Hall of Fame

Have you ever thought about applying for the Scrapbook Hall of Fame? If you don't know what it is, I am going to enlighten you. Creating Keepsakes Magazine has a contest for people to enter and they choose like 10 winners to win money and also be published in their Hall of Fame issue! The winners are also published in several more issues of Creating Keepsakes throughout the year. They give you very specific guidelines on what you can and cannot do. I know several of the ladies at the store have applied before and they may have not made it into the Hall of Fame but I know someone did get published by entering the contest.

I have been thinking about submitting layouts just to say that "Yeah, I entered the Hall of Fame this year." But then again do I really need to? I can't decide. I like the way I scrapbook but I don't see my style in magazines, but that is okay because I like my stuff!! That is what scrapbooking is all about-you need to like what you are doing for yourself...no one should tell you that they don't like your stuff! I am a very basic scrapbooker-but I LOVE to journal on my pages and most of it is handwritten.

So the question is should I or shouldn't I submit for the Hall of Fame for 2008? Here is the link to submit http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/images/ftp_images/ck/downloads/2007/HOF08_adv3.pdf.
The deadline is February 11th! So LMK if you decide to do it-maybe it will get me motivated to do it. I can tell you I hope a few ladies at Windy City Scrapbooking do-because I think they really are talented people...but again I like that they scrapbook for themselves not just to be published!

If you decide to enter--GOOD LUCK! And if you don't enter-Happy Scrapping to you this weekend! :)
-Susan

Scrappin' On Sundays...SOS

Here is you SOS for Sunday, January 27th, 2008
Hope that you had a great weekend!
Has your creativity been sparked?
Well, if it hasn't I have something for you...
I just wanted to share with you our Creation table for this week.
One of our Design Team Members, Melissa, brought in her design team projects a few days early and with me being Design Team Coordinator...I was so happy and pleased with her not only turning it in early but with being inspired to create lovely projects. She used Cosmo Cricket's Hey Sugar line which is really cute...With Valentine's Day being around the corner, these are the perfect papers to do a cute layout with or even alter a few items...Here Melissa altered the 7-Gypsies Small Pizza Box (great for putting cookies or sweet treats in) and she altered a little tin (great for putting a small accordion book to hold your favorite photos) both may be given as gifts or you may keep for yourself








This week at the store, we do have a few classes that include, Basics with Jen, a Calendar Class with Angie, and Danielle's KISS Class. There is also a crop this Friday where there are a few spots left...this happens to be the crop that I am working. We also have Creative Cafe Happy Hours scheduled for this week. Feel free to contact or come by the store to sign up for any of the upcoming classes or crops.
Also, this Tuesday, January 29th is T-shirt day so make sure to save alittle extra if you wear your WCS T-shirt...we just reordered some and so they are available for purchase.
This is your SOS
TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/

See ya soon

Thank you to all...

the wonderful instructors at Windy City Scrapbooking who were able to attend the Instructor Open House last Saturday! I know those of you who were able to make it had a blast with the make and takes and getting to know our talented instructors. For those of you who could not make it, I really hope you can make it next time as I feel our instructors keep coming up with more amazing classes!(Now I am trying to decide what class I am going to take in February!)

I thought I would share some of the pictures from the day that one of the instructors took (hence while she does not have a picture of herself showing her classes!)(Thanks Danielle)

Check out the classes on line www.windycityscrapbooking.com/classes.htm to see the amazing classes this month!

1,2,3,4...Yes we do count everything!

So for those of you who did not know we closed yesterday to do inventory! And yes we do count every paper, sticker, ribbon, Bazzill wall, album, embellishment and even Alphaduets(well those aren't finished but I hope I don't work that day! :) It was fun to work yesterday though-even with all the chaos. We had many volunteers and I know we would not have gotten as much done if it weren't for their help as well! Thanks volunteers! Plus our team did an awesome job!

It is really hard to believe how much inventory we have at Windy City Scrapbooking! I mean all those die cuts and paper and stickers! I think we are so lucky to have such an awesome store to shop at. I love the variety we have and the amount of product we do carry. I feel that even if you are looking for something and we don't have it(really...we don't have it, I find that hard to believe! lol) I think you can't find something similar to it!

I also cannot believe how many post it notes we went through-my son helped take those off today and a quote from him "Boy, there sure was alot of those yellow tags mom-are you sure we are going to get them all taken off?" So my question to you is if you come into Windy City Scrapbooking starting Saturday through next Saturday and you find a post it not still stuck on the back of the product bring it to the front counter and you will win a little bit of blog candy! This is limited to the first 5 people!

I am sharing some of our photos from the day!

Watch in the upcoming weeks for me to post about new product coming to Windy City Scrapbooking!

Hope everyone stays warm this weekend and hopefully you can come by this Saturday for our Instuctor Open House! It is going to be from 12-2 p.m.!!

SCRAPPIN ON SUNDAYS...

I am so sorry that I did not post last Sunday
Busy getting the twins ready for school last week
I want to thank those of you who either posted your WORD for the year or came by the store and shared with me or any of the other Windy City team members your WORD for the year. I hope to encourage you to stick to it (while I COMMIT to stick to mine)...

We had a great weekend at the store as we had our first BAG SALE...I helped set up the night before and I could not believe the amount of scrap supplies that was available for purchase and to fit into the different size bags....Let us just say that it was a great way to stock up on items for yourself and your little ones (like I did)
Thanks to everyone who came out to support. I really thought of this as a way to NOT MAKE US COUNT IT as we will be closed this Wednesday, January 16th, ALL DAY for inventory, so again thank you for coming out and buying so that we will not have to count it.

This week we have a lot of classes planned. Angie is holding her first Paper Dolls class(great for little scrappers) for the New Year along with her Altered Envelope class. I had the pleasure of previewing projects from both classes and both are really cute and very useful. Grace will be starting up the CARD CLUB and let me tell you...for those of you looking for a way to use your scraps, create the perfect card and have fun doing it all at the same time, this is the class for you. This is also a great way to learn new techniques for your scrapbook pages, your invitations and anything else you want to create. We have our Creative Cafe this Thursday along with Beyond Basics with me on Thursday night and guess what is back....CROP NIGHTS!!!

That is right, our CROP NIGHTS will be staring back up this Friday, January 18th 5:30-11:30 and for $15.00 you may come and not only meet fellow scrapbookers but also have a great dinner, enjoy snacks, give-a-ways and raffles. There are a few seats still left and we also have CROP NIGHT next Friday, January 25th. You may just call the store and we can take your reservation over the phone. Also this week, actually next Saturday, January 19th, we will have our 2nd Teacher Open House from 12pm-2pm. Come out and meet all of Windy City Scrapbooking's instructors and do a few make and takes with us. Remember...classes are a great way to jump start your creativity, learn new techniques, get those photos out of those boxes and those supplies that you have purchased from Windy City out of those bags.

Do not forget that we still have Quickutz specials going on too...check out our website at http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/ for more details or feel free to call us @ 773-935-0585 if you have any questions about anything.

TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/ (Yes...I have updated my blog)

What size bag do you want?

I just got home from the store and let me tell you how big this sale is going to be! I really hope you are coming because the classroom is going to be so packed with stuff I am not sure how we are going to be able to walk in there! (okay you are going to be able to walk but it is going to be tight! :) All I did tonight was pull more stuff from the store to put in the sale and Christina left baskets(I am talking lots of baskets) for me to put in for the sale! It is going to be a sale that is going to be stuffed with lots of goodies!

I think at this point we will be putting new stuff out on Sunday as well! We have SO MUCH stuff for the sale! If you want to see the bags it is our large handle bags for $60, the large flat bag for $40 and the medium flat bag for $20! This is a huge bargain-even the small bag you can fit well over a $100 worth of product in there. If you need paper to stock up on then buy a large bag!

I have to say this sale is going to simplify the way I shop this month! I get to choose a bag and fill it up and I will have lots to play with!(See Al I am working on my word for you!)

Talk to you all on thursday!

-Susan

And my word is...

Hello everyone! I hope the New Year is already treating you right. I have to say that Alraynita has been bugging me(smooches to you Al :) to post what my word for the year is. I think I have finally decided to go with the word "SIMPLIFY". Why you ask??? Well take a look at the picture of my "scrap space"(please no comments from the peanut gallery!)(Did I mention I have scrap stuff all over the house-basement, extra bedroom, dining room table, kitchen table, shelves in basement!) I have decided this year I am going to continue to simplify things. I feel lots of time we do things because we think we have to-well NO MORE! I am going to try and simplify things around me-my scrap space, my house, the activities-basically all the CLUTTER that I can.

I have learned to early that things can be taken away from you in a blink of the eye and what is important is what is happening right now. I don't want to miss any more important moments...I have already done that with to many things!

I hope to continue with this word. I am also going to try and take this word with me into my scrapping life as well. I am posting a few more layouts of the two calendars that I DID get finished on New Year's Day. They are simple-do you get the theme here?

This month we are going to be helping you to get organized and I hope you take that challenge. Figure out what you need to get organized and JUST DO IT!!(please don't sue me Nike! LOL)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I hope you choose a word to help you live this year.

Happy New Year!!

The family of Windy City Scrapbooking would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year!
We can't wait for you to be a part of all of the wonderful events we have planned for 2008! Watch for your upcoming newsletter to be delivered in your inbox and see what we have in store for you for January! If you do not already get our newsletter make sure you sign up the next time you are in the store or go to our website at http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/.

We want to thank you all for a wonderful 2007 and hope you continue to support the local scrapbook in 2008. I know we have blogged about one of our favorite hangouts but just in case you have not been there in awhile hop on over to http://www.maps2memories.com/ and see how you can help to support the local scrapbook store as well as enter one of their contests!

If you did not read the last blog entry you need to go back and read what Alraynita wrote. She has chosen a word for the year 2008 to help her in her daily life--Commit! I have decided I am going to help her with that word as well as I am going to commit to find some great editorials for all of us crafters out there..layouts, cards, how to do things-you name it I am going to find some fun things to post! If you have something fun you would like to share with us please do so! Thanks for the comments on the posts we have posted-it is always fun to go back and read the comments.

I did want to remind you of a few things going on at the store our awesome bag sale on January 12th and 13th, 2008(that feels so weird to type that! :) (Where o where did 2007 go!)And the following weekend is our Open House with the talented instructors here at Windy City Scrapbooking! And our Friday night crops are going to be back in full swing towards the latter part of the month. Make sure you make your reservations soon because I know they will fill up quickly-lots to catch up on with all the holiday pictures!

I can't wait to see you all this year and please continue to read our blog as I know it will continue to evolve over time!

Happy New Year!!!!
--Susan