April KOTM is ready for pick up!

Jillibean Soup was originally planned for April's KOTM, however, we are still waiting on product to arrive from CHA so we will play with Jillibean next month.  This month's kit features My Mind's Eye Jack and Jill.  I have to say, My Mind's Eye is one of my favorite manufacturers.  The quality of their products can't be beat and they consistently release beautiful lines season after season.  There are only about 10 extra kits this month.  If you are not a kit subscriber and want April's kit you better act fast.  These kits will sell out in no time.

Little Red Scrapbook March Kit

This month's kit features the fresh and fabulous Sassafras Lass Cherry Delicious.  This line offers a very bright and bold retro feel.  It is perfect for vintage photos.  If you didn't subscribe, you missed out.  This kit is now sold out!

Here are my sneak peaks of projects I did with the kit.  Pennants are all the rage right now and the twine that came with the kit worked so well with them.

More pennants and yummy ribbon stitching.

Here is a sneak of what I did for the ribbon challenge.

My New Toy

It is no secret I scrap a lot. As a result, I go through an amazing amount of adhesive each month.  Columbus Scrappers recently had a group buy on ATG adhesive and when I figured out these puppies were only $1.75 for a 36 yard roll, I had to research the ATG option. 

First of all, ATG stands for Adhesive Transfer Gun and is not a brand itself (ehem, I thought it was).  There are a couple of name brand ATGs such as 3M/Scotch and Glue Art.  These name brand ATGs run about $50-75.  So, being the ever thrifty person that I am, I set on a quest to find a cheaper alternative.  I found a generic ATG at http://www.thetapedepot.come/ for $25.  (Model: Dispenser ATG-50)

This gun holds adhesive rolls for both 1/4" and 1/2" tape widths without having to buy an adapter.  It is very light and weighs less than a pound including the tape roll.  I thought it would be too big and bulky but I found it very easy to adjust to.  The dispenser has a special pin spool allowing use of complete roll without any waste, friction or effort.  You still have to do the little wrist flick motion when stopping the tape run to get a good break...or maybe I'm just not releasing the trigger fast enough (hmm, gotta go back and experiment with that one). 

So, now I have this cool dispenser and how the heck do I get the tape in, right?  Well, it appears it is complicated enough that someone created a You Tube video on it, which was extremely helpful.  In fact, there are LOTS of videos on how to load your ATG.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who couldn't figure it out!  If you have a Scotch brand ATG, you will want to search You Tube for a video on how to load a tape roll for that brand.  Here is the link to the video for the generic ATG from The Tape Depot:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtyKPRoeOgA 

Now, tape is another factor.  There are name brand ATG tape rolls from Scotch and generic tape rolls.  Both are acid free and pretty much the same EXCEPT for one thing.  The plastic spool in the center of the generic roll is slightly different.  I had to modify my generic tape roll to get it to fit the ATG properly.  I don't think a lot of people know to do this which is why some may have problems loading their guns.  It was quite simple once I knew what to do and took me about 10 seconds, but a very important step.  All I did was remove one of the little plastic spokes on the tape spool with a pair of needle nose pliers (it snaps off quite easily).  You should then be able to hear the tape roll snap in to place like it says in the video.  Easy peasy!

Now that I have my ATG properly loaded and have had a chance to play with it a bit, I absolutely love it!  I do a happy little dance every time I use my new gun.   To learn more about Columbus Scrappers, join us at http://www.columbusscrappers.org/

Attention Copic Marker Club Members!!!!

Sunday's, March 14, monthly Copic Maker Club has been rescheduled for April 25.  We just didn't have enough time to get the stamps and markers in.  If you ordered stamps, those came in just today.  We are still waiting to get in a shipment of Copic markers so I can pick out what colors we are going to use.

The Copic Marker Basic Blending classe at 1pm will still be held as scheduled.  Thank you!

Product Review - The Cinch

Product Review: The Cinch by We R Memory Keepers

Move over Bind It All, there is a new tool in town. We R Memory Keepers revealed their new binding system at Winter CHA 2010 and I got a chance to play with it.

The Cinch was very easy to punch, and I liked how the paper goes straight in parallel to the table instead of standing straight up. I loved the disengageable knobs, which allow you to punch all 6 inches of holes or any combination of holes (for example punch two holes, leave space unpunched, punch two more -- can't do that with any other binding machine I know of!). You can get very creative with the wire binding because you completely control how many holes are punched.

• Easily cuts through chipboard and up to 20 sheets of paper at once
• Large handle aids in easy punching
• Holes are round vs. square in the Bind It All
• Customized hole punching knobs
• Handy paper guide extends out to easily punch 12” paper
• Wide base offers a lot of stability
• Projects lay flat while punching
• Measurements in inches and centimeters
• Handy punching guide right on base
• Drawer keeps punched holes neatly contained
• And of course, it is a fabulous pink color!

MSRP: $99

Here is a great video which demonstrates The Cinch from CHA.