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Graduation Board

April 3, 2011 by Molly | No comments

With graduation just around the corner, I thought I would share an idea for a graduation display board. These boards are super easy!  Just round up your favorite photos, old and new, mat them in school colors and add them to your board.  (TIP: make color copies of your photos to use on your board) Use some of your very own school memorabilia to make it interesting.  Add some great Paper Wizard lazer cut titles along with die-cuts and and pre-made embellishments for a fabulous display. If you are like me (and have a hard time narrowing down the photos) you may need to create several boards!
Display your boards surrounded by framed photos, a cool 7gypsies tray and don’t forget your SCRAPBOOK!

Other ideas (for the over achievers out there)…Paint some clay pots in school colors and fill them with flowers. Add photos of your grad on a “pick”. These are not only the cutest table decorations EVER, but they make great “take-home” gifts for the Grandparents when your celebration is over!

Make cute little cards to identify each of your party foods. These can also go onto a pick and directly into the food, or on small table tents next to the food.  Wrap mini candy bars with patterned paper (school colors of course) and your Grad’s name and/or picture, and fill a basket!

Banner flags are all the rage. Why not make your own grad banner.  Use cardstock, patterned paper, photos, stickers and embellishments. NOBODY else will have one like it!!!  The possibillities are endless. Get creative!  There are so many unique things you can make that are WAY cuter than the pre-made things from from the local party store.

Oh, don’t forget to take LOTS of photos. Some ideas for great photos???  Glad you asked!First of all, don’t forget to take pictures of all the creative things you came up with.  :)  Take pictures of your grad with each and every relative. (think about the groupings ahead of time and even make a list)  Make sure to get lots of random shots. Teenagers do the funniest things and are usually more than willing to pose for pictures when they can be silly. Get some cool “close-ups”…..a yearbook, class ring  or table decoration etc.

Once your celebration is over….take a deep breath….and get ready to SCRAP your perfect graduation celebration!

You only have one High School graduation…make it special.

Check out this complete “Grad guide”

It’s a great time to visit Archiver’s…

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SURPRISE! TIM HOLTZ ROCKED OUR HOUSE

March 4, 2011 by Molly | 5 comments

This has been a very exciting week at Archiver’s.  All of our Store Managers, District Managers and the Archiver’s Home Office came together in Minnesota for an annual meeting of the minds. I can’t even tell you how cool it was to be surrounded by such smart, thoughtful, dedicated, creative and all around FUN people. It was an invaluable experience I will not soon forget.

Tuesday morning was all about warm greetings, sharing stories and catching up. It was like this big wonderful family reunion. As everyone settled in, the focus turned more towards the business side of things. Time to review, evaluate and strategize. The long day ended with some relaxing fun as everyone enjoyed some really yummy food and  a little “card making”. 

Things fired up again early Wednesday morning. The day was filled with training sessions, group discussions and more strategizing. As I basked in the creative energy that surrounded me, I was inspired to capture and “preserve” these moments just as I would a birthday or holiday so I grabbed my camera and off I went.

After dinner, everyone gathered for a short recap of the day. Our CEO stood before the group and began speaking of the “history” of scrapbooking. (seemed a little random) As the group respectfully listened, the double doors at the back of the meeting hall suddenly swung open and in walked  (are you ready for this?)  TIM HOLTZ!!!

There are no words to describe the reaction of those in attendance…..maybe this will help…    

I seriously thought we might have to bring in oxygen! It was a fabulous surprise that got even better. He showed up prepared to teach a workshop.  WooHoo!  Tim is an amazing person and an outstanding instructor. We learned tons of new techniques and got to use a bunch of his new products.  (before you even ask……yes, his delicious new creative goodness  is landing in our stores over the next few weeks)  :)

The results speak for themselves….

The best thing about the last three days was the feeling we came away with. Tim is SO inspiring. It was the same excitement I felt upon completion of my very first scrapbook page years ago.  He left us feeling confident, knowledgeable and just plain giddy!  Now, we want to pay it forward. We want you to experience that same feeling.

Our managers left yesterday  to go back to their respective stores. They are  super excited to share what they learned.

Let us INSPIRE YOU!  It’s a great time to go to Archiver’s.

Oh, and Tim…..thank you so much. You’re the best! 

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We got “SMASH”ed at CHA!

February 2, 2011 by Molly | 10 comments

Hey guys!  Wow did we have a great time at CHA!  We saw tons of great new products and ideas – it was fantastic!

One of our most favorite new products was the SMASH Book from EK Success Brands.  It’s ADORABLE and such a great idea for an easy scrapbook and journal.  Check out the video HERE and you’ll fall in love with it, just like we did!

Here are a few pictures from EK Success’ booth at CHA showing all the “SMASHing” new products:

The SMASH Book can travel around with you, on all of your adventures!  It comes with a two-in-one pen and glue stick, so you can add movie tickets right after you see the movie AND write your review as soon as you walk out of the theater.  The point of this amazing book is that it’s NOT perfect, but a place where you can jot down your ideas, glue in an idea you saw in a magazine, add bits of memorabilia – there are ENDLESS possibilities with this book!

Stop back tomorrow for more exciting things from CHA!

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11 Days til Christmas: Cool handmade gift

December 14, 2010 by Molly | No comments

Today’s cool handmade gift is the Collector’s Treasure Frame.  I know what you are thinking…..  “there is no way I can get that done before Christmas”. WRONG!  If you can cut a square, you can create a treasure frame! 

 This particular frame has various squares of patterned paper trimmed to fit each opening opening. Add some photos, a few “stick on” embellishments and some of your favorite trinkets or collectables and you’re done!  This frame was decorated with patterned paper and embellishments from the American Girl collection by EK Success. A few actual AG accessories, like shoes, the little book and the glasses were then added. Easy Peasy, and soooo cute! I can’t wait to give it to my neice Carly for Christmas. (doesn’t she look just like Kit?)

These frames come in three sizes. This frame is 11×14. There is also an 8×10 and a 16×20. Styles vary by store.

Some great theme ideas for these frames:

* Boy or Girl – Lego, Starwars, Harry Potter, American Girl and Disney.   More generic could be “rock star”, sports, cars/motorcycles, dance and princesses.

*Family, Baby, Holidays, Birthdays or just “collectables”

This would even make a great gift just as it is! Pair it with a variety of patterned papers and coordinating embellishments. Seriously, anyone can do this!

19 Days until Christmas: Handmade decor

December 5, 2010 by Molly | No comments

If you are a fan of Archiver’s you know how we feel about the 7 Gypsies trays. It really is my favorite product of 2010. Personally, I think I have made 16! :)    These trays are  the perfect gift…..and it’s not too late to make one!  My most recent tray is pictured below. This one was really easy.  I used the new 7Gypsies “12 days of Christmas” ATC kit. The kit contains 12 cards that fit perfectly plus some amazing little tags. Add some cute pictures and a few embellishments and ribbon and you are ready to give the best gift ever!  Be prepared…..everyone that sees your tray will want you to make one for them.  :)  

Other embellishments used came from Little Yellow Bicycle’s “Christmas Delight” collection.

Check out our website for tons of tray ideas in every catagory.  You’ll be glad you did….and so will your friends and family!  For those of you that don’t have an Archiver’s close by, you can get your tray at the Archiver’s Annex!

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Ribbon Technique using Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

October 6, 2010 by Molly | 8 comments

Hey Archiver’s fans,

Click here to see a cool tool in action, learn a new technique and see some fun and super easy holiday cards!

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Scrap-lift Monday

September 27, 2010 by Molly | 2 comments

This is actually an older  layout that I have scrap-lifted a few different times. It’s cute and simple…what more could you ask for. I used a paper “collection” from Little Yellow Bicycle, so adding matching embellishments was a no brainer.

You COULD even switch things around and use 3 photos in the background and a journaling spot near the bottom right right of the photos. Hmmmmm, I think I may try that today!

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SCRAPFEST 2010

September 21, 2010 by Molly | 6 comments

Hey Archiver’s fans….Scrapfest weekend is sadly over, but what a BLAST!     It was a weekend filled with awesome workshops, great make and takes, remarkable product and a multitude of rockin’ scrappers.  I personally was “stationed” in the registration area which allowed me to meet/assist/and get to know about a million new creative friends from literally all over the world.   I heard stories of families and friends, trips and experiences and the many reasons for preserving it all. I witnessed creative minds meeting for the first time, friends who have been crafting together forever and people who I would have sworn were sisters and then found out that they had only just met!  There is no denying it….it’s  a special bond we have.  Thanks to everyone that attended Scrapfest along with all those that shop in our stores, reads our newsletters emails and blog, follow us on Facebook and “freak out” over our cool stuff! You faithfully confirm our belief that this is much more than just a hobby.

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Pick of the Week: BasicGrey Wander

August 27, 2010 by Molly | 4 comments

BasicGrey has really outdone themselves this time.  The new “Wander” collection is probably my favorite BasicGrey collection EVER!  It pretty much falls into what I like to call the “Yummy” category.  :)   The colors are fabulous, and the designs are so fresh.  The versatility of this line is a big bonus.  Creating your own great travel pages is a given, but the possibilities are endless. I am envisioning “school” themed pages, “new home” or “just moved” cards and because of the rich colors, this line will look equally as great on a page featuring kids as one with just adults. This collection just arrived in our stores….this is one you won’t want to wait on…

My MOST favorite patterned paper in the collection is the one with buildings all over it!  Yuuuuummmmy…

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Kids artwork+color copier=

August 11, 2010 by Molly | No comments

“Back to School” is right around the corner so I thought I would share a great tip for making school themed layouts…

If you are like me, you have mounds of school papers and kids artwork that you don’t want to throw out, but they are too large to scrapbook and they just take up too much room to store.  Why not make a color copy?  By making a copy, you can choose any size that works for you..Brilliant!  You could even use multiple art projects all on one layout. :)   If you are lucky enough to live near an Archiver’s, you can do it all right in the store!  Make copies, print photos and scrapbook in the workroom. Doesn’t get much better than that!

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