Slightly dreading my crop on Friday....

[WDWAurora]

I'm going to a Memoranza event, but it's open to non-CM as well as CM, for lots of reasons. Not the point. The last crop I went to at this lady's house, another lady there just drove me crazy. She was kind of snotty about a lot of stuff throughout the night, but then at the end, she became one of those "CM AND ONLY CM" people. Now, I use very little CM. I made no bones about that when I started going to these crops and told them that if they didn't want me there, that was totally fine, my feelings wouldn't be hurt. This lady is the only person who has said a word, other than just expressing curiosity.

She asked me if my glue was refillable to start off, then is it safe? How can you be sure? Even if it says it is safe it can still have this much acid and lignin in it. Blah blah blah blah blah. Honestly, I make every possible attempt to be safe, but CM does not suit my style. Period, end of story. And besides that, I want my books to last, but really, as long as they last through my lifetime, that's fine. I seriously doubt many people will want to see them after I'm gone. I do this for my own enjoyment. It just really rubbed me the wrong way. I am SO hoping this lady isn't there on Friday!

Ok, thanks, just had to get that off my chest.

 

[npealer]

Just sit far far away from her! I used to use CM stuff but not so much anymore. It really sucks when people are so anal about their scrapping stuff. I don't think there is one company that can cover every scrappers needs. There is such a varying degree of scrapbook styles. Man would I love to debat her on that one. Next time she says something, tell her it is a good thing you don't sell it then LOL!

 

[potterphreak]

LOL I can totally sympathize!! I used to go to CM crops and retreat weekends but the last crop I went to at my Consultants house there was this lady who just bugged me. Background:
At all the retreats and crops, there is a huge bunch of people who know each other very well in their every day life (they go to the same churches, they teach together, their kids are friends, etc.) and it is usually me and 2 other ladies hanging out cos we get along great (we're the misfits!). Well at the last retreat it got really crazy. Like, this one lady was at a table during dinner, me and the other 2 ladies sat down and the lady got all huffy cos not all of her friends would be able to sit there so she left. Ok, whatever. I don't smell and I AM interesting! I swear! LOL
Anyways, at the last crop, I was seated next to a nice lady, I didn't know her and I mentioned something about Harry Potter; she proceeded to spend the next 2 hours telling me that Harry Potter is of the devil and Wiccan religion. First off, I completely understand YOUR right to YOUR point of view but I don't want to hear about it, LOL. Second, I have studied the Wiccan religion (gotta love JuCo's-Magic, Witchcraft and Religion was a Sociology class!) and HP has nothing to do with the Wiccan beliefs. I feel kind of bad that I don't go to crops any more cos I love to do it but *bad taste in my mouth*. LOL I say, don't let anyone stop you from you doing what makes YOU happy. :-D

 

[ddavis860]

I'm with you about this stuff lasting past my life. I mean, I am the mom of boys, I know they really don't care...and if anyone does, I am careful to keep the pictures away from the embellishments.

Honestly, this is really just another way for me to be creative. I use anything that makes me smile. I haven't had anyone make comments to me, but I hope that no one does...I just might let them know what I think about others butting into MY scrapbook....

I agree, if someone is at the crop that you know is going to give you problems, try to sit away from them. That doesn't keep people from getting into your business, but at least you don't have to listen all day.

 

[WDWAurora]

Yeah, there were only 3 of us total at that last one, so I couldn't get away from her. Hopefully this one will be bigger since it's a big scrapbook day. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who is fine with a mix of products.

 

[potterphreak]

Ooooh, only 3 people? OUCH!! LOL

Run away from the mean woman!!

I love CM products. I think a lot of them are inovative and great, but I can no longer justify to myself spending $30+ on an album without all the pages I need in it. I loooooove ScrapCandy.com, RockyMountainHobbies.com, and ACherryOnTop.com. I couldn't imagine using only CM products anymore. Brainwash, brainwash. LOL

 

[WDWAurora]

It is weird that the albums no longer come with pages. I'm with you on that. It's funny because she wasn't even the hostess...and does not sell!

 

[graygables]

I used to be a CMC, but got really turned off by the company "line". I know CMCs who are CM ONLY and that drives me nuts. I'm sorry, they have some nice stuff (and I love several of the tools), *but* it's not the end-all. I do NOT like strap hinge albums (esp after a few of mine were ruined by the metal doohickies breaking off, but CM wouldn't honor the "warranty" b/c it was MY fault for "wallpapering" the pages. Whatever. Give me Leaving Prints any day!!! (and if you come to one of MY crops and act obnoxious, I'll pull ya aside and give ya what for! )

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Been down that road, you know what I told her. When CM makes everything I need then I will only use CM products. I would just tell her that you do what you want and she does what she wants and agree to disagree.

Some CMC's are pretty flexible having non CM users at their crops. I have been to one hosted by Lisa here on the DIS and she knows I don't use a lot of CM products and she doesn't mind which makes me want to go to her to buy stuff.
BTW Lisa if you read this I need some stuff, I'll call you soon!

 

[disneyfreakk]

Everytime I encounter someone who is obnoxious I think of this joke. I just have to share!

One day these two fine southern ladies were sittin' on the front porch having some iced tea. One of the women sticks out her hand for the other woman to see, and in her long southern drawl says "Look at this ring my husband gave me. Isn't it nice?" To which the other woman replies, "Oh that's nice, that's real nice." The first woman then says , "And just last month he took me on one of them Caribbean cruises." The second woman again replies, "Oh that's nice, that's real nice." "Well sweetheart doesn't your husband ever buy you nice things or send you nice places?" "Oh", the second woman responds, "When we first got married he did send me to etiquette school." "Why'd he do that?" the first woman asks. To which the second fine southern woman replies, "Well you see, before, when someone told me about the jewellery their husband gave them, or the trips he sent her on, I would have just said I don't give a [hoot ], but now I say that's nice, that's real nice."

 

[Belle0101]

It is weird that the albums no longer come with pages. I'm with you on that. It's funny because she wasn't even the hostess...and does not sell!

Actually the albums do come with pages. Example, the Premiere 12 X 12 ($38) albums come with 15 white sheets which is 30 pages.

I think you might be thinking of the Coversets. The Premiere 12 X 12 size is $25.

Reason being, if I understand correctly, is so that you can build the album to your preference. For instance, if you bought an ablum and didn't want to use the white pages you'd have wasted part of your money. So instead you can buy the Ruby Coverset and get pages in a color you want. Those choices being Spargo, Natural or Black.

If I were holding a crop, I'd actually be thrilled if someone showed up - CM user or not!

 

[Lisa]

If I were holding a crop, I'd actually be thrilled if someone showed up - CM user or not!



I am a CMC because I like the quality of the products, however I understand that people use other products and at our crops we don't condemn anyone for using other products. In fact I make it a point to steer clear of doing anything along those lines, it's just not who I am. (thanks, Buffy for noticing). I am also a CMC because I love scrapbooking and want to share my hobby with others, where best to do that than at a scrap.

You are going to meet people who are tunnel visioned on things, unfortunately that is sometimes the way of the world, but we have the choice of being different. Diversity is a grand thing. If a person is so tunnel visioned with scrapbooking imagine how they might be in other areas of life.

CM is marketing products to appeal to different people, ie, the new PicFolio - great for some who wants to preserve their pictures but maybe not interested in scrapping with embellishments or wallpaper like many of us do. Another new marketing method is offering the coverset so people can choose which pages they want inside, not everyone might want white. When the albums came prepackaged with white pages, that would be an extra cost for the customer who may have wanted spargo, black, or natural pages.

Psst. Buffy, how is the Princess? We'll talk soon.

 

[BeccaGrace]

I was just at a Memoranza crop on Saturday...there were over 40 of us and I'd say about 1/3 of us were not using CM albums (including me & my Happiest Celebration album from WDW). My CMC is awesome about letting me buy whatever product I want but still using all my embellishments and non-CM stuff without comment. I love LOTS of stuff on my pages and I find traditional CM albums too plain for my taste but I love their products--their corner rounder is the best of any out there! The first time I attended a CM crop I was nervous that I would experience what the OP described but have been lucky that everyon was very welcoming.

Unfortunately, there still always seems to be one obnoxious or opinionated person at every crop! At this one I had a lady behind me who spent the entire day complaining loudly about people who were judgemental and stereotyped people all while she was judging and stereotyping every group under the sun. Oh well, at least I got 15 Disney pages done!

 

[Spinning]

personally at your next crop, I would get a very large hammer, and need to pound a lot of eyelets! then put it away...wait about an hour start pounding again!
I am on a CM list for crops, the other rep dropped out and gave my name to her. She has crops all the time. I emailed her and said I don't use CM only the adhesive and some tools. She said fine come...I haven't gone. I know it would be the same as you are saying. I really just don't get the entire CM way or no way....

 

[cobbler]

Ugh see this is what gives CM such a bad name. I am a CMC and I was at a meeting. Basically what was said is that we should all embrace those who scrapbook whether or not they use CM only products. Apparantly home office did some kind of field survey and had no idea that CM was getting a bad name and the CM nazi consultants and such.

Anywho, I use CM and non CM items, I love eyelets and brads. I have sizzix. I have outgrown stickers. I don't wallpaper but that is just me. I have kind of a mix of things and I welcome anyone who uses CM or not. In fact I have one friend who has bought about $40 from me in the last 2 years. Just a couple of tools but other than that she uses non CM stuff and I don't care. It's your books, you do with them what you like.

I say go and have fun and just ignore her. Be polite and say well I like to use non CM items too and they are my books so I will do with them what I like.

 

[**pixiedust**]

I have an honest question here. My SIL is a CM consultant and she will not use anything but CM products and does not allow non-CM products at her crops. I do not understand the philosophy behind this since CM does not make so many of the embellishments and papers and other things that croppers usually use. Do they really only want people to use stickers for their albums? WHY? Will a CM consultant please explain this me?

It is kind of sad because I don't go to my SIL's crops anymore because I like to use different things.

 

[JandJ]

I started out 6 years ago only using CM and I was headed down that CM brainwashing track But then I went to a local scrapbooking store and fell in love with the paper, punches, 3D stickers, ribbon, etc. and that was that!
I've moved 3 times in the last 3 years and so I've gone through a few CMCs and my current one is great! She said I can use whatever I want so long as it's photo safe, acid free, etc. and I always check that stuff anyway. I made my first non-CM album for my MIL of our wedding day and it was so much fun! I'll use any embellishments, but I have to admit, 95% of the time I still use only CM albums.
I've had to deal with those CM-nazi's before and I just tell them to mind thier own business!

 

[WDWAurora]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I truly have nothing against CM, use some of their tools (their corner rounder is truly the only one worth using) but the albums, etc. are not my style at all. I like all the dimensional stickers, brads, eyelets, and other "toys" that I can get from other companies.

I was talking about the coverlets earlier. They just seem like an odd concept to me for some reason. The picfolios would definitely be good for non-scrappers, or scrappers in a hurry. My main thing is that I don't scrap in order...normally anyway. I did our honeymoon in order and now I'm doing the wedding in order. Normally I don't have subjects that fill entire books, so I do those 2-4 page spreads in the order I get interested or have the supplies, then I can move them as needed.

Anyway, I appreciate all the responses. You guys are great.

 

[Queenie]

I can't really comment on the crops thing (social phobia!) but I can tell you all that CM has an awful reputation over here. It's seen by most people as a big con (because some CMCs tell newbies that other products are bad and try to get them only to ever buy CM) and nearly all the UK scrapping community steer well clear of CM if at all possible. I was sent one of their catalogues but never ordered.

 

[soccerchick]

Just a thought here. Could you "tactfully" somehow, tell the host that her one guest is driving you, and possibly others, away? If the CMC doesn't care what you use, why should she? The CMC should let her customer know that enough is enough.