Card making

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New Products…and a video!

March 16, 2011 by Meg | 2 comments

We love getting our hands on new products here at the office…especially when they come with exciting new techniques.

Inky Antics has some really cute new stamp sets and the COOLEST way to decorate the inside of cards.  They also have this new product called Gamsol…but I’ll let the VIDEO tell you all about it.  It’s way better if you can see these products in action!

Stop by your local Archiver’s for all of the new Inky Antics products…and be the first of your friends to make the sweetest new cards out there!

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Solving the Mysteries of Border Punches

March 7, 2011 by Meg | 7 comments

Have you ever looked at a border punch and thought, OK, what do I get if I punch with that?  Will it be a border that’s still attached to the page?  Will it create a chain?  What’s the trick?!

If you haven’t stopped by your local Archiver’s in a while, make sure you do.  We’ve got a great display board of punched borders.  It’s great and it helps solve a bit of the border punch mystery…but what do you do when you get home and can’t remember what the border you bought does?

Have no fear!  I have the answer right here!

EK Success border punches make it SUPER easy to figure out if you’ll end up with a chain or a border on your page.  Just pay attention to the silver images printed on the punch.  If you have a solid silver line that goes across the entire top and bottom of the image, you’ll end up with a chain that’s totally separate from the paper.  If you do not have a solid silver line, then you’ll end up with a border that will still be attached to your piece of paper.  Check out these images (I’m totally a visual learner!):

The photo above  shows a chain punch.  Notice how the top and bottom of the image has the silver line that goes all the way across (it’s circled in pink)?  The piece that will be punched out is the part of the image that is NOT silver.

See how the punches in the photo above don”t have silver all the way across the bottom (it’s circled in yellow)?  That means it’ll stay attached to the paper you’re punching from.  The floral punch at the top of the image will leave you with the non-silver part in your page, creating a really cool decorative flower image.  The “Swiss Cheese” border (the one with all the circles) will just leave a bunch of circles punched on the edge of your page – hence the name “Swiss Cheese”!  Pretty sweet, huh?

Remember, you can stop by your local Archiver’s anytime with your questions.  If you don’t live near an Archiver’s, just AskRobin!

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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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Weekend Plans?

February 16, 2011 by Meg | 1 comment

It’s Wednesday.

That means Friday is only two days away…yay!!  If you don’t have any weekend plans (or even if you do), we just wanted to remind everyone that we’ve got our February Make and Take event starts this Friday and goes through Monday, February 21st.  THREE FREE PROJECTS!!  Need I say more?

We’re SO excited about this event…we made a video!  Check it out HERE and be sure to stop by your local Archiver’s for all sorts of Make and Take fun!

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Holiday card inspiration, galore!

November 16, 2010 by Abby | No comments

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!

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Celebrate World Card-making Day!

October 1, 2010 by Abby | No comments

Did you know that tomorrow (Saturday, October 2nd) is World Card-Making Day? Although we aren’t hosting an event in our Archiver’s stores this weekend, I still encourage you to spend a little bit of time on Saturday making a handmade card or two. Or, if you’re really ambitious, get an early start on your holiday cards! I have a few cards that I need to make for upcoming celebrations, so this gives me the perfect excuse to set aside my “to-do” list for a few hours on Saturday and instead do something creative.

If you need card inspiration, there are hundreds of ideas on Archiver’s website. Grab your paper, stamps, and embellishments, and spend some time on Saturday doing what you enjoy.  Who’s going to join me?

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Try a Glaze pen!

August 12, 2010 by Abby | 5 comments

Looking to add a little bit of extra interest to your handmade card or scrapbook page? Try Glaze pens!

These pens write like a typical gel pen, but once the ink is dry, it has a raised effect and resembles stained glass. Cool! Use them to add color and texture to not only cards and scrapbook pages, but also plastic, glass, ceramic, even metal. Just make sure you write slowly so the thick ink can flow nicely onto your project, and allow at least 10 minutes of drying time.

Check out this cute card Molly designed for our Marvelous Minis Card Workshop:

Glaze pens are absolutely perfect for coloring in the lava lamp stamped image. The finished result looks like gel, similar to a real lava lamp. I love it!

Come into Archiver’s to give them a try!

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Pick of the Week: All-new ribbon

August 6, 2010 by Abby | 3 comments

If you’re a fan of ribbon (who doesn’t love ribbon?), then you’ll be excited to hear that Archiver’s has all-new ribbon from American Crafts!

There are over 400 styles available, all sold by-the-spool. Each spool contains anywhere from one to 10 yards, depending on the style. And get this–EVERY spool is just $2.99. I use ribbon not only for scrapbook pages and cards, but also to wrap gifts, and with so many fabulous styles, I know I’ll be picking up several spools to add to my stash!

Angie and Molly recently received samples of the ribbon here at the office. Although their spools are in bulk and much larger, this gives you an idea of the color and style assortment you’ll find at your local Archiver’s. Guess what? This isn’t even ALL of the styles available either!

Come into Archiver’s this weekend to check it out. Plus, it’s Make & Take Weekend, and you know what that means–FREE projects! Make three free projects, full of the latest techniques and products, see tons of inspiration, and shop special deals. We’ll see you there!

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Pick of the Week: Corner Chompers

July 16, 2010 by Abby | 1 comment

If you were to look through my scrapbooks and handmade cards, you’d clearly see that I love rounded corners. I seem to include them on nearly all of my designs.

That’s probably why the We R Memory Keepers Corner Chompers caught my eye. Each Corner Chomper, available in four styles, features two different decorative corners. Even though the corner rounder style is my favorite (it has two different sizes!), there are lots of other cool ones, like a deco corner, scallop corner, cloud corner, and more. You can punch multiple sheets of cardstock at once, chipboard, even acrylic. Best of all, they’re so easy to use–just a little squeeze is all it takes. You don’t have to struggle like you do with some other punches!

Check out these adorable mini cards Angie and Molly made using Corner Chompers:


If you want to give them a try, go to Archiver’s and ask any associate for a quick demonstration. Once you see them in action, you’ll be hooked, just like me!



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Creative tip: Pick up a book!

July 13, 2010 by Abby | 2 comments

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes suffer from “creative block”–you know, when you stare at the pile of photos and supplies in front of you and can’t figure out what to do with them? When that happens, I turn to idea books! There are dozens and dozens of idea books out there, filled with lots and lots of creative ideas for pages, cards, and more.

Here are just a few that have caught my eye recently:

Read the rest of this entry »

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