DId It

Yes!

Finally.  It all comes together, even better than hoped.

I spent hours yesterday trying to buy a few select items and ran up against wall after wall of "not currently in stock" and paying $5.00 or more for each shipping charge, adding up to over $20.00 for less than $15.00 worth of product.

I started out the day with a positive attitude.  After about an hour of searching the wheels began to grind down... again.  Time to take a break.  I set back out after the house quieted, not really expecting results.  And then, jackpot!!!

Scor-Tape.  Bingo!
Flying off the shelf Prima mask.  Gotcha!
Photo corners.  Done deal!

I am tickled pink.  But... the best was yet to come.  I've lusted after a Graphic 45 collection called "Once Upon a Springtime" that I believe retired about the time I came into the craft. Through sheer perseverance I managed to collect the tag, frames and sticker pages, and all but two of the pages from the12x12 paper pad. Tonight I found the two pages, they are ordered, and mine all mine!  I've resigned all hope of finding the full 8x8 pad.  Notwithstanding, this is the absolute BEST.  Now(!) all the Prima flowers, lace and crystals I've been hoarding will have a place to call home.  Right after I finish the other three albums in line.  Poo.  The important thing is having the set together when time comes.  I think to buy another safe to keep my most treasured papers protected in the event of a fire; either that, or find a place to stash that other junk taking up valuable safe space:  birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, etc  ;P

The next Graphic 45 quest is the Olde Curiosity Shoppe line.  It's newer and hardly a challenge to find.  Just that money thing, which always gets in the way of fun.  This will be the September allowance.

I still can't figure out why the big hobby stores aren't carrying Scor-Tape.  And why I haven't heard about it until now?  The red sticky tape meets all demands, but gets to be down right expensive at $3.00 for five yards.  The Scor-Tape does the exact same thing, but for a few dimes more buys twenty-seven yards.  Every album created so far has cost over $10.00 in tape alone.  Throw in the-up front paper investment and a few embellishments... and one of these books costs almost $35.00 to create - of course I still mess up a whole bunch in the process.  What was it I read a few months ago?  Scrapbooking is the art of spending $20.00 decorating a ten-cent photo... too funny.

So.

I've finished the full mock-up of the next album and decided the binding.  Or so I thought until watching a new batch of YouTube videos.  There are quite a few out there that use greeting card size pull-outs for pictures.  Not a bad idea, actually; most of the fun of the mini's is the interaction, and it also provides a quick way out of figuring where to put the 5x7's collected over the years.

I'm content.  There's enough work laid out now to last until Christmas.  It's going to be a fun three months.