A reminder to all of Scrapbook Generation's club members: Your kits for August will be available for pick-up on Wednesday!

If you haven't taken one of our free sketch classes yet, you're missing out! Sketches are a great way to make a quick, attractive page, with no stress. I'll be repeating the sketch from June this Thursday (August 2), and still have openings in the 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. sessions. The suggested paper for this sketch comes from a great group by Cosmo Cricket called Halfway Cafe. Colors are deep reds and rusts, blues and teals, and soft butter yellow. This sketch is perfect for quick use of 4x6 and 4x4 photos, and you are free to choose other papers if you don't like my selection!

On Saturday (August 4) we have the first installment of our Hall of Fame Sketches. The cardstock used will be french vanilla, and the patterned papers are from K & Company's Bailey collection -- beautiful muted tones and sophisticated patterns! I'll lead the sessions, but the sketch is designed by Allison Davis. Her sketches often will have 5x7 and larger photos, as well as smaller sizes like 2x2 and 3x3.

How the sessions work:
You receive an exclusive computer sketch of a scrapbook layout, free. The sketch (think of it as a blueprint of a page) includes exact measurements of page elements and photos. The approximately hour-long session features a brief overview of design rules used in the sketch, ways it can be altered to fit your photos, time to create a two-page spread, and advice on colors and embellishments (if desired).

You are responsible for purchasing your own supplies at the sketch session. The suggested cardstock and patterned papers are available for purchase (the total is usually less than $4), or you may select other Scrapbook Generation papers to buy and use.

It's important to bring cutting tools, adhesives, and other items you normally use to work on pages, or purchase them on-site. Bringing your photos is a good idea, but is not required.

To read comments about the sketch sessions from those attending, go to scrapbookgeneration.com and click on "free sketch sessions."

We're beyond excited today! Just received a copy of Simple Scrapbooks, and our ad is on page 114. We're advertising our album clubs, page kit clubs, and card kit club. They've all been so popular with people in the Springfield area, and with travelers visiting Scrapbook Generation, that we decided to try to reach a larger audience. We're ready for the orders to start!

I also wanted to let you know what to expect as far as our CHA orders for August. Here's what we know will be arriving in the next few weeks.
-- Scrappin' Sports: cute papers and stickers for each grade from pre-school through senior;
-- Creative Impressions: sheer scrolled ribbon in 26 colors;
-- Flair: 18 new family papers and matching stickers, also a new group of papers and stickers for the months of the year, plus blank calendar pages;
-- Fancy Pants: (our biggest order at the show) new 12x12 felt borders and shapes in four theme and color combinations; almost every style of 6x6 and 12x12 chipboard shapes; 6x6 and 12x12 clear acrylic stamps; five paper collections with matching rub-ons and ribbon;
-- My Minds Eye: the entire Confetti collection, which features four color combinations in dozens of papers, die cuts, transparencies, ribbons, flowers, and more!

There will be other surprises along the way, but I wanted to let you know that these things are on the horizon for sure!

We stopped by the Flair booth and asked them if they had seen the September issue of Creating Keepsakes yet. They hadn't, so I was able to tell them that their paper was on the cover! It was a first for them, and they were excited! One of the designers told us that the words on the rust colored paper are her grandmother's biscuit recipe. It was interesting to know there was a story behind the paper that Ali used on her layout for the cover.

Allison had a great time at CHA in Chicago (other than missing Drew). She lunched with the other 2007 Hall of Famers, met them for some other parties, and took part in the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame reunion on the last morning of the show. And imagine our surprise when a couple of times she was stopped in the convention hall and asked if she was Allison Davis!

It was fun being her official photographer, although I'll have to admit I've held that job all of her life! It was an honor to get to take the above photo of her holding the September issue of CK with her page on the cover, and with two Creating Keepsakes editors (the guy is the new editor-in-chief).

I wanted you to see the new "lace" cardstock introduced by KI Memories at CHA in Chicago. Several great designs, and each come in three colors. It's a must-have on our order list! So many creative ways it can be used!

Above, you'll see Springfield resident Valerie Wehrenberg, a Three Bugs in a Rug design team member, conducting a make and take project at CHA in Chicago last weekend. Valerie was an integral part of the company's convention activities this year, even arriving early enough to take part in the setting up of the booth.

Just arrived back in Springfield after CHA in Chicago. While I was gone, Scrapbook Generation received a tropical/paradise/beachy group from Flair, with several papers and matching cardstock stickers. I'll post a pic tomorrow when I'm not so tired. I'll also add some photos of some of Allison's Hall of Fame activities, and some scenes from the show. Right now, I just want to head home!

Sunday morning in Chicago. We've starting to get a little tired! Right now, Ali is participating in a Hall of Fame event at the Creating Keepsakes booth, and as soon as I get off the computer, I'll be walking around and placing the orders I worked on last night. Things that caught my eye yesterday include the following...

-- Imaginisce: a spectacular Christmas group of double-sided papers with glitter;
-- Doodlebug: everything is glittered, from chipboard letters to stickers to rubons, and there are bottles of glitter to match the glitter cardstock we've already had at Scrapbook Generation -- also, cute new lines for Halloween and Christmas;
-- Creative Impressions: sheer ribbon with a scroll pattern;
-- Hero Arts (and several others): loads of clear stamps (by far, this is the most dominant trend of the show -- everyone, including paper companies, has jumped on this bandwagon);
-- Scenic Route: several great paper collections.

There were several new companies that also have some great papers, and I can't seem to remember all their names right now. Allison especially liked one called October Morning, and we also like Dream Street.

Biggest disappointment of the show: BasicGrey. It's always been our most popular paper, but the last four collections not so much. This time, there are five new collections, and all but one feature (to me at least) unattractive colors and scary/strange designs. In my opinion, they started off setting trends, and now in the effort to still be the trendsetter, they've lost touch and moved over to the bizarre.

Anyway, there is more than enough beautiful scrapbooking stuff to choose from, and over the next few months, you'll see lots of it arriving at Scrapbook Generation.

It's Saturday morning, and the atmosphere at CHA in Chicago on the second day is a little more laid-back than it was yesterday. Allison spent most of Friday walking around and looking at booths with a group of the Hall of Fame gals, then she went to a party last night hosted by 2Peas. I went to as many booths as I could, then spent the evening in the hotel going over the catalogs and making notes about products that had caught my eye.

Here are the things I was really impressed by:
-- Technique Tuesday: Tons of clear stamp sets, and we want them all!
-- Fancy Pants: 12x12 felt shape sets (each set has four colors of felt, and dozens of shapes and borders);
-- Maya Road: shaped chipboard and transparent mini-albums;
-- Prima: glitter flowers and polka dot flowers;
-- My Minds Eye: the Confetti collection (colorful papers, matching die cuts, etc. in four great color families);
-- K & Company: a new heritage group that is a collaboration with Ancestry.com (includes some old-timey albums like our grandparents might have used (black pages, no page protectors);
-- KI Memories: lace (cut-out) cardstock -- you'll love this!

Biggest trends: clear stamps, by almost every company. Also, chipboard remains a staple!

We're off to look at more stuff. Give a report later!

Hi, from CHA in Chicago! Allison and I have been at the convention center all morning, looking at tons of new scrapbooking products. So far, we've seen lots of great stuff, as well as a few items that have really stood out as "must haves." Saturday, we'll both blog with our top pics of products from what we've seen on Friday, then do the same on Sunday and Monday.

Right now, I'm taking a break while Ali goes to lunch with the other Hall of Fame gals (and guy). She's already spotted several she recognized from their photos while we were walking around this morning. We've also already seen Valerie Wehrenberg, one of our good customers, who is here to work at the Three Bugs in a Rug booth. Valerie is on their Design Team, and you may remember her name -- she was a perennial winner in our layout contests. We also stopped and chatted for just a minute with Elsie Flannigan, another customer who has made it big in the scrapbooking world. Elsie's booth was separate from KI Memories, and was like a little house -- she reached into "kitchen cabinets" to get our catalogs for us!

This is Ali's first show, so I've been introducing her to my system, which is start in the back of the biggest room, and work my way to the front. It will take three full days to do that! I'll also report that we ended up flying instead of driving -- once my mother found out my plans, she vetoed them. Guess you're never too old for a little motherly advice. Anyway, we'll go online tomorrow to give you our rave reviews. Hi, Karin and Stacey -- my phone won't work in this huge building! I'll call you later tonight, I guess.

What an awesome birthday gift! Allison just turned 27 today, and about five minutes ago, we got the September issue of Creating Keepsakes, which has HER layout on the cover! How about that...her first published layout is a cover! We've known about it for quite some time, but CK is fond of that pesky word "confidential."

Don't know who the little girl in the photo is, and wish it was Drew, but it's beyond exciting anyway. Her cover page credit is listed on page 9, if you want to see! CK assigned three scrapbookers to do a cover page, and then chose Allison's to use.

Topic Number 1:
I'm back to explain a bit more about Scrapbook Generation's new Saturday sketch class debuting in August. The new sketch class is called Hall of Fame Sketches, with Allison Davis as the designer. (I'll still be leading the sessions as usual.) Ali's sketches will reflect her pages, and will often feature 5x7 and larger photos, as well as smaller sizes like 2x2, 3x3, etc.

Everything else will be the same as in previous sketch sessions, which will now be called Basic Sketches, and will continue to be perfect for quick use of basic 4x6 and 4x4 photos sizes.

The newsletter is still at the printer, but I'll give you a heads-up on dates for the sketches sessions for August and September. Call us any time to register.

Hall of Fame Sketch Sessions -- August 4 and September 29 (choose from 10, 11:30, 1, and 2:30);
Basic Sketch Sessions -- August 18 and September 15, same times.

Topic Number 2:
Ali and I will be heading to Chicago on Thursday for the annual CHA (Craft and Hobby Assocation) summer show. I'll be walking around at the show for three days, oohing and aahing at all the new stuff, and rolling around a suitcase full of hundreds of pounds of catalogs. Ali will be involved in events sponsored by Creating Keepsakes, and also will be meeting the other Hall of Fame picks for some get-to-know-each-other activities on their own. She has so many things planned that I'm not sure that I'll see very much of her!

Topic Number 3:
Check out consideryourselfchallenged.blogspot.com! Scrapbook Generation's talented Design Team has created this fun and motivating challenge blog to get your creative juices flowing. They will be posting challenges twice a month, posting examples of their own pages, inviting you to create your own pages, checking them out, and then awarding prizes!

A few years ago, most of us didn't have a clue what a blog was. Now they're part of everyday life for many of us! We hope you have fun with this great addition to Scrapbook Generation and its activities.

Lots of activity today at Scrapbook Generation! I've been leading four sessions of sketch classes, and Design Team member Marti Blattert has a full house at her Scrapbooking 101 class this afternoon.

The free sketch classes continue to be one of our most popular Saturday features, and in August and September, we'll be adding an additional choice. My sketch classes will now be named Basic Sketches, and we're adding Hall of Fame Sketches designed by Creating Keepsakes Hall of Famer Allison Davis. (I'm a little upset that I get the boring title and Ali gets the glamorous title, but I guess I can live with it!) Got to run and do another class. I'll explain more on Monday!

Just got a new supply of pretty much everything in raw chipboard: BasicGrey, Heidi Swapp, American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket, Making Memories, and more.

A quick post to let you know that all the new Imagination Project/Gin-X stuff arrived at Scrapbook Generation today! We have about 40 new letter sets, flower sets, star sets, photo corners, circles, and more, all made out of "coaster" material, which is basically their version of chipboard. All the basic white shapes can be altered with ink and paint, just like regular chipboard.

I haven't mentioned Scrapbook Generation's fall retreats for a while, so I thought I should give everyone an update. For both retreats, Branson and Eureka Springs, we're going to use a casino theme, and we're sticking with the attitude that what happens in Branson and Eureka Springs stays in Branson and Eureka Springs! I think that the theme lends itself to great decorations and favors and activities, so prepare for lots of good times.

The Branson retreat (October 5-7) is nearing capacity, so if you plan on attending, you need to register as quickly as possible. We're trying out a new location, the Best Western Branson Inn located next to Silver Dollar City on Highway 76. (If you do an internet search, you may come up with another Branson Inn at another address, and that is NOT the one we will be staying at! The one we are booked for doesn't have its own website, but has some info on the Best Western site.)

The crop room is huge, and we are limiting enrollment to 50 people, so that everyone will have plenty of room to work and play. Meals will be served in a private restaurant on-site, and we've been promised great food and lots of it!

The Eureka Springs retreat (November 2-4) also has available openings, and the setting is beautiful that time of year. From Springfield, it's almost exactly two hours away, and well worth the drive. We were highly pleased with everything from space to food to amenities and service last fall. Last year, each scrapper had an 8-foot table to herself! We had spacious break-out rooms for classes, and tasty meals in a separate dining room.

Both retreats are all-inclusive events, and you receive the following...
-- two night's lodging;
-- dinner on Friday; breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday; breakfast on Sunday;
-- never-ending supply of homemade snacks and drinks;
-- late-night snack buffets;
-- on-site mini-store;
-- die-cut, template, and idea center;
-- tons of prizes and give-aways;
-- layout contests;
-- wide selection of classes, including three taught by 2007 Creating Keepsakes Hall of Famer Allison Davis.

Prices are $225 per person for four in a hotel room, $235 per person for three in a room, $245 per person for two in a room; and $285 for one in a room.

Register with a $50 non-refundable deposit. The remaining balance and class fees are due September 8 for Branson and October 6 for Eureka Springs. (If a lump sum is a problem, we are happy to work out payment plans for those who request them.)

To see photos of previous retreats, go to scrapbookgeneration.com. Click on "event photos," then click on galleries for pictures and testimonials from past participants.

I'm in love! Clear stamps are my new favorite toys! Today at Scrapbook Generation, we're in the middle of several free classes featuring clear acrylic stamps by Autumn Leaves and Sassafras Lass. There are 19 sets total, and I want one of each!

Here's my clear stamp story. When we opened the store almost three years ago, we had several alphabet sets of clear stamps by Technique Tuesday, and they didn't sell all that well, so I didn't reorder them. Now, clear stamps have become more popular, and it's easy to see why. I'll tell you why I like them so well, after trying them just last night. After my first stamped image, I was hooked.

-- You can use chalk ink on them! My previous stamping efforts with wood-mounted rubber stamps and big wet ink pads had been messy, sloppy, and not at all the look I was after. With the clear stamps and chalk ink (I used charcoal color) it looks like the design you just stamped on is part of the paper. Wonderfully neat and detailed!

-- You can see what the design will look like on your page before you stamp! Because the stamps are clear, and you stick them on a clear acrylic block, it's super easy to get a good idea what the finished design will look like. (And the Autumn Leaves sets have a clear page with the designs printed on them that you can lay over your page and see exactly what the design will look like in a certain spot. Very helpful!)

-- The price is right! At 10 individual stamps (or more) per package, the same amount in rubber stamps could be more than $100. The sets we have for sale are $12.99 and $14.99.

-- Storage is easy! The stamps go right back in the packaging, and take up very little room.

-- Cleanup is a breeze! Once over with a baby wipe, and then a paper towel, and you're done.

If you want a demo, or more information, just stop by Scrapbook Generation and we'll be happy to show you just how easy it is to get designer-quality looks with very little effort or previous stamping experience.

New items to watch for next week: A large shipment of "coasters" (similar to chipboard) from Imagination Project/Gin X. There are "raw" coasters in several shapes and alphabets that you can alter to match your page, as well as colored coasters in star and flower shapes, and alphabets.