Fun New Papers and Tools from the CM Group

 Now that the "cat is out of the bag", so to speak, with the new July products, I can share freely my enthusiasm and joy over the new catalog. While CM is staying true to their promise to keep the product line simple, they have been consistent in adding new things in a measured fashion, and consultants and customers have a lot to work with!

The re-introduction of the Border Making System has been greeted with enthusiasm. The system comes with the picket fence cartridge, and the bubble, film strip and star cartridges have recently been added to the product line as well. I am willing to bet we will see more in the months ahead, but for now take a look at some of the fun designs I have made so far with our new paper packs and these new cartridges:

You don't need Disney stickers to make a nice vacation layout! I made this page with the CM Group's border making system, the film strip cartridge, the star cartridge, the new Corner Rounder, and the Shades of Red and Shades of Bright paper packs

Fellow CM advisor Lisa Graham designed this firecracker using the new film strip and star cartridges - I love a card! The papers used here came from the Red White and Blue paper pack and the Shades of Neutral cardstock pack

I am a sucker for blue gingham (now found in the Red White and Blue paper pack)  and I love the way this unexpected color combination came together. The peachy floral print is from the CM group's new be Bold and Flourish paper pack,.

There are so many possible uses for a bubble maker - beach, babies, and weddings come immediately to mind!

I love bringing unexpected color combinations together and this new shipment made it very easy for me! All you need is the Red White and Blue paper pack, the Be Bold and Flourish paper pack, and the new Shades of Pastel, Bright and Neutral cardstock packs to have borders and mats and backgrounds for days! The cardstock does very well with Cricut machines, and CM's paper is double sided so you are getting two pages in one.

Be Bold and Flourish with the pink from the Shades of Pastel cardstock pack - mothers, daughters, grandmothers, baby girls, the page ideas are endless

Red gingham and the brown from the Shades of neutral paper pack - gingerbread men and warm holiday memories in the making here

The Red White and Blue paper pack has 6 sheets of designer prints and 6 sheets of Tone on Tone prints. 12 sheets of double sided paper for $9.50, gingham and stars,I'm sold!

Be Bold and Flourish is the newest design and it comes in a Fast2Fabulous album, a paper pack and a slide in pack. Also shown are the CM group's new Gold and Black ABC/123s and the newest cartridges for the Border making System, Stars and Film Strip

Cardstock packs come with 5 colors, 2 sheets each. The newest ones are Shades of bright, Shades of Neutral, and Shades of  Pastel.

Check out these tools and papers and more at my website http://www.creativememories.com/user/fransmitherman and as always, keep scrappin'! Fran 

Quality Matters (and dudes scrap, too!)

When I went to my first Creative Memories class 15 years ago, I was convinced that I knew everything there was to know about making albums and there was nothing this person was going to teach me. In other words, I was being a good sport by going along with my friends who were "novices" - after all, I had been making photo albums all throughout grammar school, high school and college. I knew EVERYTHING.

Boy was I wrong! Those "cheap" albums I'd been putting my photos in were actually accelerating the aging of my photos with acidic PVC plastics, bad adhesives and pulpy lignin - my life was changed that night. I had never before given any thought into WHAT I put my albums in, what I used to stick them to the pages or even the kinds of pens (gasp - I was using SHARPIES!) I was using to label my pages. I was even writing on the backs of photos...thank goodness for that class.

Creative Memories' albums are the top of the line when it comes to permanence and photo safety - if you are going to do something, do it right and do it once.My favorite example is my grandfather's fabulous album he made in law school. The photos, the stories and the memorabilia are amazing, but the scrapbook he put them in was yellowing and literally falling apart (I keep the crumbled pages in a plastic bag now.) I asked him if I could restore it in a Creative Memories album (acid free, lignin free and buffered to repel acid from things such as concert tickets and invitations) and he said yes. Look at the difference:

From crumbling to lifetime guarantee - preserving PawPaw's hard work and the character of his stories and his handwriting using a Creative Memories album

So as you see, dudes do scrapbook!! My husband loves trains, and I asked him if he would like to do a Fast2Fabulous album (neutral colors of course!) of his recent trip to Virginia with his father. He was finished in no time and now I can appreciate the stories and the significance of his photos so much more than if they were in one of the old polyvinyl chloride slide in albums. 

From cheap slide in PVC albums to a high quality Creative Memories Fast2Fabulous album - looks good, finished quickly, photo safe, stories told.

I believe in quality and I also believe that ANYONE can make a scrapbook - why shouldn't they? We have these cameras for a reason - let's tell our stories!

I will leave you with Creative Memories' quality commitment - to learn more go to http://www.creativememories.com/user/fransmitherman and until next time, keep scrappin'! Fran

Creative Memories' Commitment to Quality

We’re committed to helping people enjoy the special moments in their lives by making world-class memory keeping products.  We promise to offer unique, easy-to-use, high quality and long-lasting products you can trust. 

We're proud to say our core products, like albums, refill pages and page protectors are made in the U.S.A. (in St. Cloud, MN) by the same experienced manufacturing team who have brought you world-class products for many years.

Product and Process Testing

Because the photo and scrapbooking industries aren't regulated, many companies make claims about their albums, papers, pens, adhesives and other supplies that can’t be substantiated. At CM, we stand behind our quality and test accordingly.

Here are a few examples of the rigor we apply as we develop products:

Adhesives: Designed to be photo safe and permanent so your photos and memorabilia won't drop off the page.

Specific tests we conduct include:

• Extreme temperature testing. The product must remain functional after being exposed to 6 weeks of 140°F (60°C), and 7 days of 0°F (-18°C).
• Bleed tests. Product must not bleed through material it has been adhered to after being exposed to 6 weeks of 140°F (60°C).
• Permanent bond quality
• Functionality and Cartridge Replacement tests to ensure: adhesive releases from the liner, tension is minimal from start to finish, take-up roll properly winds, minimal looping at nose and easy installation of the refill. 

Pens: Designed and tested to be permanent, fade-proof, bleed-resistant and waterproof so they won't ever run and ruin your photos or surrounding pages. Our pens are perfect for left handers – they won’t smear.

Specific tests we conduct include:

• Writeability and bleed testing to ensure inks don’t smear or transfer after 20 seconds.

Papers & Pages: Buffered with calcium carbonate to combat the acids found in memorabilia and normal air pollution. We monitor papers’ brightness and ensure our paper stock does not contain post-consumer waste.  All of our paper products are lignin-free to stop them from turning yellow and brittle over time.

Specific tests we conduct include:

• Bleed testing
• Sutherland rub test for printed papers and poly pocket pages. A weight is rubbed back and forth 100 times to ensure minimal color transfer and abrasion.
• Seam strength tests for the page protectors and poly pages to ensure they do not tear
• Stitch strength to ensure the album pages stay intact.

Albums & Coversets:  Built to last for years of enjoyment. We’ve filled albums to the max and tested them in real-use situations for thousands of page turns.

Specific tests we conduct include:

• Slot strength on the basecard, so your straps don’t tear your album
• Stain resistance. Spilling real-life substances (cola, coffee, peanut butter, etc.) on albums. (One wipe and it’s clean.)
• The Page Turning machine cycles an album page 5000 times and then visual assessment is made on the page stitches, coverholder stitches and slots, integrity of the spine and that the strap slip is less than 1/8.” 
• Crocking test to ensure negligible-to-no color transfer on the album material.

Tools: Developed to be high quality, durable and long-lasting.  We push the limit when it comes to testing our tools because we take great pride that they are the best on the market.

Specific tests we conduct include:

• Cutting lifecycle
• Material identification
• Functionality/User testing
• Drop tests

We're vigilant about safety standards, always on the watch for sharp edges, choke hazards, lead or magnets.  Our products are PVC and Cellulose Nitrate-free to ensure your photos remain safe. 

We also conduct shipping simulation tests to ensure the products reach your doorstep in great condition.

What Is Your "Why"?

As with any pursuit, whether it be heading to work every morning, staying home to raise your family, saving money for the future, making handmade gifts for others, growing a garden, or starting a new business, we are often posed with the question "what is your why?" Many people who want their own businesses crave the freedom of setting their own hours with the potential for unlimited income so they can spend more time with their family and less time in an office. When I signed up to be a Creative Memories consultant 13 years ago, none of those things were what drew me in. Now I will admit, I have loved watching the women (and men!) that achieve great success building teams and living the life of their dreams as they take their home-based businesses to amazing levels, but my career at the bank has always filled me with pride and ownership, so making Creative Memories full time was never my plan. What did I want when I made the decision to take the step from customer to consultant then? That's simple - albums at a discount! I loved the idea of saving money on something that I knew I would be buying and using for the rest of my life!

Now as I look back on the last 13 years (and as I look forward to what lies ahead) I reflect on all that this business has brought me. Yes, I have made money and yes I have saved money on my own album projects, but here is what else I have gained:

1.) The joy of being "creative"!  

I pick stocks for investment accounts for a bank (among other things but we will leave it at that for now.) Lots of research and analysis goes into what I do, and it is challenging and stimulating and I studied for MANY years to get to where I am. But I do still have that inner "school teacher" that loves the chance to let my creative juices flow!

A beach-inspired National Scrapbook Day event - thank you Pinterest for such cute ideas!

Using tools to make gifts for my scrapbookers - here I used the Creative Memories Border Maker System and the From the Kitchen Cricut cartridge for the grill

A little table decor to set the mood for my National Scrapbook Day event

2.) The joy of watching others bring their photos to life!

Knowing that you are the reason folks have a place to go when they need the best supplies for their cherished memories is priceless, and watching them finish an album and move on to the next project with excitement is a wonderful feeling. So many people tell me their pictures are trapped on their camera or on their hard drive and that they know they need to do something with them. What a great feeling I have when I can tell them that I CAN HELP!!! I give them what they need to tell their stories in a way that can be shared forever - quality albums and supplies, a place to work, and people to do it with! 

CM Group's Fast2Fabulous albums are giving people confidence that they can quickly finish a scrapbook without using stickers, papers, or scissors!

3.) Gatherings!

No one HAS to have "Crop til You Drop" workshops or retreats, but I have loved putting these on at least once a month for the past 13 years. The laughs and the completed pages are worth every bit of effort I put into making them fun and memorable, and there is something to be said for getting together with people who love their pictures as much as I do!

4.) A Place to Work and Supplies at My Fingertips!

Nothing like having what you need when you need it! I have found that having the right tools and the right workspace make a difference no matter what you passion might be.

5.) Watching others enjoy my albums!

This is my WHY!!!! While I did not have children when I first began, I do now, and knowing that they are enjoying seeing our stories told is all the reason in the world for me to continue on this wonderful journey of being a Creative Memories consultant and a (Panstoria affiliate for our digital projects!)

If all of this sounds good to you then start your own journey today with the CM Group! With no sales minimums and the savings benefits of being a consultant starting from day one, I would highly recommend it for anyone that loves to save money and spend time with their photo projects! Where will it take you? The blessings will surprise you :) To learn more about becoming an advisor check out my website and thanks for reading. Keep scrappin'! Fran

http://www.creativememories.com/user/fransmitherman

Forever LIVE in Atlanta, GA in September - I'm SO Excited!

I was thrilled to find out that Forever (the company that acquired Panstoria) was going to be hosting a 3 day event in Atlanta, GA in September of 2015! This is a great opportunity for scrapbookers, photo organizers, photo enthusiasts and anyone interested in capturing their memories and telling stories. All experience levels are welcome - there will be many sessions to choose from (not to mention 18 hours of dedicated traditional or digital cropping time - whoot!) There is a welcome reception on Thursday night, snacks, lunch, speakers and crop time on Friday and Saturday, a gala dinner on Saturday night, and a crop on Sunday that lasts until noon (no rush to check out.) Confirmed special guests include Glen Meakem, Founder and CEO of Forever, Inc, Tory Johnson, best-selling author of The Shift, Mike Carroll and Paul Schweiser, the developers of our beloved Artisan (Storybook Creator) and Historian (Memory Manager) software programs, the Pixies of Pixels2Pages, Nick Kelsh (renowned photographer and author of 9 books) and more. In addition to all of this all attendees will receive  goody bag with $200 worth of free stuff (hello - you had me at goody bag!)


The dates are September 24-27, 2015 and the event will be held at the Grand Hyatt in beautiful Buckhead, GA, near Atlanta. Save 20% on your conference fee if you book before May 31st and if you aren't local to Atlanta there are special block room rates at the Grand Hyatt and the nearby Hyatt Place. All the details are in the link below- shoot me an email at flafla@bellsouth.net if you have any questions and let's do this thing!

http://www.showclix.com/event/ForeverLIVE/tag/fsmitherman

Fitting Scrapbooking into the Nooks and Crannies of Your Life!

Ahhhh, spring break 2015 - days at the theme parks, meeting characters, riding rides and eating food that I didn't have to cook, this was the life. Sadly it's coming to an end, but our memories will last forever because this Momma is determined to tell these stories before the finer details slip away as life returns to normal. These are blessed and special times for our family, and anyone who knows me won't be surprised that I took 1,036 photos on this trip. And guess what? I am not sweating it because I was actually able to organize and edit my photos AND scrap my vacation while I was ON vacation - how about that? With Panstoria's Historian I was able to take all the photos off of my camera at the end of each day so I could feel good that in the event of a "camera catastrophe" they were in more than one location. I took it one more level and actually started my vacation scrapbook by using my Artisan software to begin my 12X12 hardback book! No wifi at our timeshare? No problem! You don't have to be online to create your project (but you do have to be online to download the software or to upload your book to the Panstoria Print Shop  - that's why I recommend buying it and your artwork before you head out of town.)

A little downtime while the boys are sleeping - what better time to start our scrapbook?

It is so fun watching your photos quickly transform into pages that will eventually be turned into  a beautiful, well-crafted hardbound book that your family can enjoy for all time. You can design the front and back cover of the book and your album can be up to 99 pages long - I love the 12X12 size, but there are smaller options as well. Your art collection of papers, embellishments and fonts can be used over and over again and best of all,none of this takes up any more space in your house or your luggage than your computer itself! 

We all take pictures to capture the most wonderful times in our lives - the places we've seen, the people we love, the meals we have enjoyed. We proudly display them on Facebook, we might even organize them in folders on our computers, if we're really good we take the time to upload them to a photo website. Unfortunately in our digital world, getting them developed is something we are no longer forced to do - those rolls of film aren't piling up like they used to, reminding us to take a trip to the drugstore to see what photos are waiting for us. Nowadays, maybe folks think they'll eventually get around to it, but they don't have time now to put those photos in albums and tell the great stories that go along with them. My message  - if it's important to you, make the time (even if it's in the nooks and crannies of your life! :) Step off Facebook for 30 minutes (gasp!) Let the laundry or the dishes wait til tomorrow (eek!) Say no to that additional committee meeting! We can all do it! :)

I have been reading The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica Turner because I want to find ways to help others find (or make) the time they need for themselves and for their photos.I know that I am no superwoman, but I feel in my heart that my family, my home, my health and my career are in good shape, and somehow I find the time to make scrapbooks because I WANT to. Jessica writes that we OWE it to ourselves to find downtime, to let the laundry wait a day, to say no to an obligation that stresses you out, and to unleash the creative part of ourself that we all have to nurture to become a whole person. Maybe scrapbooking isn't it for you, but if it is, you owe it to yourself to make the time. These memories aren't going to get any fresher.

Scrapbooking does not have to be time consuming but it does need to be done in a quality fashion with the best tools. Digital scrapbooking with Panstoria's Artisan is perfect for people who don't want the adhesives, the papers and the cutting tools - watch how this story is starting to develop within a matter of minutes...

Can't wait to wrap this project up and to add my new album to my collection of digital scrapbooks-what book do you want to work on? 

As always, feel free to reach out to me at flafla@bellsouth.net if you have any questions about my digital or traditional scrapbooks, my workshops, my retreats, or anything Panstoria or CM Group has to offer! Click on the banners on this blog to learn more about them - I receive a small commission for any purchases made through these links so I thank you in advance for your support! Thanks for reading and keep scrappin'!

Fran Smitherman, CM Advisor and Panstoria Affiliate

Preserving Memories with Digital Storybooks

I designed this Christmas book using my Artisan software and am about to get a book printed by the Panstoria Print Shop - I love traditional scrapbooking but there's something to be said for the speed and artistic touches of digital as well! While Creative Memories no longer supports Storybook Creator and Memory Manager, Panstoria does, so I am now a Panstoria affiliate and I can help you make the switch (or if you have never used them, I can help you start your journey towards customized digital scrapbooks and better photo organization with Artisan and Historian.)

Christmas2014DigitalBook

If you are due to update your Storybook Creator to Artisan and your Memory Manager to Historian, you can download them via the banners on the right side of this blog (note: if you are on your phone, make sure to switch to the "web version" - scroll to the very bottom to find this option on my blog.) 

Importantly, with Panstoria we now have access to updates and support, and I found the transition to both to be seamless when I did it this summer. Let me know when you want to do this and I can help you - shoot me an email at flafla@bellsouth.net if you have any questions or need any help. Artisan is only $39.95 and it is identical to Storybook Creator with at least one added benefit: your license allows it to go on two computers! Historian is also $39.95 and it is identical to Memory Manager. 

Low Pressure Theme Albums

I love theme albums - the topic is finite and you don't have to mentally change gears as often as you do with a regular "chronological" album. Two of my favorite albums that I work on once a year are my Halloween and Christmas albums. We love watching the boys grow up and it's a great way to remember gifts,traditions and costumes and which year they took place in. I plan to work on these books until the boys are 18 and I have figured out how many pages I can do each year to accomplish that (3 sides for the Halloween album, 4 sides for the Christmas album.) Do you have a favorite theme album? Thanks to Shutterfly I already have all of my pictures from 2014 in my hands so it didn't take any time this Christmas break to choose 8-10 favorites for my Halloween book and to place the first pictures in my Christmas book.

The CM Group's traditional 12X12 and 8X8 coversets and refill pages are great for theme albums, and so are the Fast2Fabulous albums! I am starting 2015 grateful for continued access to the safest, best made albums out there - my 2015 workshop and retreat schedule is already set and I would love to help your album projects come to life in any way I can!

 8X8 and 12X12 Creative Memories coversets

 The start page of each album

 This took no time - 2014 in the books!

 Our first Halloween with Christopher!

 Oh my goodness, Andrew was just a baby!

 I like to include our family Christmas card in every annual layout

 Okay, busted! I never journaled last year's! Better do it while I still remember everything

 2014's 4 page spread is off to a good start! The hardest part isn't finishing the pages, the hardest part is narrowing hundreds of Christmas pictures down to the best 20 or so!