This sparkly Christmas layout is a class we're offering at Scrapbook Generation Thurday, Dec. 3 at 2 or 6 pm. The "Tis the Season" papers by BoBunny are fun to work with, and we'll use acrylic stamps, Stickles glitter glue, and even alcohol inks to make this creation! The class fee of $15 includes your own bottle of Stickles! This was one of the most popular classes at our fall retreats, and we're happy to be able to offer it to our regular SG customers as well. Can't make the class? We'll be happy to make you a kit!

I love the first Saturday of the month! Super-Saver Scrapbooking free class sessions are so much fun, and such a great bargain! This Saturday, Dec. 5, we'll be making the three Christmas layouts shown above, and your only cost is the $9 materials fee. This time, the materials packet includes a sheet of title word stickers AND a sheet of shape stickers! We have enough supplies this week for 70 people, and only have 17 spots left, so call as soon as you can to get in on the fun. Sessions are held at 10, 11:30, 1, and 2:30.

Spring retreat news...

We've given those who attended one of the fall retreats the chance to sign up during November for one of our three spring retreats, and over one-third of the spots are full at this time. If you attended in the fall, you have one more day, Monday, Nov. 30, to sign up and beat the rush before we open the registration up to the general public Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 10 am. To register, stop by SG or call 417-886-0440, and pay the $50 non-refundable deposit.

Here's a photo of the layout we'll be making in my "Vintage Treasures" class for December. We'll start with beautiful Christmas papers by Graphic 45, then use Tim Holtz distress crackle paint on both chipboard and cardstock. The finishing touch...hand-stitching, using a flourish border stitching template by Bazzill. The class is offered Monday, Dec. 14 at 6 pm and Thursday, Dec. 17 at 2 pm. Fee is $15.

I'm a little behind in posting all the new goodies that have been arriving at Scrapbook Generation! Here are the latest new products...

-- SEI Christmas collection...

-- Graphic 45 baby collection...
-- Bella Blvd. Christmas collection...
-- Fancy Pants Christmas collection...
-- Creative Imaginations school items...
-- Creative Imaginations Halloween and fall items...
-- Creative Imaginations three Christmas collections, baking collection, and calendar kit...

-- Various companies, autumn papers and embellishments...

-- Making Memories Design Shop 3-D embellishments (just a small sampling -- about 40 different designs are scattered storewide)...

Finally!
The announcement we've been longing to make!

Want to make the most of your scrapbooking sketches, supplies and techniques? Scrapbook Generation can help.

Introducing a new idea book that isn't a book.
Sketches that won't give you a paper cut.
Classes that you can wear your pajamas to.
We at Scrapbook Generation are very excited to announce our newest adventure...A DVD! But this isn't just any DVD. It's an idea book, a sketch book and a class all rolled into one.

The DVD will include:
-- Instructional "class" (featuring Allison Davis and Stacey Atchley) focusing on how to get the most out of sketches and how to step up the difficulty level of your scrapbooking. We'll show you how to use a sketch over and over and how to alter it to fit your style with simple variations. Plus we'll show you fun and different ways to use your supplies.
-- 25 NEW printable sketches. You'll be able to view them on your screen, as well as print them out to take with you anywhere you go.
-- A full-color, high-definition layout gallery with over 70 layouts. All of the layouts will be based on the printable sketches also included on the DVD.

We start filming on December 5 and hope to have the DVD on the shelves and online by late December. Right now, Allison has wrapped up the instructional layouts (there are nine!), and next we will be starting on the gallery layouts. This has been one of the most daunting tasks we've taken on, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to share our abilities and techniques with not only our local customers but those of you who can't come to our sketch sessions and classes because you live too far away. Now we'll come to you!

The DVD will sell for $24.99, but for our first release we are doing a special offer of $19.99. Not too bad for an idea book, sketch book, and class! We are also going to start pre-orders at the store and at scrapbookgeneration.com! All you will need to provide is your name and phone number for now. When the DVD's are ready, we will call for your billing information.

Anna Griffin Christmas layout class...

This is the Anna Griffin Christmas layout we'll be making Monday, Nov. 30 at 2 pm. If you love Anna Griffin, Christmas, and all things glittery, you'll love this page. And my favorite part of the class...we'll learn how to make a "pleated" border that doesn't require scoring and pleating and scoring and pleating! It's a shortcut method that I instantly loved, since I seem to be pleating-challenged. Love to have you join us! Fee is $15. (The class includes a full set of 3-D stickers and a 12x12 sheet of glittery snowflakes. You'll have quite a few snowflakes left to use on other projects!)

Day-After-Thanksgiving Sale...

You won't find a 70-inch big-screen TV for sale at $49 at Scrapbook Generation on Black Friday, but if you love scrapbooking, there are great bargains, and plenty of reasons to make a 7 am stop at SG!

-- Reason #1: Be one of the 100 first shoppers to spend at least $15, and you'll get a 12x12 set of chipboard shapes by Fancy Pants (a $15 value), FREE! The chipboard sets have three full sheets of chipboard goodness! (Adults only, one per family please.)

-- Reason #2: Everyone gets to take 30% off any one item! (Adults only, one per family please.)

-- Reason #3: All Scrapbook Generation page kits are 20% off all day!

We've stocked up on plenty of great gift items, like albums and album kits, totes, storage boxes, calendar kits, and more! Hope to see you at 7 am, or any time during the day, this Friday!

Website makeover...

Stacey has started an extreme makeover of scrapbookgeneration.com. It is not a speedy process, but she does have enough completed so the website is up and functional. She is taking a look at each page and how it can be improved to serve both our local and online customers better. So if the information you are looking for is missing, just give her a little more time to make all the upgrades.

Blog improvements...

You may have noticed that I added many new elements to the sidebar at the right of this blog. This was done to provide more information in a variety of areas. As soon as the website has been upgraded, most of the segments will have a link to the website for the appropriate pages there, where there is room for more details.

We have so very many announcements to make about new events and projects, and the sidebar with our 2010 activities will give you a hint of what is to come. One event we're especially excited about...a mega-crop for 150 at a mid-Missouri location, the Windermere Conference Center near Camdenton. This event, called Scrapmania, and the new retreats at Windermere, came about as the direct result of the many requests for SG activities that are more accessible to scrapbookers north of Springfield. More details will be provided later, but please mark your calendars, and keep checking this blog, our website, and our Facebook page for up-to-the-minute reports on all our activities.

Despite the gloom and doom of the economy, 2009 has been a banner year for Scrapbook Generation, because of our awesome customers, both local and online. We're so happy to be expanding our activities, our inventory, and our projects. And it's all because of great customers! Thank you for a super 2009!

I'm thrilled to be able to share the results of the second meeting of the Designers Challenge Club at Scrapbook Generation. A month ago, the club members were given a packet with Amber Road papers, die-cuts, and glitter chipboard letters by Pink Paislee (a Missouri company!), flowers by KaiserCraft, chipboard trees by Maya Road, and Bling-It jeweled rub-ons by BasicGrey. These are the projects they brought back to the store this month!

Designers Challenge Club member Amy Henbest's projects.

Designers Challenge Club member Sheri Tate's projects (next two photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Annetta Svagera's projects.

Designer's Challenge Club member Diane Schnake's projects (next three photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Chris McNeal's projects (next two photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Jane Claas' projects (next three photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Reginna Hagemeier's projects (next three photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Debbie Linton's project (next two photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Laura Parks' projects (next five photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Debbie Sanders' projects (next two photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Stacey Atchley's projects (next three photos).

Designers Challenge Club member Esther Miller's projects.

Designers Challenge Club member Shirley Hall's project.

Designers Challenge Club member Debbi Turnbow created the next three projects, and since she lives in Arkansas, she emailed us photos!

The next five projects were created by Sharon Fry, new Designers Challenge Club member. Sharon lives in Canada and emailed us photos of her projects. Gotta love technology!