Youth Artist Trading Card Swap - Check it Out!

Hey everyone. I had to blog the exciting news about our first youth Artist Trading Card (ATC) swap! This is a very unique swap that we are putting together for the summer months of June, July, and August, and I am really excited about it.

We will be signing kids up between now and May 15th. You can sign up online by clicking on the button found on the bottom of the swap rules page. What is going to make this swap so fun and interesting is the fact that kids all over the U.S. can participate! We will be dividing kids into two groups 8 - 12 year olds and 13 and up (no one over the age of 18 is elgible for participation). Don't worry- as moms, internet safety is a huge issue for us, and we are doing everything we can to make these swaps safe and fun. Kids will create and swap cards each month by mailing them to the store. We will then sort the cards (giving kids one of their own design and one of each of the other designs) and mail them back to participants. Because everything is handled through the store, kids will never have direct contact with each other. In addition, no information will ever be released about the participants other than their first name and their city/state (or just state if you prefer). Even with permission we cannot and will not release any contact information about our young participants.

Take a look at the complete set of rules by clicking on the title of this post. I am really excited to see what the kids create! It will be fun opening those envelopes of cards each month!

Please consider signing your kids up for this swap, and if you know other kids that might be interested, pass the word on. The groups will be capped at 12 participants each, but we will keep adding groups as long as there is interest. The more kids participating, the more interesting the swap will be!

Valentine's Day Fun

I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in Colorado, we are enjoying a snow day. School is cancelled and the kids are home, which means plenty of time to spend together. I know they will be spending the first half of their day in the snow, but when the newness wears off and their feet turn cold, they'll be inside looking for something to do - so I think we'll spend the afternoon making Valentines together!

Remember when you were a kid and you'd make valentines out of construction paper hearts and dime store doilies? You'd painstakingly apply a string of Elmer's glue then immediately cover it with chunky, messy glitter.

Paper crafting has come a long way since those days, and the huge array of products available for all your Valentine's Day projects is astounding. I started looking around our store for some fun Valentine's Day paper crafting picks - and I came up with a bunch! Check out my picks below, then set a day or afternoon aside to make Valentines with your little sweeties. After all, scrapbooking and papercrafting are about more than preserving memories, they are also about making them.

Here are some of my picks for Valentine's Day papercrafting. You can purchase any and all of these supplies on our site http://www.scrapbuglane.com/.

Fun Picks for All Your Valentine's Day Papercrafting Needs:

• Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels - This shimmery mist is completely unique. I suggest either the pearl or taffy pink for all your Valentine's Day projects. Spritz your pages with the pearl for a touch of glimmer. For a more saturated look, try the taffy pink. The look and feel of sparkle with little mess - these truly are a fun pick!
• Loopy Love heart sequins from Doodle Bug - What could speak of Valentine's Day more than hearts? These darling sequins add sparkle and whimsy to any V-Day project.
• Cosmo Cricket 'Hey Sugar' papers - These papers are super sweet and on sale now! We have our entire line of Hey Sugar papers at 25% off this month. Just click on 'sale items' to view the entire collection. Perfect for cards, layouts and more!
• Heidi Swap Florals - Pick up the assortment on sale this month for 25% off, or pick up some glitter florals in crimson, pink, or white! Nothing speaks the language of love like flowers!
• Stickles Glitter Glue - Pick up this mess free alternative to traditional glitters in Cotton Candy or Crystal. Nothing sparkles quite like Stickles! Use it to trim all your Valentine's cards and layouts.
• Making Memories Noteworthy Shimmer Alpha Stickers - Available in the pink 'Ava' color scheme, these glittery letters are the perfect way to add titles to your Valentine's Day projects.
• Making Memories Love Story Die-cut Papers - Very pretty and very romantic, the title of this line (Love Story) says it all.
• BasicGrey Clear Acrylic Stamps - From their Two Scoops line, we have these clear stamps available in both the Flower Swash and Swirlie styles. Perfect for Valentine's Day crafting and every project in between!
• Around the Block Love Foil Transfer Kit - Add a touch of shiny foil to any project with the simple to use 'Love' foil transfer kit. Everything you need to add a finishing touch to your Valentines.
• Big Red Value Buttons - Just .99 cents for a bag of Big Red Buttons. Perfect for Valentine's Day and every day. The price can't be beat.
• Wausau Pearlescent or Metallic Cardstock - Try using the White Gold on Noble White, or the Rocket Red. These papers make much prettier hearts than traditional construction paper!
• 'Loves Me' Collection from Imaginisce - Pick it up in this month's kit or pick it up singly! Papers, ribbons, and clear acrylic stamp singles (adore, kisses, heart, and blossoms), all available for a limited time only on our site!
• Paper Frills by Doodle Bug Designs - Much nicer than the doily, these intricate die cut borders are available in lily white and will trim out your cards and layouts to the "T".
• 26 oz. Apothecary Jar with Handle - One of the alterable items available on our site - fill this jar with red hots and decorate it with any one of the paper lines we suggest in this post. You'll have the perfect gift for your sweetie!
• K & Co. Paper Craft Pads - Paper craft boxes, flowers, and purses allow you to make personalized Valentine's for teachers, friends, and anyone you want to say "Thank You" to on Valentine's Day. Fill the paper boxes with chocolates, or present a favorite teacher with a bouquet of flowers that will never die.
• Bo Bunny's Bella Journee 'Paris' Line - Inspired by the city of love, these papers and die cuts will transport you to another world. Absolutely gorgeous!
• "LOVE" Word Album by Bo Bunny - This sturdy chipboard word album was used for our January project. A precious and personal way to tell a husband, mother, sister, or friend how much you love them this Valentine's Day.
• We R Memory Keepers Designer Snaps and Eyelets - Pick up the We R Memory Keepers Designer Snaps and Eyelets in the festive "Love" design, then use your crop-a-dile to set the eyelets and snaps on all your projects. Don't forget to pre-order the Crop-a-dile II Big Bite while you are at it. We will give you a free case and grommets with every Big Bite you pre-order. These are selling out fast, so order today!
• Heidi Swapp Foto Folders - In Pink! Use on layouts, or use as cards, these versatile folders are perfect in pink and a number of other colors.
• My Minds Eye Large Bohemia Gems - Add a little bling to all your Valentine's Day project with these large adhesive gems. What could spell true love more than the glimmer of gems?

Wow! That is quite a list of product (and I think I really could have added more). After doing my homework, I may have to wait a few days to start my Valentine's Day projects. I think there are at least a few of these items I need to pick-up from the store!

Lisa

Sales, Sales, and more Sales!

Its been a great week in the store. We've had several Cropodile II's pre-ordered. This is a great deal - pre-order the Cropadile II Big Bite and receive the case with grommets free! We have a limited number of these available for pre-order, so don't delay.

We are also in the midst of our first ever clearance sale. BasicGrey Figgy Pudding, Mellow and Recess are all 40% off. We have also moved all of our Scrapworks Fast Cards into the clearance section, so stock up. These cards, as their name implies, are quick and easy to use! Check out all of our great clearance items by clicking on the title of this post.

Our monthly sale is also underway. We have priced the ever so sweet Cosmo Cricket Hey Sugar line at 25% off, this month only! We also have select colors of Heidi Swapp flowers on sale, 25% off.

Jodi put several new items on the site last night, including the Chocolate Neopolitan paper pad by Brenda Walton, acrylic and adhesive cork sheets (die cut them any way you want), a couple of clear Acrylic stamp sets by Doodlebug Designs (Doodlebug Memories and Doodlebug Friends), and the ever so beautiful papers in the Sassafrass Lass Starry Night collection (I love these papers). Other recently added products include the Making Memories Noteworthy collection (beautiful die-cut sheets) as well as Shimmerz Iridescent Glue by Art Accentz. Be sure to check out all of these great new products at www.ScrapBugLane.com.

Look for great things in February. The Newsletter will be out this weekend. We will be announcing the details of our online cardswap and unveiling even more sales! Its also CHA Winter '08 and we have been keeping a keen eye out for all the new releases. We've already begun pre-oredering lines, so look for great things to come!

Have a great weekend.

Lisa