We're in the middle of end-of-the-month-kit-mania around here so I'm not allowed to stop working to do anything fun, like post a picture on the blog, but I did want to let you know that Scrapbook Generation received several items today, including Heidi Swapp 12x12 calendar kits, Karen Foster blank calendars, an assortment of 7Gypsies minibooks, 7Gypsies self-inking journaling stamps in several styles, new Disney papers, and a ton of albums!

All of the October kit clubs will be ready for you to pick up on Monday!

There is one additional color grouping of the Bohemia line, but I can't get the pics to post today. This group is blues and greens -- really great for boyish or masculine pages!

The Bohemia II collection by My Mind's Eye is one of the most beautiful scrapbooking groups I've ever seen! There are four color groups, including double-sided papers, transparency frames, transparency borders, huge flowers, crochet flowers, large and small jewels, die-cut titles, ribbons, and journaling cards. Absolutely gorgeous!

Calling all Debbie's!

When I was working with the list of people signed up for our Eureka Springs retreat this fall, I started noticing a pattern! Of the 33 scrapbookers already enrolled, eight are named Debbie! That means that 25% of the people attending will be named Debbie. I'm thinking we could just consider it a Debbie Convention. So if I could just find 17 more Debbie's, then 50% of the people attending would have that name!

I'm being silly, but we do have 17 spots left in our Eureka Springs retreat, which is set for Nov. 2-4. Since we would like to have a full house, we're keeping enrollment open until Oct. 20, or until we fill up. For more information, give us a call at 417-886-0440, or check out the retreat page at scrapbookgeneration.com.

We're knee-deep in preparations for our sold-out Branson retreat the first week of October! Our casino theme is turning out to be lots of fun, and we can't wait to get everything set up and ready for you.

Just a quick post to let you know that the Bo-Bunny 20-inch Flexible Rulers have arrived! They're cute, they're pink, and they come in a purse-shaped package. What more could you want! We ordered 30, but expect them to go quickly, since they seem so hard to come by. If you are already on the list to get one, we'll hold it for you!

While I was home for three days with Drew, the My Mind's Eye Bohemia II line arrived at Scrapbook Generation. I'd post a photo, but Stacey and Ali took the camera with them to Las Vegas for the Scrapbooker of the Year festivities, and since they had a late-night flight detour to Tulsa instead of Springfield, they haven't made it to the store just yet.

Creating Keepsakes' Scrapbooker of the Year 2007 title went to someone else, but we still think Allison and her designs are tops! We were all disappointed that she wasn't the winner, but still so proud of all of her accomplishments this year. She has two layouts in the November issue of Creating Keepsakes, and we think that there are big things in store for her in the world of scrapbooking. At the awards banquet, she was especially encouraged by talks she had with Brian Tippetts, the editor-in-chief, and with Ali Edwards.

Thanks so much to all of you for all the compliments you've given Allison!

I wanted to show you the pages I made this past weekend at a retreat my friend Hazel and I attend twice each year. I'm like many of you, and find myself constantly battling the time factor as far as finding time to scrapbook. At this retreat, I always try to make two layouts that are my "masterpieces" of the moment, in other words, I throw in every technique I've learned in the past six months!

The red, white, and blue layout won the Best Overall award in the contest at the retreat, which made me feel really great, since the ladies attending were the ones who voted on the winner! For it, I made chipboard "glitter glazed" embellishments using Fancy Pants chipboard shapes. This was the technique that we learned recently in our free "Show-Me" session on how to make glazed glitter letters! The page also uses one of my favorite new toys, clear acrylic stamps. The journaling block stamps by Autumn Leaves were something I used on every single page I made this weekend. They are the perfect size for a few sentences, and each package has several shapes. I literally love them!

The fall page will be an upcoming class at Scrapbook Generation in October, and at our retreats in Branson and Eureka Springs. It's called Falling Leaves, and features chipboard leaves embellished with chalk ink, paper, acrylic paint, glitter glaze, and twine. The pages also use acrylic stamps for flourishes and journaling blocks.

"Adorable Boy," the layout of me and my grandson Drew, is probably my favorite. It went together really fast, and my "ugly dress," as Stacey and Ali refer to it, was an exact match for some papers in the My Mind's Eye Confetti collection. And I finally got to use some of those big Prima flowers that come in the cute transparent cans.

The last of the four is actually from one of our page kits clubs -- the Generation Page Kit Club July kit. I had to do a few alterations because my photos were from the 80s and were the 3-1/2 x 5 size, but that size seemed to work just fine.

Anyway, it was fun to get away from my normal routine and actually make some pages this weekend. That's the same feeling Karin and I want everyone to take with them when they leave our upcoming retreats!

Just in time for the weekend, Scrapbook Generation received two groups of fall papers and accessories. One group is by Reminisce (paper, stickers, and rub-ons), and the other is Daisy D's (paper, stickers, rub-ons, and die-cuts).

Stop by Scrapbook Generation and get all glittered up! The K & Company glittery Halloween collection came in yesterday, and it is really, really cute. Chipboard letters, glitter stickers, a mini-album kit, glitter papers, ribbons, and more.

Also in yesterday, we re-ordered two huge collections of papers from Daisy D's that were very popular last year: the fall group and the vintage Christmas group. (The new Daisy D's Autumn Collection is expected to arrive later today!)

Also, the Harvest colors sets of 12x12 felt shapes by Fancy Pants sold out in the first couple of days that we had them, so I've already re-ordered those if you missed out!

Ribbon and rick rack sets matching the 20 My Mind's Eye's Confetti groups we've had for a few days just arrived today. They are the perfect finishing touch for your pages! We also received a new shipment of the Timeless Touches stitching templates, cork boards, and multi-tools.

This is going to be an exciting week at Scrapbook Generation! I don't know definite arrival dates, but the goodies listed below should arrive sometime this week.

-- Autumn Leaves: clear stamps;

-- Daisy D's: the new Autumn collection, with papers, rubons, stickers, die cuts, and more;

-- My Mind's Eye: the complete Bohemia II collection, featuring 20 distinctive groups of papers, die cuts, crochet flowers, jewels, journaling cards, and more;

-- K & Company: the cute and glittery Halloween group, with papers, stickers, chipboard letters, albums, and more.

Later this month, we'll be getting K & Company's beautiful new Wild Saffron group. October goodies already ordered include Flair's two new Christmas groups, and Basic Grey's new Figgy Pudding Christmas group, including papers, stickers, rubons, chipboard, and clear stamps.

There's a story behind the Basic Grey Christmas order! I may very well be the first person in the entire world that placed an order, probably because I don't have a life! I was working in the office last night when the email announcing that ordering could start came in at 8 p.m. I had my online order completed by 8:05! You'll love this beautiful group which blends Christmas and winter topics with style.

I wasn't expecting it today, but Scrapbook Generation just received all of the new 12x12 felt shapes by Fancy Pants! There are four sets, and I'll try to describe them! (The photo doesn't do them justice, because you can't see all the intricate cutting! Each set has four 12x12 sheets, each sheet a different color literally packed with different shapes including borders, frames, flowers, crowns, brackets, swirls, and other shapes.)

-- Playhouse (vivid blue, red, yellow and green);

-- Harvest (orange, light brown, green, and dark brown);

-- Sassy (turquoise, blue, light pink, hot pink);

-- Splash (pastel blue, pastel pink, mint green, white).

Just wanted to post some pics of the new Flair (calendar papers and stickers and family papers and stickers) and B0-Bunny stuff ("vintage carnival" group and a birthday group).

Because of Allison's trip to Las Vegas as part of the Scrapbooker of the Year competition sponsored by Creating Keepsakes, we are going to have to shuffle a couple of classes around at Scrapbook Generation. (If you are already enrolled, we'll call you so that you get personal notification!)

Allison's Hall of Fame Designer Layout, September, that is supposed to meet on Monday Sept. 17 will now be available Wednesday, Sept 26 at 2 p.m. (She leaves for Vegas early Tuesday morning!)

My Anna Griffin class, Pockets Full of Grace, that is supposed to meet on Thursday, Sept. 20 will now meet on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. (I'll be at home with grandson Drew!)

We're sorry if the changes inconvenience anyone, but they can't be avoided.

For those of you who have asked how you will know if Ali is the winner, she and Stacey should have access to a computer there so that they can blog on both Ali's blog and here on the Scrapbook Generation blog. The announcement is scheduled for sometime on Sept. 19!

Scrapbook Generation has two great mini-album classes coming up in the next few days...

-- School Days mini-album with Allison Davis, meets Monday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m., $18

This cute mini-book starts off as a 7Gypsies 6x6 chipboard book with inside pages of cream colored cardstock. Bright primary colors make a great match for school pictures!

-- 6x12 mini-album with Laura Parks, meets Monday, Sept 24 at 6 p.m., $15

This album's generous size leaves tons of rooms for special photos, and both the cover and inside pages are decorated in bright, cheerful colors.