It’s no secret that I love We R Memory Keepers pocket pages. They allow me to fit so many more photos into my scrapbook, which for this photo enthusiast, is a good thing. While the standard 12×12 styles are great, there are two lesser-known styles that I’ve come to love over the past few months just as much!
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While internet surfing and reading blogs, I came across this idea:
It’s a clear jar that’s turned into a time capsule! The blog author threw small memorabilia and other mementos into the jar throughout the year, representing the things she did with her family. At the end of the year, she stores the jars on a shelf for her kids to look through and take a stroll down memory lane whenever they want!
I thought this was a fun idea. I always have lots of little mementos that I want to save, but don’t know what to do with. If I don’t have my camera along when I try a new restaurant, for example, I’ll grab a matchbox or a business card to remember the experience by. Or, I save ticket stubs from sporting events, concerts, and other events I attend. All of these little items end up scattered throughout my house in random drawers, in the bottom of my purse, or worse, get lost altogether. A decorated jar can be left out on a counter and is the perfect “home” for all of these items!
For my version, I used a clear plastic Making Memories jar and decorated it with the brand-new Little Yellow Bicycle Twig collection.
The finished jar can be used as a “time capsule” and saved, or it can act as a place to store memorabilia until it’s ready to go into a scrapbook. Because the Making Memories jars come in packs of three, you could make one for each child to keep in his/her room as a place to store all of their special “treasures”. There are lots of possibilities–no matter which way you choose, you’ll end up with a jar full of fun memories!
Tags: Memorabilia, Scrap-Lift Monday
I don’t know about you, but I have spring fever! Winter in Minnesota can be long, and this year has been our third snowiest winter ever, so far. Snow is pretty, but I’m longing for green grass, sunshine-filled days, and flowers!
Luckily, Archiver’s comes to the rescue with a much-needed dose of spring creativity! Have you seen the new McGill Paper Blossoms punches? You can use them to create unique, 3D flower embellishments!
Each punch can be used to make several flower styles, like roses or lilies. They are so cool, and you can customize the flowers in a bunch of ways by simply changing the paper you use, or embellishing with glitter, ink, Glimmer Mist, and a whole lot more. The finished flowers are adorable on pages, cards, even home decor projects.
Stop into Archiver’s this weekend to see a FREE demo of Paper Blossoms punches (as well as a demo of the new Imaginisce Petal Roller tool, too). Plus, if you sign up for either of our Valentine card workshops, you’ll get to make your own custom flower using these fun punches.
Make sure you reserve your spot soon though–I hear seats are selling fast! Don’t live near an Archiver’s? The punches are also available online at Archiver’s Annex.
Join the flower frenzy this weekend and “think spring”!
Yesterday, I told you about my resolution to take more photos in 2011. Another resolution that goes hand-in-hand with that is to back all of those photos up on a regular basis!
A few months ago, I hopped on our home computer to download the newest batch of photos from my camera. My personal method for photo organization is to create a folder for each month of the year, all within my “photos” folder. Once I have a few months built up, I back them up on a CD and then move them elsewhere. On this particular day, I opened up my “photos” folder, only to find about 9 or 10 of my monthly folders from 2009-2010 were GONE. These folders contained the photos from my New York City trip, my Las Vegas trip, and a lot of other events–my two trips alone accounted for almost 2,000 photos! I had been really busy and had not burned CDs of my photos in a really long time, so those files were the ONLY copy I had (aside from the small percentage of photos I printed). And, they were gone.
I think in that moment my heart stopped beating for a second! This really could not be happening.
Luckily, my computer genius boyfriend came to my rescue. He spent an hour doing his computer magic and located my photos. They weren’t gone completely, but somehow (and to this day, we have no idea how) those folders were moved to some obscure folder buried deep inside other folders on our computer. I breathed a sigh of relief–I got lucky. But, I know lots of people who haven’t been as lucky as I was.
That afternoon, I spent several hours backing up every single photo onto a disk. I ran out the very next day to Archiver’s and bought this Pioneer CD binder to store my disks in. I like it because all of my labeled disks are in one place where I can easily find them. I also have a second copy to keep inside our fire-proof safe as well, just in case.
The lesson to be learned–back up your photos and then print hard copies! I work at Archiver’s, where I’m surrounded by photos every day; I spend my days writing about the importance of photos and memories; and yet I was naive to think that losing photos wouldn’t happen to me. It CAN–it can happen to anyone. Your hard drive can crash; you can be hit by a computer virus or a lightning strike; or another disaster can occur that’s out of your control. It really doesn’t take much at all to lose your precious photos and memories!
So, for 2011 and going forward, I’m going to make the effort to back up my photos on a regular basis, no matter what. It may not be the most fun task to do, but trust me, it’s far better than the alternative. I hope you’ll do the same!
Tags: Photos
Happy New Year everyone! In honor of the brand-new year, we’ll be sharing our New Year’s resolutions here on the blog this week.
One of my personal resolutions for 2011 is to take more photos and improve my photography skills. I tend to take a lot of photos when I go on a trip or attend a special event, but I’m noticing that I take very few photos of my everyday life. In fact, there are a few months in 2010 where I didn’t pick up my camera at all! (Terrible, I know…)
I intend to change that this year. There are plenty of everyday moments and memories that I want to remember and capture in photos, like the funny things my puppy does, get-togethers with friends, the places we go (near or far), and other interesting things that happen. Sure, I have some photos of these things, but as I look back on 2010, there are a lot of moments I missed, too. This year, I don’t want to miss anything!
Who’s with me? One cool idea to achieve this goal is to take a snapshot every day, whether it’s something exciting you did or just a glimpse into your everyday life. At the end of the year, you’ll have 365 photos and an entire year of your life recorded. I don’t have kids, but I can see this as a fun way to document how they change and grow throughout the year, too.
It only takes a few seconds to snap a photo, but the memory will be documented for years to come. It’s worth it, if you ask me!
Tags: Photos
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe Christmas is just three days away. I still have some last-minute shopping to finish up, and I hope I get it all done in time!
Speaking of shopping, don’t forget to tell your loved ones what YOU really want for Christmas this year. Maybe you’ve had your eye on the new Tim Holtz Vagabond die-cutting machine, the Cinch binding machine, or maybe you want your stocking stuffed with a bunch of new stamps. Whatever it is, your loved ones (or Santa!) can find it at Archiver’s!
I know from experience that husbands, boyfriends, significant others, and kids appreciate gift suggestions, so they don’t have to try to guess what you want. Make it easy on them and send them to Archiver’s! Everything a scrapbooker or paper-crafter could want is under one roof, for one-stop shopping. Our friendly store associates are always ready with suggestions, too. Could it be any easier? It’s a win-win situation–your loved ones don’t have to stress over what to buy you, and you end up with the gift you really want under the tree Christmas morning!
(Or, if you don’t have an Archiver’s nearby, send them to Archivers Annex to find all sorts of great gifts, too!)
Happy holidays!
Tags: holiday
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is wrapping my gifts! It’s so fun to pull out the wrapping paper, ribbon, and my other creative supplies and get to work making my gifts look beautiful. A few simple touches can really go a long way toward making your gift look extra-special–and it only takes a few minutes to do!
Here are a few ways to make your gifts the best-looking ones under the tree, using your favorite creative supplies from Archiver’s:
1. Stamp on wrapping paper.
Jazz up solid-color wrapping paper using your favorite stamps and inks! Try a subtle tone-on-tone design (like the image above), or make it super colorful by using lots of different ink colors. You could even stamp the recipient’s initials or name on the paper, too. I did this last year and it was a big hit!
2. Grab your patterned paper and ribbon.
Make a cute box to put your gift or treats in and you won’t need wrapping paper at all! Cover pre-made boxes (like TPC Studio Treat Totes) using patterned paper, or create your own boxes out of paper using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board. It’s so easy and the results are so cute! Patterned paper also makes a pretty wrap to put around homemade bread or other baked goods. Don’t forget to add a coordinating ribbon–you will find hundreds of styles at Archiver’s.
3. Package it in a new way.
Try different ways to package your gift instead of only using boxes! Treats, gift cards, and other small gifts fit inside jars and pails, and can be decorated using patterned paper, stickers, rub-ons, ribbon, and more. Make a coordinating gift tag using the same supplies and you have a gift that will delight your recipient. This is how I’m packaging my gift cards this year!
Try some of these ideas this weekend as you’re finishing up your gift wrapping–I think you’ll love the results!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The merriest holiday of the year is just 24 days away–can you believe it? If you’re like me and still have lots of Christmas preparations to do, gifts to make, and cards to send, you have come to the right place. From now until Christmas on this blog, we will share great holiday ideas with you, whether it’s a gift or card idea, festive ways to spruce up your home for the holidays, fun gift wrapping suggestions, or cool tips to try.
Check back often to get inspired and join us as we countdown to a memorable–and creative–Christmas!
Tags: holiday
The countdown to Christmas is on–have you started thinking about your handmade holiday card yet? Here’s some inspiration to help you get started!
There’s no rule that says holiday cards have to be red and green and there’s no rule that says you have to include a photo! Don’t be afraid to incorporate other colors like blue, brown, or a whole bunch of colors like this bright and funky Crate Paper patterned paper. Your card will definitely be unique and stand out among the others in the mailbox!
This card is easy, easy, easy! Add a photo to a Yours Truly scalloped flat note, run Yours Truly oval sticker seals through your home printer, and place it on top. A few gems and it’s ready to send!
Here’s another simple card that is so cute! Slide a photo into a Yours Truly photo card, add a ribbon, and a fun embellishment, like this sparkly penguin Dazzler. This is definitely a card you could make many of and get them all done in one afternoon!
Don’t forget, you can see many more card ideas–like these–in our FREE Holiday Card Showcase. With over 70 card designs featured, there is something for anyone’s style. Best of all, you leave class with a full color print-out of ALL the designs featured, to help you get started. Reserve your spot now!
Tags: Card making, Cards, holiday, Holiday cards
Looking for a fun gift idea? Consider a handmade calendar!
Calendars are great for a lot of reasons:
- Everyone can use a calendar, whether it’s in an office or at home to keep track of family appointments, birthdays, activities, and more. Even the hardest-to-shop-for people can use a calendar!
- Handmade calendars feature photos that mean something to the recipient, instead of generic stock photos.
- You can make a calendar to fit any theme, and they’re easy to make!
You might think making a calendar is hard, but really, it’s not! Archiver’s has everything you need, including blank calendars (in three sizes) and calendar collection packs with three patterned papers for each month, plus coordinating stickers and cut-outs. Add in a few photos and you’re ready to start creating! There are so many ways you can create your gift:
- Enlarge a photo and have it be the focus of your calendar page.
- Don’t want to use a photo? Have your kids draw on the blank calendars instead. Great idea for dad’s office or grandparents!
- Use the calendar collection pack to create a colorful design, from simple to elaborate.
- Don’t forget about the cover! This year’s NEW 8×8 scroll calendar features a chipboard cover you can customize with ink, paint, paper, or pound custom designs into it using the GCD Studios Chip Art tool.
- Or, sign up for Archiver’s Create-a-Calendar Workshop and decorate an entire calendar in class.
My boyfriend is one of those hard-to-shop-for people, and every year, I struggle with what to get him. This year, I think I will make him a calendar for his office. I could put photos of our various travels or snapshots of our new puppy in it. It’s a gift he’ll definitely use, and best of all, it will be fast and easy to create–a winning combination in my book!