Making Memories

My Valentine

January 27, 2013 by Nancy Nally

Doesn’t the texture on this card make you just want to reach out and run your fingers over it? Designer Yana Smakula used a brand-new-not-yet-available-in-stores M-Bossabilities embossing folder from Spellbinders called “Dotted Flower” to create this beautifully embossed background. Even without any color added to it, the texture is so stunning that it provides plenty of interest to the eye.

With the opulent texture on the card, only a few light touches are needed to decorate it. Yana choose another brand new Spellbinders product, this time one of their new Shapeabilities dies, to create a label frame to anchor her sentiment sticker and heart embellishment with. A few light touches of pink in the floss and pearls some on pins) are all that is needed to finish this off!

Sometimes less is more in card design, especially when you have a strong element like the embossed background on this one. Elements like this should be highlighted, no buried!

Supplies | Cardstock: Dovecraft (Premium White). Pattern Paper: Trimcraft (First Edition Rose Garden 12×12 pad). Die Cutting Machine: Spellbinders Paper Arts (Grand Calibur). Embossing Folder: Spellbinders Paper Arts (M-Bossabilities Dotted Flowers). Dies: Spellbinders Paper Arts (Framed Tags 1 Shapeabilities). Floss: We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy. Pearls: Dovecraft. Stick Pin: Pebbles. Sticker: Making Memories. Corner Rounder: We R Memory Keepers (Corner Chomper). Adhesive: Dovecraft (Foam Squares).

Designer: Yana Smakula

Yana Smakula is a newlywed from Ukraine (which is in southeastern Europe) with no kids but two black cats. She loves to travel across the world and meet new people, discover new cultures and just explore. So far together with her new husband she’s been to a few places in Europe (Poland, Check Republic and UK), Africa (Egypt, Tunisia and Israel), Asia (China and Sri Lanka) and USA. Their next dream destination is Madagascar, because they hear the nature there is simply breathtaking! Yana fell in love with the U.S. while living here (in Las Vegas, NV) as a high school foreign exchange student when she was a teen. She enjoys scrapbooking, mostly about her travels. Her other passion is cardmaking – she enjoys trying new products and techniques, experimenting and creating in different styles. She’s also very much into stamping (although she didn’t realize it until she took a close look at her cards and noticed almost all of them use stamps!). To learn more about Yana, visit her website.

Filed Under: Card Annex, Play Tagged With: Dovecraft, Making Memories, Pebbles, Spellbinders, Trimcraft, We R Memory Keepers, Yana Smakula

Noteworthy | 5.25.2012

May 25, 2012 by Nancy Nally 4 Comments

Welcome to a holiday weekend edition of Noteworthy! This week I’ve got some new collections, a big sale, some eye candy, and some food for thought to share with you. That’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

The mid release announcements were still coming this week! Echo Park announced a total of 3 new collections for their June release: So Happy Together, Homemade, and School Days.

So Happy Together is a full collection designed by Deena Rutter, with 12 double-sided patterned papers, 3 double-sided solid papers, and two sheets of stickers. It is also available in a 6×6 paper pad.

Noteworthy | 5.11.2012

May 11, 2012 by Nancy Nally 2 Comments

Wow, it’s been a big week for news this week, huh? Of course (in case you missed it), there was the announcement of the impending closure Scrapbooks Etc. magazine. But there was also a lot of good news in the industry this week – product announcements, events happening, and exciting web content to see!

Studio Calico announced a new line this week called “Hey Day”:

The line also includes a huge assortment of embellishments – including mistable Thickers and shapes, wood veneer shapes, and an assortment of Thickers, diecuts and other stickers. There’s also new Mr. Huey’s mists and a template. You can check out the whole collection on the Studio Calico blog. I have to admit – I usually despise anything orange (or tangerine) but this collection has such beautiful color combinations and patterns that I cannot wait to try it out. Way to go Studio Calico - you’ve made an orange out of me! [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Ali Edwards, American Crafts, Big Picture Classes, Crate Paper, Great Lakes Mega Meet, Hampton Art, Jillibean Soup, Making Memories, Orlando Scrapbook Expo, Pink Paislee, Studio Calico, Trends

Colorbok Buys ANW/Creativity Works, Making Memories

April 24, 2012 by Nancy Nally 10 Comments

Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Colorbök, LLC has announced that it has acquired ANW / Creativity Works, which is the parent company of the Making Memories, The Paper Company, Westrim, Crop In Style, Autumn Leaves and Hip in a Hurry brands.

ANW / Creativity Works is a new company that was just formed in November 2011 from the combination of ANW/Crestwood and Making Memories. In May 2010, ANW/Crestwood had closed a deal for the purchase of the brands Westrim Crafts, Autumn Leaves, DMD, Crop in Style, Hip in a Hurry, Room Relish and Paper Bliss from the struggling Creativity, Inc.

Colorbök has been around since 1984. They have a large presence in Wal-Mart’s much-reduced scrapbooking section. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ANW/CreativityWorks, Colorbok, Making Memories

ANW/Crestwood Merges With Making Memories

November 22, 2011 by Nancy Nally 6 Comments

ANW/Crestwood announced today that it has “merged its operations” with Making Memories. The parent company of the new combination will be called ANW/CreativityWorks.

There have long been rumors about Making Memories’ financial health, dating back to the staff layoffs in 2009 that included Margie Romney-Aslett. Industry concern about the company’s health had gotten so strong recently following several actions on the company’s part to liquidate old inventory that the company had even been forced to issue a public statement denying bankruptcy rumors.

Making Memories’ creative, marketing, and product development operations will continue to be run out of its current location in Salt Lake City, Utah. Shipping, purchasing and financial operations will be combined with ANW/Crestwoods’ existing operations in Lincoln Park, NJ. Dan Nelson will continue to provide creative direction as president of Making Memories, while working with ANW/CreativityWorks president Mark Caliguire “to coordinate and enhance the value and importance of each of the company’s’ brands,” according to the announcement: [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ANW/CreativityWorks, ANW/Crestwood, Making Memories