Remembering last year...

How well Karin and Stacey and Allison and I remember what we were doing this time last year! We were in the middle of the moving Scrapbook Generation from its original home to our new 5,000 square foot building next door. Last year's New Years weekend was one of the busiest and most exciting times we've ever experienced.

It's hard to believe that we've been in the new building for a full year, and at the same time, it feels like this has been our home forever. Amazingly, there are still things that are works in progress. We still haven't put graphics up in the classroom or in the main store area. We still try to tell one of our co-workers when we go in the storage room, in case something falls on us and we don't make it out! The SG Publishing office still needs a makeover. Those will all be on our to-do list for 2012.

But on the other hand, so much has been accomplished in making the building our own. I still think it's amazing that this building was set up so perfectly for us, before we even stepped inside to check it out. A huge store, a great storage area, an awesome classroom/workroom, a spacious and inviting lobby, room for two offices, and even a warehouse for our publishing company. We couldn't have asked for more!

I don't know about you, but the four of us will have a much more relaxed New Year's holiday this year. We wish all of our local and long-distance customers/friends a wonderful 2012!

My mistake...

If you purchased the Disney Kit B add-on, when you open your kit you'll discover that you don't have the striped paper. Wish I could blame this one on someone else, but it's all my fault.

We're planning to include this paper with your January shipment, but if you can't wait until then, we'll ship it to you now, since it was our/my mistake. If we don't hear from you otherwise, expect the striped paper to be in your January Super Sketch Club shipment.

My sincere apologies for this mistake. I know how much I would hate to sit down to work on something and find a piece missing.

Facebook goal reached!

It didn't happen before Christmas like I had hoped, but we're there now! Scrapbook Generation has 3,000 "likes" on Facebook!

We have two great groups of people to thank for our continued success: our local customers and our long-distance customers. Instead of just one random winner, we picked a winner from each group! These two lucky ladies can each choose a three-month membership in one of our six kit clubs.

Thanks so much to all who participated for the wonderful comments you left on our Facebook page.

Local winner: Verna Burge
"Here's why I would recommend SG to a friend .... they offer great classes, the paper selection is awesome, the staff are helpful and friendly!"

Long-distance winner: Stephanie Beck Feltus
"Awesome sketches and kits, out of this world customer service and absolutely amazing, wonderful staff."

January calendar...

The SG schedule for January is now posted on the right sidebar. Behind the scenes, it's one of our busiest months of the year, so we've cut back on classes and other activities. We'll be concentrating on our two latest sketch books, which have to be to the printer very soon, and on the January 21 Scrap-a-Palooza, which has taken on a life of its own!

Card Party has been one of our most popular classes ever, and although it's not on the January schedule, it will return in February when things have calmed down a little. Tammy Roberts will also be offering a class in February!

And we'll be letting you know soon when you can pre-order the following...
• Sketches for Scrapbooking: One Page Sketches, volume two, by Allison Davis
• Sketches for Scrapbooking: Travel Sketches, volume one, by Debbie Sanders and Allison Davis

Christmas inspiration from Sketch Support

Now that you have Christmas pictures, it's time to start making those Christmas layouts to showcase them on. Allison has created two awesome Christmas-themed sketches -- one a double-page layout, one a single-page layout -- for Sketch Support this month. Click here to go to the SS website, where you can download both sketches for free and see dozens of examples of finished pages and other projects by the talented Scrapbook Generation Publishing Creative Team.

Scrap-a-Palooza #10 will soon be here!

With Christmas over, our thoughts are turning to Scrap-a-Palooza number 10, which will be held on Saturday, January 21. January seems to be the time when more people are able to work scrapbooking and cardmaking into their schedules...last January, we had our biggest crowd ever, with almost 300 people in attendance.

Chris Louzader at Midwest Family Broadcasting will start updating us with registration numbers as the event nears. Last I heard from her, we had a good number of seats already filled before Christmas!

With nine Paloozas successfully completed, we're working to improve both our free and paid activities, so expect a re-vamped event with more to do and see than ever!

Here are some of the planned changes...
• We're replacing Allison's big-screen demos with more opportunities to take paid layout classes with her, and she'll also be doing demos of products and techniques in the "mini-class hut" area. Instead of seeing her on the big-screen, you'll be able to be up close and personal. These personal demos will allow you to ask questions if you want additional information!

• We plan to keep the "mini-class hut" hopping all day long. In addition to Allison's demos and the three free mini-classes that are always so popular, we'll have a great line-up of other individuals (some representing scrapbooking vendors) who will be demonstrating new items and techniques. We hope to have hourly events going on!

• We're adding a "budget-friendly" series of classes (which will also be available on-site as kits). I'll be teaching what is tentatively being called "Five for Twenty-Five." My plans are to develop a series of themed classes, each with five double-page layouts, at a cost of $25. I'm working on a boy-themed class, a girl-themed class, a family-themed class, and more!

If you haven't registered already, now is the time! Click here to register for Scrap-a-Palooza.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you have a glorious holiday! We appreciate the support and friendship of our local customers and our long-distance customers. You've made this a great year for us.
 
Karin, Stacey, and Allison and their families will be at my house on Christmas, and I have two days at home to put the final touches on our festivities. I did my grocery shopping late last night, all my gifts are bought, and I'm ready to start cooking and baking and wrapping!

Enjoy your Christmas! I plan on eating too much, spoiling Drew and Jackson, and soaking in the magic of the day!

Super Sketch Club shipping

Right now, Mickey and I would not win any popularity contests at SG! Deciding to create, package and ship a jillion Disney add-ons with our regular shipping madness called the Super Sketch Club in December, the week of Christmas, will probably go down in history as one of my most crazy ideas.

Because of the huge amount of boxes, the shipping has been spread over a few days. Some went out Tuesday, some Wednesday, some today, and the last will ship on Friday.

Hope that all you SSC members enjoy your kits when they arrive. I'll be hunkered down somewhere with Mickey, waiting until we think it's safe to come out again!

Remaining Disney kits...

We have an extremely limited number of three of the Disney kits shown in an earlier post available for general sale. The remaining kits can be purchased in our online store by clicking here.

And on that general subject, Stacey has made the final changes to scrapbookgeneration.com to make it function solely as an online store, rather than a source of information about SG. We're trying to make this blog the place to come for information, and the website the place to go for purchases. We hope this will help us cut down on duplicating efforts, and sometimes confusing customers about where to go for specific purposes.

Last minute gift ideas!

Smash books and all the fun accessories have been our best-selling holiday gift item! These books make great gifts for people of all ages, regardless of whether they are scrapbookers or not. We have a full supply of all book themes, and all accessories!

And don't forget the gift cards! We have cute new gift cards available in any denomination, and Scrapbook Generation cards can be used at Scrap-a-Palooza!

Super Sketch Club shipping...

We're working hard to make sure that we can get the Super Sketch Club boxes shipped on Tuesday and Wednesday, and get them sent on the way to you before Christmas arrives.

This month, if you think you might have a new credit card number or a new expiration date, it would speed things along to call us on Monday with your new card number or with the new expiration date. That way we won't have to hold your shipment until we hear from you, and you'll have a better chance of it going out before Christmas!

• DISNEY ADD-ON REMINDER...
The Disney add-on kits (shown in an earlier post) for members of the Super Sketch Club are almost gone. Here's an update on numbers for those of you who haven't placed your order yet.

• Kit A -- still available
• Kit B -- SOLD OUT!
• Kit C -- ONLY THREE LEFT!
• Kit D -- ONLY SIX LEFT!

Super Sketch Club members have until midnight on December 19 to place their orders by calling 417-886-0440 or by sending an email to orders@scrapbookgeneration.com. (Any remaining kits will be sold on scrapbookgeneration.com after December 19.)

Great bonus for local shoppers today!

Don't forget that we sent out a coupon in our last email newsletter that is good today only...bring it by in paper or electronic form, spend at least $25, and get the My Mind's Eye "Holly Jolly" collection kit, a $10 vaue, FREE! Merry Christmas!

Facebook contest...

We're so close to reaching 3,000 likes on Facebook! Help us reach that goal by Christmas by clicking on the link on this page and "liking" us. You can also suggest the SG Facebook page to your friends who are interested in scrapbooking.

And if you would like a reward, you can also leave a comment and answer the question we've posted there. When we reach the magic number of 3,000, a random winner will receive a three-month subscription to the Scrapbook Generation monthly kit club of their choice.

Update on Disney kits...

The Disney add-on kits (shown in an earlier post) for members of the Super Sketch Club have been extremely popular. Here's an update on numbers for those of you who haven't placed your order yet.

• Kit A -- still available
• Kit B -- SOLD OUT!
• Kit C -- ONLY FOUR LEFT!
• Kit D -- ONLY EIGHT LEFT!

Super Sketch Club members have until midnight on December 19 to place their orders by calling 417-886-0440 or by sending an email to orders@scrapbookgeneration.com. (Any remaining kits will be sold on scrapbookgeneration.com after December 19.)

Allison Davis sketch layout for Saturday...

Allison has created a beautiful layout for Saturday's activities. This is one of those versatile pages that can work with photos from either special events or everyday moments.

We'll be making the layout above in the Allison Davis free sketch sessions this Saturday. Your cost to make this layout? About $4. Can't beat that deal!

Just call us at 417-886-0440 to register for a session at 10 am or 2:30 pm on Saturday, December 17. Bring basic tools, and we'll provide you with a free computer sketch that you can use over and over!

And don't forget, we'll punch your Studio G Reward Card. Don't have one yet? No problem, we'll be happy to get you started on the way to earning some great rewards like free page kits, $20 gift cards, My Mind's Eye collection kits, We R Memory Keepers 12x12 albums, and more!

KITS:
• All kits must be requested before the sketch activities take place on Saturday.
• The fee for a kit is $5, and is due at the time the request is made.
• If you need the kit shipped to you, the shipping charge is an additional $5.99.
• The best deal for our long-distance customers? Join the monthly Super Sketch Club and get this kit, the Debbie Sanders sketch layout kit, and the Super-Saver layouts kit (materials and sketches for five double-page layouts) for $20 plus $5.99 shipping.

Super Sketch Club members:
Yes, this layout and sketch will be included in your December kit!

Super Sketch Club add-ons...

As requested, we've created Disney-themed add-ons for the Super Sketch Club. We tried to make kits that would be friendly to a variety of budgets and styles.

I'll try to answer all the questions anyone might have about the products and the process of ordering.

Who can order these kits?
Members of the Super Sketch Club. (Any kits remaining after the deadline for Super Sketch Club members to order will be available to non-members at scrapbookgeneration.com beginning Dec. 21. Shipping fees for non-club members may be higher than the ones listed below, since the kits would be shipping by themselves instead of joining a pre-existing shipment.)

When are the kits available for order?
Orders can be placed beginning now until midnight (central time) on December 19.

How can the kits be ordered?
Orders can be placed in two ways: by sending an email to orders@scrapbookgeneration.com or by calling 417-886-0440. (Because of the anticipated volume of orders, we cannot accept order requests left on Facebook or in blog comments.)

How do I write out my add-on order?
Please use the kit names that follow...Kit A, Kit B, etc.

When will I be billed for my add-on selections?
A separate billing will take place, probably within a day or two from the time your order is placed.

When will the kits ship?
The Disney add-on kits will ship with the December Super Sketch Club kits, as soon as possible after December 20.

How long will the kits be available?
All four kits are limited editions. Orders will be taken first come, first served. Once the kits are sold out, we will not be starting a waiting list at this time.

Is there special pricing for ordering all kits?
With so many choices, we are not offering combos this time. All four kits are priced separately.

KIT A:
• Materials to make two double-page layouts, including cardstock, patterned papers, sticker sheet, baker's twine. Kit includes directions and color photos.
• Fee: $14.99 (plus $2 shipping)

Kit A -- layout one

Kit A -- layout two

KIT B:
• Materials to make three double-page layouts, including cardstock, patterned papers, two dimensional embellishments, ribbon. Kit includes directions and color photos.
• Fee: $19.99 (plus $3 shipping)

Kit B -- layout one

Kit B -- layout two

Kit B -- layout three

KIT C:
• Materials to make four double-page layouts, including cardstock, patterned papers, Thickers chipboard letters, three dimensional embellishments, baker's twine, embroidery floss. Kit includes directions and color photos.
• Fee: $49.99 (plus $4 shipping)

Kit C -- layout one

Kit C -- layout two

Kit C -- layout three

Kit C -- layout four

KIT D:
• Materials to make nine double-page layouts, including cardstock, patterned papers, 12x12 cardstock sticker sheet, 12x12 letter sticker sheet, two sets of 6x12 stickers, baker's twine. Kit includes directions and color photos.
• Fee: $69.99 (plus $5 shipping)

Kit D -- layout one

Kit D -- layout two

Kit D -- layout three

Kit D -- layout four

Kit D -- layout five

Kit D -- layout six

Kit D -- layout seven

Kit D -- layout eight

Kit D -- layout nine

New products...

Jingle by Lily Bee and Holiday Style by Bazzill

Deck the Halls by Melissa Frances

Harvest Market by Lily Bee and Ever After by Pebbles

Tropical Travelogue by Graphic 45

Stacey and Allison's grandfather...

Stacey and Allison have some hope now about their grandfather's recovery. At 88, he still seems to be pretty tough! He was able to open his eyes last night, and he's also had surgery on his leg, with no futher complications. They are hopeful that he will soon be able to be off the ventilator. He's still in intensive care and has a long way to go, but they are thrilled that he was able to communicate with them a little last evening. Thanks to all for the concern and prayers!

Family accident...

Stacey and Allison's grandfather on their father's side of the family was injured badly late Monday evening in a car accident. Another driver crossed the center line and hit their grandfather's car head on. He was airlifted to St. John's in Springfield, and has numerous injuries, which are complicated by his age. They are still trying to stabilize him in order to treat some of the injuries.

The girls are spending time at the hospital with him, and I just wanted to let you know that we may not be at the top of our game right now. Thanks for understanding.

Debbie Sanders sketch layout for Saturday...

We're still feeling the Christmas spirit around here, and it's become a tradition that my December sketch is a Christmas layout. If you're like most of us, you won't have any trouble coming up with enough photos to fill these pages!

We'll be making the layout above in the Debbie Sanders free sketch sessions this Saturday. Your cost to make this layout? About $4. Can't beat that deal!

Just call us at 417-886-0440 to register for a session at 10 am or 2:30 pm on Saturday, December 10. Bring basic tools, and we'll provide you with a free computer sketch that you can use over and over!

And don't forget, we'll punch your Studio G Reward Card. Don't have one yet? No problem, we'll be happy to get you started on the way to earning some great rewards like free page kits, $20 gift cards, My Mind's Eye collection kits, We R Memory Keepers 12x12 albums, and more!

If you want a kit, the fee is $5, and is due at the time the request is made. 

Super Sketch Club members:
Yes, this layout and sketch will be included in your December kit!

Card Party class, second sneak peek...

After great classes the past three months, SG's Card Party class continues in December with the same concept...three teachers, three cards, three tags, three stations, and three totally different approaches to cardmaking.

Today, we're showing you the card and tag that will be taught by Katrina Hunt. This is one-third of the projects you'll be making in the class. Katrina's projects will showcase punches, including the "punch anywhere" type.

This Card Party class takes place Thursday, December 8 at 6 pm. The fee is $15. To sign up, call 417-886-0440.

As soon as possible, we'll show youStacey Atchley's cards and tags. The projects by Allison Davis are shown in an earlier post.

Sampling of new goodies...

New 12x12 album style by Pioneer (we also have travel and wedding themes)

New 12x12 albums by Pioneer

Family recipe scrapbook kits

Tim Holtz Idea-Ology cases in two sizes

New size of the popular Art Bin cases

Small sampling of our huge selection of new album kits in a variety of sizes

New chipboard albums by Want2Scrap

Great color selection of the We R Memory Keepers 12x12 three-ring binder albums, plus all the hybrid refill page styles

New Disney albums

Lots of albums in outdoor themes, and also sports and school themes

This is just a small sampling of the new albums and gift items that arrived at SG this past week.We have a huge selection of albums and other goodies to give to yourself or others. (And don't forget we have great new gift cards you can hint to someone about!)

And what can I say about Smash books? People are carrying them out three and four at a time, for themselves, and for gifts for daughters, nieces, and grand-daughters. I've re-ordered the whole set of books and accessories THREE times in the past WEEK, which has never happened with anything we've ever sold before. As soon as I get off here, I'm placing a fourth order, because I just spotted a customer walking around with four books! If you haven't checked them out, stop by and see for yourself. The Smash books are just plain fun!

Check out the Sunday News-Leader!

Sunday, December 4, the Springfield News-Leader will feature one or both of these printer tray creations by Allison Davis. The designs will appear in an article about handmade Christmas gifts in the range of $20. Most of our local customers will have seen the white tray, because we've had it on display for quite some time. Allison created the black tray with photos of Drew's spring concert appearance as a rock star especially for the feature article.

We've stocked up with the 7Gypsies printer trays in both finishes. As Allison shows, you can embellish a little or a lot, and end up with a beautiful gift either way.

Timeless Treasures class...

Shirley Hall will be teaching her first class at SG in December, and we're so glad to welcome her! She has created a lovely vintage Christmas layout using several distressing and aging techniques, and also some glitzy touches to add a little holiday sparkle. Shirley is extremely talented, and based on knowing her for several years, we think she'll be an excellent teacher.

The class is Thursday, December 15 at 2 pm. To register for the class, call 417-886-0440. The fee is $15.

Spring retreats filling fast...

After only an hour of registration, the second spring retreat is already over half full, and the first weekend isn't far behind! To get in on the fun, call us at 417-886-0440 to pay the $50 deposit and hold your spot. Weekend choices are March 16-18 and March 23-25.

Christmas add-on...

In the Christmas spirit, we are offering our first-ever add-on layout kit for those of you who are already enrolled in the Generation Page Kit Club, Boy Crazy Kit Club, Girl Crazy Kit Club, Allison Davis Hall of Fame Kit Club, or the Generation Card Kit Club.

The layout shown above is the Generation Page Kit Club layout for December. We've made 40 extra kits, and we'll be selling them first come, first serve to people who are members of the clubs listed above. The price is $12.99.

We will be shipping the kits listed above on Monday, so if you purchase this add-on kit prior to that we'll be able to ship it with your December package. No additional shipping fees will apply!

To order, send an email to orders@scrapbookgeneration.com, or call us at 417-886-0440. (If you are in the Generation Page Kit Club, only order if you would like to have an additional kit.)

Christmas greetings with Tammy Roberts...

Tammy Roberts has created four beautiful Christmas cards and two tags for her December class at SG. As always with Tammy's classes, expect to learn some fun new techniques. She'll also have a few touches done for you, like the machine stitching which is one of her trademarks! The class will be held Tuesday, December 6 at 6 pm, and the fee is $15.

To see close-up photos of all the individual items, click here to go to Tammy's blog.

To register, give us a call at 417-886-0440. (Don't wait too late...the class is already over half full of people who didn't need to see the samples to know they would be making something charmingly festive!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Black Friday.
Small Business Saturday.
Cyber Monday.

For the first time, we participated in all three of these start-of-the-Christmas-shopping-season activities, and we'll definitely be doing that again.

Thank you so much to all the people who stopped by our store to shop on Friday and Saturday, and thanks as well to all of you who ordered one or more of our Sketches for Scrapbooking and Sketches for Cardmaking books online on Monday. Wow!

The economy is definitely doing some crazy things to people's buying habits, and we're so thankful that you chose to shop with us. For lack of a better way to describe it, we're blessed!

Email newsletter apology...

I'm so sorry that recently I often end up having to send out a corrected copy of the SG email newsletters. Here's what happens: for some reason, my camera has started sometimes giving photos duplicate numbers. When I place the photos in the newsletter and send myself a copy, everything looks great. When I send it out to thousands of people, if I've let two photos slip in with the same number, then the most recent one bumps out the older one and I have a photo that doesn't match the story.

So, apologies for once again having to send out a replacement. And if anyone knows how to keep a camera or computer from reusing the same numbers, I'd love to know that trick!

Card Party class, first sneak peek...

After great classes the past three months, SG's Card Party class continues in December with the same concept...three teachers, three cards, three tags, three stations, and three totally different approaches to cardmaking.

Today, we're showing you the card and tag that will be taught by Allison Davis. This is one-third of the projects you'll be making in the class. Allison's projects will show how easy it is to make a card from a sketch. You'll receive a computer sketch of the featured card that can be used over and over for cards of any topic.

This Card Party class takes place Thursday, December 8 at 6 pm. The fee is $15. To sign up, call 417-886-0440.

As soon as possible, we'll show you Katrina Hunt's and Stacey Atchley's cards and tags.

Super-Saver Scrapbooking layouts for December

It's time for Christmas trees, ornaments, and plenty of holiday activities -- and SG's popular Super-Savers are the perfect match for your family memories. Our December layouts are just waiting for your photos!

Here's a look at the three layouts we'll be making Saturday, December 3 in the Super-Saver Scrapbooking sessions at Scrapbook Generation. As always, your cost to make these three layouts at SG is an amazing $9. Give us a call to register and pre-pay. Sessions are held at 10, 12:30 and 2:30. And don't forget that you'll get one punch on your Studio G Reward Card. Don't have a card yet? No problem...we'll make sure you get one!

Please call early (417-886-0440) to reserve your spot! If you can't attend and would like us to make you a kit, the fee is $10 and is due at the time you request the kit.

Note to Super Sketch Club members: Yes, materials for these three layouts will be included in your December kit!

Smash books...

Right now, our poor Smash book display looks rather sad after Black Friday! I've re-ordered the whole thing three times already, and the fourth order is on its way and should arrive on Wednesday. The Smash books and all the fun accessories have been some of the best-selling items we've ever had. People are buying them not only for themselves, but also as gifts for others.

So if you haven't jumped in the middle of this fun activity yet, we'll have a new supply of everything Smash book by mid-week.

We're so excited!

For some time now, we've had the most pitiful gift cards on the face of the planet. We had tried several styles of do-it-yourself-crafty ones over the years, but usually just ran out of time and did the quickest thing that would get us by until we needed another batch.

Now we officially have nice gift cards like the big guys! Our order arrived just now, and we can't wait to start selling the new cards and tucking them inside their cute matching holders. Hope several of you get them in your Christmas stockings this year!

Cyber Monday!

We don't want to leave our long-distance shoppers out of the holiday bargains offered by SG, so for the first time we are participating in Cyber Monday!

On Monday, November 28, order one or more of Scrapbook Generation Publishing's 11 layout or card sketch books at scrapbookgeneration.com and we'll provide free shipping. (The discount won't show up when you place your order, but will be done manually when your card is charged.)

Small Business Saturday!

Can't make it to SG on Black Friday? The fun is going to continue on Saturday!

For the first time, we're participating in Small Business Saturday. This Saturday from 10 am until noon, with our email coupon you can take 20% off your entire purchase! (Print out the coupon, or simply show it to us on your phone.)

If you aren't receiving our email newsletters, email debbie@scrapbookgeneration.com and we'll add you to our mailing list.

Super Sketch Club shipping...

Just letting you know that most of the November Super Sketch Club boxes shipped out before Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving...

The four of us hope that you and your families have a glorious Thanksgiving. Even amidst the craziness of our hectic and sometimes stressful lives, we always have much to be thankful for as we enjoy the freedom and the bounty of the country called America.

A 'Holly Jolly' Black Friday giveaway!

We know that lots of places are competing for your Black Friday dollars, and we have some special offers for you, too! On Friday, November 25, our first 100 customers (adults only, one per family) to spend $15 receive a free My Mind's Eye "Holly Jolly Christmas" collection pack, a $10 value. The collection pack with its nine double-sided papers is shown above, and we've also included a photo of the 12x12 die-cut sheet that's included in the pack.

In addition to the free collection packs, everyone who shops with us that day gets 30% off one item (again, adults only, one discount per family). 

We'll open early at 7 am, and be open until our regular closing time, 7 pm.