SEI Jolie

This has got to be the best line that SEI has ever released. It is just undescribably gorgeous! Very V-day, very spring, very girly, very romantic, just very very. I can think of a million different pages to use this paper on and I know that those of you that get the kit are just going to love using it in all of your projects. Here are a couple pics of stuff that i've been slaving over:

This is the "Brand New" kit for Gifted Memories. It won't be posted till tomorrow so be sure to check it out. It is a one page layout kit.

This is a project that I did for The Pink House. If you have not played with the Queen & Co. Felt Fusion, you have got to get you some. It is so versatile and fun. I used it to make my own version of lace paper in this layout. Since it is self-adhesive, all you have to do is lay it down on the edge of your cardstock and trim around it. Easy Peasy.

A predesigned Baby Girl Scrapbook album. 20 pages of total cute. All you have to do is add your pics. Covers all of the little ones milestones from first haircut to first steps. There is a place for the birth announcement as well as for you to stamp her footprints. You even have an envelope to place a lock of hair from the haircut. Lovely from front to back. It will be in the store tomorrow along with the new kit.

Feb 5th kits will be available for sale. And make sure that you sign up for the newsletter, it will be going out tomorrow. Have a great evening and blog you tomorrow.

Valentines Day Kit

I can't believe it's been 3 days since I updated the blog. Blogging is my favorite new "thing" and I can't even begin to count how many hours I have spent doing it since I started my blog. It is just so fascinating to be able to share what is going on in your life and to see what is going on in someone elses. I have run across a few (hundred) fabulous blogs and am still trying to figure out how they do what they do (all the graphics blow my mind).

It has been so busy for me these last few days. Here is a peek at what I have had going on:

1. I had 2 classes over the weekend.


2. I am preparing for a convention in just about 23 days (time flies)


3. I have new stuff to be posted into the store


4. I just finished a couple of kits for V-day and a girls basketball kit


5. I am getting all of the ideas together for the Round Robin at the Pink House in Feb (that is going to be so much fun. I can hardly wait)


6. Gifted Memories newsletter will be going out this week (going to be talkin about scrappin outside the album. One of my favorite topics). If you would like to have it delivered to you, make sure you sign up


7. Putting the final touches on the monthly kit club. I am running a little behind schedule on it but I want to make sure it is absolutely perfect before the reveal.


8. Getting the Gallery up and running before the end of the week is really at the top of my list. I want you to be able to have a place to show off all of your hard work. It should be ready by Monday coming.


9. more, more, more but I won't bore yall with all the boring details, I have rambled enough.

On another note, my daughter sends me this email saying that she has solved the cube. What the heck, I worked with the Rubiks cube most of my childhood and could not solve it. What's she got that I don't got, lol. She had the dang thing for about an hour and solved it. I insist that she never touched it, just took it out of the pack and took a photo of it. That's my story and i'm sticking to it! Now I just know that there are a couple of people out there that are saying to themselves, what is this woman an idiot? She can't solve the R-Cube? my kid can do that. Well no I am not an idiot, I am actually disgustingly good at puzzles (I was the go to girl for the daily puzzle at the office) but there is just something about that cube. I'll leave it at that.

For those of you out there that are thinking about the monthly kit, here is a sample of what you will be getting:

I received some very good news this week. I will definitely be at 2 of the CKC's that I applied for, Buffalo in May and Fort Lauderdale in Jun. I am so excited about this. Memories Expo has also opened the classes for registration. If I wasn't teaching all day, everyday I would definitely take a couple of classes. There are some really good ones listed.

Thanks for stopping by, I always love to hear your comments so leave me a line! Don't forget to drop by the store, we have some awesome stuff in stock and waiting. Let me know what you think about your shopping experience! Gifted Memories is your store and your feedback makes sure that it stays that way! Have a great night and blog you tomorrow.

Cloud Nine Rain Dots are perfect for V-Day Pages

Look at how gorgeous these are! Individual (they aren't this big but this is a great picture of one of the large sized ones. It looks like candy):

Packaged (they come 65 to a package for the hearts and even more for the dots):

We now have the Red ones in the Store and will be adding white and pink hearts along with blue, red and pink dots tomorrow along with the new papers.

Here are a couple of layouts that I have been working on. The first is for Julie Bonner's weekly sketch challenge:

The second is one that I did with my son in mind. When he was little (and even now) he loved to go to the bookstore and play with the trains. That turned into an even bigger fascination and now whenever we travel, he has to ride the subway or whatever train system is in the city we visit. If he hears a train whistle, we have to stop so that he can watch it go by. Love it but have to find a photo of him loving it to add that this layout. I also plan to add this to the Predesigned section in the store. I used the MM Jigsaw glitter letters and K&Company Urban Rhapsody paper to create it:

I also received the following papers and will be uploading them to the store tomorrow (just a sample, there are 11 new papers that will be added):

This just in! Gifted Memories will now have a gallery! I promised you a community and not just another online shopping site and I am slowly getting there. You can expect the gallery to be up and running around the same time as the kit club (first week of February). I am also working on a few new kits (pets and college) and would love to hear your suggestions. What page kit would make you sing out loud? Leave a comment to let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting. Shere

She said YES!

Well the wonderful artist that I was talking about for the scraplift emailed me back and said yes. I am sooooo excited!!!!! Here is a link to her blog so that you can take a look at her work. Carole Janson. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Guess what I bought today? 1 new book and all the latest Scrapbook Trends issues. I can't wait to curl up with these. The book is Autumn Leaves "Designing With Details". I took a glance through it and was pleasantly surprised to find a layout made on felt. Oooooh my wheels are turning.

Finished another layout today and am getting ready to start on week 3's challenge layout. This one has me a little stumped but that is temporary. I still have another week to finish. Oh crap! It's practically Thursday as I am writing this. I better get busy. Will post pics tomorrow. Have a great evening.

Layouts and Updates

Finally here are the layouts that I promised.

1. Something Old Class sample: The something old is a transperancy and the something new is a surprise. You can't see it all that well in this pic but the middle strip is clear. Love, love it.

2. The abc tin!

3. A 2008 calendar. These calendars are available as a kit and as a completed project. They are on sale for $10 for the kit and $15 for the completed project. I only have a few of these left!

4. Last project of the day. "Mom's Best" recipe paper bag album set. This was fun to put together and has lots of space for recipes and notes (favorite stories perhaps).

It has been a long day. The movers came and moved the rest of my babies stuff (boo hoo). Although I am very happy to see her go, I am also very happy that she is starting her life on the right foot. She listens way better than I did at her age (but I won't tell her that. Hopefully she doesn't read my blog!).

What's new at Gifted Memories other than the 2 items listed above? Lots! Snowflake brads, square brads, heart brads, tokens, single sheets of patterned paper and more. Keep those request coming, I love to hear from you. If there is something that you have your heart set on and I don't carry it, let me know and I will order it for you at a 10% discount. Here's a look at a couple of the new items.

Have a great night!

Details on the Something Old, Something

Here are the details for this class (some of them anyway, I can't completely spoil the surprise). I am so excited about this and will have a picture of one of the layouts up this evening.

1. For the first layout we are going to use an old product with a new technique. The product is transparencies and the technique is the double-sided layout. Too fun what we are going to do with this.
2. Layout number 2 we are going to use a new product with an old technique. The product is KI's new Lace paper and the technique is masking. If you think you can picture what we are going to do, I promise that you are not even going to be able to imagine this and it is definitely going to make you go aha! I have seen all of the products that we are going to use being used alone but never together.
3. Layout number 3 uses something borrowed so of course it is going to be a scraplift. My all time favorite thing to do for my personal pages. But wait till you see who we scraplift. She is fabulous and does a lot of 3D designs. Can't wait to link you to her work but I have to get her permission first!
4. And layout number 4 not to be outdone by the other 3 is using something blue. Something blue from Tim Holtz to be exact but I am not talking about Distress Ink! Wait till you see it and you will be so excited to get this in your kit!

I have to go now but I will be back later this evening with another post. I had classes all weekend (hence the no show posting) and was not able to spend q-time with my baby so I am taking him and his friends to a late lunch and the jump castle. He is chomping at the bit to get me to move my butt. See you tonight.

Old Friends

I ran into an old friend today and talking to her was such a pleasure. We must have chatted for a half hour. I did another layout for a scrap challenge. Pictures again. So not like me! But between running into Teresa and digging through my photos (went on a manhunt and found one box. The other boxes are probably out in the garage but since it's winter, I have about a month to get them out before they are in any danger from the elements) I am feeling so nostalgique (sp?). My daughter left for college last week and I really miss her more than I thought I would. Unusual to say because she was hardly ever here and when she was she was in her room being teenagey. And then there is that. When the heck did I get old enough to have a college age child? Anywho. So very glad to be a scrapbooker because even though I miss people, at least I can look at my pages and see (not just remember) our time together. In the layout below, my baby is just 10. awwwww (yes Virginia, I am just getting around to scrapping a photo from 8 years ago. The rules have changed!!!! They clearly state that I don't have to scrap chronologically. That's my story and I'm sticking to it). So enough of the mushy stuff. Here are some layouts:

This lo was made for a design team project at The Pink House. I used Cherry Arte (love, love, love this line). You really can't see it here but I did my all time favorite stitching on this layout. It is very simple and easy to reproduce.

This lo is another one for Joanna Bollicks Challenge blog. Loving her sketches and can't wait to see what she post on Sunday. My daughter is 10 in this pic (she is 18 now. She is the one in the lower right corner).

Here is a look at a couple more of the pages for the Pushing Limits Paper Bag Album class. You can clearly see the map paper that I was talking about. It is so fab. It's hard to wait to journal on it. Last but not least, the cards for the abc Tin Kit that will be for sale at Gifted Memories. The kit comes with the MM letters, 3 Bugs in a Rug rub-ons, Basic Grey paper, the tin, ribbon and a bag of embellishments. All of the cards are finished on the front and back. Lovely kit!

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!! Blog you tomorrow.

New Layout

This is the latest layouts that I have come up with. I must be in a funky mood, because this layout is definitely not the norm for me. #1 - It has a photo! #2 - It is different and I used techniques that I would not normally use. Here is a look. Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

NSBR - Apparently my son is a dreaded (imagine the drumroll) - Nature Hater! OMgosh. I must get him into therapy right away. I am lol as I write this because this name was the cause of some major drama between my son and his best friend. He was so upset that I had to call him inside for the evening (he was screaming at the top of his lungs at his friend). When I called him inside, he informed me that I "did not even know what he was going through and that he was never going to play with him again" Long story short, kids have changed so much since I was young and it was very hard for me to contain myself when he told me the story. All I could think was "Is nature hater the best he could come up with?" Apparently it was good enough an insult to send the next Jeff Corwin over the edge so who am I to question the insultiness of the insult (not a word by the way. I just made it up). Thanks for visiting my blog and see you tomorrow!

Make sure you stop by the Gifted Memories store on Friday the 19th for the ABC tin and to see the new V-day and Lucky kits that will be added. Have a wonderful evening.

Class Samples

Okay, I finally received all the supplies and made all of the selections for my 2008 convention classes. I love how everything just came together! These classes are going to be so much fun and the projects are totally giveable (if you can part with them). There will be a picture of the front of the project on the convention website but I also wanted to post them here so that I can tell you a little bit more about the projects and the tools that I used to create them. Number 1-

The Baby Word Book - too, too cute. I used all Fancy Pants products, which is unusual for me because I tend to mix lines, except for the ribbon and lace. The lace is actually some my mom found for me (thanks mom) and is believed to be about 15 years old. Does that make it vintage? Anywho. That lace will only be on the books created at the Memories Expo Ohio convention and the 10 available in the store due to the limited quantity available. All of the other conventions will have "new" lace.

Number 2 - Pushing Limits Paper Bag Album class. Loving the Urban Lily. This album has 16 pages and 4 side pockets. Lots of space. Almost every page has a pocket or foldout spot on it and we will be creating a faux mirror on one of the pages. This album was so much fun to make and I can't wait to share it with you. I will be teaching this locally so it is on display at my LSS but as soon as I get it back, I am filling it up and gonna start using it! I have a huge navigation map from the 70's that I acquired from my Navy days that will be used in portions of this album. Again, only the classes at the Memories Expo Ohio and the kits for sale in my store (only 10 available) will have this limited quantity available feature. All others will have "new" map accents.

In the works is another tin kit but this time, an alphabet tin. No theme but I will be
using these fabulous letters from Making Memories and Basic Grey paper.

It will be in the store Friday, Jan 19th along with a new category. Predesigned. My sister emailed me and said that she loves the store but she does not have time (or inclination. She is not scrapcrafty) to put together kits so would I please add a section for people like her of items that are already complete. Well hello, of course! So you can expect that to be up and running on Friday also. It will include custom pages, custom albums, altered projects, predesigned pages and an assemble me section (buy a kit and have it put together for you).

New to the store are papers from 3 of Fancy pants new lines. Botanical, Sweet Pea, and Holly Jolly. The Holly Jolly paper are not just for Christmas either. Gorgeous come on in and check them out!

Notice the even more improved photos? A big shout out to Ronee of The Pink House for the photography lesson at Friday nights crop. I was literally jumping up and down when I saw how the pics came out. Beep Beep, love ya.

Thanks for visiting and those of you who have signed up for my newsletter it will be going out this evening. If you are planning on visiting my booth at ScrapStampArt Tour, the newsletter has a coupon for 10% off of your entire purchase!

Scrap Challenge

As a result of my blog surfing, I stumbled upon Julie Bonners blog. She issues a sketch challenge every Sunday and her sketches are awesome! Here is a pic of my entry. I haven't found the pictures yet because I am moving and all of my stuff is kinda packed up. It is actually kind of the norm for me to have layouts around that don't have pics. A lot of the time, I will create layouts and then when I find the perfect photo, add it (if my sisters don't take them first) and I do custom scrapbooking for my clients. Anywho. Here it is........

Julie, it was a ton of fun and I just want to say again, thanks for the challenge. I really had to step out of my zone.

I want to say a special thanks to the folks that let me know about the bug in my checkout process at Gifted Memories. You are so appreciated. If you went to the store before and had issues, I apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you in the store again.

Hope everyone is having a terrific weekend and see you tomorrow. In blog land.

Basic Grey Two Scoops

Guess what is coming to Gifted Memories? You guessed it. Basic Grey Two Scoops. I will be receiving it in late January, just in time to ship it to you in early February. I am too excited! Basic Grey is one of my favorite companies and I have been using their papers and products for years (hoarding is probably a better word. It is so pretty ie hard to make myself cover it up) and am so excited to be able to offer it to you. Here is a look at some of the papers. I know that all the magazines have been running ads that give us a teaser peek but here is a good look at a couple of my favorites.

I will be carrying the collection pack (of course, great value and we get all of the papers, hello), 6X6 paper pads, ABC and Olio Rub-on books, ABC and Shapes chipboard. I can't wait to get them all in. Keep ya posted. My husband says that it is not a good thing to be my own best customer but I believe that I am doing a valuable service by quality testing every product that comes into the warehouse (tee hee).

The Fedex man knocked on my door this morning (It was closer to afternoon. I blogged last night until the wee hours than could not go to sleep until I had read every last page of the fab new Memory Makers issue). I received a package from Megan Hoeppner at Paper Crafts Magazine! She is awesome by the way, and taaaallll. Taller than me and usually, I am the tallest woman in the room but that's another story. Back in October I believe, I attended a World Card Making Day event at The Pink House where Megan taught a class. I was a crasher as I was 1 over the max people for the class and she ran out of stamps. I gave her my name and addy and she said she would send me stamps in the mail. Of course I did not think I would get anything because I crashed the party in the first place but she actually sent them. They are too cute and I am very grateful. Just wanted to mention that because she really made my day (I believe this is a handmade card I'm looking at too.)

I want to thank everyone that is visiting the store, you are so much more appreciated than you know! And I want to let you know that my most important priority is customer service. I want your visit to my store to be a great experience from the time you enter to the time you use your products. If at any time you are dissatisfied or run into problems, please let me know. You can contact me via an email link in my store or through my blog. Your suggestions are important to me too, so if you have a suggestion that you believe will improve the shopping experience at Gifted Memories, please feel free to share. If your suggestion is implemented in the store, you will receive free products (and I don't give away junk either! lol).

I will post some projects later but I was so excited about the Basic Grey that I had to share. Have a great day! Shere

Fiskars 9inch Bypass Trimmer

What a wonderful little tool this is! It is the perfect size to carry to crops and it work guillotine style. The guard on the bed allows you to hold your photos down while you are cutting without leaving your fingerprints on them. Well worth every dime and this tool gets 2 thumbs up from me.

Do you have a favorite tool that you can't scrap without? Do share! Drop me a line and let me know what your must have is. For me, it is my sewing machine. I seem to sew on every single page and I don't see this love ending for me any time soon.

I just got the newest issue of Memory Makers magazine and will be scraplifting the cover in about 30 minutes. I did a layout for The Pink House last month using Queen & Companies Felt Fusion and a very similar technique as the one used on the cover. I will post that along with my scraplift.

Round Robin - I don't know how many of you know what this is (I sure didn't) but I saw a Round Robin on the Scrap in Style webcast and it looked like a ton of fun. So much fun in fact that I asked the owner of The Pink House to let me host one at her store! She said yes so I am now committed to follow through. I don't have the date yet but I will post it as soon as I can get it nailed down. If you live in the Charleston area, I would love to see you there.

Last but not least, drop on by my store a pick up a few items for your latest scrapbooking project. I carry a lot of the most popular brands available on the market and new items are added weekly. You will find:

K&Company, Fancy Pants, Queen and Company, Ancestry.com album kits, Gifted Memories exclusive kits, Basic Grey (Figgy Pudding for your Christmas photos), Fiskars, 7Gypsies, Acrylic Albums, EK Success, We R Memory Makers Crop-a-Dile, Cricut machine, cartridges and accessories, Color Box Cat's Eye ink pads, Stickles, Ribbon and so much more.

If you have not been able to pick yourself up one of these Autumn leaves stamps, get one while you are at Gifted Memories. They are only $1. Economical enough to buy one in every flavor (so to speak). We carry the single flourish, bird, star, flower, and the butterfly.

Look forward to seeing you there. Have a great night. Shere