Many consultants like to do mini-classes during a crop, or do an entire extended classes for customers who are interested. This file has a variety of ideas and includes a sample page album. Also see Workshop Games and the Consultant Section. Some ideas need to be updated as products change.
(Jill Sanders)
Give customer a birthday die-cut at their birthday workshop with this poem:
You're another year older
And much wiser, too!
You're working on your albums;
Good for you!
Funny thing about birthdays,
They just don't seem to stop!
But what better way to celebrate
Than by coming to a CROP!
Drinks at a workshop:
Purchase household 'totes' (used to carry cleaners around the house.) Set on floor between customers. They can easily reach the drink . . . pictures are safe . . . and so is my carpet! Most customers don't think about a drink spilling on the table and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Another nice feature is that I can take drink orders, carry a tote to the kitchen, then carry them down in the tote.
CM Pharmacy Ph. xxx-xxxx
Take as needed: Refills: Your Discretion
Scrapbooking Vitamins
Yellow - Idea Enricher
Pink - Energy
Green - Journaling Jazz
Blue - Creativity
RX: Cropping Pills
Pharmacist: xxxxxxxxx #######
Take as Needed: See pharmacist for refill
DANGER: This medication, combined with scrapbooking, may have serious side effects or prove addictive.
May cause drowsiness due to sleepless nights. Keep this and all scrapbooking supplies away from children.
They will steal your stickers and take your medicine.
I printed the labels on #5620 Avery labels. (Shari T)
I use a point system for prizes. I give them a sheet with point values and they complete things to get points.
For example:
If they pre-paid, were on time, or wore something relating to the theme of the crop, they get one point for each.
I challenge them to do layouts for one point each:
layout using a new design lines sticker
layout using a sticker border
layout using the circle cutter
layout from the new idea book
layout using the corner rounder
layout using stickers or die-cuts related to the workshop theme
This motivated them to try new products.
No "mixing" pages for points. A sticker border using the circle cutter, only counts for one or the other.
They also draw points from a jar. Most of the slips have one's, there are a few two's, fewer three's, two four's and one five.
I am getting more people to pre-pay and be on time, to get extra points.
(Karen Smart)
South of the Border - (border handouts and 'fiesta' sticker) wore sombrero and after everyone arrived put names for door prizes in it. Every time someone finishes a page they wear the sombrero - set alarm and whoever is wearing sombrero when it goes off gets a prize. Served salsa and chips. Shop-talk was sticker borders.
Easter Crop - (Easter/spring handouts and Easter egg stickers) Put slips of paper with door prizes written on them in plastic eggs hidden in the room. I drew a name, they had to find an egg to win a prize! Showed how to do Easter basket page with photos as eggs.
Wedding Crop - (wedding handouts, heart sticker) wore wedding veil, asked people to wear their wedding veil for a prize and bring wedding photo. Served a small white decorated cake w/my wedding topper on it and mock champagne.
Spring into Action - (spring/flower handouts, flower and pot die-cuts) Said I was spring-cleaning my files and let customers go through and take extra copies of handouts.
Winter Blues Crop - (snowflake stickers, blue paper, pack of Winterfresh gum and winter handouts.) Served soup. Played guess how many blue M&M's in bag. Prizes - blue stickers and paper.
Heart to Heart - (heart/valentine handouts, heart stickers) heart-shaped cookies, ideas on using the heart template. Prizes - raspberry heart paper, heart stickers and die-cuts.
Photo Roundup - (western handouts, boots and hat stickers) wore cowboy hat, served chili and Fritos, had bandana napkins.
Friday the 13th Crop - (black cat die-cut) Played games of luck - pick highest card, flip coin, etc. for prizes. Wore black. Had black plates and napkins.
Superbowl Crop - (sports handouts and football stickers or die-cuts) Wore Dallas Cowboy shirt, had "scoreboard" drawn on paper, every time someone finished a page they got a touchdown (and prize), highest score at the end got a trophy die-cut with "Superbowl Crop Champion" on it. Served chips and dip with football plates and napkins.
Pajama Party Crop - (idea handout and nighttime sticker) wore pj's and asked others to wear theirs, served pizza, popcorn, cookies. Had a pj contest . . . sexiest, fuzziest, tackiest, etc.
Tool Time Crop - (handouts for "tools" such as circle cutter and templates, tool stickers) showed ways to use cutting tools. Wore plastic hard hat and tool belt.
Red Hot Summer - (summer/swimming handouts and red die-cuts) prizes were red . . . ABC stickers, paper, etc. had special "red hot savings tonight only", served salsa and chips, red hots, Big Red soda, wore red.
Crop Around the Clock - all day crop noon to midnight, served burgers, root beer floats, and scooter bars, played 50's music, wore poodle skirt and ponytail.
Wilderness Crop - (handouts on camping and Wilderness sticker), ideas on using Wilderness combo, showed Colorado Vacation album.
It's a Jungle Out There - (handouts on zoo pages, jungle stickers) prize for wearing animal print. Door prizes - zoo stickers, pre-done page for zoo pictures.
Christmas in July - (Christmas handouts and stickers) decorated house, played Christmas music, etc. Prizes - Christmas stickers, paper, served apple cider, dessert, used Christmas plates and napkins.
Harvest Time - (fall/Thanksgiving handouts, leaf stickers and die-cuts) ideas on how to do Thanksgiving page with family recipes or traditional family meal. Served Pumpkin bars. Prizes - fall stickers and die-cuts.
Baby on Board - (baby handouts and baby stickers) gave prizes for things like longest labor, most kids, newest mother, etc. Prizes were baby stickers and die-cuts, blue and pink paper, served cake like for baby shower, baby plates and napkins.
4th of July Crop - (patriotic handouts and flag stickers) asked history questions. For prizes . . . 4th of July stickers, deep blue star paper, red and blue gingham paper, served "flag" cake.
Blue Food:
Blueberry Muffins
Blue sugar cookies
Blue lemonade (food coloring)
Blue Plate Special (i.e. pizza)
Blue tortilla's with salsa
Blue plates, cups and napkins
idea sheets on blue paper for handouts - blue gingham paper page layouts
goodie bags: (cellophane bags tied with blue raffia)
blue gingham paper, deep blue paper
blue die-cut
blue splash sticker strip
blue pencil (regular #2 pencil in blue)
blue pen (bic)
blue pack lifesavers (peppermint)
blue pencil sharpener
blue ruler
M&M's - small bags - was used for a game too! At my call they had to open their bag and count how many blue M&M's - the one with the most won.
A lot of this I got at back-to-school sales so the cost was minimal!
Denim Blues theme: We used a denim pocket stamp with black ink, enlarged it and printed on blue paper. Then we cut them out and ran the tape runner on three sides and inserted a gold strip on one side that had "CM" on it. We put them on the cover of our folders and instead of a goody bag we stuffed the pocket with a die-cut, sticker strip, gum, pencil and flannel to wipe the blue pencil. With the flannel hanging out of the pocket it is adorable!)
Prizes:
decorated pages - blue layouts!
blue wipe cloths
free workshop certificate
baseball card holders for stickers
blue gingham paper
Games:
Count your M&M's
Find a word - CM style
Gave tickets for chance to win a blue sentiments album:
wear denim - three tickets
wear blue - one ticket
bring friend - five tickets
schedule a class today - ten tickets
complete a page - one ticket each
The tickets went in a separate basket for the album drawing only.
For the door prizes you put your name in a basket and we have a drawing each hour.
We have an "in your seat drawing" to encourage being on time - winner's name goes back in for the rest of the drawings (the only time a name gets put back)
10% discount on blue albums that day only.
Those who pre-registered got a blueberry sachet with their goodie bag. I got them at Bath and Body Works on clearance. I'm trying to make pre-registering a habit.
Our product display was mostly "blue" - albums, table cloth, crate, etc. We all wore denim!
All-day crop with the theme of "Camp Crop-a-Lot". This goes great with Creative Memories' Wilderness Collection!
~ CMCs dress in white T-shirts and khaki shorts, like "camp counselors".
~ Hang pages from clotheslines along the wall like laundry. (these pre-decorated pages will serve as door prizes.)
~ "Camp food", like s'mores and trail mix. Lemonade in big jugs.
~ Shoptalks featuring the Wilderness Collection.
~ Page idea handouts based on camping themes.
Get a cheap kid's puzzle (or one you have with lost pieces). Write a small prize on each piece (1/2 strip stickers, 1/2 sheet paper). Let people choose one piece for every two pages done or whatever.
I put a paper clip on each puzzle piece and people went "fishing" with a magnet. (Jean Gifford)
10.) Lots of uninterrupted time to work on albums and a chance to do something for yourself for a change, and I don't mean grocery shopping or a trip to the dentist!
9.) No little ones! And you don't have to do anything for anybody, like fix snacks or change diapers or find lost shoes! Leave your stuff for a break without fear of injury to your child or a mess when you return to scrapping!
8.) Mess up my house, not yours! I do all the set up and clean up! Pretend you're a kid or a husband and let someone wait on you for a change!
7.) Pay and attend 5 crops and your 6th one is free, my treat!
6.) You can use all my great tools for free. I have scissors, corner rounders, trimmers, circle cutter, templates and idea books on hand and ready for use!
5.) If you run out of something, I have it right here! I have stickers, die-cuts, and sheets of paper for sale individually. Need more photo-splits or refills? Need a ruled page to tell a story on? Need memorabilia sleeves or mounting corners? I've got them!
4.) Learn new techniques like borders, quilt pages, pop-up pages, creative lettering, and many more. I am the unofficial President of the Frugal Scrappers Anonymous Club. I can show you how to stretch your paper, die-cut, and sticker supply in ways you never dreamed of!.
3.) Other croppers will ooh and ahhh over your finished pages. Makes you feel wonderful!
2.) Get motivated. You won't want to stop once you get started. Looking at other people's albums is a tremendous source of inspiration. Stuck on what to do with a set of photos? We can help! Need motivation to finish your album? This is the place to come!
And the number one reason to attend a workshop . . .
1.) When you finish pages at your house, all you get are finished pages. When you finish some at my house, you get a fun afternoon out, great food, good company, lots of ideas, freebies, and a chance to win a prize!
(by Nancy Smith - adapted by Jennia Hart)
10.) I love feeding the children, answering the phone, and working on my albums at the same time.
9.) My New Year's resolution is to stop wasting time on myself.
8.) It will be so much easier to do the kids albums if I just wait until they're grown.
7.) What would I do with all the space I have after I put my photos and Memorabilia into an album?
6.) I don't need tools; I've got my own tools, I'm sure there are safety scissors and a ruler around here somewhere!
5.) I don't need NEW ideas; I haven't used the OLD ones yet!!
4.) I like to put "Work on photo albums" week after week on my To-Do list
3.) I like watching my piles of photos grow, they almost fill every drawer in my dresser now.
2.) I'm too busy to take a few hours to relax, eat a meal I didn't cook and have fun and . . .
NUMBER ONE . . . It is much more convenient to have those photos in boxes and drawers than in albums!
(Jean Gifford)
30 pages highlighting past class idea, Combo packs and thrifty scrapper hints.
Page 1: Square Corner Border page demonstrating "Round the Corner" crop talk. Matted title box with fancy cut corners demonstrating "journal in a box".
Page 2 and 3: "Money saving scrapping tips". Page 2: Multiple uses for a die-cut, and Page 3: samples of sticker letter substitutions
Page 4: Letter Die-cuts, highlighting ideas from past handouts and idea books
Page 5: Fancy lettering using wide-tip pens
Page 6: Ideas for using templates - including journaling template
Page 7: Display of coordinator gifts
Page 8: Color Wheel
Page 9: Color combinations using paper (triadic, complimentary, etc.)
Page 10 and 11: Journaling, comparison of fancy page, little journaling with plain page, extensive journaling, using the same picture. Examples of space fillers and "journal in a box"
Pages 12 and 13: Border samples using border rulers and ideas from "Bunches of Borders" and design line stickers.
Page 14: Scroll corner page with formal occasion pictures and journaling, tying together with . . .
Page 15: Black page with photos related to page thirteen (formal occasion)
Page 16: Black page and Page 17, white page. Same photos and layouts on both , using colored photos and bright paper.
Page 18: White page with black and white photos (heritage type), muted colors of paper.
Page 19: Black page with black and white photos (heritage) and same colors as page 18, but not same photos or layout.
(Note: next 10 pages are Combo packs. No photos . . . just white space marked "photo" for layout definition.)
Page 20: Black page with landscape die-cut from Tropical combo pack.
Page 21: White page with layout using tropical combo pack.
Pages 22 and 23: Layouts using Wilderness Combo Pack.
Pages 24 and 25: Layouts using Soccer Combo Pack (or any sport pack).
Pages 26 and 27: Layouts using the Travel Combo Pack.
Pages 28 and 29: Layouts using the "It's a Boy" combo pack.
Pages 30 and 31: Layouts using the "It's a Girl" combo pack.
Page 32: (last page, and left hand side of album) left blank for now; will keep expanding sample page album.
Other ideas: 2 pages spread using black pages. Other Combo packs. Sample pages. Pages showing new products.
Offer amnesty days. Anyone who has made a purchase in the past and not come to a workshop, can attend free of charge! Of course, you will reward loyal customers and offer them a free workshop at some point too.
Or have one free workshop as amnesty or resolution for the ones who haven't started and for experienced croppers to help beginners.
Admission:
Amnesty - for those who haven't done anything bring unopened album
Resolution - for those who have barely started bring album
Thank you - bring completed album to show others
Send beginners an insert in newsletter explaining what you are going to do to help them get started. Offer a special session on photo organization. Show them simple pages (maybe they are not creative and that is what keeps them from working).
Sample Invitation:
Did you come to an introduction class and get all excited? Did you buy an album and all the stuff to get started on Preserving your Family Memories? Are your albums and supplies still sitting in the bag you took them home in?
THEN THIS EVENT IS FOR YOU!
Friday, Jan 23 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Amnesty Crop - Anyone who has an empty album can come to a free workshop, get a quick review on how to do easy fast pages and get the New Year started right. I will be taking a photo of the Ceremonial Ripping of the Shrink Wrap. Don't be shy! Don't be embarrassed! BE BRAVE and courageous. Get Started NOW. You will be glad you did! Call to reserve a spot.
I have workshops the first and third Thursday of each month. Morning workshops are 8:30am - 12:30. Evening workshops are 6 - 10pm.
WHAT WORKSHOPS OFFER:
You need to bring photos, album pages, pens, tape runner, etc. or purchase supplies at the workshop. Please label your supplies.
Create theme packages using a photo sleeve as a holder. Place appropriate paper (red and green for Christmas, pastels for baby, etc.) inside with some stickers and die-cuts. These make nice add-ons for a gift album or open house purchases. I would not offer these at classes, only workshops and special events. They allow people to sample decorating, die-cuts, stickers, colored paper and help you turn over inventory. Tie up with a ribbon to look like a gift.
May those that love us, love us.
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping!
Using green pen, border entire page with Victorian ruler and write the above "blessing" on the border, starting in the upper left. Cut out three green hearts and arrange them like a shamrock (freehanded cut a stem) in the corner, near where the "blessing" began. (Cropgirl)
Limited budget St. Patrick's Day crop . . . gave everyone one each green triangle, evergreen gingham triangle, shamrock die-cut and stickers. I came up with four fast page idea, using JUST those elements (not all on every page). I drew sketches of each idea and copied on green paper.
That promotes die-cuts, stickers and short-cuts. Point out how you could use the same ideas with birthday cake die-cut and balloon stickers, Christmas Tree die-cut and ornament stickers, school bus die-cut and book stickers. (Jean Gifford)
St. Patrick's Day theme. Cooked Irish casserole with soda bread, and dessert. Put this poem on invites:
For each petal on the shamrock,
This brings a wish your way,
Good health, good luck, good happiness,
For today and everyday.
I am offering a Lucky Leprechaun Challenge to win the Pot of Gold. Will play pass the hat, longest tail on tape runner, etc. (tmg cmc)
Wore a green glitter 4-leaf clover springy bobbing headband. Had St. Patrick's goodie bags, plates and napkins. Taught a quick page idea. Served Leprechaun pie, Pot of Gold coffee, teas, and lucky nuggets (goldfish in bowls). (DaisyJane)
Used clover handkerchiefs on the display table along with clover confetti. Used small black pots (from Halloween) filled with chocolate gold coins. I put coins on the tables too. I gave a chocolate coin for every page they finished. (Liz)
Irish Auction. People got play money for doing things like using circle cutter, using an idea from an idea book, for each item of green clothing they wore. At the end of the night they used their money to bid on items. One of the highest bid items was a bag of stickers created from leftovers. I had many things to bid on - workshop certificate, old coordinator gifts, etc. (CMC Teri)
Have a poster that says, "I completed _____ pages" and numbers to hold up. Take a picture of everyone by the sign, and a group picture. Hang in workshop to get people interested in big events, and send everyone a copy of their picture! (This idea could be used for any all-day crop event.)
Decorations: Wild colors, mismatched things, crazy balloons.
Switch name tags and make everyone find theirs . . . great ice-breaker.
Fun games like "What's in your purse", "Funniest Page/Photo", "Bloopers", "Most embarrassing moment".
Or do everything backwards. Prizes for last to get there, least pages, etc.
Fun gag gifts as prizes.
Food: upside down cake, ding dongs, fiddle-faddle, colored lemonade
Goodie Bags: sticker leftovers, scrap paper, pop rocks, gag gifts.
Jiffy borders are simple borders made with a strip of paper, some stickers, and sometimes a title. They are easy to pre-make and add to pages later. They can be either go at the top of a page or down the sides. You can make and sell them or teach a class on making them.
Halloween
A 2.5-inch strip of white paper with a black design-line sticker along top edge. Place black and white polka dot design-line sticker along bottom edge, an orange one above that, then another black one. Use black sticker letters to spell Happy Halloween. Add bat stickers.
Christmas
1. Cut 2-inch strip evergreen paper. Use red die-cut letters to spell Ho Ho Ho . . . Use circles for O's instead of die-cut letters. Place holly sticker in middle of each O. This would also look good with a smaller strip of evergreen gingham on top of evergreen strip.
2. Cut a white strip. Use Christmas-colored design-line stickers (like candy cane or holly) on top and bottom. Put two elves on either side of strip, facing in. One seated and one standing behind it on each side. Write in red pen "All I want for Christmas is . . ." This is great for Letter to Santa or kids opening gifts.
Easter
Pale yellow strip of paper. Use purple or lavender letters to spell Hoppy Easter . . . place an Easter egg in center of 'o'. Decorate with Easter stickers and design-line stickers.
It's a Girl!
Mint green strip of paper. Spell It's a Girl! in pen. Use yellow baby carriage sticker on right side of strip.
Decorate with pink/yellow design line stickers and baby stickers.
Adult Birthday
Black strip of paper. Silver letters spelling Happy Birthday. Silver, gold, and copper design line stickers graduated from outside in (cut design-line stickers to different lengths) from top left and bottom right. Decorate with silver/gold confetti's or stars.
Or cut up remaining design line stickers into confetti. Press hard . . . the metallic design line stickers don't stick as easily as other stickers.
You can make Jiffy borders for the sides of pages or top and bottom. I sell decorated strips for $2 to $3.50. This is a great way to use up old sticker letters or parts of sticker strips left over from your own books. The customer just puts it on her page, adds pics and maybe a few stickers, and the page is done! (Sherilyn)
At a circle cutter workshop serve round snacks - like cookies, round tortilla chips with salsa, etc.
I used this at my Holiday workshop with a "fill the stocking game" (see Workshop Games). A good giveaway would be several half sheets of paper in a seasonal color, and encourage people to try out the circle cutter using that paper . . . maybe add some seasonal stickers. (Jean Gifford)
(Lourdes Stern)
You can create more than just circles with your Creative Memories Circle Cutter? You will learn to make all sorts of shapes - flowers, grapes, balloons, animals . . . the possibilities are endless!
Fee includes: 1 12x12 Page, 2 sheets Solid Paper, 1 Page Protector, half sheet Printed Paper, Mounting Supplies, 1 die-cut, Stickers Ideas Handouts
Circle Cutter Creations:
Flowers, Volleyballs, Rings, Ladybug, Soccer Balls, Moon, Balloons, Grapes, Mice, Fancy Fruits, Buttons, Baseballs, Bubbles, Basketballs, Candy Corn (there are idea on line and in craft books but you can play around with circle and come up with your own ideas.
For this I would ask people to bring duplicate photos or those that are not quite good enough to go in an album.
Use the circle cutter to enhance the side, top, or bottom of your photo. Cut along the subject for the rest. I've done this for a pair of deer licking each other. The circle was at the top on their heads and I followed the contour of a leg and back to finish the rest of the photo. The remaining corner was corner rounded. I've also done this for photos fishing on the boat using the boat rail or side to contour cut with my scissors.
Circle cut a photo, but also cut part of the side, top, or bottom with the personal trimmer to get rid of excess background you don't want in the circle. Line up the flat side of the circle along the side of the album page or a piece of colored paper.
Another Circle cutter idea I liked was a whole series of pictures of someone windsurfing and getting closer. She cut progressively larger circles but also took a "bite" out of each one with the next size up circle so they were "puzzle cut" and each fit into the next. (Maureen)
Cutting mats using different templates: Say that I use the red blade on an inside circle . . . you might think you can't make a mat for it because in order to make a paper mat for it, you need to do a green blade for the photo and a red blade for the paper mat. Not so! Use the next size circle template . . . then go to the Blue blade (largest blade) and it will be a perfect mat for the other red bladed photo. This sounds confusing, but it's really easy. (Donna Porrazzo, CMC)
Try doing a page in heritage style, with oval black and white photos, paper double matted.
Black page with Easter type photos with jelly beans cut from bright paper.
I have just finished an Easter page where I cut all the photos into ovals; I then used the templates to draw more ovals on the page so I could journal.
How about oval flower petals on a page, like a daisy shape with a circle of paper in the middle with the title and a little stem of green? (countrymama)
I have been using the ovals to cut half oval shapes. The pictures end up looking like an arch shape with a flat bottom to them. I line up the template with the bottom half of the photo in the middle of the template. This is a great way to crop a photo where people are sitting or where the subject is larger at the bottom than at the top and where a normal oval would cut out things like hands, or other things. (Christine)
On my oval cutter I marked the templates and the cutting patterns with a Sharpie Marker--numbering from smallest to largest (1, 2, 3, 4). That makes it really quick to pick out the corresponding cutting pattern after you decide on the template.
Next I cut the template into four pieces, rounding the edges and leaving as much space as possible around the outside lines. Then I punched holes in the center of each side of the template with a very small round hole punch. Now I can line up the template and make marks with the blue pencil or a stylus to guide the placement of the pattern. (Denny)
Use the lined template and put this OVER a die-cut frame to journal a shape! sort of like purchasing a whole bunch of journaling templates from "other" places . . . only WAY CHEAPER! You could give some die-cut frames as prizes or in a goodie bag. Another good prize for a journaling workshop would be a lined page.
Have everyone write for a few minutes about one of their photos - the occasion, who the people are, what they are saying, etc. Then give the photo to another person to write about. When you read the two very different descriptions it is a visual example of the importance of journaling.
Emphasize that journaling can be the best 'decoration' for an album - especially if the person uses a variety of pen colors and a die-cut or template shape to journal in.
See the Journaling file for more information.
This workshop is to promote the use of black refill pages. If you have customers who have already used black pages, encourage them to bring their pages to show.
Serve Oreo Delight (from the Cooking file) because it's Black and white and red all over!
Also a dip with black olives served with tortilla chips! Or maybe a dessert made out of blackberries.
For a game, put black and white poker chips into a box with a lid and draw one out every hour. Whoever is working on a black page when you draw a black chip wins a prize - like stickers or die-cuts. Door prizes could be black or silver pens and black or white letter stickers.
See the Black Refill Pages file for more ideas.
A crimper or corrugator can add texture to a page. You can use them for die-cuts or for shapes you cut on your own.
Yellow Pen Ideas (P. Kohagura and D.L. Watson)
Gold or Silver Pen Ideas
Start with a simple die-cut outline shape or stencil pattern, then trace the outline of the shape and fill in with either a gold or silver pen. Let dry completely! (Be sure it's dry before proceeding or the base color will clump!) Then go over the outline and fill in with a lighter, shade such as pink, when dried it simply sparkles!! I do recommend testing the base and top colors first on a separate piece of paper because the end color range is very different when using a gold versus silver base color. I love using the silver and green overlay to make ivy, especially on black paper. The color adds elegance.
If you light to start events on a left-hand page or if you do some two-page spreads and multiple pages for some events, you may end up with a blank page here and there or maybe a part of a page. Here are some ideas for what to put on those pages.
Take photos of your town. Main street, where you work, favorite hangouts, etc. You'll be surprised at the changes in a short time.
Fads - tell what was in your teens. The President, mayor, pierced body parts, tattoos, cell phones, internet, beepers, etc. Take photos, too. (Deb B)
If there's an entire page that's blank (skipped by mistake or to get to the next two-page spread) put all the business cards you and/or your husband have had since you joined the workforce. In a family album, this would be a bit of family history. In a child's album it could be titled "Mommy's work" or "What my Daddy does".
Using photo sleeves to add memorabilia related to the events on the previous pages - a lock of hair, a postcard, sonogram photo, ads or articles from magazines, etc.
Outline of all family members hands, favorite bedtime story, prayers, pocket pages, letter to your family, letters from younger child to parent, how child or you feel about the world, your family, hand-drawn map of your neighborhood. (kasey)
(based on an idea from Lourdes Stern)
Note: If you are not familiar with 'center stage' (also known as 'front and center') it is used on a double-page spread. You make a box for the title, decoration and sometimes journaling that spans both pages. The box is near the center or bottom of the pages. You use graduated rectangles as templates to draw lines with the pen or to guide in placement of stickers. Usually you have two or three borders within borders. Most people make the smallest template around 4 x 6 inches but that can vary.
The purpose of this class is to show a clever yet simple way to 'title' 2-page spreads. You will also learn how to get more out of stickers by learning sticker combination and sticker scenery.
Fee includes: 2 12x12 Pages, Center Stage Cardboard Templates, 2 12x12 Page Protector, 4 Paper Triangles, Mounting Supplies, 1 die-cut, and Stickers Ideas Handouts.
Ideas for Center Stage Titles: Christmas, Vacation, Spring, Graduation, Wedding, Family Reunion, Holidays, School, Thanksgiving, Summer, Friends, Babies, Children, Winter, Siblings, Birthdays, Fall
I did a variation using design lines for the box. The pages are for an Easter egg hunt, so I used the Easter design line with the grass, eggs, chicks and bunnies along the bottom, then used the colored design line strips for the top and sides. (mrg)
I used a red wide-tip pen for the outside edge, a green fine tip pen for the middle, and a red fine tip pen for the inside. I put a holly leaf punch in each corner. I put "My Kids" in the box using the dark red letters. At the bottom where the page splits the box I cut a bow in half and put one half on each page at the bottom edge of the box. I used a small triangle (deep red) in the top corners. On the bottom used a square of cranberry and a square of checkered tucked under the pictures on each side of the page. (Judy)
Stickermania is either using a lot of stickers or using stickers together (such as the Santa hat sticker on the penguin sticker.
These two ideas go well together because center stage boxes are often surrounded and/or decorated with stickers.
Show how four colors (red, Caribbean blue, green and gold) can be used in different combinations and look totally different. Cut the paper into squares big enough to leave a border around the letter stickers. Make titles for Mother's Day (green and gold), Christmas (red and green), Birthday (red, blue, gold) and band (blue and gold). Use shiny gold letter on each, and add a tiny sticker at the end of the word (ornament or gold star). You can vary this more by turning some squares diagonally or using the title down the side of a page. Also you can double-mat with a different color. If you are good at calligraphy you can use that instead of stickers. (adapted from an idea by Jean Gifford)
Serve a "Pencil" cake - Make a 13x9 inch yellow cake and a 9" square chocolate cake. Cut the 13x9" into two sections (9 x 6 1/2) and stack them. Then cut the square into diagonal halves and stack them at the end of the oblong one. This makes a PENCIL shape. Ice it with yellow frosting for the pencil part, orange for the eraser, and tan at the tip, black for the lead! Use that gel icing stuff and write "NO.2" on the end! (CMC in COS)
Everything is rainbows . . .
Home Class triangles in rainbow colors for seat favors, special page ideas using rainbow stickers, primary design lines and Rainbow Jello for the snack
Make a rainbow using the circle cutter (this was easier with the old cutter . . . you can do it with the new, but have to think it through first.)
Put a rainbow sticker in upper corner of the page, tilted. Use design line stripes to continue the "rainbow" along the top and side of the page. The colors don't match exactly, but looks fine when you cover the "seams" with cloud stickers.
Games:
Make a 5 x 5 grid
Across the top, put colors: Red, Blue, Black, Purple, Yellow
Down the side, put categories: Food, Bird, Flower, Article of Clothing, Ice Cream Flavor
Give two minutes to fill in as many squares as possible.
There are several ideas we can get across and the color groups help us with that. The colors we offer were all chosen to some extent to "go together" . . . the red we have is the best red to coordinate with our royal blue and our gold.
The colors in any one group could all go with each other if you like the combination. Lemon and mint together might not be my choice, but they don't clash like they would if we offered a mustard yellow or a more turquoise shade of light green.
I show pages from my own albums and talk about where they fit in the color groups. For example, a beach layout that is done with deep blue, dusty blue and cement, with a couple shell stickers in dusty rose. Point out that other page decorations - pens, stickers, etc. - can fit with the color theme as well. On the beach page the color scheme is "calm", which will be interesting to talk about, because the pictures were taken as a hurricane was moving in, and we were anything BUT calm. I could have used vibrant colors and given a totally different feel.
You'll probably find that many of your layouts follow one theme. Most of mine are "calm" or "warm".
You might offer a small prize to anyone who will show one of their own pages and tell or let the group discuss what range it fits into.
Made a "fresh" and "calm" layout using ShortCuts and gave away - every time they finished a page they put their name in a basket and I pulled two at the end for the page layouts.
I made a paper sampler for each customer. I used a printer to print each color name and the pack it came from onto the back of paper. Then I cut the paper into 1.5" squares, hole punched them and put them onto a ring. I think this will help people test what color paper they want on a page. They were time-consuming to make, but my customers went nuts over them. (Jean Gifford)
April
l.) I'm asking everyone to wear pastels - one entry in drawing if they do.
2.) Their goody bags will have Bunny die-cut, flower sticker, and plastic Easter eggs with M&M's or tiny jelly beans in them.
3.) They will use the eggs to put their names in for the drawing basket.
They put one in for: being there, being on time, bringing someone, finishing pages, using a product, etc.
The hourly prizes will be Title Squares and a strip or triangle to make a title for a page.
The grand prize is an Easter basket with pastel die-cuts, stickers, a couple of Easter things from the dollar store.
Food will be cupcakes or something pastel.(CarolE)
(CMCRhonda)
One of the seat favors I gave was a pack of peanuts like you get when you fly. I also gave a photo-mounting sleeve and a list of uses for the sleeves and showed examples. Open a travel pack and cut the paper into smaller pieces or open a die-cut pack and give them one or two.
I made a Passport for them to gather "stamps" on. The more stamps they earned, the more they won. Adjust the prizes to what you have on hand.
Instructions:
Many of you don't think of yourselves as world travelers. Well, tonight you are!
You will be exploring the "World of Creative Memories" and how the different tools we have can assist you in completing your family albums. On each page of this passport you will find different categories of products and services we offer. Each page will have four "points of interest" for you to discover. Each time you complete one of these "points of interest" you will receive a "stamp" on your passport. Some are familiar, some are not! Some require little effort, some are more challenging.
Nonetheless, I'm sure that every one of you will be able to get most of the stamps available. The more you do, the more you receive!
1 - 6 stamps = two regular Sticker Strips; 7 - 13 stamps = 123 Sticker Sheet; 14 - 20 stamps = ABC Sticker Sheet; 21 - 27 stamps = Free Future Crop; 28 stamps = Celebration Sentiments Album
JOURNALING
Create a border on a page using pens only, no stickers.
Use one or both of the Gold and Silver pens.
Use the Brush-Tip pen to highlight either text or decoration on a page.
Have all pages journaled!
STICKERS
Use Design Lines to decorate a page.
Use the Creative Memories water-colored stickers.
Use ABC/123 stickers on a page.
Create sticker art.
SERVICES
Bring a new person.
Schedule a home class.
Register and prepay for a future workshop (save a $1)
Find out about the Creative Memories business opportunity.
CROPPING TOOLS
Use the circle cutter.
Use a pair of decorative scissors.
Use a border ruler for decoration.
Use corner rounder on all photos on one page.
NEW PRODUCTS
Use the new circle cutting system.
Use the new oval cutting system.
Do a page using memorabilia
Try the new adhesive pen.
PAPER
Use printed paper on a page.
Use a die-cut shape.
Do a page with only ShortCuts.
Use ABC or 123 die-cuts.
PURCHASES
Purchase an album.
Advance order a new product.
Purchase any new product in inventory
Purchase one of my featured kits.