Scrapbook Album Alternative to WeR Memory Keepers

How to you shelve your scrapbook albums? Do you make sure they are all the same and labeled by year?  Do you have categorized albums? Do you just buy whatever album you can find on sale?

In the past, I was a super fan of the brown leather-like albums from Hobby Lobby where I organized my layouts by year.  They were sturdy with large rings and I could use a 40% off coupon when I needed a new one.

However, Hobby Lobby is a drive, and once Michael's opened just 10 minutes away, I started purchasing the WeR Memory Keepers albums with my 40% off coupon.  The same albums were also at our Target, which sold for $10 less than Michaels, and I didn't need a coupon for the best deal.

Target has made some changes for their art supply department, and the favorite WeR Memory Keepers albums went away (along with the majority of their other scrapbook supplies).  The picking was slim at Michaels as well and just focuses on the Project Life albums.

My dilemma was that I wanted the black, faux leather, which was hard to find in my area.  Now as a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I found the most perfect solution!  Stampin' Up sells a black, Project Life album that is nearly identical to the WeR albums!

In the top left photo is a WeR Memory Keepers album; in the top right, the Project Life by Stampin' Up.  Both have the large D rings.  The difference is the metal labels on the spine, but since they are both the silver color, it will still look similar on the shelf.

If you are looking for black faux leather albums, may I suggest you check out my Stampin'Up store website?  The best part is that until April 10th, there is FREE SHIPPING on any size order!  So pick up a couple albums for your Spring and Summer scrapbooking and/or Project Life projects!

And if you are strictly a Project Life scrapbooker, Stampin' Up sells exclusive Project Life card and stamp sets that you cannot find anywhere else!  At my website, search "Project Life" to see all the awesome supplies available!

Want to earn some credit for your new albums and Project Life supplies?  If you are local to me, you can have a Craft Camp with your crafting buddies.  I will come and show you some fun projects you can do with your friends where you can enjoy and experiment with Stampin' Up projects.

If you are not local, and you do not have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, you can have an Online Party!  Simply message me through my website for details on this fun alternative you can have with online friends while earning Hostess Credit!

Have a great week, and thanks for visiting!

December Daily Blog Hop with The Memory Nest! Week #4

Hello Everyone!  Welcome to this stop of the Memory Nest's December Daily Blog Hop.  Now that Christmas is past, it is time to wind up the December Daily and put in the finishing touches.  Here is the update to my album for this past week:

Next on the Blog Hop is the creative Jessica at Finding Sunshine!
If you miss any of the stops, head back to The Memory Nest Blog!
Link up your project at The Memory Nest and WIN PRIZES from us!
See you next Friday for our last day of this December Daily Blog Hop.

Video: December Daily Blog Hop with The Memory Nest! Week #3

Welcome to this stop of  The Memory Nest "December Daily" Blog Hop, Week #3!

Although I have a couple unfinished days in my album, I have been able to do a pretty good job of keeping up!  Journalling will be finished this week.

For you to see all that I have accomplished so far, it was much easier for me to do a video share of the album! Here is a quick, two minute video to give you a view of my completed pages up through yesterday.

(FYI - this is the video for week #3 of the blog hop, but I labeled my videos by what I has been uploaded on YouTube.)



Next on the Blog Hop is the creative Jessica at Finding Sunshine!
If you miss any of the stops, head back to The Memory Nest Blog!
Link up your project at The Memory Nest and WIN PRIZES from us!
See you next Friday!

Video: December Daily Blog Hop with The Memory Nest! Week #2

Thanks for stopping here on The Memory Nest "December Daily" Blog Hop, Week #2!

My December Daily album is underway, and I have been keeping a list of what I will share on each day of the album as well as remembering to take daily photos.

This week, however, I have run out of black photo ink, so I have not been able to print any of my photos to add to this week's pages.

For today's hop, I will share my video that shows how I put together my December Daily kit to use through the month.  More items have been added, but this will give you an idea of what I found to be useful:



Next on the Blog Hop is the creative Jessica at Finding Sunshine!
If you miss any of the stops, head back to The Memory Nest Blog!
Link up your project at The Memory Nest and win prizes from us!
See you next Friday!

December Daily Blog Hop with The Memory Nest! Week #1

Thanks for stopping by on this December Daily Blog Hop, Week #1!   You should be hopping here from Jennifer Reilly's blog.  I hope you will become full of inspiration as you look through the ideas of how The Memory Nest Design Team is creating December Daily albums!

Okay, now time for some truthfulness. This is the first year that I've done a December Daily album -- I have always had the intention, and then Life Happens.  This year I really wanted to complete this project.  I did not really want it as a recordkeeping system as much as I wanted it to be a memory album so that my boys would know what is on MY heart during the holiday season and what is important to me.

My album is simple; I raided my stash for bits and pieces to create a chipboard album with smaller pages so it would be simple to add either journaling or a photo for each day. The paper I chose from The Memory Nest was the We R Memory Keepers "Winter Frost" 6 x 6 paper pad.  The soft colors of blue, green and grey are so lovely, and I already had several other things in my stash to complement the paper.  With two sheets of each design in the pad, I was able to cover each chipboard page back to back.

Here is the cover of my album:  

My plan is to be able to display this album on a book stand.  

The first page is a pocket made from a kraft envelope. Inside this pocket I will keep journaling that may not fit anywhere else in the album.  

Day #1:  My teenager is determined to put up outside decorations this year. 

Day #2:  I spent the evening making Christmas cards to send to friends and family.  

Day #3:  This is another pocket where I will put my youngest son's Christmas list for safe keeping.  

Day #4:  A second envelope pocket on the left hold recipe cards of the favorite holiday goodies that I make every year that my kids and hubby love.

Day #5:  (Yesterday) Texas has such crazy weather sometimes, and this year we have already had two wild weather fronts a couple weeks apart, bringing in unusually cold temperatures that we rarely see in December. 

Your next stop is the incredible Jessica Barnes!

If you want to begin at the start of the Hop, head back to Leslie at The Memory Nest.

So that's my first week of the December Daily.  There is not doubt that I will add journaling and other embellishments to the pages as I go along. (I apologize for the quality of the photos this time - there wasn't enough good light, but I think you can still see the color combination well.)  A video will be up on YouTube with a closer look at the kit I put together and how the album was assembled.  

Are you doing a December Daily?? If so, put your blog link in the comments below so that we can check it out!

See you next Friday for Week #2 of The Memory Nest Blog Hop!