it was sort of like a rock concert...

A couple Saturdays ago, I got up early and spent my morning at a warehouse in Chandler, AZ. This was one of those times I realize I'm lucky to live where I do, since I wouldn't have gotten this opportunity anywhere else--

I spent my Saturday morning at the Bazzill Warehouse Sale!! Now, only a fellow papercrafter would really be able to relate to this, but just substitute your most favorite "thing," whatever it is, for the paper, and you'll get what I mean... they hold it once a year, and sell overstock and discontinued merchandise right out of their warehouse at dirt-cheap prices. The biggest draw (for me, anyway) is the paper-- luscious, heavyweight, 12x12 textured cardstock in hundreds of shades (they didn't have all the colors for sale, but enough of them), but I managed to find a few more things while I was there- haha!

So, how was it like a rock concert, you ask??

--there was a long line: I waited over 1 1/2 hours to get into the building (which might sound crazy, but again, if you love paper like I do, you understand.)

--it was pretty crowded: there was some pushing and shoving, just like at a crowded concert (none of it intentional, though- we scrappers are a pretty polite bunch, for the most part)

--there was loud music: they had a stereo going, playing some bouncy, upbeat oldies tunes while we shopped.

--there was a celebrity: Mr. Bazzill-- aka Doug Jones, the company founder-- was in attendance. Actually, he was acting as the doorman: keeping track of how many people were inside the building at any one time, and letting us in a few at a time so as not to get any fire code violations. (this also helped to prevent any riots by the paper racks, I'm sure.)

now, on to a couple pics of my loot:

my pizza box full of cardstock: over 120 sheets of smooth, textured, and specialty cardstock. (over $65-70 value for $20) Isn't it beautiful?? I just want to shuffle through it... I took a couple pieces of patterned paper with me to color-match, so as not to pick pretty-but-not-useful-to-me colors (like bubble-gum pink, taxi-cab yellow, fluorescent purple, or anything like that...) This pic is something I've been wanting to try: Bazzill makes stitching templates, so you can stitch on your scrapbook layouts. I think these were $2 each, and each one has 4-6 different designs in. (I also got a few other things: some chipboard, a couple accordian albums, and a package of fancy-shaped cardstock...) now, just to find the time to put these new supplies to use!

Christmas already?? more scrapbooking

No, I haven't started scrapping Christmas (and if I had, it would be from a few years ago!)... Last month I put together a pre-made Christmas photo album for donation to a charity auction, and thought I would show you those pages (since I don't have anything new and crafty of my own yet). I used an 8 x 8 album from SEI, with a heavy cardboard cover and 10 page protectors... just the right size for someone to showcase a few special photos, and it was actually pretty cheap compared to some albums out there- only $4.99 at my (somewhat) local Hobby Lobby. I made every 2-page layout with space for a photo, and space for journaling and writing memories on the opposite page. The top 2 pics are a 2-page spread using Basic Grey paper- the triangle paper was just perfect for making the little pennant border on the left. The right-hand page is spaces for journaling, with inking around the edges for a bit of distressing. The bottom two pics were both decorated using dimensional adhesive (I think I used Ranger Glossy Accents) for some extra shine. The swirl on the left was cut from chipboard (using the SB store's huge collection of die-cuts!), and painted with a crackle finish. I stuck it down- just on the edges- with glue dots , so the tags can be slipped out for writing. The button designs on the right-hand page were cut from Graphic 45 paper... this company has some wonderful vintage-style patterns (all double-sided for twice the fun)!!

Nothing too spectacular about the top 2 pages-- not exactly a traditional Christmas color palette, but I didn't want the entire album to be red and green. The bottom left page (for journaling) is more Graphic 45 paper (the green holly pattern) with rickrack trim, and the paper on the right-hand (photo) page has a hand-doodled pattern of leaves and berries on it.

The top left pic is the album cover-- the album started out as plain red, but I couldn't leave it that way!! The "Holly Jolly Christmas" is a large sticker that I embellished with glitter... the ornaments are chipboard- one covered with gold glitter, the other covered with patterned paper and a sparkle glaze. They hang from a pine bough made from punched paper. The right-hand pic is the first page; another sticker, a journaling space, and some decorative buttons. The bottom pics, again, aren't exactly traditional colors... more red rickrack, a lime green and turquoise cardstock set off a large Tim Holtz Christmas stamp on the journaling page.

Again, not exactly traditional-- the top 2 pics are using some ultra-cute Christmas paper I found at the SB store... the Merry & Bright line, chock-full of retro 1950s colors and great patterns. The journaling space on the left is actually a library card and pocket-- I just covered the pocket with the polka-dotted paper, and added a chipboard bracked painted with an acrylic pink crackled finish. And don't you just love the pom-pom fringe on the right-hand side?!? (I do!! that's the first time I've used it, and it definitely won't be the last.) The lower 2 pics use another non-traditional color palette, adding the bright pink in with the red and green die-cut paper. The right-hand page is a pocket to save Christmas cards, set of by glittered letter stickers, and some hand stitching around the edge.

These pages all use a very elegant embossed Bazzill cardstock-- both layouts use the cardstock to make pockets for journaling spots, and all the pages use ribbon in some way. The entire album was a lot of fun to make; I hope whoever won the auction likes it, and uses it to record some of their current (or past) holiday memories!!