Kapkumka (thanks) Heather!

Shop Hop would not have been complete without the help of my friend Heather who is living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, working with kids at risk in the red light district. She found my Thai bottle caps and shipped them without delay! I am so thankful for her help in making our Shop Hop so successful!

Heather is working with TawSaeng. I wanted to let her share more about what they are doing in case you are interested in helping support them. With the money I would have spent on bottle caps, I was able to donate to their important work in Thailand.

Also, we've purposefully chosen these photos to post because the identities of the kids are obscured, protecting them.

*****

Taw Saeng is a ministry working with children in the heart of the red light district of Chiang Mai, Thailand. We currently have 33 children between the ages of 3 and 18 in our after school program. 98% of the kids we work with have either been abused or propositioned in this unsavory part of town.

The goal of our program is to emphasize education and family unity while keeping the kids in a safe environment after school so they are not wandering the streets unaccompanied. One way we do this is by helping families pay for their children’s school fees. As the kids get older, their education becomes more expensive, so often parents feel it is easier to pull their kids out of school and have them sell things on the streets.

Our Thai staff do an amazing job of working with the families to keep kids in school, in homes with their families and away from potentially harmful situations. Please consider supporting our ministry by either a one time or recurring donation! We are also working on setting up an educational sponsorship program to ensure every family we work with can afford to send their children to school. If you would like to sponsor a child please let us know

Visit us at www.tawsaeng.org

*****

Heather just shared with me that they are hoping to take the older kids to a sleep away camp in October and they are hoping to receive enough donations to make this possible.

Also, you can follow Heather's Blog www.thethaisthatbind.blogspot.com for more about her day to day work.

Kapkumka (Thanks)!

Sonja

Elephant Dung Journals

Looking for a home for all of your fantastic Shop Hop Make 'n' Takes? Check out these fantastic Elephant Dung Journals, available by special order only.

The smaller journal measures Approximately 6 3/4" x 8", has 18 pages which is room for approximately 36 make 'n' takes. It also features elephant dung photo corners. Reserve yours for $18.00

The larger journal measures approximately 9"x11" and has

30 pages which is room for 60 make 'n' takes. Reserve yours for $25.00.

Sorry, shop hop discounts do not apply to these items. Also, color choices are not available. I am sent whatever is in stock with the US distributor and colors will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are interested in a book, please contact me by September 1st. All orders must be pre-paid.

A portion of all sales of Elephant Dung products supports elephant conservation in Thailand.

Sonja

Same Same But Different

A really popular Thai phrase is "Same Same But Different." It's another way of saying similar when comparing something. You might say "is Core-dinations cardstock the same as Bazzill?" and I'd say...same same...but different. "Starbucks and Coffee Bean" Same same...but different. "Facebook and Twitter" Same same...but different. Got it?

When I saw this collection from Creative Imaginations it screamed Thailand. I expected it to be called Siam or Bangkok or Sawadeeka. But it wasn't. It's called Marrakesh which is in Morocco. So I have concluded that Marrakesh must be same same but different.

Also we'll do a 2nd run of our t-shirts at the end of Shop Hop by pre-paid, pre-order only. Use this sign up sheet to pick your size then call in to pay. Sorry, no shop hop discount on the shirts.

Elephant What???

That's exactly what I said when I first heard about Elephant Dung Paper. I couldn't believe it. They couldn't possibly be serious. But they were and on a whim I ordered if for Shop Hop. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure has been a hit!

The paper comes in 16 colors, in sizes 12x12 and 8 1/2 x 11. In addition to it's rich colors and unique lightweight texture, the paper features flecks of straw.

Fun Dung Facts....(from www.elephantdungpaper.com)

• One elephant will produce enough dung for 115 sheets of paper!
• Mr Wanchai started making the paper in his kitchen with a food processor.
• Elephant Dung Paper is 100% bacteria free and doesn't smell.

For more info on the poop to paper process check out their website. Or, you can check out this article.

I have reordered the paper 3 times and have cleaned out the US Distributor. So if you're out and about on Shop Hop, or just think this is way to cool to miss, stop by soon, because this last batch is going to go quickly!

Sonja

Shop Hop Make 'n' Takes

Sawadeeka! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit our store during shop hop. It is so wonderful to meet all of you. I hope you enjoyed the little bit of Thailand that I brought to the shop.

Here are the photos of our two make 'n' take pages featuring the Thai Saa Paper.

The pages are pretty straight forward, but here are some guidelines for helping complete them:

1) Adhesive....since this is a fibrous paper, tape runners won't work. They'll just pull the top layer of paper off. Instead, use Glue Dots or your favorite liquid glue, like Zip Dry.

2) Pop, Pop, Pop....I believe everything looks better on a 3D dot, so use those to layer your bamboo, elephant and palm tree.

3) Texture with Tearing....tear the edges of your photo mat for extra dimension.

4) Umbrella....open them fully, then fold them in half. Adhere with a liquid glue.

Enjoy!

Sonja

Scrap in the City - Pt 4

Sex and the City has inspired a lot of creativity around here. First, here are my two make 'n' take pages for Shop Hop. I couldn't decide on a design so I made two. They're available while supplies last!

A big THANKS to Paperhouse for the donated mini photo die cuts & to My Mind's Eye for donating the paper for the layouts! Layouts are also embellished with stamped images from Unity, bling from Zva, Bazzill Cardstock and ribbons from MME's Lush Collection.

And we've had some great entries for our Design Challenge. Take a look at these from Linda T.

Mr. & Mr. from Stanford's Point of View

Adventure from Miranda's Point of View


Hot Mom in the City from Charlottes Point of View.



Design Challenges are due the final day of Shop Hop, August 22nd and winners will recieve a $25 gift certificate to Sonja's Scrapbook Spot. Click here for the details!

Sonja

Scrap in the City - Part 3!

Whoo Hoo! Shop Hop 2010 is less than 1 week away! We kicked off Shop Hop last night with Mocktails and Make 'n' Takes at the Shop last night. So much fun!

If you're planning to come to Sonja's Scrapbook Spot during Shop Hop I wanted to let you know about some really cool things we have going on during the Shop. Also, I've included info about the best places to park at our mall and updates on store hours!

Special Events During Shop Hop

FREE Quick Cards Make N Take
With Susan McShirley, owner of SRM Stickers

Susan will be joing us Saturday, August 7th from 10am - noon for a special bonus make 'n' take, free for Shop Hoppers ($5 for everyone else)! You'll also recieve a free Hollywood Sticker from Susan. I'll have coffee and muffins available. What a great way to kick off Shop Hop!


Tattered Traveler Class with Monika Thomas
Thursday, August 19th 2-5pm or 6-9pm; $45


Monika is coming to the shop to teach this popular summer classes. It will be one of her last teaching stop so if you've missed the class at other stores, come by and take it at ours! Sorry, I can't discount the cost of the class, but it will count towards your Shop Hop purchases, qualifying you for the make n take and store charm! Reservations must be made in advance!



Special Products at Sonja's Scrapbook Spot

We're pleased to offer one of the widest selections of My Mind's Eye collections at our Shop, including Breaking Free, Abbey Road, Quite Contrary, So Sophie and the extremely popular Lush collection! Plus a fresh selection of papers from Dove of the East just arrived! And we couldn't do Sex and the City without bling! A new order from ZVA Creative just arrived, our largest selection yet and it's going quickly! Last but not least, I just recieved the latest releases from Fiskars, awesome punches and stamp rollers! You won't want to miss these!

Also....

Scrap in the City T-Shirts! $15.00
Our theme, Sex in the City inspired these shirts and we're celebrating being the only scrapbook store for the City of LA! T-shirts are available for purchase during Shop Hop. Once again, I can't offer a discount on them, but I will count it towards your Shop Hop purchases!


My Mini Memories - Mini Photo Album $15
These nifty photo albums are truly unique! Check out our website for more details. If you're insterested in ordering one you can email me your photos and I'll have the book ready for you when you arrive for Shop Hop. Or if you order 3 or more books during Shop Hop, I will ship them to you for FREE! Once again, I'm not able to offer the Shop Hop discount on these items, but I will count it towards your Shop Hop purchases!


Shop Hop Parking Tips & Tricks

We're located in a shopping mall, the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center. Parking is available in our parking structure. There are great places to eat here, making it an excellent pit stop on your Shop Hop.


Depending on the day & time you arrive you will be asked to pay before leaving or upon entering the structure. During the day, your first half hour is free, your first hour is $1 and 2-4 hours is $2. After 4pm and during the weekend, parking is a flat rate of $2. However, if you ask the parking attendant to note the time on your parking ticket and you leave within a short time they will offer you a refund! Please note, I cannot validate and these are only general observations for our parking stucture.

Public restrooms are located at Center Court. I don't have a restroom at the shop. If you come during the day and you see a sign that says be back in five...you'll know where I am =).

If you're on your way to the shop and don't think you can make it on time, feel free to call me. I'll make every effort to stay open later for you!

Also, I have 3 crops planned during Shop Hop which means later shopping hours for you!

Friday, August 6th...open until Midnight!
Saturday, August 14th....open until 10pm!
Saturday, August 21st....open until 10pm!


Phew! I think that covers it! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call!
Sonja
310-410-7272

Scrap in the City Pt 2 - Design Challenge

So, I was pretty late to the whole Sex and the City phenomenon mostly becuase I was in the dark ages and didn't have cabel tv until 2008....I know....gasp, how did I survive?

I caught the series on syndication on KTLA and quickly understood what all of the fuss was about! What a brilliant comedy and celebration of womanhood!

To top it off, every episode brought such a sense of style and design into our homes! I saw fashions I could only dream of and was always amazed at what items could be combined for such a great sense of design. If you saw the sequel movie, think back to Carrie in the marketplace rockin a t-shirt and poofy ballroom skirt and of course the heels! Only Carrie could pull that off!

It got me thinking...2 things really....

First, embrace your own style! Find what works for you, love it and ROCK it! For me, it's earrings...I have tons and tons of them, won't go out of the house without then and funny thing it...usually get the most compliments on my Target finds! We may not all have the bodies we want or the shoes budget we want but embrace your beauty, your style and strut your stuff!

Secondly, how woud Carrie and the crew scrapbook? How would their own style come through in their albums, on the their layouts. So in the interest of pre Shop Hop hooplah, I'm challenging you to "Scrap in the City!" Pick any main character from the series or movie and scrapbookin in their style!

The deadline for submissions will be the final day of Shop Hop, August 22nd. Mail your layout, bring it with you on the hop or send me a photo! Along with your submission, make sure I have your name, contact info and the character you're scrapping as!

Prize package to be announced!

Sonja

The Happenin' on Shop Hoppin'

August marks the 4th Annual So Cal Shop Hop and we have the most participants our shop has ever had!

Still, I know some of you are wondering what all of the hooplah is about.

Shop Hop is a collaboration between several local scrapbook & stamping stores. This year 35 stores are participating...the most ever!

The Basic Shop Hop Package is $5 and features the Shop Hop Passport which your guide to all of the participtating stores and your contest entry form. The Passport entitles you to a 15% discount at all of the participating stores during the Shop Hop.

The Hollywood (Deluxe) Package is $14.99 and contains the Passport and Commemorative Charm Bracelet. It gives you a 20% discount at all of the stores during the Hop.

Besides shopping & saving there are lots of other fun things to do during Shop Hop. Each store features a 6x6 Make 'n' Take (or Take 'n' Make) Scrapbook Page. This is free with a minimum $10 purchase or can be purchased for $2.50. Each store will also have a charm to add to your charm bracelet. The charm is free with a minimum $20 purchase or can be purchased for $8.99.

This year's Hollywood/Movie theme is going to be super fun!!! Every store has picked a different movie theme. Our's is Sex and the City so watch out for some fabulous Scrap in the City goodies! We're also planning at least two limo tours to several of the Shop Hop Stores...so you don't have to drive!

Last year Irene went to all of the stores! She shared her passport, make 'n' take and lanyard with us! Come on in and check it out! Plus, I just have a 3 Packages left so you'll want to register before they're all gone!

Sonja

Scrap in the City, Pt 1

What Prada did for Carrie and the girls, scrapping has done for Sonja and the girls. We are bonded through creativity and community! We share our stories and our scraps, our advice and our brads, our joy & our pain, our hopes and our dreams! We are richer for knowing each woman and sharing life with her!

That's just one of the reasons I'm so excited to use this movie as the theme for this year's Shop Hop as we Scrap in the City. And it's got me wondering...how would Carrie and the girls scrapbook? Keep an eye open for an upcoming scrapbook design challenge.

That's all for now!

Sonja

Miscellaneous Musings

Happy Tuesday....

here are some things on my mind this morning...or afternoon I suppose, now!

Glimmer Mist Color Chart

Tattered Angels, creator of the incomparable Glimmer Mist has added a printable color chart to their website, complete with boxes to check "have it" or "want it" Print that puppy out, take stock of your supply and then stop by and stock up. Also, do you need a hard to find color? Let me know and I will special order it for you, as long as it is still available.

http://mytatteredangels.com/PrintableColorChart.pdf

Congrats to Bev

Congrats to Bev, one of our shop hoppers who won a Silhouette SD digital die cutting machine compliments of QuicKutz - value $299.99. Whaa Hoo....!!!

That makes 2 years in a row that one of our customers has won a Shop Hop prize.

Secret Shopping

So I visited a "big box" craft store yesterday and did some price comparisons and was really shocked! Sure they were lower on some things, but they were higher on a lot more than I thought they'd be. Here's some of what I found...

Vario Tab Dispener

...............their price $14.99..................my everyday price $12.00

Vario Tab Refills

...............their price $7.99....................my everyday price $7.00

ColorBox Metallic Cat Eyes

...............their price $2.99....................my everyday price $2.50

3L EZ Runner

...............their price $6.99....................my everyday price $6.50

Sneak Peek

I'm continuing to play with the new goodies that have been arriving. This layout featuring vintage treasures from Melissa Frances isn't done yet. I've just been working on the elements including crepe paper and mica. This and many more new samples will be on dispaly at the shop this Saturday for our big event!

Sonja's Shop Hop Safari Trek

I finally had a chance to shop hop myself on Monday! Waa - hoo. And since mom was in town, she came with! We scaled back our rather ambitious plans to cover orange county and part of the san gabriel valley and stayed in the OC, since I was try to rendezvous with a couple vendors to pick up orders as well. Here's a glimpse of our journey 160 mile, 7 store journey!

The first stop was at Scrapbooking Heaven in Westminster where I scored on some hard to find Jolee's and got a nifty notepad for my purse. I love the mini shells in the make 'n' take kit! Funny story...as we were leaving I tried to get into a different white Camry! I kept putting my key in the lock & turning but nothing happened. Then mom calls out my name, I look up and she's standing one car over...at my car. Blond moment!!

*****

Then we headed over a couple streets to The Scrapbook Garden in Huntington Beach, which is actually not to far from where I used to live. I found some cool rhinestone embellies as well as those spinners from Cosmo Cricket....never tried those before. Also, I picked up some Spica pens that I've heard some great things about. I'll give 'em a try and let you know. Mom found some awesome papers and I even got her to pose for the camera! And don't you love their "Wild Thing" Make 'n' Take. I also found the best sign there that I MUST have for the shop. I immediately uploaded it to my facebook page.

While at The Scrapbook Garden, we also ran into lead Fiskateer Cheryl (she was at my shop on Saturday) and scored some cool Fiskar's giveaways. Check our Cheryl's blog and her shop hop schedule and you just might spot her out there, too!

*****

Then it was off to Oh, Scrap! in Costa Mesa. Don't you just love the name? When I lived in Costa Mesa, there was another scrapbook store in the same shopping complex...isn't that funny. Anyhow, mom found a ton of paper she loved and I picked up some of the Robin's Nest Dew Drops that I've heard so much about and some gorgeous flowers. Very vintage.

*****

After lunch we meandered through Irvine trying to pick up the 241 toll road to get to Timeless Treasures. I rarely consult maps, preferring to rely on my keen sense of direction...ha ha ha! This led to passing under and over the toll road numerous times until we actually got to Rancho Santa Margarita. Oh well! But Timeless Treasures is well worth the drive and you won't be disappointed! I picked up some Core'dinations cardstock to play with and my mom found lots of soccer and travel stuff.

*****

Then it was off to The Red Bee in Tustin and this time I successfully picked up the toll road so we were there in no time at all. Besides having a great scrapbooking selection, they are a full service craft store with goodies for beading, knitting and home decor. Among other things, I scored some neat pumpkins for my Halloween display, distress stickles which I've never tried before and my fave pink pen. Mom got some yarn and some great papers.

*****

Then it was off to Scrappin' in the Hills in Anaheim Hills where I was so tired I forgot to take a picture of there store front, but they're next to a cigar shop, too! Ha ha! I've been visiting this shop off and on since I moved to socal 11 years ago since it's just down the street from where my aunt & uncle live. With so much to choose from, I focused on picking out some things from a technique I've never tried before...embossing with Lasting Impressions. I got a die, the embosser, embossing paper and a few more goodies. Can't wait to try them.

*****

Our last stop was The Scrappin' Table in Placentia where I also forgot to take a picture of the storefront. Sorry! There were so many things I could have picked up, but I got the Copic markers to give them a try and some new stuff called Sparkly Fluff...you know how much I love my flocking! Mom picked out some papers and great mini - alpha stickers from My Little Shoebox. So much fun!

Then it was time for home...so with our goodies in the backseat and pick-up stix take out for dinner, we headed west on the Imperial Hwy until we picked up the 105 for home. Gotta love that loop. It was so much fun. I wish I could visit the other Shop Hop stores, but I'm looking forward to that next year!

Sonja

Welcome Shop Hoppers to the Jungle of LA!

Welcome to the wilds of LA! I'm so glad you're on your way to the shop and can't wait to meet each of you! Here's a glimpse of our make n take, featuring screen prints from Hambly Studios and paper from Glitz Design.



The shop is located at the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center. Here's the view if you enter from the Sepulveda Blvd entrance.


(photo courtesy of Laura Funk from Glitz Design)

The shop is easy to access off the 405 free way as well. Take the Howard Hughes exit and make your first right. You can't miss the mall.

Once here, you'll need to find a place to park. Try to park as close as you can to the Valet station and take the escalators that lead to center court. This will save you as much walking as possible. Bathrooms are also located on Center Court and I do not have facilites at the shop. Also, have $2 ready to park, and you'll need to pay in advance if you visit the shop on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

There's lots of yummy placed to eat at the mall. Click here for the directory. I'll also have some refreshments for you, so my shop makes an excellent pit stop.

My shop hop hours are:
Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 7pm
Friday & Saturday 10am - 8pm
Sunday noon - 6pm
Monday Closed

If you're running late and you're not sure if you'll make it on time, call the shop and let me know. I'll do my best to stay open wait for you.
310-410-7272

It's a Jungle Out There

Join the hunt for

So Cal Scrapbook Stores!

August 7th - 23rd!

Scrapbook stores may be fewer and farther between these days, but they're still out there! From August 7-23, shop hoppers will be tracking 40 stores as they host fierce make 'n takes and offer untamed discounts. So grab your canteen, a bottle of sunscreen, and your sharpest pair of scissors ... it's time to get hopping. And don't forget to pick up your Passport—it's a jungle out there!

Sign up for the Safari today:

Do you have your Passport yet? Head to Sonja's Scrapbook Spot, or your local store to sign up and pick up important shop hop materials. A Passport (required) can be purchased for $5, and during the event you'll receive a 15% discount* at each participating store. Or, you can buy the Safari Package, which includes a SoCal shop hop commemorative lapel pin and lanyard in addition to a Passport. If you wear your lanyard and your pin during the shop hop, you'll receive a 20% discount* at each participating store!Take advantage of the Early Bird discount: Purchase the Safari Package before June 12th, and only pay $9.99 (after June 12th the price goes up to $14.99).*Some exclusions apply. See stores for details.

Make 'n Takes:

This year each store will be hosting a 6x6 page make 'n take. By the end of the hop you'll have a completed album that shows off your scrapbooking prowess and wild adventures—certainly a stunning trophy that will earn its spot above the fireplace! Because the SoCal shop hop has become so popular, stores will require a nominal fee to participate in make 'n takes. The cost will be $2.50 per make 'n take, per store, or free for any store in which you spend $10 or more. Stores adore your participation—the fee simply allows them to provide materials to all of their shop hoppers, offering each person a make 'n take to be remembered and adored.

Buy the Safari Package and save:

Because we know you're hunting for good deals all year long, we've cut through the underbrush to bring you a ferocious deal: Pin Pals. In addition to the SoCal Shop Hop pin you'll receive with your lanyard when you sign up for the Safari Package, each store will be offering their very own pins! For each one you collect, you can return to that store throughout the year to take advantage of special offers and exclusive discounts. Each store will be charging $8.99 for their Pin Pal, unless you spend $20 in their shop—in which case you'll receive your Pin Pal free of charge. Sounds like quite the bargain to us!

Summer Stuff @ Sonja's

Since it's threatening to be 90 by the end of this week I feel like I am perfectly justified in talking about summer stuff!

First of all, we're planning our first ever scrapbook summer camp for kids ages 7-12!!! I'm really excited about it. Our tentative dates are July 13-17 from 9am - 1pm which includes lunch. The campers will work on a week long scrapbook project plus other daily papercrafting projects. Campers will also receive a personalized acrylic album which is a $15 value.

Scrapbook camp is $300 for the week which is an incredible deal at $15 an hour. If you need afternoon care for your kids, an optional afternoon session will be offered from 1-5pm for an additional $250. This will include other craft activities, and excursions to the Promenades mini golf and movie theater!

Both Cathy & I will be teaching the camp and besides scrapping for years we both have master's degrees and years of education experience as well as having been fingerprinted and background checked by the state of CA, so you're kids will be in creative & SAFE hands!

I will have more details for you soon! If demand is high enough, we'll offer a 2nd week of scrapbook camp the following week!!!

But there is something for the kid in you as well. This is the 3rd year that the SHOP HOP has come to Southern California. This year's safari theme will have you on the hunt for your favorite scrapbook store in Southern California August 7th - 23rd.

There are 2 ways to participate:

1. Purchase the basic Shop Hop Passport for $5.00 ($7 after 8/7)

to receiver 15% off at all participating stores.

or...

2. Purchase the deluxe package with the passport, lanyard and collectible pin for $9.99 ($14.99 after June 12th) and receive 20% off at all the participating shops.

What will you do with your lanyard? Each shop will offer collectible pins to add to your collection. Shops will also offer make 'n' takes...this year's theme, a progressive mini album.

More details to follow. For now sign up for SoCal Shop Hop emails which include update and exclusive pre-shophop deals and stop by the shop to pick up the store listing and fill out the registration form.

And last but not least, our 3 day crop weekends are turning out to be quite the hit! The next one is planned for Friday, July 31st - August 2nd. You'll have 24 hours of crop time, deliciously catered meals and a lovely goody bag, all for only $100. Make your reservations today!

Sonja