Cord Scrapbook Studio

2 Reasons I'm Lovin' Today - (Well, make that THREE...)

Ok, so as the the title of this post would suggest... there are two three reasons I'm totally LOVING today. One... it's Friday. Not much detail to go into there, I mean...who doesn't love Fridays?! 

Two... it's December 2nd. We're two days into my absolute favorite month of the year and so far I've managed to keep up with my December Daily album (which I know isn't saying much considering the whole process just started yesterday, but for me that's HUGE! I'm usually the one speed-scrapping days 1-10 once the 11th rolls around and then giving up mid-project because I'm so behind and incredibly overwhelmed!)

And speaking of "December Daily"... Ali posted her Day One project (pictured above) on her blog and I have to tell you... I am totally inspired! Time to bust out the ol' sewing machine and some Thickers...

And the third reason I'm thinking today is a FABULOUS day is... we've got two more Holiday Wish List winners to announce!

Barbara Ross
Brenda Berding

Congratulations, ladies! Don't forget to contact your local Scrapbook Studio TODAY to claim your 30% discount off ONE scrapbooking item from your Wish List!

We'll be back all weekend and on into next week with new winners announced every day from now until Monday, December 12th! You can also check for updates on our Facebook Page and Twitter Feed where names will be posted for quick review!

T.G.I.F!

Holiday Wish List Discount Giveaway - Day One

Today marks the start of our 12 Days of Discount Giveaways!! 

For those of you who filled out a 2011 Holiday Wish List and returned it to the Scrapbook Studio location nearest you, your names have been (and will continue to be) entered into a drawing for you or your loved ones to win a 30% discount off any ONE item** from your Wish List!

**Discount is taken off regular sale price of the item and may not be combined with any other coupons or offers. Discount applies to scrapbooking purchases only with the exception of the Photo Club Membership. Discount may not be applied toward the purchase of gift cards.

Starting today and continuing every day through Monday, December 12th each store will select one winner at random for their Wish List files! The winner's name will then be posted here on the blog as well as on our Facebook Page and Twitter feed!

As the winner of one of these prized discounts, all you need to do is STOP IN or CALL IN to your local Cord Scrapbook Studio on the day your name is announced to claim your discount! So are you ready to see today's winners?!

Oralia Aakhus
Beth Moody

Time to contact your loved ones, ladies and let them know they'll save 30% on one item from your list! (Or, you know... you could always gift yourself a little something early... *wink, wink*. We won't tell!)

If you have not yet returned your Holiday Wish List to your local Scrapbook Studio, you have until Sunday, December 11th to do so! You can pick up blank forms in stores or download a copy here. Wish Lists will remain on file in store throughout the season and winning discounts must be redeemed by Christmas Eve.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for our next batch of winners!

 

Your 2011 Holiday Wish List - (and a chance to WIN!)

We've put together a handy dandy little Holiday Wish List/Reference sheet for you this year--complete with a chance to win 30% off ONE scrapbooking item from your list! Here's the deal...

Pick up your Holiday Wish List at any Cord Scrapbook Studio location or click the image below to print a copy at home.

We've selected a few of our favorite gift ideas and featured them here, plus there's space at the bottom for you to fill in to your heart's content. When you're done filling it out, we'll file it in the store for you so that when you send in your loved ones, we'll be able to help them choose a gift directly from your list!

But wait... there's more!

Every day starting December 1st and going through December 12th, we'll choose one lucky winner from each store and post those names here on the blog, on Facebook and on Twitter. If you see your name and contact your store ON THAT DAY, your loved ones will win a 30% discount to use on any one item from your list (Offer valid on regular-priced scrapbooking merchandise and Photo Club Rewards membership ONLY. Excludes Gift Cards) .

So not only will you get exactly what you ask for this year, you'll save a little dough as well! Win-Win!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

(P.S... where does that saying come from, anyway?)

Before I get on to announcing today's winners (and I'm pretending that you won't just scroll down to see them before reading this first... aww, who am I kidding? Go ahead... Just promise you'll read this part when you're done!) I just want to thank everyone for their participation in this giveaway! We had a GREAT response here on the blog, on our Facebook page and on the Authentique Page!

We hope to have some more contests and giveaways in the future, so if you haven't already, don't forget to add our blog feed to your favorite blog reader and to "like" us on Facebook so you don't miss out!

And now without further adieu, I'd like to announce the three winners from our Authentique Giveaway!  

The winner of the Blissful Collection is...Cheryl Hutcherson! Cheryl also shared a pair of "Uncommon" cards on our Facebook page that you canview here. Thanks Cheryl--and congrats!

Our next winner will get a complete set of the Uncommon collection!
Are you ready? 

(drumroll, please...)

Cherie Baer! Congratulations!

And last, but most certainly not least... our third winner is about to become the proud owner of the Journey collection!

Raise your hand, Wendy Shoemaker--you're it!

THREE cheers for our THREE lucky Authentique winners! If you could please email scrapbooking[at]cordcamera[dot]com (subbing the @ and . where necessary) and let me know either what store you'd like to pick up your prize at if your local or what your mailing address is if you're one of our loyal cyber-fans, we'll be sure to send out your chicken dinners ASAP!

And by "chicken dinner" I of course mean... six double-sided patterned papers, one 12x24 bi-fold paper, and coordinating die-cut and cardstock sticker elements for your papercrafting pleasure!

The Turquoise Trend (& a Giveaway!)

Is it just me or does turquoise seem to be the "it" color these days? I mean, I see it almost everywhere in one shade or another and I gotta say... I kinda like it! In 2010, Turquoise and Aqua were noted as one of the year's most popular colors and apparently it's a good choice for 2011 as well!

Let's take a look at what Authentique Paper's new Gathering Collection brings to the turquoise table, shall we?
  
  
Now the turquoise + brown part doesn't surprise me one bit--we've been swooning over that color combo for what seems like ages now. But the little orange twist? Love it! It certainly brightens things up a bit, don'tcha think?

 
Now, with Authentique Paper collections, there are six different double-sided patterned papers and one 12x24 double-sided bi-fold paper that's mostly solid with a real subtle print to it that's great for the background of your layouts. On top of that, there's all kinds of extra little details you can pick up to help pull together all of the elements of your page--all of them priced between $.99 and $1.99 which is awesome!

Gathering--in all of its turquoise and orage glory--is available in stores and online now! And tell you what.... since it's Friday and Friday's are FUN... how about a little Authentique giveaway? For your chance to win, simply "like" our Facebook Page, "like" the Authentique Facebook page and send 'em a little Cord Scrapbook Studio love, and then come back here, leave us a comment and let us know!

For a super-duper EXTRA chance to win, simply share a layout, card or project you've created using Authentique Papers on our Facebook Page! We'd LOVE to see what you've been up to!

THREE LUCKY POSTERS will win an ENTIRE collection of Authentique papers & embellishments!! Please Note: Contest limited to participants within the Continental U.S. only. Comments and Facebook entries must be submitted by NOON on Friday, October 28th.

We'll announce the winners right here on the blog ONE WEEK from today!
Happy Friday, everyone!! And... Happy Crafting!!

Sketch of the Week - Jillibean Soup Style!

This week, we have a special guest sketch for you... couresty of Jillibean Soup! Here's a little note from the "Big Bean" herself, Jill!

Hey there Cord peeps, Jill here from Jillibean Soup!
 
We're thrilled to be offering a sketch challenge through the Cord blog today.  If you didn't already see it, check out Julie Bonner's Sketch for the month of September...
 
 
Julie created this amazing layout using Christmas Eve Chowder Papers, Cardstock Stickers, PeaPods and Burlap Chipboard Alphas.
 
 
Now, here's where you come in!  We would love to have you use the sketch to create your own project(s) using our products!  All you have to do is link up your project to the Cord Camera Facebook page so we can see your work!  I (Jill Yegerlehner) and Cord will pick our favorite project at the end of the week (Friday) and the winner will win an amazing fat pack (one of each of the new Jillibean papers) from Jillibean Soup! 
 
Make sure you check your local Cord Camera for all the new Jillibean products!  Corrugated Alphas and Corrugated Sheets, buttons and felt shapes all arriving in stores this week!
 
Good Luck and get scrappin'!

Jill

Alrighty... you heard her! Time to get to work and submit your Jillibean Soup projects! If you're unable to post your sketch project on our Facebook page, you may email your submission to scrapbooking[at]cordcamera[dot]com and we can post it for you! We're excited to see your submissions--good luck everyone!

Holy Festive Frames, Batman! A GIVEAWAY!

I should have known I'd be headed into a world of festive fun when the title of today's Write.Click.Scrapbook blog post read "More Décor Than You Can Shake a (Peppermint) Stick At". I mean, seriously-- inspiration city. Check out all of the ideas they've been posting and then come back...

Go ahead, I'll wait. . . .

Hello again--Are ya feeling refreshed and inspired? Did some of the ideas pictured cause the little wheels in your head to start turning? Hmm... me too. This time of year it seems like everyone's got a festive feature on their blog from December Daily albums to altered frames, handmade ornaments, 12 Days of Tags, Christmas cards and more!

One trend I've seen a lot of this year? Altered frames and plaques. This particular project was featured on today's WCS post--it's by Crystal Wilkerson of "Creativity by Crystal". I'm excited, because... well, since I also have the privilege of working with the frames in our stores, this topic is right up my alley! The concept is pretty simple--find an inexpensive frame you like, toss the glass, paint it, sand it, decorate the inside of it and hang it on your wall (or in this case, your tree) for all to see.

The best part about them? They're the perfect excuse for using up supplies you already have on hand--Seasonal patterned papers (please don't tell me I'm the only one with a foot tall stack of holiday paper, puhlease...), die-cuts you can color and size any way you want using your Cricut or Silhouette machines, extra buttons, trims, rhinestones and stickers leftover from other projects... I mean, the list just goes on and on.

Projects like these make great gifts without breaking the bank--especially when you consider the majority of your supplies come from what  you already have lying around at home!

I'd shared this fun frame on our Facebook page last week and it just goes to show that you don't necessarily have to alter a frame just to customize it! Juliana Michaels created this holiday home decor piece for the Jillibean Soup blog. Click the frame image to see the full post and yet another altered frame sample!

Even though it's almost inevitable to center your creative efforts on the holidays given we're right in the middle of the "most wonderful time of the year"--altered and decorated frames are great year-round. And it's quite possible that the easiest thing to frame year-round is a favorite layout!

GI VE AWAY  ALERT: It just so happens that I have a few 5x7 black frames ready and waiting to be spruced up and I'm prepared to give them away this week on the blog! All you have to do for a chance to win a frame is leave a comment below and let me know what YOU would do to alter a frame for your home (or for a friend!)

Make-n-Takes and a Chance to Win!

We're going to be inkin' it up at this year's Holiday Make-n-Take Open House tomorrow from Noon to 5pm at our Graceland and Nora stores!  We've chosen a few of our favorite tools & techniques to create a selection of holiday-themed cards, tags and treat-holders for the gift-giving season! Come see the i-Rock tool, border punches, embossing powders, Stampendous stamps and Copic Markers in action!!

And speaking of Copic... everyone's favorite coloring company has donated prizes for FOUR lucky winners in celebration of tomorrow's event and you've got three chances to win!

1. Post a comment to the blog and tell us how much you L-O-V-E Copic Markers! Copic is helping us out with this event by supplying markers and prizes so we really want 'em to feel the love!! Or...

2. Upload a project you've made using Copic markers to our Facebook Fan Page. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy! (And an extra entry into the drawing goes to anyone who uploads a Christmas themed card or tag!)

3. Refer a friend to either the blog or our Facebook page (or both), have them post on our Wall or leave a comment on the blog telling us your name and their favorite Copic color and both you and your friend will earn a chance to win!

We'll keep things open through Friday, November 19th at which point our winners will be announced! Special thanks to Copic for their support of this event and for manufacturing the markers that made coloring fun again! We are totally hooked!

The Cutest Little Buckeye

Cord Camera presents another fabulous photo contest and this time around it's time to put your lil' Buckeye fan in the spotlight! Columbus Parent is searching for the cutest little Buckeye, ages 5 and under. The Grand Prize winner will receive a Columbus Parent gift pack that includes a $50 gift card for Buckeye Corner and the winner's parents or guardians will also receive a pair of tickets to the OSU vs. Purdue game on October 23rd!

 
How would you like a 20x30 print of your lil' Buckeye to display with pride? Just for entering the contest, you'll receive a FREE poster print from Cord! But hurry--the deadline for contest entries to be submitted is next Friday, October 15th!

Sketch of the Week: How do YOU use your sprouts?

 
Local favorite Jillibean Soup announced the details of their "Millionth Sprout Contest" last Friday on their "Bean Talk" blog. All you need to do to win is submit your most innovative use (or uses) of their infamous Sprouts collection to [email protected] any time between now and September 20th. (You can see full contest details in their post, here.)

As if the mere mention of a contest where you have every excuse to spend your evenings exploring the realms of your creativity weren't enough to encourage you... let's just say the prize is definitely worth a little shout out. $100 Cash. $100 in Jillibean Soup product. A Jillibean Soup t-shirt (because--hello--who doesn't need another wardrobe reminder of the bestest hobby in the world) and the opportunity to have your project featured in an upcoming ad campaign. Holy sprouts, Batman... that's quite a prize!

Now, all that being said... I think it would be really, really cool if the winner just happened to be one of YOU. Wouldn't it? So for the sketch-of-the-week this week, I thought I'd offer a little creative starting point--something to get the ideas for using journaling sprouts rolling in that creative little brain of yours.

Thank you, Page Maps.  

In the sketch at left (garnished from this month's batch of fresh ideas), there's at least 3 different ways you could incorporate Jillibean Soup's sprouts into a layout of your own--can you see them? Remember... with the wide variety of colors, patterns and designs that exist in the wonderful world of scrapbook sprouts we have available to us... the possibilities are only limited by your ability to think outside the soup can.

For added inspiration, check out the Jillibean Soup blog as their regular Design Team posts and "soup spotting" series have been showcasing a ton of inspirational ideas lately using these trendy sprouts. (And if you're a card-maker and/or a Sprout-lover by nature... check out today's "Cards on Mondays" post. Love.)

*Note* Thanks to their overwhelming popularity, we're getting ready to re-order another batch of Sprouts to re-stock our shelves. Got a particular color or style you're looking for? Let us know!! We'll make sure we get whatever you need to give it your best shot! Best of luck to everyone participating--we can't to see your projects!