Let's LEAP for joy...I have keys

Well it's leap day and goodness knows I need an extra day this year! I got my keys yesterday afternoon, not a moment too soon! Buildout begins today! I'm on my way to pick up my fixtures and let the FUN begin!

Also, "Kelsiesmom" won our happy little drawing. Congrats. But I'm still not going to say what it is....

2 weeks and counting...

The First Shipment has Arrived

AGHHH - so thrilling, just like Christmas, and birthdays and EVERYTHING grand!

What is it?!? Well, that's for me to know & you to find out! HEE HEE HEE.

Post your guess between now and Thursday morning at 10am. I'll randomly pick one guess to receive something from box for free! Be sure I know who you are from your post so I know who gets the prize!

Sonja

Days 3 & 4 & more...

So I was pretty well zonked by day 3 and its taken my quite a long time to get my energy back, plus all the other happenings with getting the store up and running!

So the BIGGEST highlight was getting free paper shelves! I was so overwhelmed when I found out that I started to cry. It was the kind of "oh, my gosh, I can't believe this is really happening" tears. The good kind, definately the good kind. Here's all the shelves loaded into my car...

Some product highlights from the final days? Here's what I can remember...

• Basic Grey,
• GCD (a funky new company)
• Around the Block (or as I call it, the "fun factor")
• Jenni Bowlin
• Kaiser Craft (just wait til you see this...)
• and a bunch more!!!

And of course, I took some time to myself with a frozen yogurt and a foot massage (which I almost bought for the store). A passerby thought it was such a cute photo that she snapped it for me. You know us scrappers are always on the lookout for a good photo.

And here's my accountant inspecting my business checks:

And finally we had a great crop-ette at the library over the weekend!

24 days left until the Grand Opening! YAY!!!

Ta ta for now.

Sonja

CHA Day 2

So last night I got just enough sleep to wake up at 2am as giddy as a girl before Christmas in anticipation for day 2 of the show. Thankfully I fell back asleep, but unfotunately at 4am, so you get the picture.

Speaking of pictures, I remembered to take some today: Here I am at the KI booth placing and order on some collections that will arrive in May - so we'll have to wait a bit.

I also ordered some of their die cut "lace" paper and groovy rubons. Then I stopped by the Doodlebug booth and placed an order. They're coming out the the coolest stuff to add Velvet flocking to your layouts. Its sounds complicated, but its really quite simple, and very, very cool.

Then it was off to basics with Bazzill and American Crafts. These companies are being really awesome helping me set up all my orders, so its making it really easy!

I scoped out Basic Grey & Crate Paper and will go back and order tomorrow. Will also get some Daisy D's. Haven't made it to My Mind's Eye yet (Tres Jolie, Wild Asparagus, etc). But I'll go their tomorrow, too.

Oh, and before I forget, remember raindots? They're those cool acrylic spots. We'll they've come out with a great line of titles and themed embellishments made from the same material. The bummer is they won't ship til April, but they're going to be worth the wait.

By far, the coolest new technique (& is also a kit) is the nifty & EASY way to cover a scrapbook with your own fabric. The guy who designs the Maude Asbury albums designed it. Not only will you be able to create a scrapbook with any color cover you want, you can also cover it with a sports jersey, t-shirt, quilt, or upholstery fabric. Its quite cool!

So, I'm officially wiped, and can tell my spelling and grammer have faired no better, but I'm so excited!

Oh, and no stapler accidents today, so that's a step in the right direction.

A la manana!

Sonja

CHA Day 1

Oh my - where do I start? I saw so much today, and I want it all. For those who don't know, CHA is like the world's fair of craft supplies. Its enormous and most of it is scrapbooking stuff. Words really can't describe it, you have to see if for yourself.

I'm most exicted about the first three lines I saw (which ended up being my first three orders). Generally at a show this huge you're not supposed to place any orders until day 2 0r 3, but I think considering eveything that has happened I can have a bit of fun early on...right?!?

• Cosmo Cricket - selections for all 4 of their fabulous new collections!
• Petaloo - amazing flowers in great materials such as leather, wool, foil, velvet, cotton, mulberry, foam and chipboard.
• Reminisce - Graduation, Prom, Beach, Tropical, Dance, Family, Jungle Safari, Easter, & Valentines, plus great travel embellishments called "jet setters" (which won't ship til May)

Then there's

• Glimmer Mist - Spring & Summer Limited Editions & decorative spray templates
• Flair - Amazing Grace & Year Round collections
• Prism - metallic cardstock, vellum & mulberry
• Hambly Screen Print - eccelctic transparencies and rubons
• Stemma - Wedding, Birthday & Varnished papers
• Paper House - Travel papers, stickers and die cuts
• Tapestry - Predeisigned 8x8 Pop-up Albums & 12 albums in a variety of themes!

The biggest trends so much is glitter. Practially everyone has sparkly glitter things. Everything from paper to embellisments to albums are dusted in glitter. Its really beautiful.

Also, everyone has been super helpful with this whole adventure I'm on and willing to pass on deals, which means I can pass some savings on to you! Whoo Hoo.

So even though my feet & back and arms hurt (from pulling the suitcase full of catalogs), & even though my fingures still hurt from stapleing them together (don't ask), I'm so excited and thrilled to be opening the store & have this gigantic resource of CHA at my disposal.

Also, spell check isn't working and I can't see straight, so sorry.

Will post more tomorrow. G'nite.

Sonja

Yowzers!

Well, its official! I turned in a deposit today for the space at the Howard Hughes Center. Its really amazing to think that I'm now a small business owner and that all of this is happening, but there it is. I can't believe how quickly it has come together.

So here are some key dates to remember:

Saturday, February 16th 1-5:30pm
Free Make N Take & Crop at the Playa Vista Library

Friday, March 14th - 7pm
VIP Preview Party

Saturday, March 15th - Sunday March 16th
Grand Opening Festivities & Crop

Saturday, April 26th
Tour De Crop - A Tour to Shop.

I'll keep you posted! Thanks for all of your support!

Sonja

Super Scrapbook Tips

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, I have a few creative tips for creating a SUPER scrapbook page!

During the Game:
A Woman's Point of View... Super Sunday is generally a totally different experience for men & women. We may care a bit about the game, but its mostly the fun of the party that we're interested in. What will the funniest commercial be? Will there be another wardrobe malfunction? Who's cuter - Brady or Manning? These are the myriad of things swimming in our brain during the big game and can provide creative inspiration for your layouts & journaling.

Take Candids - Some of the funniest pictures come when you least expect them & that's the beauty of digital photography. You can snap away and choose later. So don't forget the pictures of the couch potatoes, the cheering children, game play reactions, etc. And get that camera ready for the final seconds. This could be a record breaking game and the reactions are sure to be fabulous!

After the Game:
Who were you rooting for? Consider a layout in the team colors & using licensed NFL products as embellishments. Create turf with crinkle cut green paper. Use paint or chalk to create yardlines. If people were split on their loyalties, consider a split layout with one page for the Patriots & one for the Giants. Be sure to interview your husband about his post game analysis for some fun journaling momentos.

Just Do It! Choose your favorite 8-10 photos, print them and scrapbook them. Don't wait too long. The key to kepping up with scrapbooking is to scrap your current memories and then go back to the past ones.

Your Ideas?
Share your ideas, your photos & even your layouts with the rest of us by posting a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

Sonja