3 Days of inspiration from the SADT - September Layouts

The past few weeks have been extra busy for us, as we have been wrapping up those last few tasks following the Sept. 17th consignment sale and crop.  We can't wait to share with you some pictures and highlights from the event, but we didn't want you to wait any longer to see and share some fun and exciting layouts our Design Team members made with the September kit... (and not to mention that it is the last day in the month too!)  We will be featuring each Design Team member over the next few days.. so be sure to follow the blog and get inspire!

Design Team Member - Mandie Pierce

Mandi shows us this month how easy it is to take the same design layout and apply it three different ways. 

1. Double layout

2. Single Layout

3. Card

Although these cute and trendy flags you see in the layouts came pre-made in their kits, they are just as easy to make too!... and we can show you how at the next crop (Oct. 15)... just ask us!

Read about how Mandie created these layouts and more on her blog  Like a Lemon to a Lime.

Scrap Again Design Team Kit - September

Sneak peak at the September Design Team Kit

Don't worry... your not reading double!  We posted this sneak peak back in August, and then realized it was our September kit.  OOOoops!  So here it is again... and we still love this line!

We fell in love with this whole line from Pink Paisley! We know you will simply LOVE what our DT has done with this product too!

Don't have the fancy embellies? Make them yourself! It's easy to make the small flags using scrap paper and toothpicks. We will even have tooth picks at the October 15th crop so you can try making them too!

Love the look of the ruler?  Try cutting a strip of paper and using a white (or black) pen to create your own custom ruler!

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Stay tuned for Mandie's, Taraleigh's and Marcie's inspiring layouts!

Find your spare change

Check between the sofa cushions... check the dryer... check in your car for all spare change... you are going to need it for the scrapbook sale tomorrow! With more consignor's than ever before, there is going to be a huge selection of bargain scrapbook and paper crafting supplies. It's going to be a shopping frenzy!!

Quick Update

Just a quick update on the consignment sale & crop this Saturday!  

3...2... the countdown has begun! Only 2 days left and 4 seats left.  You can still register online at www.scrapagain.com

If you have already registered and haven't written to us your seating assignments please do so soon, we are now finalizing the seating chart.  Email us at info@scrapagain.com

Shopping... shopping and more shopping!

We have more consignors than ever before registered for the sale... so there is going to be lots of product to shop and great bargains in those bins! 

Sale Hours:

1:00p - 2:00p VIP Shopping

2:00p - 3:00p Registered Croppers

3:00p - 7:00p Open to public

Location:

Hampton Inn & Suites - Ballrooms

800 Mason Street

Vacaville, CA 95688

Consignor: Day of the sale information

We are so excited for the Consignment sale on Saturday, and we are busy planning all the details... hopefully you are busy getting ready too!  Here is some information about what you can expect the day of the sale.


On the morning of the sale, proceed to the ballrooms to check in for the consignment sale.  You will find your designated bin with your consignor number on it, and a copy of the terms & conditions in your bin.  Even if you have already signed a copy of the T&C, we are asking that you sign it again.  Drop-off is between 10:00a - 11:00p. 


All contents must fit in your bin (70 qt plastic bin), with the exception of large items.  If you have more items than will fit in your bin, there are 'free refills'.   So, as items sell from your bin, you are welcome to come back to the sale area and keep re-filling your bin.  For larger items like 12x12 albums, totes, and organizational items, there will be several tables designated to display larger items.  If we find that small items have made their way to these tables, magically they will find their way back to your bin!


If you are staying for the crop, you will also need to proceed to the front of the atrium and check in for the crop; where you will receive your seating assignment.  Cropper will be seated in both the atrium and the ballrooms.

As a consignor you have earned VIP shopping status.  Whoot Whoot!  We will make an announcement at 1:00p that VIP shopping hours have begun, and you can come shop and find all those great bargains!... including the new Bazzill Bin, labeled BB, that will contain packs of 5 sheets of Bazzill paper for only $2.50.  Please note that we allow only one consignor to enter during VIP shopping hours per consignor number... So, if you have shared a bin, you will have to pull straws, maybe do paper scissors rocks, to decide who will gets to shop the VIP hour!  We accept cash, check, and credit cards as payment.

With about 1.5 hours left in the sale, we will make an announcement for the consignors to come back and adjust prices.  At the end of the sale, we will have the 'fire bin' sale.  This is when we will ask the consignors to determine a final price for all the contents in their bin, as is.  Discounting prices and participating in the fire bin sale are optional.  Volunteers will be available to help discount prices and determine a fire bin sale price for consignors who will not be staying to crop.

The sale ends at 7:00p, where we will then sort all remaining items back to each consignor bin.  Pick-up is between 9:00p - 10:00p, and any product that is not picked up will be donated. 

Following the sale, we will be reconciling the sales receipts and determining your payment over the next two weeks.  We will notify you via e-mail when the checks have been issued and when you can expect a delivery date of your check in the mail. 

 Your participation is greatly appreciated.  So a big THANK YOU from us to you!

(If you haven't yet register we are getting closer to full capacity each and every day as more registrations come in daily.  Please be sure to register to secure your spot soon!) Register Now

Consignor Tip: #5

O.K. consignor's... it time to get packing!

All items (with the exception of large items) must be packaged in clear bags.  You can use any size clear bags, including sandwich size bags for smaller items.  At Walmart or Target you can buy 2.5 gal sized hefty Zip Loc bags that will fit 12x12 paper in it, and they work great for packs of cardstock, pattern paper, or larger items like albums.  We have even ordered clear bags (flap sealed crystal clear bags) from a company cleverly named 'Clear Bags'!  Here is their link to make an online purchases Clear Bags Although their shipping is quite fast, because they are out of El Dorado Hills, CA... be sure you will receive the bags in time to package your items for the sale.   

If you plan on selling a single item, and your item is in it's original packaging, for example; a pack of Thickers or stickers, you do not need to put them inside another bag.  Use the original packaging as long as it is not torn. 


When putting your items in the bag, it is a good idea to have contents visible from both side, so the buyer has a good feel for what it is they are purchasing.  This also means that small items should be placed in front and not hidden between two sheets of 12x12 paper.  


It's important that labels are taped to the inside of the package to keep them in one place.  Why you ask?... this is because we are looking for the label when checking customers out, and if you have discounted your item, and the label moves, it's likely that we will not see the discounted price marked on top of the original price.  For larger items, please be sure to securely tape your label to your item. 

Lastly, all packages need to be sealed shut to prevent damage and theft.  Yes... even if you are using flap sealed bags or bags with a Zip Loc seal, you will still need to seal the packaging!  Clear packing tape works great.  For larger items that may be in boxes, please be sure to seal them shut to prevent pieces from falling out or pieces getting separated.

Check out pictures on our web page to show how to package your product.
Now 'go get packing'.. or would you say... 'go get packaging!' 

   

Consignor Tip: #4

Keep those groups laid out and grab a bunch of index cards and a sharpie... it's time to label and price.  You can use scrap pieces of paper, or cut 8 1/2" x 11" into smaller index card sizes... or I went to the Dollar Store and bought a 100 pcs. pack of 3x5 index cards for ... well you guessed it $1.00.

The labels must include the following information:
1.  Consignor #
2.  Price (in increments of 50 cents)
3.  Description (optional)

Although the description is optional, the buyer appreciates knowing the contents.  The description doesn't need to be long, but it should include information if the item is partially used or if there are known missing pieces to kits.  If anyone is selling Cricut cartridges, we do ask that you disclose if the cartridge has been downloaded on a Gypsy.

We get a lot of questions about how to price items.  The best advice we can give is... price it for what you would be willing to buy it for... not what you wish you could sell it for.  For example, you saw a jar of flowers and you had that moment... the 'OMG... I HAVE TO HAVE THEM!' moment.  If the cost was $4.99... and you made 3 beautiful layouts, and you only used half of them, you might reason and want to sell the remaining flowers for $2.50.  But, is someone willing to pay $2.50 for them... would you?  Items that are priced to sell, tend to sell.  We have given the bench mark that, 10 - 20 sheets of single sided pattern paper sell for around $1.00.  But, if you have very current product, and we all know that one sheet of quality, name brands, double sided paper, now goes for $0.89 or more.. you should definitely make the appropriate price adjustments and price accordingly.   


We've identified two different pricing strategies.  The first one we will call it the 'I have to have it' price strategy.  It's much easier for shoppers to have the 'OMG... I HAVE TO HAVE IT' moment, when the product is reasonably priced.  You may choose this strategy and keep your prices lower in order to sell more items all together.  Keep this in mind when you are making your groups too... so if you have 50 sheets of single sided pattern paper, you may consider making 5 groups at $1.00 each or 2 groups for $2.50 each.


The second pricing strategy we will call it the 'starting price' price strategy.  This is when maybe your not quite sure what price you want to mark your item, so you choose a starting price, knowing that you will have the opportunity to reduce the price if it has not sold.  At around 5:30p, when there is about 1.5 hours left in the sale, we will make an announcement letting the consignors know that if they would like to reduce prices on items that have not yet sold, they may do so at that time.  


Lastly we will be having the 'fire bin' sale at the very end of the sale.  This is when we will ask the consignors to determine a final price for all the contents in their bin, as is.  


Please note that lowering pricing on your items, and participating in the 'fire bin' sale are optional.  For any consignors who are not staying for the crop, we will have volunteers to help reduce prices on items not yet sold for you at a rate of 50%, and determine a fire bin sale price by taking an additional 50% off.  For example let's say you had $20.00 worth of product still left in your bin.  The volunteers would reduce each item by 50% and your bin would now have $10.00 worth of product in it.  Let's say $2.00 worth of product sold and your bin now contains $8.00.  The volunteers would determine your 'fire bin' price to be $4.00.

You will be amazed at how quickly $1.00 + $2.00 + $3.00 will add up! 


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail us at info@scrapagain.com
You can also find more information by reading the FAQ

Consignor Tip: #3

Deciding how to group your product is much easier than deciding what to sell... so congratulate yourself on getting to this point in the process!!

There are a several different ways to group your product.  Consider the following:

1. By Theme: Baby Girl, Holiday, Birthday, etc.

2. By Type: Cardstock, Pattern Paper, Ribbon, Embellishments, Thickers, Stickers, etc.

3. By Condition: New Product, Used Product, Scraps of paper

4. By Color: All shades of one color grouped together- this works well for cardstock and pattern paper.

4. By Kits: All remaining product and embellishments from a kit or paper line.

Find a good amount of space, like your kitchen table or counters, and begin sorting through your stash and grouping them in piles.  You may decided to group them in a combination of ways... like your cardstock and pattern paper by color an your embellishments by type.  You may even decide to make up your own themed kits by putting together a few pieces of cardstock, pattern paper, and adding a few embellishments that coordinate.  If you have a lot of one product, consider making smaller groups.  For example, if you have a lot of Halloween product, make up 2 or 3 kits.  The idea is to present your product in a way that would appeal to the buyer.

Lastly... as you sort and group your product DO NOT create a 'return to scrap-stash' pile!

Note:

With a little over 1 week to the crop & sale, we have seen a increase the amount of registrations we are getting daily.  For this BIG event we rent both the Atrium and Ballrooms, and will be seating croppers in both rooms too.  We already have enough registrations to fill the atrium which means there are limited seats available.  Several registrations referenced creative crew members who still need to register... so if you know of anyone who still needs to register, they should do it soon to secure their spot!  Seats are going fast!!!  REGISTER NOW

Consignor Tip: #2

Deciding what to sell may not be as easy as you think once you start to go through your scrap-stash.  This is because we are reasoning with ourselves on why we should keep the item.  Let's admit, we've all heard those voices inside our heads!  

So, decide on a reasonable time frame like 6 mos, 1 year, or even 2 years.  Then, as you go through your scrap-stash, keep only those items you purchased within that time frame.  Items purchased beyond the time frame should be added to your designated bin, box, or drawer (and keep it their!).  If you haven't used it by now, chances are you not going to use it... and you most likely already bought something more current to use in it's place.

Also consider smaller quantities of one product.  For example, if you bought a jar of flowers and there are 175 pieces in the jar.... ask your self are you really going to use all of them?  If not, keep only what you think you will use and sell the rest.  The same goes with brads, buttons, and ribbon.  If you bought a spool of ribbon with 3 or 10 yards on it... keep for example 1 yard instead.

Be sure to go through your stash of 'used' product too.  If you are holding onto stickers, thickers, paper, and other product with hopes that you might use them again one day, you should consider selling these items.  Again, decide on a time frame.  If you haven't used the remaining items in the last 6 mos or 1 year, then add them to your designated bin. 

More tips to come on packaging, labeling, and pricing.

Consignor Tip: #1

We are so excited for the upcoming scrapbook sale (Sept. 17)!  And, with the sale taking place in just over a week, we thought it would be helpful if we write a series of Tips to help you get ready for the sale.  So here is the first tip...

Tip #1: Designate a box, bin, or drawer, and as you start to go through your scrap-stash keep all the items you are going to sell in one spot.  (And here is the hard part)...  Once it has made it's way to this designated box... it should remain in the box and not come back out to join your scrap-stash again!!

If you have a creative crew member who is interested in selling their scrap-stash, we are still accepting consignor registrations!! You can register online at www.scrapagain.com

Labor Day Weekend - Day 3 Inspiration (Mandie)

Keep those trimmers going... It's day 3 of our Labor Day Scrapbook Weekend and Mandie keeps us going with a double layout and a couple of cards!  

We typically think a title needs to go at the top or bottom of a layout, right?... But you will find that Mandie mixes up the placement of her tittles by placing them on the left and even right side sometimes too!  By adding a journaling card on the right and the title on the left, the layout is balanced.   Grounding her matted photos with two strips of paper at the bottom, and only using a few simple embellishments, puts this double layout in the 30 minute our less category!
 

Mandie uses the same design idea, strips of pattern paper or ribbon at the bottom, for the cards too.  Do you have extra tags in your scrap-stash?... if so, try making this card to use up those scraps and get the most out of your supplies. 

A little bit of stiching on the sun makes this card shine!
 

We hope you found time this Labor Day Weekend to scrapbook with us!...  and that you were able to scrap-lifted a few ideas from our Design Team to take some of the 'labor' out of scrapbooking!  It was fun to share all the great layouts and ideas from the Design Team with you.  More Design Team layouts will be coming soon.. we still have all of the September's layouts to share with you too!

Join us for our BIGGEST event of the year. The Saturday, September 17 Scrapbook Crop & Consignment Sale.  Register Now!

Labor Day Weekend - Day 2 Inspiration (Taraleigh)

It's day 2!...  and time to keep those trimmers going with inspiring layouts from Taraleigh!!

Grab those circle punches and create your own embellishment like Taraleigh did!  Just a few circles and some buttons make for budget friendly embellishments.  Journaling doesn't always have to be on a tag.  Taraleigh shows us how journaling around the pictures makes for a matting effect. 

And this is why we love double sided pattern paper! Taraleigh used both sides from 3 different pattern paper (Crate Paper) to create the block of pattern paper below her photos.  Using coordinating paper from one paper line, really takes out the 'work' of trying to find coordinating paper from your scrap-stash.  Taraleigh also shows in this layout that your photos don't always have to be centered to create a GREAT layout.  Try off setting them a bit from center and see how this style can 'work' too!

Thanks Taraleigh for another set of great layouts!
Keep those trimmers going... we will have more layouts tomorrow from Mandie!

Be sure to register now for the September 17 crop to secure your spot... seats are going fast!