Catching up...

There's an assortment of things to talk about today...

• World Cardmaking Day:
Thanks so much to all of you who stopped by SG Saturday to make the three free cards. Our "card bar" in the lobby was busy all day! Lindsey did a fantastic job of showing everyone how to use blending pens and the new distress glitter. I think she finally was able to eat lunch at 4 pm. Can't tell you how much we appreciate her knowledge and her ability to share that with others...she's a natural!

• SG's ninth birthday:
This week, on the 11th, we celebrate our actual birthday -- nine years! We're going to delay our celebration until the new website is up and running, and then we'll have a blowout event both here in the store and online. I'm working on a post for later in the week that will take us down memory lane and highlight the important events in SG history. It's hard to believe that we've been doing this for nine years!

• New website:
I wish I could tell you when the new e-commerce site will be finished. We're past the "cosmetic" phase and into the programming phase. Just as soon as we have a better grasp of how long that will take, I'll let you know. Believe me, no one is more anxious than we are to have it ready. 

• New online magazine:
I've been working on the magazine design as I have time, and I'll continue to say how much fun I'm having doing that. In the next couple of weeks, we'll be sending the sketches for the January issue to the manufacturer's design team that will be featured that month. Once that starts, it will be a constant cycle of sending out SG sketches and getting beautiful layouts and projects back from the leading companies and the talented scrapbookers who design for them.

Soon, I'll announce the companies that will be taking part in the sketch portion of the magazine for the first six months. The names will be extremely familiar to you, and represent the best the industry has to offer! All the companies have been so supportive and willing to "lend" us their design teams for this exciting new venture for SG.

World Cardmaking Day tutorial...

It's a rainy, blustery autumn day here in the Ozarks, but inside SG, we're getting ready to make three free cards with our local customers, in celebration of World Cardmaking Day. For our online customers, here's a tutorial by Debbie Sanders for one of the cards we'll be making today.

Begin with a 5 x 10" piece of cardstock which will be folded in half to make a 5x5 card. You'll also need a 3 x 4" piece of cardstock of any color (it will be totally covered when finished). Mark a dot at 1-1/2" on the top edge (the center point) then extend that mark to both edges to form the tree shape. (You can also just cut this shape with your trimmer without drawing the lines.) Cut a 5 x 3/4" strip of striped paper. Last, cut a variety of 4 x 1/2" pieces of patterned paper, the heavier the better.

Completely cover the tree shape with your favorite adhesive.

Use scissors (or any other tool that works for you) to bend and rough up one long edge of the 1/2" strips. It the paper breaks a bit, that's fine, too. The more curves and indentations, the better the end product will look. (It isn't necessary to ink the edges -- with this technique the inking gets lost in the distressing.)

Add a 5 x 3/4" strip of striped paper about 1" from the bottom of the card. I lightly inked the edges.

Starting at the bottom, adhere one strip aligned with the bottom edge of the tree shape.

Continue adding strips, overlapping them slightly.

Cover the entire shape with strips. (Leaving the very top clear is fine with this shape, because you'll be adding an "ornament.")

Turn the tree to the reverse side.

Trim off the overhanging strips on both sides.

Lightly ink the sides of the tree. At this point, you can gently rough up the edges of the strips even more, to emphasize the distressing.

Use a scrap of paper for the tree trunk, then adhere the tree to the card.

Add a punched star to the tree (or a jewel or button). Stamp a message, or use stickers.

I used this same technique, on a larger scale, on a layout of my grandmother I made for my sketch book One on One. I started with a shape I cut with a template. This technique works well on other simple shapes like stars, hearts, and circles. It can be both tedious and time-consuming, but the end result is worth it.

To check out the One on One sketch book, with 24 sketches (and color examples) of one-page, one-photo layouts by Debbie Sanders, click here. The book is available in hardcopy and e-book form.

Cuteness, Simple Stories style, has arrived!

Just added to SG's online store and also in our Springfield location...all the new SNAP sets by Simple Stories.

Themes are Christmas, everyday, family, him, her, love, baby boy (shown) and baby girl. Each theme is available in pockets, stickers, 4x6 cards, and 3x4 cards. Seriously cute stuff!

Click here to shop online, or stop by Scrapbook Generation in Springfield.

Sneak peek at the free World Cardmaking Day projects!

Don't forget that Scrapbook Generation will be joining other scrapbook stores across the county in celebrating World Cardmaking Day this Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11am-4pm. We hope you can drop by to make three FREE cards (and maybe munch on a piece or two of chocolate)!

Lindsey Amschler will be showing you how to use blending pens to color a stamped image on the Halloween-themed card shown above. If you've always wanted to try this technique, now's the time. And we have a full selection of three-pack already-matched-for-you blending pens by American Crafts.

On Lindsey's second card, the Christmas card shown above, you'll try out the new Tim Holtz Distress Glitter! It's like no glitter you've used before, and the number of colors available is phenomenal.

For the third card, Debbie Sanders will show you a cute way to make a beautiful Christmas tree out of strips and scraps (shown above). It's a easy technique that has a wow factor! (And for our online friends, don't forget that we'll post a tutorial here so that you can join us and make this card from materials you have on hand at home.)

You're all invited! To help us know how many to prepare for, please call us at 417-886-0440 or email karin@scrapbookgeneration.com, then just show up on Saturday any time from 11am until 4 pm.

Allison's latest design for Simple Stories!

Allison Davis has created another cute sketch and layout as part of the Simple Stories Life Documented team! This layout is highlighted with beautiful handstitching...and be sure to check out the Super Hero cape she stitched on the 3x4 card. So clever!

You can read more about Allison's creative process on her blog, see the sketch, and find the link to the Simple Stories blog where you can download Allison's free sketch for October.

'Super Saver' layouts for Saturday!

 

Super-Saver Scrapbooking sessions...

We'll be making these three layouts Saturday, October 5 in the Debbie Sanders 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 at 417-886-0440 to register and pre-pay. Sessions will be held at 10am and 2pm.

"SG Loyalty" program...
And don't forget the "SG Loyalty" program, the customer loyalty program that rewards people who shop in our Springfield store through a computerized point system. When you reach $50 in purchases (excluding kit clubs, classes which require pre-payment, and gift cards), a coupon for $5 off your purchase on a future day is generated as part of your receipt. The coupon can be used to purchase anything at SG except kit clubs and gift cards.

You'll earn double points for your entire purchase by attending and participating in the Super Saver Scrapbooking class shown above!  
 
Super Sketch Club members:  
Yes, materials for these three layouts will be included in your October kit!

KITS:
• All kits must be requested before the class activities take place on Saturday.
• The fee for a kit is $10, and is due at the time the request is made.
• To order a kit, please call 417-886-0440. If for some reason you can't call, email stacey@scrapbookgeneration.com.
• 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 Sketch Day One layout kit, and the Sketch Day Two layout kit (includes materials and sketches for five double-page layouts, plus two bonus double-page sketches) for $20 plus $6.99 shipping.

World Cardmaking Day: Saturday, October 5

The first Saturday in October always means a special activity. Scrapbook Generation will be joining other scrapbook stores across the county in celebrating World Cardmaking Day, the kick-off to the cardmaking season that is Christmas.

As we approach the busiest time in the year for most dedicated cardmakers, we hope you can find a few minutes to drop by SG this Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11am-4pm to make three FREE cards (and maybe munch on a piece or two of chocolate)!

Lindsey Amschler will be showing you how to use blending pens to color a stamped image on one of her cards. If you've always wanted to try this technique, now's the time. And we have a full selection of three-pack already-matched-for-you blending pens by American Crafts that won't break the bank like some brands!

On Lindsey's second card, you'll try out the new Tim Holtz Distress Glitter! It's like no glitter you've used before, and the number of colors available is phenomenal.

For the third card, I'll be showing you a cute way to make a beautiful Christmas tree out of strips and scraps. It's a technique I've used before and really love, because the end result is so much more than the small pieces you start with, and requires no extra tools or products! (And for our online friends, I'll post a tutorial here so that you can join us and make this card from materials you have on hand at home.)

You're all invited! To help us know how many to prepare for, please call us at 417-886-0440 or email karin@scrapbookgeneration.com, then just show up on Saturday any time from 11am until 4 pm.

Pink Paislee and Heidi Swapp are here!

Snow Village by Pink Paislee

Hey Kid by Pink Paislee

Believe by Heidi Swapp

It pays to live in Missouri! We're just one shipping day away from Pink Paislee, so that means that SG has the three beautiful collections show above stocked in our warehouse and ready to purchase in our online store. Click here to purchase!

Fall and Halloween collections added to SG's online store...

We have a full supply of autumn and Halloween papers and embellishments in the online store. All
can be found in the sidebar on the left side of the page

• Authentique: Thrilling, Autumn Season
• BasicGrey: Persimmon
• Bella Blvd: Trick or Treat
• Carta Bella: Happy Haunting
• Doodlebug: Happy Harvest
• Little Yellow Bicycle: Feels Like Home
• My Mind's Eye: Happy Haunting
• Teresa Collins: Masquerade Party
• Pebbles: Thirty One
• We R Memory Keepers: Harvest

Click here to shop.

Three new Halloween kits added to online store!

Click here to go to SG's online store.