Sunday, April 27, 2008

Scrappin On Sundays...

So alot has been going on at the store...between classes, crops, and new items coming in daily...we have all been really busy
Kudos to Susan for posting great photos of what we have been getting at the store and for letting you know about the Bazzill wall change. I really like the change as it allows you to shop by texture and all of your colors will match along with the texture...make sure you check it out

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, April 27th...

For classes this week...here is the line up...
Melissa is teaching her Wall Monogram class on Monday night...this class makes a great gift for anyone who is into monograms
I will be teaching Basics on Tuesday night and my Birthday Acrylic Album on Sunday
Michealene will be teaching her Baby Journal class on Wednesday night

Now starting this Thursday, May 1st, Windy City Scrapbooking will start Summer Hours...please make sure to note our new hours

Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays 11am-7pm
(Keep in mind for Friday night crops, we will be open until 11:30pm)
Tuesday and Thursdays 11am-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm

There is a Quickutz QT meeting this Thursday and I heard the new Spring Gift Sets are really cute and functional

There is a Kid's Crop this Friday and lunch is provided with the cost

This weekend, we are celebrating National Scrapbooking Day

National Scrapbooking Day (NSD)
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
Sale starts Friday, May 2nd through Sunday, May 4th 2008
All Day Crop!!
11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Crop all day long (12 hours)
enjoy meeting new people,
learning new ideas,
and participating in our other store events that day!
All NSD croppers are also invited to our mini-class which begins at 9:45 a.m.
(doors open to croppers attending the mini class at 9:30 a.m.)
Throughout the Day, we will also be offering:
*Raffles each half an hour from 11:15-4:45 p.m.
*40% off all products from Heidi Swapp (we just restocked on alot of these items), Hampton Arts (Love their Clear Acrylic Stamps),
Luxe Designs (All of it including the new Simply Luxe products and new Acrylic Stamps),
ADHESIVE (great way to stock up),
and much more!
* Free 180 page paper pack with $100 in purchases (after discounts)
*Demonstrations throughout the day!
*Free clear tags or clear frames with the purchase of a Clear Scraps Album
*QuicKutz Revolution sale -- Buy a Revolution at $79.99 and get a FREE Mini-Album die (retail value $24.99) -- The best Revolution deal we've ever had!
*QuicKutz Club Members receive 40% off all alphabets throughout the day
(sorry, not valid on gift sets).
And the best thing...No coupon is needed
Okay...so I hope to see you this weekend at the store
This is your SOS
TTFN
Alraynita
(updating soon)

Thursday, April 24, 2008

So are you "Simply" ready to start the weekend..

Happy Thursday to you all! I have a few pictures I wanted to show you from the store! I know we have talked about the new "Simply Luxe" lines but I wanted to show you the epoxy stickers and the stamps!


See I told you they were cute!

And just in case you haven't heard-we ordered the whole display of Tim Holtz's Distress Crackle paint! Here is a picture of it while we were putting it out-I got so excited I could not wait until it was all finished! If you don't know how to use them--ask us and we will be happy to tell you!
These little bottles can save you SO much time it is not even funny!


I also wanted to remind you all about my post from Monday--tell us your opinion of the new Bazzill Wall! And you might win some blog candy!
Just a reminder that are new summer hours start next week on Thursday!
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11-7
Tuesday and Thursday 11-9
Saturday and Sunday 11-5!
(I mean we have to enjoy summer too, right???)

Hope to see you all at our all day NSD crop next Saturday, May 3rd! And the sale is going to be awesome as well as the giveaways!
Have a good Friday!
-Susan

Monday, April 21, 2008

Canvas, Criss Cross, Orange Peel...

What is the meaning of this title, you ask! These are just a few of the names of the textures that Bazzill cardstock comes in . And do you want to hear all of the names??? Well, here goes! Classic(their first kind of cardstock), Canvas(their largest selection of Cardstock is in this texture), Criss Cross(when this came out it was the "Doodlebug" texture), Orange Peel (when this first came out it was the "KI Memories" texture), Washboard(when this first debuted it was referred to as the "Scrapworks" texture), Destinations(it has a darker hue to it), Burlap, Bling(need I say more!), Grasscloth. So there you have it-you lesson in Bazzill cardstock.(Oh yeah-this is also the Corduroy texture that used to be the Chatterbox texture but those have been discontinued! We do have a few of those left though if you like that texture!)

And just in case you don't like texture, most of Bazzill is only textured on one side! So if you like the Classic look you can flip over most of the other textures to use that!

The reason I am posting this is to show you we have changed up the wall of Bazzill. It used to have all the textures mixed in together in a Rainbow fashion. Now with guidance from Bazzill we have switched to putting them in textures in the Rainbow fashion. So now if you love the "criss cross" texture they are all in the same place! I am going to show you pictures of the Bazzill wall before, during and after the move! Cheryl, Sesil and I worked really hard on this so I hope you all like it! It has been very interesting to hear people's opinion why they do or don't like it!

Post on the blog what you think and you could win some blog candy! Yep that's right! I have put together a fun little giveaway(paper from Reminisce, stickers and pens!). So post by friday and I will post who won on Friday night during the crop!

Before... During..

Working hard...


Completed! :)
It was a tough job but it was fun to see colors I did even know what their true color is!
Have fun the next time you come in shopping!

Here is a picture of the new Bazzill Bling we just received too! It is named after the Birthstones! Super cool colors!

Also here is the new Cardstock with an Edge! It is just the edge in several different patterns!



Have a wonderful week and don't forget to post--maybe you can win this time!
-Susan



Thursday, April 17, 2008

Sesil got published...and we have a winner!

Whoo-hoo! I was going to post the winner of our "Simplify Your Stash" contest when I checked emails this morning and saw that our very own Sesil ("Cecile") had a projects posted on Teresa Collins' blog! Take a look: http://teresacollins.typepad.com/teresa_collins/2008/04/time.html
You can also see this project and more by our Teresa Collins display in the store!

And now, for the winner of our "Simplify Your Stash" Contest...Drum roll please...................
Sylvia S.! Sylvia has one one complete collection pack of Simply Luxe -- she gets to choose the color -- red, pink, lime, black, turquoise, or blue. The Collection packs contain 2 of each paper from the color family (12 papers in all), one jotter, one set of NEW epoxies, and one set of alphabet stickers. Congrats, Sylvia -- you'll really be able to simplify your stash now!

For those of you (and Sylvia, too) ready to simplify your stash and ready to play more games, check out the Luxe Scavenger Hunt posted on their blog on April 8th! 2 winners have already been found, but there are more chances to win out there!

And if you REALLY want to have some fun, check out the Luxe Design Team call posted on their blog on April 1st! How fun would it be to "work" for Luxe!!!!!

Finally, since we are on the subject of blogs, i just thought I would send you to a link of my husband (Dave) winning his Master's Party Tournament last Sunday! Well, he was a co-winner but I just thought I would share! Now to get those photos and scrap them -- make him appreciate my hours and hours and hours of scrapbooking (while he is playing hours and hours and hours of sports!!!!) Check it out here: The Master's Party

Have a great day!
-don't let your memories blow away!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Scrapping On Sundays

Hello everyone,

Here is your SOS for this Sunday

We have been busy...as always...putting new merchandise out just for you
New Cosmo Cricket is in which includes Black Board Books in different sizes and new papers along with ribbons and rubons.
The new Luxe acrylic stamps are in and they are very versatile...it is hard for me to decide which one to get, if not all of them.
For classes this week, Grace will hold her Card Club class on Monday night and she will be designing cards that you may use for Mother's Day, Wedding, Sympathy, and Baby. If you want to learn about adding more to your pages, I am teaching Beyond Basics on Tuesday. Michealene is teaching her Birthday Rolodex class on Wednesday and Sesil will be teaching a Basics class on Thursday. There are Happy Hours scheduled for this week and we have a crop this Friday which is almost full. (It is Sesil's birthday so she will be cropping that night too.)
You may easily give us a call to reserve your spot in any of our classes or crops.

Do not forget your entries into the Simply Luxe contest...I will be entering it...will you?

Hope to see you in the store soon
Have a great week

TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Mmmmm....Yeah

Mmmmm....yeah...
These are the words proclaimed by the winner of our birthday prize raffle (valued over $200), Patty C. Here is a photo of her coming to pick up her prize -- a beautiful Fancy Pants bag filled with new papers from Simply Luxe, adhesive, a Heidi Swapp Calendar, a Cosmo Cricket Collection pack, and much more!
Watch for our next BIG raffle prize on National Scrapbooking Day, Saturday, May 3rd! that will be a big prize, too! But if you are interested in winning a prize before "NSD", don;t forget about our Simplify Your Stash Challenge (see post from April 3rd)! The drawing for one collection (the color of your choice) of the new Simply Luxe lines will be on April 15th!!! Here is an entry from Sylvia -- she made a whole project so she gets 5 tickets for the drawing! Send in your photos now to be entered to win! And since we ALL have stash that could use some simplifying, we are having another challenge for our Team Members at WCS -- and here is my entry for tonight -- i matched products from the pink Simply Luxe Collection (jotter, pinstripe paper, and alphabet stickers) with some fun papers and bling from Glitz Designs, as well as some new Maya Road for Luxe sheer ribbon! can;t wait to see what I make with these items....just have to find the perfect photos now! :)

-don't let your memories blow away,
Christina

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Bling, Bling and more Bling

April Showers bring May Flowers! I sure hope so! I am already tired of the rain--I really just want some sunny days!


I thought I would post a little bit about what is going on in the store this week. We have a crop on friday night and there is a fun "happy hour" starting at 6 p.m. No reservations needed-just show up! The card set is only $6.00.

I also wanted to post some pictures from our birthday celebration! Thanks for all of you who stopped in to see us. We had a wonderful day! And if you did not "BLING" up your shirts- you do not know what you are missing out on! You have to come in and see this awesome new little tool! The jewels are stinking cute! I know you are going to have a fun time with them--I mean you can do your clothes and your scrap pages, what more could a woman ask for??? The 23rd of Wednesday is a good day to come into the store to add to your bling for your W.C.S. T-shirt! Check out the website for more details!











And the cutest one of the day!

That is the "King of Scrapbooking" doing a demo with the new cutter from Tonic!

Don't forget to post what you already have to go with your Luxe stash! If you need a reminder scroll up and see what Christina posted last week!
Have a great weekend!
-Susan







Sunday, April 6, 2008

Scrapping On Sundays

Happy Sunday everyone...

Here is your SOS for this Sunday

So we have been getting in boxes left and right over the past couple of weeks and we get so excited as each one comes in. I do not know which lines are my favorites yet.
We have the new Crate in along with 7 Gypsies, Pink Paislee, Simply Luxe and one of my personal favorites... Fancy Pants. I have a birthday gift certificate and I really can not decided what to buy (those that know me, know I will buy them all at some point)
For classes this week, Angie will be teaching her Stitchery class on Tuesday night...this is a really cool class if you are looking for a way to bring a new element into your scrapbooking or card making. There is also a couple of "Happy Hours" this week using Creative Cafe and Danielle will be teaching her KISS class (Keep It Simple Scrapper) where where she teaches you how to get the most out of your patterned papers by creating a couple of layouts and a card or two. Finally, Sesil will be teaching Basics this week and if you have not already signed up for this Friday's crop...Sesil and I will be working this crop so call in to reserve your space...we will be sure to have a blast.
Make sure you check out Christina's contest with the Simply Luxe line, she posted information about this new contest on April 3rd (my 39th birthday)...it is a great way to use up your stash and get creative.

Thanks to everyone who had a chance to come into the store for our 4th birthday celebration. Thank you so much for supporting Windy City Scrapbooking...we really appreciate it and appreciate you.

Have a great week and hope to see you soon

TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/ (will update soon)

Thursday, April 3, 2008

SIMPLify Your Stash & Chances for Free Stuff!

Looking for that perfect piece of subtle patterned paper to tone down that beautiful yet "how will I ever use this???" patterned paper? Looking for a background that has more "oomph" than a piece of solid cardstock? Looking to add to your repertoire of journaling items?

I found the answer!!!!!

Simply Luxe! 6 great colors with simple patterns for backgrounds or journaling, great alphabet stickers, journaling and element stickers, and COLORED jotters!

I had arguments with myself all day today trying to decide which patterned paper I like the best (although the "lined" paper is pictured above, "pinstripe" won my personal debate-- it is great as a pattern and I can use it for journaling, too!!!!), and now I am debating between the jotters and the stickers -- which do I like more? The stickers stick (Master of the Obvious) but the Jotters are BIG and bold (see above)! Hmmmm......I'll have to have both! And then I need to choose between colors -- pink is awesome but green & black are very functional (as well as red and blue and turquoise!) You can spend an hour playing with the colors and patterns -- go to this link on the Luxe website and have fun rolling your mouse over the papers! (I'll start you out with pink!) http://www.luxedesigns.com/simplyluxepnk.php

But enough about me -- I have a challenge for you. (Challenge = Free stuff)

I talked to Emily Adams from Luxe today (http://emilyhadams.blogspot.com -- check out photos of the label stickers on her post from March 3rd!!!!) and she told me about the challenge that she has given to the staff at Luxe. It is to go through your stash and match pieces of Simply Luxe to things you already have. that is your challenge -- find things that you already have that coordinate with Simply Luxe , take a photo of it and email it to us at classes@windycityscrapbooking.com . We'll put the name of everyone who sends us a photo into a hat and draw a name on Tax Day and that person wins a Simply Luxe Collection pack of his/her choice! If you send us a layout or other project you made with Simply Luxe, we'll give you 5 raffle tickets!

Here are some photos from the Luxe staff so you can see what I am babbling about-- be warned, once you start matching , it is addictive! Watch the Luxe website (as well as Emily's site) as they start a scavenger hunt where you can be entered to win more Simply Luxe Collection packs!

Lime Simple Stripe with Basicgrey:


Black Lined with Daisy D's Sock Monkeys!! :

Red pinstripe with Lace Cardstock from K-I:

Turquoise Label stickers with Chatterbox!:


And last but not least, LUXE with LUXE!! :


And for those of you who don't know already, on Saturday we are having our 4th Birthday with BIG Sales (25% off all papers, stickers, and acrylic stamps, as well as demonstrations of fun stuff like bling for your Windy City T-shirt) all day! This will be the perfect time to try out some Simply Luxe for yourself! Oh, and for every $50 purchase you get a fun prize pack and for $100 you get a $10 gift certificate (to be redeemed 4/15-5/15/08) as well as the prize pack!! And there will be a big raffle of a prize valued over $200 -- don't miss that, there might even be some Simply Luxe in there!

-don't let your memories blow away,

Christina

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

My FAVORITE line and a Brand new one..

Happy Wednesday to you! I hope you got outside and enjoyed a part of this beautiful day!
I wanted to let you know you a few new items we have at the store!

The long awaited brand new line for Windy City Scrapbooking "Pink Pasliee." Super cute papers, stickers and stamps. You are going to fall in love with these petite stamps! We received the WHOLE line--everything that they carry-we got!

Here is a sneak peak of the product.

(I mean come on--how cute is this! Way Cute!)









Also I know I mentioned it last week but my very favorite line of papers is in! I was so happy to go to CHA and see that Crate Paper had four new collections! And Christina even let me decide which ones to bring in! They are super cute and the texture on the paper is so cool! I love the new brads they have with the line as well. I know this is going to be my next purchase(I promise to get some and actually do a layout with it! And I will even share the layout!)

I cannot tell you how excited I am about this product! If you get some post your layout on our blog so I can see what you have done with it! I am almost obsessed with this paper!


Have a wonderful day! And don't forget to look at our coupons on our website-is for Basicgrey. http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/Coupon.htm

Until tomorrow-Susan