3-30-08 Lucky Key Holders

If you received one of the "Keys" to unlock your creativity at our Anniversary Sale.... Remember to come by and redeem your April coupon. Also, sign the back of the tag with your name and phone number and turn in your key for a special drawing on National Scrapbooking Day. Good luck!

3-27-08 Busy Creating

Good morning, afternoon or evening! I'm writing this before 7 a.m. Just wanted to show off some of the projects we've been busy creating. The cool "Surfing" layout was made by Lisa. Makes me want to Hang 10! Marilea made the Easter bunny card and the Knit Happens card for our free Monday Make-n-Takes. The Knit Happens card came in handy for Marilea and I this week when one of our sister's water pipes broke. We sent her a little surprise inside the card to help ease the pain. I've had fun making a CD folder book using one of the new lines of Reminisce paper.

Stop by the shop and check out the projects in person. Next Monday our free Make-n-Take card will use some of the buttons from our Cute As A Button contest.

3/26/08 - Making my projects...

I finally finished my Mickey project for a class that I'm teaching in April. You know when you have those moments where nothing comes to mind on how to "start" with a project. It reminds me of when I was in school and I had to write a report...I would sit there for hours with a blank piece of paper. I think it took me about 3 weeks to come up with something for this acrylic album but once I got started, it took me less than 3 hours to finish. For me, when I get into this situation-just stuck...it's always best to just stop what I'm doing....put it aside and come back to it another time. Versus forcing yourself to put something together that you end up re-doing, right? We all have those moments.

This past weekend, I had a chance to spend some quality time with my daughter (and her Girl Scout troop). We went to our very first "real" camping trip (to Skylark Ranch between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay)...the weather was beautiful. I was dreading it at first (and even thought about not going) but once we got there and we were surrounded by mountains, the ocean and just plain ol' nature...it was breath taking. I took thousands of pictures and by the end of the trip, the girls said enough with the pictures. It's times like these that you want to capture everything!! Just looking at these pictures now, it really makes me think how important it was for Cori and I to have some alone time (without her brothers). It just reminds me how critical it is for families with multiple kids to spend time individually with each of them. I didn't realize how much my daughter appreciated it, until I heard her tell her friends and her dad how much fun she had spending alone time with "mommy" (makes my eyes tear up just thinking about it). So what I dreaded the most (camping in the wilderness) ended up being one of the best times I had with my daughter...and now I have 10 million pictures to remind me of this past weekend :-)

3-22-08 - Cute As A Button Winner!

Congratulations to Alice W-F for winning our "Cute As A Button" contest. Alice's guess was the closest out of all the many entries. The actual number of buttons was 1,144.

Now our Design Team will need to create some unique projects with all these buttons!!!

Keep reading the blog for more exciting news to come.

3-22-08 Coffee Anyone?

Starting Monday, March 24th you will receive a voucher for a FREE cup of delicous coffee from our neighbors, Port City Java with any purchase from Scrap-n-Stamp. The offer is for a limited time... so please stop by, browse, shop and then relax over a cup a coffee.

3/19/08 - Who's Ms. Becky?

This is so awesome. Ms. Becky wrote a blog for the very first time (see below). I have the bragging rights about Becky and the crew. But before I do...who is Ms. Becky you ask? Well, for starters...here's a great picture of her...

Ms. Becky (a.k.a Scrap -n- Stamp's VP of Marketing, a.k.a Ms. Norris as her 2nd grade class calls her, a.k.a "Rebecca" as her hubby calls her...she's got lots of identities). I have had the privilege of knowing Becky the last 1 1/2 years. Instantly, we hit it off. Becky has brought so much to me and my family (and of course the store) but besides all the store "stuff" she is truly a special person. She gives 110% in everything she does. She lives life at it's fullest and is one of the most giving people I have ever met. I know I'm totally bragging, but this is the truth. Thank you Becky for all that you have done for me and my family. I love you and I'm so happy you "nag" me (just kidding, it's not nagging...I love it!)

Speaking of awesome people, today is a VERY special day for my family. My husband Glen is turning the BIG 40 today (I'm sure he'll be glad that I've just announced it). I do want everyone to know how lucky I have been to be married to such a wonderful man. He has been the "core" of our family. Glen turning 40 is a huge milestone for several reasons. One, he has accomplished so much in his 40 years than most people could dream of. Turning 40 for Glen is going to be a day of reflecting back at what he has done...and that alone is a gift in itself. Second, he is the man that has brought so much love and passion into my life. I consider him to be one of the best husbands around...he cooks, he cleans, he gets involved with the kids, he does the laundry, the dishes, everything...I could go on! He is truly my soul mate. Third, as for being a father, he is also one of the very best "Daddy's" ever. No matter what kind of a day he is having or how busy he is with work, he is 110% involved with our kids and their activities. He coaches, he's a cub scout leader and he sits on several board groups. He makes it clear to us that we are his priority and will not let anyone take what he treasures the most in life. Glen, if you're reading this...Happy Birthday honey and we love you "always, always...forever!"

Happy 40th Birthday Daddy!

3-19-08 -- Who's Out There?

Hi! I'm Becky. I have the great fortune of working part-time at Scrap-n-Stamp. It's about time one of the "girls" started blogging so that Renee can have a break and do the million+ other things on her list! And, anyways, I'm the person who gently nagged (?) Renee about starting a blog. Our hope is this blog is one way to keep our loyal customers up-to-date on all the happenings at the store, in the scrapbooking/paper crafts industry and with us. We'd like your input too. Questions and comments are always welcomed. So in the spirit of wanting both... the first 10 people to ask a question or comment on this posting will receive a surprise gift. Talk to you later!

3/17/08 - Happy St. Patricks Day!

It was a great weekend...

Saturday, Ms. Debbie had her Asian Card class (it always fills up so quickly.) Here's a quick preview of just a few of her cards...and don't worry, if you missed it this time around, we'll have another class at the end of May.

My girlfriend Christine (http://www.christinescookies.net/) was the one that made all my crown cookies for our 1 year Anniversary sale. Well, for St. Patricks Day she made more cookies (bigger and very decorative) and I had them for sale at the store...they sold out fast! I just got a fresh batch of Easter/Spring cookies...and boy, I can smell them...yummy! (I'll take some pictures and post it tomorrow.

On Sunday, the Scrap -n- Stamp Crew all got together as we were very honored to have KLO Oxford with Pazzles come to our store and train us on some new techniques with the Pazzle Pro and the NEW Inspiration. She was down here for the Pleasanton Expo and we asked her to come to our store! It was like meeting a STAR. (A famous star in our eyes...she's one of the top designer for Pazzles and you'll start seeing her on TV very soon! Check out Klo's BLOG too. We also had a chance to network with are good friend Rachelle (with 2 Daisy's Designs)...she's a crazy nut just like we are (hey Rachelle...if you're reading this...was that two "softballs?" -heehee, inside joke...)! Thanks Klo...we had a blast!

Keep your eyes opened...our April/May class schedule should be out soon. Coming this weekend, sign up for our Birthday Explosion Box taught by Ms. Jen (that's her picture below with her puppy...well, not actually a puppy huh ;-) Check out our website for a picture of what you'll be making...

3/13/08 - The Pazzle "Inspiration" on HSN and of course, more NEW product!

Today was a crazy day (as always). I went to the store (Scrap -n- Stamp) but I felt like I didn't get much accomplished. I had things I know I had to get done (boring paperwork)...and before you know it, I had to leave to get my kids. What I really wanted to do was just to "play" and when I mean "play" I mean...create and make something with all these news papers! One of my favorite new ones just came in today...(by Reminisce).

So last night, I was watching TV and happen to glance by HSN. Now, I typically don't watch HSN...but something caught my eye. This lady was talking about the coolest die cutting system...so I had to stay on this channel just to see what they were talking about. Lo' and behold, what were they selling??...the new Inspiration by Pazzle! And those that know us at Scrap -n- Stamp know that we are a HUGE fan of The Pazzle Machine...since we do have the production machine by them (The "Pro"), and we love it.

Long story short, the Inspiration is the "home" system of a "real" die cutting system. No cartridges, no limits...just a very smart system. You can download any fonts (not just true fonts, any fonts) ...cliparts and anything that you want to scan or customize, it will cut it out, it's awesome. Well, they were selling it for $549.50 (I think) and suggested price is really $599.00. It's not being released until 3/15 (in a few days) but they already started promoting it. So my point here is, if you missed it...and want to get this awesome machine, WE can get it for you and we'll even match HSN pricing (which is typically hard for us "small" stores to match those "big" guys. But because we love it and have the extensive knowledge with our system...we want to support you when you get yours. So if you're reading this and want one...call us and pass on the message. I can go on and on forever about the Pazzle Machine!

3/12/08 - New Product from CHA 2008

Sock Monkey's anyone? They're back...and they are so cute! Straight from CHA, Daisy's D bambino line. The paper speaks for itself :-) We also got in their new Rub-on tape.

And don't forget about St Patricks Day...this paper from Best Creations adds the perfect touch with the glitter accent.

Remember we mentioned earlier about the new company called Little Yellow Bicycle by Deja Views...it's finally in. They'll have several releases within the next few months, so keep your eyes open for the next release!

3/11/08 - "As Cute As A Button" Contest in full swing...

We’re having a contest! Stop by and guess the number of buttons in our Easter Bucket. The person who guesses the button amount (without going over) will win a gift basket valued at over $50. Contest ends on Friday, March 21st. The winner will be announced on our Blog on Saturday, March 22nd. Good luck to everyone!! Here's a sneak peak...

So I'm starting to work on the schedule for April and May...and the one question I always come back to is...do weekends classes work better for people or week nights? If your reading this, let me know what your thoughts are, hit the "comment" section and let me know. Plus, our classes are so much smaller then the typical class that we'll still have a "special" class if that day doesn't work, so I think that's pretty custom huh! Speaking of classes, I had my little Onsie class...and I met two awesome ladies!! A big shout out to Sharlene and Melissa...remember, what happens at Scrap -n- Stamp, stays at Scrap -n- Stamp (hehe)...make you wonder what we chatted about huh :-) . Tomorrow...take a moment and look at the trees....it's beautiful, the blossoms are gorgeous...it makes the start of my day off to a great start...

3/8/08 - We have a WINNER!

Congratulations to Alice J. for winning our grand prize drawing during our 1 year Anniversary we had on February 23, 2008. She won a purple Quickutz Die Cutting System (aka...one of those hand held tools!).

This blog is going to be a quick one...but just wanted to remind everyone if you haven't already, change your clocks 1 hour FORWARD (Spring Forward!). This must be a mind game, but I feel like I'm getting shorted one hour sleep ;-). The good news is, we get longer days! Have a great rest of the weekend!

3/5/08 - Remember the Baby Shower I was planning for this weekend...

So I told my girlfriend to wait until after Sunday to have the baby (after her babyshower-remember the invitation that I shared with you on the 3/3 blog). Well...did you think "Baby Emiko" listened, heck no! My girlfriend Traci had a baby girl today at 5:34 PM, 6lbs 2ounces...and 19 inches long! It was so incredible...it is such an amazing experience to give birth, let alone be a part of someone elses birth! Emiko Isabella (half Japanese and half Spanish, can you tell with her name ;-) and mommy are doing fine. Of course, I took tons of picture and here's one of her just a few minutes old!

In celebration of Baby Emiko, we're giving away a gift basket filled with goodies from Scrap -n- Stamp! Remember I mention "As Cute As a Button" contest. Well, come into the store and guess how many buttons are in the jar. Ms. Becky (our Marketing VP-hehe) has this write about this contest but being that I was at the hospital all day...I have not had a chance to take a picture of this jar filled with buttons and post her message. This will come tomorrow. So come in and sign up to win a FREE gift basket worth $50.00! All I can say is that I'm glad I get to sleep 8 hours straight tonight (hehe!). Happy Birthday Emiko!

3/3/08 - It's all about Babies this month!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Busy, busy...my kids were all over Elk Grove and Sacramento with basketball tournaments this weekend. I can't get over how much my kids have grown! My youngest one is only a few years aways from playing sports. Just imagine then, 3 kids in 3 different locations, yikes! This month just started but it feels like we're all booked up for this month. Two girlfriends are both having baby girls (one in March and another in April) and it brings back all those memories of when my kids were just learning to sit up. Luckily, I'm getting my baby fix from one of our designers (Sommer) and her newest addition...Kaitlynn! Look how cute...

My girlfriend Traci just a few weeks away from her due date...that means a baby shower is right around the corner. I decided to make some "quick" invitations...but quick it was not! I had a blast but boy, it's never as quick as you think. Here's the final look...

Here's another baby project that I'll be teaching this Thursday. Of course...the ever so popular "acrylic" onsie baby album. This was really fun to make and the best part is...you can choose to make one for a boy or a girl! It's the perfect gift. Check out our class schedule and sign up soon. Spaces are filling up!

I told you it was all about babies this month ;-)... check back tomorrow because we're starting a new CONTEST..."As Cute As A Button"