Taking My Show On The Road

I'm pretty excited that PaperCraft Princess will be vending its first 'public' crop. The crop is in one week and I'm as busy as can be prepping kits and products for my sales table.

Spring seemed like the perfect time to spruce up my displays too and get some better risers to get more use of my table's real estate. Changing up the boutique gave me an excuse to do some shopping - yay! It wasn't all retail therapy (though there was some of that). I was also able to do some thrifting which is extra fun because it's such an adventure. You never know what you'll find --might be that what you find is even better than what you set off looking for.

I've already repainted everything I found before today.  I just wish I'd remembered to take "before" photos so that the "after" pics would be more meaningful. But here's a pic of a shelf I found today. What I liked about this is that the posts in the back look like a picket fence. They'll coordinate with a picket fence tiered shelf that I'll also be using.

Thrifted garden inspired shelf (before)

Picket fence shelf riser in background

Spring is the perfect season to freshen up. I'm adding touches of green and along with new white shelves & risers, I'm just loving the whole look. Can't wait to share photos of my finished table.

Instant Scrapbooks

Nov, '07 Instant Baby Shower album

One of my favorite things to create is an instant "on location" scrapbook. The idea is that you create the memory book at the event as it unfolds so that the album is ready and can be viewed as the event is ending.

The first one I ever did was a bridal shower recipe and advice scrapbook. This was years before I actually started scrapbooking, but the idea was essentially the same as what I do now. For that surprise shower I gave the guests index cards before hand and asked them to share a favorite recipe (if you do this, make sure your guests do *not* write on the back of any of the items you give them --instead give them "extra" cards to continue their writing on). I also gave out large die cut hearts and other shapes for them to record any advice they wanted to share with the bride-to-be.

At the shower, I set up a work area beyond the view of the guest of honor where I could assemble the instant album. As I mentioned this was pre-scrapbooking days so this particular album was created using a magnetic "cling" photo album (eek! not photo safe). Anyway, I added stickers and embellishments to the recipe cards and inserted them into the album along with Polaroid photos we were taking throughout the shower. As much as possible. I tried to keep advice and recipes together with photos of the guest who had provided them.

When the album was done, I popped it into a pre-wrapped box (the type where you wrap the top and the bottom so that you can easily open and close it) and we placed it strategically on the gift table so that it was the last gift opened. I really can't describe what an impact this sort of gift has, but suffice to say that these are always a big hit.

Nov, '07 Instant Baby Shower album - inside

Now that I've become a more experienced scrapper, I've decided to add Instant Scrapbooks as a service available from PaperCraft Princess. These days I no longer use cling albums or Polaroid cameras... instead I bring a small photo printer with me and custom pre-made albums. The results are quite effective.

Here are a few snaps from an "instant" album that was put together at a baby shower today. This is the book before adding photos:





And some snaps of the mommy-to-be and guests looking at the completed album:

Kits: "A Night to Remember" paper bag album

"A Night to Remember" -SOLD OUT. Kits contain color copy of project and all materials needed to complete this paper bag mini album. This album is perfect for photos from your special night. This project was originally designed as a prom album, however it would also work for grad night, homecoming, engagement, anniversary or any other special evening. (Every kit includes alternate items in place of prom references.)

Cost: Sold out. Kits are no longer available, but I've left images here as an example of my work.


Some of the interior pages...