ones you see in Walgreens, but this one is made specifically for scrapbookers. You can scan a 12x12 page and reprint it (borderless) or burn it to a CD or copy it to a jump drive. You can also print a 12x12 page as an 8x8 or 6x6 page, as it will scale it down for you. You can load pictures from a memory card or CD, or scan pictures in on the scanner, and then do a number of different types of photo editing.

It also has PhotoShop Elements on it, so it is very versatile with what all it can do. Your prints are not only acid- and lignin-free, they are also waterproof and archival safe for over 100 years. It can, of course, fix red-eye, and will also correct the colors on older photographs that have turned yellow or red. It comes out beautiful, just like the day you shot the photo!

You can bring in a memory card from your camera, jump drive, or CD, and load the pictures into the machine and then pick and choose which ones you want to work with, and print only those photos. All work done on the Scrapbook Central is saved for a minimum of 90 days, and can be reprinted and re-edited at a later date. So you can come in and load your photos onto a job, and save it, and then when you come to crop, only print out those you wish to work with that day. You won't have to remember to bring them every time you come.

You can create background pages for your scrapbook papers, and we also have several disks with a number of backgrounds on them that you can choose from. We can also take an 8.5x11 paper and turn it into a 12x12 for you, or create custom backgrounds out of any image or item you desire.

Think about this: you spend hours creating beautiful albums. Why not make a digital copy for safekeeping or sharing with others? It's a great way to send an album to somebody out of town, without worrying about the original getting lost in the mail. If you have more than one child and you currently make a family album, you can make a copy of that album for each child to have as their own, or print out a duplicate for them. There are many uses for this wonderful tool, and we have only begun to scratch the surface with all it can do. Stop by and check it out.

We have samples of printouts on the wall showing the original page and the printed page. You can't tell the difference unless you touch and feel them and see there are no layers on the printed page like on the original.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Thursday, August 2, 2007

LA State Sales Tax-Free Weekend!!!

Remember that Friday and Saturday are Louisiana State Sales Tax-Free days!!!

We have a gorgeous set of the Making Memories Runway totes in pink, and are expecting more Store and Spins in five new color combinations in late August, which you can pre-order now. We also have the Store and Spin tote that carries the large Store and Spin, and actually, we also can put two small ones in with it. It has pockets on all four sides on the outside, and a comfortable set of strap handles. We have them in Pink and Plum.

Now that the Nail Salon has moved, we have LOTS more parking. Consider this, there were eight (8) employees working there, all of whom parked in the lot, and if there were eight employees, that meant there were eight customers at any given time, not to mention those waiting. So, parking is wonderful now, and we no longer have parking issues. Come check it out.

I'll be putting up new classes on the calendar over the next couple of days, so be on the lookout for new classes. Remember that on August 10th the Timeless Touches items will be featured on http://www.crafttvweekly.com/. We'll be having a class with those later this month. I invite you to watch the webisode to get familiar with them, and then come to the class here to actually do it yourself. I personally find stitching on paper very calming and soothing, probably because I have to concentrate on what I'm doing so I'll put the stitches in the right place, and then I don't have time to think about other things. Like wondering what my dogs are eating in the house today. They actually ate a tower of CDs once. Have you ever seen a dog bite-mark in a CD? It's not pretty. My classical collection, of course. Move over Beethoven.

We now have a lot of CHEERLEADING and GYMNASTICS paper and stickers in, thanks to many requests from a number of moms. We even have paper with the swim lanes in it, for swimming. And of course, lots more new Disney stuff.

Stop by, say hello, and browse for a while. I'm sure you'll find a lot you haven't seen before.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Day Off

Today I took a day off for myself, and basically did a lot of nothing. It felt like no matter what I did, I never really accomplished much. I worked on some paperwork and got a migraine. Different story at the store today, though. Felix and Emery worked really hard on getting things back to normal after last weekend's event in Natchez, and they both went home dog-tired. Tomorrow I will be redoing the cardstock, and that's pretty much going to be an all day affair. We have lots of cardstock!

We received our shipment of journaling and doodling templates from Crafter's Workshop. Those will be input into inventory and put out some time tomorrow. They have really cute ones, and really elegant ones--definitely something for everybody.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee