Creative Memories advice needed

[MazdaUK]

OK, so I've tracked down a CMC and she's coming to do a party for me on 1 December. Now obviously I want to maximise my discount/freebie quotient by buying only what I will really use (remember you're talking to the person who will buy stuff she's unlikely to use if she thinks its a bargain ), but I'm completely new to scrapping (but building up stocks via e-bay grab bags, plus I have a small album and page set to do a family heritage album). So can you give me the benefit of your experience before I just buy everything:

what items have you bought but never/rarely used
what items are essential to your scrapping
anything you really regret buying?

Its great having you experienced scrapper to help a newbie

 

[Lisa]

I absolutely LOVE the multipurpose tool, use it often. I also use my personal and straight 12" trimmer quite a bit too. Those would be the three tools I could never do without and use each time I scrap.

Enjoy your Get Together. I always have a good time at mine.

 

[Spinning]

Tools! And Tape runner/refills!

I am not a CM person at all (album, style etc) . But I love their tools and tape runner (like the old tape runner better)

I would suggest the circle/oval cutters, and definately the square punch and circle punch! You can use it for so many things!

I would stay away from stickers just because you may not be sure how you will use them but they are cute...trust me from someone who had way too many stickers. They were just so cute! Bought a ton and then ended up giving them to my kids.....

 

[pjlla]

The CM corner rounder is terrific. It holds the cut off bit so it doesn't end up on the floor. I have had mine for about 3 years, use it probably weekly or so, and haven't had any troubles.............P

 

[goofymom/pop]

Huge fan of CM's orgnizational tools.

I love my Power Sort box. You use it to keep 2,400 pics in order. You can select how you want to catagorize them, then store them in this photosafe box in little files. And when I bought mine you got the mini free....I use it to take to crops.

The key to really being organized is to have your pics all seperated how you want to scrap them, and the ones you never will, will also be at least ready to look at whenever you like.

Also, the tools mentioned above are the must haves...

Personal trimmer
12 inch trimmer
circles and ovals with mat/blades (hard to learn at first but really a great tool!)
plus the power sort box

Enjoy your get together and make sure to pass the catalog out to people that cannot come but scrapbook. And remind people too that they can buy Gift Certificates for xmas gifts....like the hubbies of the girls attending if they really like CM product....call the hubbies on the sly and mention that you can help them shop by getting their wives a GC while your having your get together....that will boost your sales and your shopping spree.

 

[ljane1]

I love the tape runner, the paper trimmer I use isn't good for 12x12 paper and I have the round and oval shape cutters which were nice when I first started but I'm at the point now that I'm tired of seeing circles and ovals through my entire scrapbook.........I guess it all depends on what type of scrapper you are.........Also remember if your using the CM 12x12 albums, you have to trim your 12x12 paper
Enjoy and have fun......I'm off to a CM Party tonight

 

[ncmomof2]

You don't have to trim your paper for a 12X12 album if you use CM's perfect fit paper.

I would recommend getting the cutting system with the ovals. I have every pattern and rearely use anything but that! Also the personal trimmer and a corner rounder. This is great for cropping pictures. Also, I would get one black pen. You can add to your pen collection later. As far as an album, pick what you like and get page protectors to with it. Also, remember a tape runner. When it comes to paper, there are so many choice! The short cuts are convenient and the sampler packs are nice because you get a wider variety of colors. Have fun!! I hope you get alot of free stuff. The Thanks To You gift is a short cut pack with printed paper so that will be a nice start!!

 

[MazdaUK]

Thanks for all your help and advice!

I've got some papers I bought as a grab bag off e-bay - I think they're 12 x 12 so would they not fit CM albums? If not what WOULD they fit?
(Yes I know that was probably the wrong way to do things but I've got some pretty bits!)

call the hubbies on the sly and mention that you can help them shop by getting their wives a GC while your having your get together.

Wow! You're even sneakier than me! What a great idea!

Just for info, what is a "snap pack"? They look very pretty, but I have no idea what I'd use it for (assuming I could make a choice)

Now I just want to go home and spread my bits of paper about

 

[potterphreak]

What I can't live without:
Power Sort Box
Power Sort Mini Box (new to me and now I am IN LOVE with this!)
Corner rounder

What I don't love:
The personal trimmer (never cuts straight, no matter how I hold it-and yes, have had the consultants show me how several times)
Tape runner-I love AND hate this. Love the idea, but agree the older version was better. I have arthritis in all of my joints and I find using this really hurts my hands.

 

[cobbler]

I love the power sort box. I am so backlogged the sucker is almost full.

I love my straight and deco trimmer! Those things are fab! I do like my personal trimmer and corner rounder.

Things I wish I wouldn't have bought are:
Stickers - I have outgrown them
Die-cuts - I do have a sizzix but for some reason they are just nicer than CM
Alpha stickers - With sizzix there is a varity of fonts that you can reuse over and over
Some of the custom cutting patterns - I have become very classic and just do squares/ovals and cirlces for the most part. I find I hardly ever use the others.
The idea books/fast formulas - I have them and tried to get rid of them. I have 4 left.

Now this is coming from a CM herself.

But again it all depends on style

 

[WDWMom]

Things I like from CM...

Square, cirlce, star punches
tape runner

Things I don't like..
12x12 trimmer - I like my Fiskers better
corner rounder - never use it except while doing my mom pics from the 70's which already had a funky corner and needed to fix.
oval and circle maker - like Coluzzle better
Don't like the paper and stickers

Hope this helps.

 

[GC&S]

I love the circle and square punch. All their punches are very well made. Their journaling pens are good too.

I don't like the tape runners, stickers or paper. I haven't used a CM album because I don't scrap in order and straphinge are a pain to take apart. I also hate trimming my paper for albums that aren't true 12x12.

I haven't used the cutting system because I leave my pics square but a lot of my friends have and like it.

Have fun and good luck with your party!

 

[Alice28]

Just have to add my .02!

Agree with all the nods to the personal trimmer (although I find I use that less and less now that I have the 12" one- I use that cut pictures and paper- it will cut the 12" paper).

The cutting system- I always use my circles, sometimes my ovals, rarely any other shapes.

Yes to the tape runner and I think their pens are high quality and last a long time.

Also love the square and circle (and star) punches. Rarely use my hexagon. I like the heart too, but not a must have.

I like their stickers, but only buy if you have a specific use in mind- like if you have a bunch of animal pictures, I think their zoo ones are awesome; same with the sealife park (like if you have a SeaWorld trip to scrap).

A snap pack is great- there is a new Disney one! It comes with pre-cut papers, stickers and an idea book of how to put together an entire album (usually 7x7 size) in a 'snap.'

Has anyone mentioned short-cuts? Love these- these are pre-cut papers in all sorts of colors, strips and sizes- makes album making super easy. I love CM albums- I used other albums for years, had one fall apart on me, and switched to CM. Pricey, but worth it. Their albums don't hold regular 12x12 paper because there is a strip of 'jeeping' on the edge of the pages to make the album sturdier. You can just trim off a 1/4" of an inch or so (a few mm) and your papers you already bought will fit just fine!

So, in short, I would definitely get:
the 12" trimmer
the circle and/or oval shapes with mat and blades
tape runner
1 pack of short cuts (depending on what colors you like better)
at least the black pen

And if you need an album, the 12x12 size is the most common and holds a nice amount of pictures. You can fit an additional 2 sets of page refills in each album (it comes with 15 pages, so you can fit 45 pages total in the album, give or take).

Hope this helps! I love CM!

 

[Honeybehr1]

Things I must have

Tape Runner. I must have at least 3 refills on hand if not I order more.
Cutting system - mostly use circle and ovals but have most of them.
Square Punch-use it alot to make borders (cut the squares out, put vellum and them stickers under that and it looks like a window)
Pens-I am a huge fan of these. The only one I dont like is the precious elements ones-seem to be blochy
Storybox Photo mats and Journaling boxes - loved these

Not a fan of

Stickers-I like bright bold stickers and CM seem a little bland to me
Albums-I dont scrap in order so that is the main issue. I still have one unused

 

[MazdaUK]

My shopping list is taking shape nicely!! A couple of questions:

I've seen people talk about sissix and coluzzle (sp?) - can someone explain what they are and the difference between them?I've seen packs on e-bay of cut-outs labeles "sissix" or "like sissix" - what are they?

You've said you can't change the page order iin Cm albums - I'm probably misunderstanding, but I thought the pages came in protectors, so can't you just take the pages out of the protectors and swap them around? (like you'd swap albums about for an April Fool - oops showing my age!! )

I wish you could all come over for the party - surely 10 hours travelling each way is not too much for an evening of scrapping

 

[pattyT]

CM favorites - that have survived the test of time are my Square Makers (small and large), my corner rounder, and the circle and oval cutting systems!
hope this help you!

 

[Twigs]

You've said you can't change the page order iin Cm albums - I'm probably misunderstanding, but I thought the pages came in protectors, so can't you just take the pages out of the protectors and swap them around?

CM albums are strap hinge albums. You can change the pages around, but you have to undo the straps, slide the pages off, put them in the order you want slide them back on and restrap them. Saying that, I LOVE CM albums. I don't mind have to undo the straps if I need to. I love the quality of the albums and how they lie flat when opened. I am now using a top loading album for my hawaii trip, and so far I am just not loving it. As far as the 12 x 12 papers, you just need to trim 1/2 inch off the side to fit it on a CM page. I have one of the old fashioned guillotine type of paper cutters (had it for years before I even heard about scrapping). I love it the best for cutting paper. I have used my friends CM trimmer when I go to her house, and I don't like it at all.

I love their cutting system, and I use all the shapes, all the time. I really like their tape runner, corner rounder, stickers, some of the snap packs. I do not have a CM consultant right now (everytime I find one she ends up quitting! Is it me? ) so I haven't seen any of their new products.

 

[pattyT]

there are different thoughts on the CM thing...
if you do the pages RIGHT ON the cm pages you better make sure they are in th eorder you want - because you can move the page - but you are moving BOLTH sides of it!

I wallpaper all my pages - It emans I can't fit as much in each book as it is bulkier - but i just barely stick them on the page in the album and it isn't a big deal to pull it off and move it later.

I know another CM user hear just slides her page in without sticking it down at all and it works fine for her!

 

[Madi100]

One of my good friends is a CMC, so I'm torn as to what I want to use. We have a LSS that sees a lot of my money, and I also frequent Hobby Lobby. But, I love the CM tools. I love their carrying systems (just which they weren't so expensive). My sister had the Fiskars 12" cutter and it broke after a year. It still works, but it got wore through and doesn't cut right now.

And, as much fun as it is to slip pages in and be able to move them around, I just love the look of a CM album. They are "clean". You don't see pages sticking out at the top at different levels, and they don't seem bulky. I do wish that CM made their albums easier to take apart and put together. Suppose they could include a magic wand???

 

[Tink&Belle's Mom]

Oooh--love the magic wand idea. I am forever putting my mom and sister-in-law's albums back together. Maybe it could help in getting the pages actually done, too?!

I'll throw in my thoughts, too. Must have:

personal trimmer
Zesty Geometric shortcuts
cutting system with circles
square maker
tape runner

Probably shouldn't have spent money on:
Idea books
EVERY sticker pack
all the shapes in the cutting system (although I do use the stars for paper on occasion)
Templates (are those still available?) I never trace and cut by hand--too messy!