Memory Manager & StoryBook Information

For those of you still using Storybook Creator or Memory Manager...This is a good time to remind you to get your backups done - MM vault, SB projects, content, activation codes. Always good to have everything in at LEAST 2 different places...

I'm sure you know the software (Memory Manager and StoryBook) is no longer supported - meaning no further bug fixes, enhancements or compatibility fixes are being made by any company - CM, Panstoria or Forever.

If you have all the updates for SB you can easily print your projects to Panstoria Print Shop shop with the Order/Purchase button and life is good.

Effective 1/31/2016 the Panstoria store and print shop will shutdown. 

After 1/31/2016 your SB software will no longer upload directly to Panstoria print shop or Forever print shop and you will not be able to purchase content or software from Panstoria store.

All purchases will need to be made at www.forever.com/ambassador/skyecranor

If you LOVE Storybook Creator and want to continue creating great projects, you have 2 options:

1 - Continue using SB at your own risk. Create projects and save them as jpgs and print locally or elsewhere. This functionality will NOT change after 1/31/2016, but please realize that the solution to any SB problem you may experience going forward will be to upgrade to Artisan4 (if you have a 32bit machine) or Artisan5 (if you have a 64bit machine).

2 - Upgrade to Artisan. Artisan4 (if you have a 32bit machine) or Artisan5 (if you have a 64bit machine).

My personal suggestion, do this upgrade on your own timeline and not when your machine crashes and you have to reinstall SB (you won't be able to - even now), or when a Windows update interferes with how SB works with your operating system.

Forever has provided another opportunity to purchase Artisan and Historian at a discount...but there won't be many of these discounts offered going forward. You can now use coupon code MERRY20 for 20% off software, art kits and permanent storage from Forever (coupon good through 12/30). 

Even if you aren't ready to run the upgrade today or this weekend. Consider purchasing it on sale and having it ready to go when you are - hopefully before 1/31/2016. Please put my name in the ambassador spot at checkout. I've included screenshots of where you put your coupon code in (before credit card) and where you choose an Ambassador (same page as credit card).

There's a fabulous FB resource for those making the move to Artisan5. You can search to learn from others who have already upgraded and post new questions if you have any.https://www.facebook.com/groups/A5.Good2Know/

What have *I* done?  

Well, I've upgraded to Historian and Artisan 4 several months ago.  The transition was smooth and seamless.  All of my photos, organizing, tags, and folders came over.  In Artisan, all of my digital content transferred and opened just fine.  I have not upgraded to Artisan 5 yet, but I will down the road.  

Why am I linking you to Skye's Ambassador account?  Because I have not chosen to become an ambassador with Forever.  So I'm no longer earning any commission on digital products.  My friend Skye is with Forever, and she's AWESOME with all things digital.  :-)

Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have.  

Holiday Crops

Upcoming Crop Dates:

Saturday, November 21

Saturday, December 5

We'll be making these darling Christmas gift tags at my November crop, and I've got a second set of 3 for December.  Aren't they fun?

Your $7.00 fee includes plenty of space to work, snacks and drinks, power & Wi-Fi for your computer should you need it, plus these exclusive Make & Take Cards.

Please RSVP by the Thursday before to hold your spot. 

See you soon!  

Christmas Cards!

I know.  I know.  It's barely fall.  My grass is still green and so are my trees.  But.  Fall is in the air and the holidays will be upon us before you know it.  And I KNOW you don't want to miss this!  These cards are so cute and fun!

With this class, you will make a "Crafter's Dozen" (13) Christmas cards, PLUS 10 tags, for just $25!

The fee includes cards & envelopes, pre-cut paper, all necessary embellishments (including bling and foam squares), plus instruction from me and snacks and drinks!   Please bring your own adhesive.

The class will be held on Friday, November 6th from 7 to 10 pm at my home in Murray.  Register early as space is limited and this class WILL fill up!  To register, simply email me at mamaerica@hotmail.com and then send me a check to hold your spot.  Payment is due by October 31.  After that, I'll move on to my waiting list.

Please don't wait!

Fall Festival is Just Around the Corner

Aren't these cards so much fun?!  This is the card kit you'll receive when you attend Fall Festival.  There are four baby cards, plus two wedding cards, perfect for those special moments in life.  You'll get everything you need to make them--cards & envelopes, pre-cut embellishments, bling, ribbon, sentiments and more!  All you add is the adhesive!  And all you have to do to get them is show up at Fall Festival!

When:             Friday September 18 from 7 pm to Midnight & Saturday, September 19, from 10 am to 9 pm.

Where:           My home, 5317 S Wildflower Lane, Murray

Fee:                 $40.00.  Includes lunch & dinner on Saturday,  use of my tools & idea books (including my Cricut), plenty of space to work, power and Wi-Fi for your laptop, exclusive card kit, grand prize drawing, and more!

Deadline:        Monday, September 14^th

To register, simply email me and let me know that you're coming and then drop a check in the mail!  It's that simple.  I've also uploaded a registration form, if you would prefer.  You can download it here.  You can also find it on the Documents & Resources Tab.  

BIG NEWS!!

Hello again my friends!  BIG NEWS.......

I've signed as an Advisor with the New Creative Memories.  Yep, I'm taking the plunge again. 

The product line is MUCH simpler, so I can once again offer you, my loyal friends and customers, the quality tools and supplies I know you've been missing.

Things like pages & protectors, new fun albums, trimmers and Custom Cutting System blades, plus the high quality paper and cardstock you've come to expect from Creative Memories.

To visit my website and see the newest offerings, click here.

What I've been up to lately

I've been scrapbooking, of course.  I'm currently working on 2012 in my family album.  I'm also trying to complete The Boy's high school years.  He and I sorted through a mountain of memorabilia during my crop last weekend, which was a lot of fun.  There were lots of smiles and "You saved THAT?" from him.  I also discovered that I'd saved approximately 52 of his graduation announcements.  I'll probably only need 2-3, so I'll keep that in mind when the Gluten Free Girl graduates next spring.  Her album will be the next on my list, and I'll hopefully be organizing and working on it by fall.

We've done some camping as a family, with a trip to Mt. Rushmore and Devil's Tower ("*gasp* It's BEAUTIFUL," said Thumper).

And I've been crafting too.  Playing with paint and paper and the like.  I've got a lot of patriotic decorations for summer, but not much else.  I've been remedying that.  I stopped into Wood Creations and found some absolutely adorable projects and ideas.  I chose two projects and here's how they turned out.

I'm SO excited to have these!  The pinwheels were a kit and then I added my own paint and paper from my rather large stash.  The squares were based on a display in the store.  The employee was very friendly and helpful, making sure I had everything I'd need to complete the projects.  I can't wait to play some more!  

And, I painted.  Yep.  I made a painting.  The outline came from an image online, but then I did the rest.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  Don't you?

And now I have some fun, unique summer decor!

Summer Spectacular is COMING!

Click HERE for the registration form, or just shoot me an email letting me know that you're planning to join us.  I can't WAIT!

"For the Men In Our Lives" Card Kits NOW AVAILABLE

Just in time for Father's Day!  Each kit includes everything you need to complete a "crafter's dozen" cards, including cards, envelopes, all embellishments, and foam adhesive squares to give them a little pop of dimension.  Kits also include photos of each card. The only thing you'll need is your own adhesive!  I have a limited number of these exclusive kits available for $20 each (that's just $1.54 per card!) so reserve yours today.

April Card Class

Hello!  I'm so excited about these cards!

The "Cards for the Men in Our Lives" class will be held on Friday, April 24th from 7 to 9 pm (we can go later if we need to).  We'll be creating a baker's dozen cards (13) for just $20.  These fun cards will be perfect for Father's Day, birthdays, and more.  I have a limited number of kits available, and your space is reserved on a first-paid-first-saved basis, so register early!

Payments can be mailed to:
Erica Meyer
5317 S Wildflower Lane
Murray, UT 84123

Class includes all the necessary supplies to create 13 cards, including the cards and envelopes, embellishments, and "pop dots."  Please plan to bring your own adhesive.  I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!

Spring Spectacular Registration

It's still about 8 weeks away, but I don't want anyone to miss out, so mark your calendar now, build a fence around your "me" time and plan to attend!

To print the registration form, click here:  Spring Spectacular 2015

Track your page progress!

Each year, I set a goal for my scrapbooking. This year, I'm wanting to complete 365 pages, or a page-a-day.  Now, I recognize that I simply won't be able to scrapbook every single day, no matter how much I might want to.  But the number remains the same.....it's fun, right?

Here is a link to the Excel spreadsheet I created to track my progress.  I encourage you to set your own goal and go for it!  If 365 pages seems like too much, simply black out the numbers at the end, but SET A GOAL so you know where you're going!  (If 365 doesn't seem like enough, you're more addicted than I am, but feel free to print the page several times to help you keep track!)


 Page Tracking Spreadsheet

Freezing Mashed Potatoes

Well, they're not exactly mashed, but it's a good start!

And it's so simple, really.

Peel and dice your potatoes.  I usually just make extra when I'm making mashed potatoes for dinner.

Then, give your diced potatoes a nice soak in some cool, salted water (a couple of tablespoons).  Make sure the potatoes are completely covered.  Exposure to air will turn them colors...the salt water prevents that.  Let them soak for about 30 minutes (I let them soak while we eat dinner).

Drain the potatoes and then freeze them in a zipper-seal bag.  Double bag to help prevent freezer burn or leakage.

To prepare them, simply put them into boiling water, FROM FROZEN.  If you thaw them, you'll lose some of the texture and risk them turning brown from air exposure.

A few changes to the calendar

Hello again!

Because of some family commitments that have popped up, I'm changing a few dates.

My March crop will be held on Saturday, March 28 instead of the 21st.  The card class I had scheduled for the 20th, will be moved into April, and we'll be making "Cards for the Men in our Life!"

Hope to see you soon!

Happy New Year!

Hello friends!  I've set myself some pretty lofty and exciting goals for the year, including business and scrapbooking goals, crafting goals, personal goals, and more!  What about you?

I've been working on my 2015 calendar, so here are the upcoming crop and class dates.

Crops:
January 31
February 28
March 21
April 25

My next card class will be Friday, March 20.  We'll be doing Thinking of You/Get Well/Sympathy cards.  We'll do 12 cards for $20.

Other card classes this year will include masculine cards, and thank you cards.

My Spring Spectacular will be held Friday and Saturday May 15th and 16th.  Mark your calendars now!