I'll be teaching 4 nights in a row next week!

If I thought I was busy in January, Februray is looking MUCH worse! Next week I am teaching Monday thru Thursday and then take one night off, Friday, before gearing up for CHA! At least CHA is in my own backyard, so no hotel stays or anything. Oh, and no dragging around gridwall! LOL ... Anyway, on tap for classes this coming week:

"Clearly in Love" 6 x 6 acrylic album at Collective Journey in Redlands on Monday evening.
"Sweet Valentine" 8 x 8 acrylic album at Ever After in Carlsbad on Tuesday evening.
"Clearly in Love" at Scrapbook Boulevard in Victorville on Wednesday evening.
"Sweet Valentine" at Scrapbooking Heaven in Westminster on Thursday evening.

For more info, log on to the Kits2Remember web site calendar:

I've been tagged!

Oh, no, not again ... Not that I mind being tagged, it's finding people that I don't think will hate me for tagging THEM! And Donna Salazar was the instigator again! She didn't tag ME, but she tagged NAN who, in turn, tagged ME! I am supposed to post what I am doing right now ... I am doing my nightly ritual ... eating popcorn and drinking the 0 calorie carbonated water from Wal-mart, one of the few things I go there to buy! Black Cherry flavored, BTW. Oh, and I just finished packing up for Memory Trends in Vegas. Looking forward to it, although I am sad to see that it doesn't appear to be a popular event. But I will write up a full report later ... LOL! And as for who I am going to tag, I have no idea ...

On tap for the week of Jan. 28 ...

Whew! Three weekends in a row of dragging gridwall around ... I am ready for a break! But the shows and crops have been a lot of fun! Rodney and I just got in from Ontario, CA, this evening, after vending for Scrapbook Alley, which was housed with the Home Improvement and Backyard Living Expo at the convention center. While the show was slow and scrappers weren't plentiful, the ones who stopped by were wonderful! We had a lot of chatty croppers and a big THANK YOU to friends, family and past class attendees who stopped by the K2R booth this weekend. I really appreciate your support!

As for upcoming events for the week, I will be teaching My "Clearly in Love" 6 x 6 acrylic album at Scrappin' in the Hills in Anaheim Hills from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29. Check out my calendar for details and be sure to call ahead to the store and reserve your seat! www.kits2remember.com/calendar Hope to see you in class!

Then, I am off to Memory Trends in Las Vegas Thursday through Saturday! There has been a lot of discussion in the scrapbook industry as to which trade shows to support and why, and I want to make up my own mind. The big question: Should scrapbooking support the crafting side of the hobby, with the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA), or should the industry join forces with the photography industry and become more involved with PMA? The decision made by the scrapbooking industry as a whole could really affect the future success of scrapbooking as we know it. Sooo, I am spending a not-so-affordable weekend in Las Vegas at Memory Trends and the PMA trade show in the hopes of coming away with a lot of great info, contacts and more. I'll give a review once I return!

Stop by Scrapbook Alley!

SoCal Croppers: Looking for something the whole family can enjoy this weekend? Why not try Scrapbook Alley this weekend in Ontario, CA? It is in conjunction with the Home Improvement and Backyard Living Expo at the Ontario Convention Center. So, drop the hubby off at the roofing and tile section and head on over to the Alley where you can browse a number of scrappy booths, including Kits2Remember! We will have a 4 x 4 acrylic mini book make and take for $5, plus show-only specials on different products. Have you seen our acrylic or our new BragTags and UNdrilled Clear Scraps? Stop by the booth and see them in person! We dare you to resist the temptation to take these fun and easy projects home!

Plus, Jessica will also be at the Heirloom Stamp Show in Riverside, in the Auntie Amy booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday! Come by, say hi and do the exclusive make and take. This show promises to be a lot of fun!

Scrapfest San Diego

Rodney and I had a great time at ScrapFest San Diego this past weekend! This was the first year of this annual event and organizer Tracy Johnson and her DH Brad, were really working hard to put on a great crop. While the event was sold out, attendance was a little low thanks to ... football! The Chargers had made it to the playoffs so a lot of the ladies planning to attend Sunday bailed out to watch the Chargers unfortunate loss. However, the K2R booth was often busy as we spread knowledge about working with acrylic, the Bind-it-All, Clear Scraps, the Crop-a-dile, Ranger acrylic paints and Stickles with anyone who happened to stop by! We passed out our *new* K2R buttons and had a great time meeting wonderful people. There was really a lot of friendly support from not only the croppers, but the other vendors, as well, encouraging me in my new business venture. The scrappy ladies were kind to Rodney (one even complimented him on his cute butt!) and gave him kudos for being such a great DH. I have to agree ... especially after he got me what every gal deserves - her own tiara from Diva Danielle! So now I have been crowned the K2R Kween! We really had a great time and I assured Tracy that we will be back for the 2009 event!

A spare moment to blog ...

At the Desert Scrappers retreat this weekend with the WhoGAS girls (Who Gives a Scrap!) I am on the top right.

WOW! Has it been that long since I blogged?! Jeez! Time is flying by in 2008 already for me! Kits2Remember has just taken off and I am busy with events, classes and, oh yeah, family life! Not to mention my DH and Director of Operations has been training in Mississippi, so I've been a "single Mom" up until this week, although I did have some help from my DPs (Dear Parents!). This past weekend K2R hot the road and headed to the scrub brush for the Desert Scrappers retreat in Palm Springs. I actually did get some cropping done in between the classes I taught and showing different techniques to croppers throughout the weekend. Acrylic, Stickles, Grungeboard and Ranger paint dabbers were some of the big hits with the croppers ...

Tuesday night I will be teaching my "Clearly in Love" 6 x 6 acrylic album class at the Red Bee from 6-8 p.m. You can find out more about it on my calendar: , as well as info about other classes I am teaching around SoCal. Your local store may be one of the ones kind enough to host me!

This weekend is the first-ever ScrapFest San Diego at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Activity Center. The event is SOLD OUT and I hear there are more than 200 croppers attending each day! K2R will be there, plus I am teaching a purse and album class on Saturday from 5-7 p.m. for those croppers who are interested. You can check out more about that on my calendar, too.

Plus, K2R has a TON of new product, so new, some of it isn't even on my web site yet, because I just haven't had the chance to photograph and import it all! K2R has new o-wire colors (for the Bind-it-All!) Grungeboard Basics, Brag Tag military-style photo necklace kits, and our new EXCLUSIVE line from Clear Scrap acrylic albums: Undrilled Clear Scraps - shaped albums without holes pre-drilled so you can punch and bind them any way you want, with the BiA, Crop-a-dile, Fiskars drill or any way else you can think of! I'll chat more about them later. Be sure to keep an eye open for samples of these to pop up on the K2R ideas page: .

20 percent discount, new products and so much more in 2008 at K2R!

Happy New Year, fellow scrappers!

2008 promised to be BUSY year for Kits2Remember! Take a look at what we have in store so far:

New Products: We already have some brand new products for 2008, and added some scrappy necessities to our store. You can find direct links to and project ideas for most of these at www.kits2remember.com/ideas. Here are few of our new items:

1. Military-style, metal Brag Tags are a thoughtful gift for those service members overseas, or for their friends and family waiting for them at home.

2. K2R also has a new size of acrylic: 6 x 8, which makes a great album for 5 x 7 photos. Keep an eye out for more sizes to become available throughout the year!

3. Bind-it-All lovers may be thrilled to know we have new wire colors that can be purchased on a per-piece basis! Blue, Green and Bronze are just a few of the new colors we will be offering on a limited basis throughout the year!

4. Some of the K2R must-haves have been added to the store: Stickles glitter glue, Ranger acrylic paint dabbers, Tim Holtz’s Basics Grungeboard (sheets perfect for binding into minibooks!) and the black and brown ink pads we love to use.

Discount This Week Only: To bring in the new year right, we will be extending a 20.08% discount (which, rounded, equals 20%!) on everything in the store until midnight PST Friday, Jan. 4, 2008 to anyone reading this. This includes the savings on the kits that are already 50% off! Items will ship Monday, Jan. 7 by priority mail, so all orders will be received by Jan. 10! Just use discount code happy2008 when you check out!

Calendar: We will be at seven different California expos, a handful of weekend crops and a few other scrappy activities throughout the year. We are even considering shows in Texas and Tennessee, although final decisions and approvals have not been made yet. Be sure to check out our online calendar at www.kits2remember.com/calendar to see if any of our shows or classes fit into your schedule for the year!

Ideas: K2R has new project ideas every month! Be sure to add our ideas page to your favorites so you can check back often! www.kits2remember.com/ideas

I hope everyone had a fun and happy holiday season and we wish you a delightful and prosperous New Year!

Let's welcome a new store to the SoCal area!

Times have been tough for the scrapbooking industry lately, and especially tough on local scrapbook stores. It seems like there is a new one closing every week, for one reason or another. A few months ago we heard about Table Scrapz in Placentia closing and I don't know about you, but my thoughts were, "Oh, no ... another one bites the dust!" But out of the dusty ashes of Table Scrapz has risen a new, fresh scrapbook store in the same location: The Scrappin' Table. Store owner Michelle is excited, motivated and gracious and I encourage you to stop on in when you have a chance. Product is being added to the store every day (after a brief delay thanks to the midwest ice storms!) and it looks like Michelle, with the help of her scrappy friend Tiffany, is buying nothing but the latest and greatest.

As I mentioned earlier in my blog, I will be teaching at The Scrappin' Table Jan. 23. I'd love to see some of you there ... it's sure to be a fun, productive and informational class! Find out more by clicking my calendar link to the left of this post, or visit The Scrappin' Table's blog: http://thescrappintable.blogspot.com/

Pantone's Color of the Year

There is something about color that inspires me. Especially when they are all organized and , ahem, color-coordinated. I am attracted to paint chip displays at hardware stores, new boxes of crayons and pencils, my stash of organized cardstock...

I love it when Pantone comes out with its annual color. Will we see it in more scrap stuff? Do I feel the need to paint something this color? I find the description humorous, especially when thinking from an average Jane's perspective. This Blue Iris, to me, is a bright purpley blue. But to Pantone, it is a whole lot more and represents where 2008 will be heading. See if you agree ...

"From a color forecasting perspective, we have chosen PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris as the color of the year, as it best represents color direction in 2008 for fashion, cosmetics and home products," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "As a reflection of the times, Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspect of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic. Look for it artfully combined with deeper plums, red-browns, yellow-greens, grapes and grays."

Upcoming classes and make and takes!

Whew .. I am finally getting around to doing the samples that I have desperately needed to get done! The small blue book is a make and take for Auntie Amy in Riverside. I will be at the Heirloom Stamp Show there Jan. 25 and 26.
My "Clearly in Love" 6 x 6 acrylic album has already been sold out to the stores and you can see my schedule for those classes on my calendar. But I still had more stores to teach at, so I had to come up with another project! "Sweet Valentine" is an 8 x 8 acrylic album and I have, so far, have it scheduled at the new store, The Scrappin' Table in Placentia Jan. 23. The other two projects I will be teaching at the Desert Scrappers retreat Jan. 11-13 in Palm Springs. For more info about any of these classes, log on to my web site calendar by clicking the link to the left, or typing this address into your browser: www.kits2remember.com/calendar.

Handmade Holiday gifts ...

In this day and age, handmade gifts just aren't given often enough. I have been lucky to receive two handmade gifts so far this year. Scott Ogle (my DH's poker pal and hubby to my scrappy friend Judy) drilled a hole near the bottom of a wine bottle and fed Christmas lights into it. I really like this simple holiday decor item and have it displayed in my living room where I can see it all the time. The second gift is also in my living room, on a shelf that is tough to light. But the "Believe" framed shadow box scrapper April Peel of Victorville made me is just simply beautiful. She used embossing beautifully and I had a space available on my shelf - it fits in great with my snow globes and boxer dog Christmas tree! Thanks for thinking of me!

Decemeber news from K2R

Hi, all!

I know you are hearing a lot form me this month, but I have got so many exciting things going on! I just got word that my shipment of *new* products for 2008 is on its way and I have to make room! So, ALL project kits are on sale - up to 50 percent off - for a limited time while supplies last! So, take a look around, and if you have shopped K2R before, don't forget to cash in on your points to save even more money! After shopping for everyone else, now you can say Happy Holidays to YOU! Log on to www.kits2remember.com.

Also, stay tuned for details about the brand new products available next month. Plus, if you are in Southern California, you can register for K2R classes at two 2008 scrappy events: Scrapbook Expo in Orange County and Scrapbook Alley in Ontario. Visit www.kits2remember.com/calendar for more info!

Don't forget: If you have questions about acrylic, ideas, mini books - you name it - the K2R message board is where you can post questions, answers and info for other like-minded, mini-book-making people!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for your support in 2007! I couldn't have done it without you!

EK is asking for my opinion ....?!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not afraid to express my opinion, and now a scrapbook company is actually asking for it! Wonders never cease!
I have been selected as a member of the EK Success consumer board for 2008! I am sure there are a few hundred of us out there, but this if fun, nevertheless. We will be asked to fill out online surveys, sometimes about products, sometimes not. I am supposed to share the products with other scrappers, so here's the first review:

They sent me the first product, the new Sticko adhesive, in a pink container (yuck! They lost a point of mine there ...). I got the mini adhesive and being the busy scrapbooker I am, this 11 feet of adhesive was gone in a flash! But, the adhesive itself was strong and easy to use, much like an ATG-type double-sided tape. It IS refillable, but I hate refilling too often, hence the reason I use the ATG gun and tape.

So, while this wasn't a huge winner with me, it was still fun filling out the survey and letting EK know my thoughts! Stay tuned for more reviews in the coming months.

"Clearly in Love" Class

This is the class project I am teaching for January and early February. If you'd like to see if I am teaching at a store near you, log on to www.kits2remember.com/calendar.

"Clearly in Love" is a 6 x 6 acrylic album that features Creative Imaginations paper and embellishments, acrylic shapes (large tag and "love" word), acrylic paint, Stickles, and of course, ribbon! This project has the hubby's stamp of approval for being romantic but not too "girlie," so, hopefully your significant other will agree when you proudly give it to them this Valentine's Day!

I'll be teaching at Expo!

I am excited to announce that I will be teaching at Scrapbook Expo for the first time at the Orange County show in February!
I will have two classes each morning (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), both featuring acrylic projects and promoting my new business venture, Kits2Remember (www.kits2remember.com). I hope to see some friendly faces there since this is my first time teaching at Expo!
One class, “Crystal Clear Home Décor,” will be a 12 x 12 acrylic page, which can be used in an album or as home décor – your choice. The second is “Why I Love You,” a 6 x 6 acrylic album we bind with the Bind-it-All.
For more information about my classes, please log on to ScrapbookExpo.com and click on Orange County. There will be workshop information posted there soon, if it isn’t already. Registration begins Dec. 12. I will also be at the San Diego, Ontario and Sacramento Expos, as well!
Kits2Remember will also have a booth there, and I plan to have acrylic covers, albums and shapes available in bulk, as well as chipboard in all the scrappy sizes. I am also working on getting some new and different mini book product in so that I, hopefully, have some stuff you’ve never seen – and can’t resist!
I will also need some teacher’s pets for my two classes each day. I believe the deal with Expo is a free class kit for your assistance, and I’d be happy to throw some acrylic in there as well. I also need a couple of scrappers to help out in the booth in the mornings while I am in class. I would be happy to trade you your time for lots of product. It is preferable that you have experience with the Bind-it-All and Crop-a-dile so you can easily help others who don’t. If you are interested in either volunteer opportunity, please email me: jessica@kits2remember.com.
I will continue to post updates on my blog: www.jessicaguthrie.blogspot.com, so add it to your favorites and check back often.
Truly, I really appreciate the support of so many of you who have encouraged me, supported me … and even become customers for me! Thank you so much! I look forward to seeing you guys at Expo, if not before!

Whew! It's finished!

I have been pretty quiet on line this week because, when I am not working, I am in the garage, finishing up my labor of love, this roughly 8 x 5.5-foot canvas mural for my living room wall. It is actually four main peices that I have joined together in layers. I have had the idea for this for over a year - it was just trying to find the time to do it! I promised myself that I would start it Thanksgiving weekend, which I did. I think it took about 20 hours to do, not including organizing the materials and photos. You will note that that top left corner is a little bare. I need to get some good pictures of Rodney's parents when we visit them later this month. I plan on video taping my description of it soon, and if I can get the technology to work properly, posting it here. So keep an eye out for that!

New computer!

I have a new laptop, with a huge screen and it's GREEN! Yeah, I stupidly spent an extra $25 so that I could have a green laptop. Since K2R's logo is green, I thought I would continue the theme through to my PC. And the standard black just seemed so boring. I love the computer, it is just a pain having to reinstall programs and reset settings the way I like. Windows Vista is a challenge, too. I still can't find the "print" button, but at least the keyboard commands still work the same!

K2R now has acrylic shapes!

I am so excited! Kits2Remember now has some sturdy acylic shapes, alphas, numbers and more to create all sorts of albums, page elements, ornaments and home decor items. Take a look: www.kits2remember.com.

The Red Bee's Gallery Night

The Red Bee in Tustin had their Holiday Open House and Gallery tonight to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Scrappy Nan and I had both donated to each enter one of our projects in the gallery, to be put on display and voted on by store patrons. Nan and I tied for first place in the Altered Item category! If you guys know us at all, you will know whose project is whose ... and remember I am not a big fan of fluffy, glitzy, girly things! :) We each got a certificate for Bee Bucks to spend at the store ... plus bragging rights. LOL! Plus, scrap celebrities had donated their works of art to be placed up for a silent auction. I bid on the autographed mini book from Tim Holtz and won! I gave it to DH Rodney since he is such a big fan of the man's work. I figured we can out some scrappy photos of us in it, such as Rodney using a pocket knife to work on his Scrap Expo class layout - ha!

Crops2Remember this weekend!

C2R is hosting its last crop of its inaugural year - a 14-hour day crop at The Red Bee Saturday. It's not too late to sign up, we have room for a few more! For more info, visit www.crops2remember.com.