A to Z Challenge - 2019 - X is for Expo

My oh my we are down to just 3 letters in this year's A to Z 10th Anniversary Challenge!  For X I am using EXPO as my word which comes in very handy since the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt is using a word with XP!   Thanks, Linda, for helping us keep on track with two challenges!

I've mentioned that I get ideas from magazines and kits, but another big source of inspiration and the place I get a lot of my supplies from is the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo.  There are three Expos a year within traveling distance although I usually only go to two of them.   It is a great time for me to spend a day with my niece, Donna, who is my scrapbook buddy.

We buy our tickets online and then pick them up at Will Call.  If we get there early enough - of course we do! - they give you a Golden Ticket that you can use to try to win a door prize.

There is a big table that has all the different prizes donated by the vendors at the show.  We take our time looking at each one and then when we decide what we want to try for, we put the ticket stub in the matching bin.  Of course we go for different things so there is a chance for each of us to win.  There are also workshops going on during the day and usually we take one of those too.  When you pay for a workshop, you get free admission to the showroom.   

The prize table

The workshop schedule

Inside the actual showroom there are anywhere from 30 to 50 or more different vendors showing off their products.  There are early bird specials if you get to the booths before a certain time.  We don't always care about those but sometimes there are good ones like buy one and get one free of certain things.   

My niece, Donna, ready to shop

They are just about to let us in.

There are also floor demonstrators.  They show you how to use the new products and let you do "make and takes" so you can try them for yourself and then keep what you make.

All through the day they call out door prizes.  There are a couple of ways to win.  One way is just by your name because you bought a ticket.  One is the "number game."  There are numbers on the floor and when they tell you they are going to pick a number, you try to find one and stand on it.  I was lucky #11 once.  I won a paper pack with some extra goodies in it.  Donna won one too at a different show.

Of course the most coveted prize is the one from the Golden Ticket.  Both my niece and I have been lucky enough to win one.  Mine was from the company called Scrap That and this is me with the manager of the company.  

It is a really fun day for my niece and I.  We always come away with some great bargains and some new ideas to try.  The next one is in June in Santa Clara and I'm looking forward to going! 

Happy Shoppers

Have you ever been to a Stamp and Scrapbook Expo?  Does it look like fun?  Tomorrow is a day of rest.  Come back Monday for the letter Y.  I'm going to try something really different.  Care to guess what?

A to Z Challenge - 2019 - I is for Ideas

"But Janet, where do you get all your ideas for these cards and things you make?" you may (or may not) ask.

Let me tell you! 

Some of them come from books and magazines.  I have one book that is called "A Card A Day" and I've been thinking about giving that a try, just like I did my 365 pictures. 

Most of the magazines I buy come with extras, usually stamps.  This one has some great things I can use for Father's Day cards with the motorcycle and the golf clubs.  Inside are examples of cards that they made using the stamps but usually I do my own thing. 

I liked this one because of the woman in the tub.  Lots of ideas for Mother's Day here. 

Here is a card I made using the table and chairs and the word "Relax" for the front.  The table and chairs and the Relax message are on foam tape so it adds dimension to the card.    

and on the inside I used the fishing gnome to make a retirement card.  

Some of the magazines come with inserts that have pictures you can cut out and papers that match.  If I hadn't been so busy getting the A to Z ready and moving into the studio, I would have tried to make some Easter cards with a few of these, especially the bunnies and flowers.

I also collect CDs that have pieces I can print out and make into cards or use in albums.  Some have sentiments to put inside.  Debbi Moore is one of the companies that I get them from and Paper Wishes is another.  Each one of the CD's has hundreds of designs and elements that can be adjusted to fit whatever I need.  I just got the Rock and Roll one and I'm thinking I can use some of the things in my concert album.      

So many ideas, so little time!  What inspires your creativity?   

Visit some of the other A to Z participants in this 10th Anniversary round!  You can also find them on Facebook  See you tomorrow with "J"

Blogging From A to Z - 2018 - A is for App

Welcome to Day 1 of the A to Z Challenge for 2018.  Yes, it is April 1 but this is no April Fool's joke.  This year I'm blogging my way through the alphabet in Michaels Arts and Crafts Store.  I wrote about starting to work there last September and Jacqui Murray from Word Dreams made a comment that it would be a good subject for an A to Z theme and I had to agree.  So, thanks Jacqui!  Here we go.

Since the name of the store is actually Michaels Arts and Crafts, you might have thought I would start with Art but I am using neither Arts nor Crafts as letters in my alphabet!  Instead I am starting with App, as in the Michaels App that you can download for your smartphone or tablet.  This is what it looks like on my screen.

The Anatomy of the App as defined by the handout that Michaels gives.

This is what my home screen looks like.  From it I can navigate to lots of different places.  By tapping on the little scissors on the upper right corner I can get to the latest coupon deals.  I can say that there are usually coupons of some sort EVERY SINGLE DAY so it is to your benefit to access this information from your phone and even more benefit for all concerned if you access it BEFORE you get to the check out counter.  If you have trouble, the cashiers will be more than happy to help.  If you are a Michaels Rewards member (and you should be) your rewards code will be there as well and the cashier can scan that too.     

Also available in the app is a map of the store.  Michaels can be an overwhelming experience, even to a veteran shopper.  This map will show you aisle by aisle where everything is.  True, you may need a magnifying glass to see it, but it is there!  There is a search bar and you can use that to search for something specific.  If you find a product and you want to know how much it costs, you can tap the bar code icon and a scanner will appear so that you can scan the item and find the price.

Tapping on the Weekly Ad icon at the bottom of the screen will take you to the page showing what is on special sale that week.  From the example below you can see that there are 8 Featured Deals, 11 Deals $10 and under, 30 Art Supply Deals, etc.  If you tap on the $10 and under deals, you get a list of what deals are $10 or less.   

You can also just shop by category.  Say you are looking for some baking supplies.  You would click on that and it would take you to the things available in the baking section.  Say you wanted to bake 48 muffins.  We have a pan for that!

Scrolling down shows that it is available on Aisle 2 in our store. 

Scrolling down even farther you can see what other supplies you might need, such as cupcake liners and scrolling even farther you can see some recipes that go along with the muffin pan.

Isn't that a helpful feature?  You can do that with just about every category!

You can also get ideas for projects on the app.  Just click on the "Projects" icon on the bottom of the screen and you'll get a list that looks like this:

Clicking on Make the Trend shows you the most popular things that are trending on Pinterest and in the kids world, like Slime.  I tell you I am so glad my kids are too old for that particular craze!

There are also Holiday and Seasonal crafts to choose from.



















You know I am a paper crafter so I chose that category.  From that I saw that there was a craft using Washi Tape.  I am in love with Washi tape so if I choose that, it shows me this craft to make, the  Washi-Embellished Round Box.  Scrolling down shows me what I need to make the project, where to find it in the store and the instructions:

Isn't that cool?  You can literally spend hours just on the app before you even head for the store.  You can add the things to "your list" and then when you get to the store you can go right to where you need to go.  Also, if you would rather order things online and save yourself a trip, it is possible to order through the app.  It takes you to Michaels website and if the products are available there, you can order them and save yourself a trip.  Be aware though, that some things that are sold in the store may not be online and vice versa.

And so begins the A to Z of Michaels Arts and Crafts.  I hope you have enjoyed the lesson on the App and how valuable it can be as a tool to navigate the store and find the best deals.  If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I'll try to answer them.  Come with me tomorrow where we will discover what B has in store! 

Make sure to stop by the A to Z Challenge list and see what other participants are offering.  There is always something new and unique going on!


(Note:  All pictures used in this blog series were taken by me at local Michaels stores).