Does CM make top loading albums?

[eeyoreforever]

I have only bought CM albums for myself and have yet to fill them up, but will be needing a new album before too long. I buy the Pioneer albums for my dd's to use and love the fact that they are top loading. I am seriously thinking about trying something besides CM if they don't make top loading albums-and I don't remember ever hearing that they do.

So, question #1-does CM make a top loading album?

and, question #2 - who makes a really nice top loading album that you would recommend?

Thanks for any advice

 

[bananiem]

It's been a long time since I've seen a CM catalog but they used to not make them. There are alot of people on the board that use CM and will be able to answer that question for you.
I use top-loading albums. I've discovered that I really like the Mrs. Grossman's ones and the ones by Making Memories. I've discovered that my original Pioneer and the newer Colorbok don't hold up well. I've also used the Dalee albums but I have a hard time finding them here.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Dalee! I have tried numerous top loading albums and will only use Dalee as long as I can get them.

Yes, they are hard to find locally. According to the owner of my LSS it is because they are more on a par with CM when it comes to price and most of her customers that buy books are content with the 2 post (Dalee are 3 post which I believe gives them more stability).

I order mine from Valerie at www.creativecropping.com

She has a number of them in all sizes on her web site but if you find a cover that she doesn't stock she will work on ordering for you. She is great that way.

Deb

 

[canwegosoon]

I know CM has top loading sheets. They are more expensive than their regular sheets...I think they are called Portrait Pages...but check web site for sure.

 

[Allabtprincesses]

CM does NOT make top loading albums, since their "technique" is to scrapbook right on the included pages, not on 12"x12" paper. That's why they don't sell 12"x12" sheets of paper either. They sell smaller sheets with the belief that customers only use it to mat photos and use as embellishmets etc. My only advice for buying top loading albums it to try and purchase ones that say they are "True" 12x12. Some are not and you have to trim the 12x12 paper a bit in order to slide it in....very inconveinent!

Pam

 

[Disneylvr]

Are the Mrs. Grossman's albums true 12 x 12??? I currently only have CM albums and I like them except I like to wallpaper some pages, meaning I use 12x12 paper. I have to trim them down every time because CM is not true 12x12. My CM Consultant is highly critical of my work ( for using non-CM products and methods) but that is just too bad. I was looking at Mrs. Grossman's this weekend but didn't see if they were true 12x12 or not.

 

[Allabtprincesses]

I'm not sure about Mrs. Grossman's, though I think most of the expensive "higher end" albums are true 12x12. I know that the Sandylion ones are (I have the Disney Princess one). I know what you mean about the CM consultants looking down their nose at those of us who use "other" products. I'm sure they all don't, but mine is frequently heard talking loudly about other peoples products (from scrapbook stores to craft stores to QVC) and how she hears how "unhappy" people are with those products. Ya, ok. If CM offered coupons or put things on sale more then once a year, I would give them more business then I do.

Pam

 

[Disneylvr]

Originally posted by Allabtprincesses
I'm not sure about Mrs. Grossman's, though I think most of the expensive "higher end" albums are true 12x12. I know that the Sandylion ones are (I have the Disney Princess one). I know what you mean about the CM consultants looking down their nose at those of us who use "other" products. I'm sure they all don't, but mine is frequently heard talking loudly about other peoples products (from scrapbook stores to craft stores to QVC) and how she hears how "unhappy" people are with those products. Ya, ok. If CM offered coupons or put things on sale more then once a year, I would give them more business then I do.

Pam

I hear ya! My CM Consultant is also my best friend and she got me started in scrapbooking when my dd was born last year. She gave me a CM album and other things as a baby gift. I do buy CM products but also discovered other sources for scrapbooking supplies. Just this weekend I visited the new Archiver's store here in St. Louis and was so exicted about it and told her about the new things I found. I shared the details with her and she changed the subject immediately. She will also never compliment my pages unless it is a page where I exclusively used CM products. Don't get me wrong, I really like CM products for their high quality. But their prices are high and I like what I see from other scrapbooking sources too.

 

[TonyS20]

Originally posted by Disneylvr
Just this weekend I visited the new Archiver's store here in St. Louis and was so exicted about it and told her about the new things I found.

Where's the new store? I'd love to visit it!

 

[KaitlinsMom]

I used to use CM albums - But I recently discovered top loading! I use Colorbok - They are true 12 x 12 - I love CM stuff, but I also use other things as well - I have a great CM consultant that doesn't mind when her customers use other products -

 

[Disneylvr]

Originally posted by TonyS20
Where's the new store? I'd love to visit it!

It is at the St. Louis Mills mall in Hazelwood. They have classes there, demonstations and will make die cuts for you. I went to the mall on Sunday with DH and 16 month DD. The two of them went to the PBS Kids play area which allowed me an hour or so to browse the store. I also found out that there is a scrapbook convention at the Sheraton Wesport Thursday-Saturday. Unfortunately I cannot attend. I would of especially wanted to attend the Disney scrapbooking session.

 

[cobbler]

I am a CM cnslt and I use stamps and other stickers too on my pages. I don't use exclusivly CM products ALL the time and I don't frown upon anyone that does either. (Shh, don't tell anyone )

So maybe you all need to come to me for your CM needs I have frequent offers for my customers!

Ok seriously though, that is what is so great about scrapbooking, you add your own style and personality to it that makes it so special and priceless, no matter what you use

 

[TonyS20]

Originally posted by Disneylvr
It is at the St. Louis Mills mall in Hazelwood. They have classes there, demonstations and will make die cuts for you

THANK YOU!!
I will have to make another trip out there. I only went to the Nascar stores the last time I was there. My mom is coming to visit in a few weeks, so we'll have to head out there. I don't think my DH would like to wait while I browse!

 

[sconnell]

My CMC doesn't look down on using nonCM products. In fact, her workshop room includes Sizzix machines, those glue pens, and other products that you are welcome to use at her workshops! She even tells us about products that she finds, especially if they are products that CM doesn't make a comparable product. I love CM stuff, but I often use other products.
I recently bought the 2004 album at WDW and love the top-loading feature! I often wish that I had room to squeeze pages into my CM albums.

 

[scrapsoflife]

Well, since question #1 seems to be answered quite well, I'll toss a suggestion in for question #2:
Close To My Heart makes wonderful top-loading post-bound albums in leather, imitation leather, and linen. They come in 12x12, 9x9 and 6x6 sizes and are very well made, with page protectors that have an added gutter to make sure your pages lay flat no matter how full your album becomes.

Yes, I am somewhat biased (lol) but their albums are one of the main reason I signed with them and not anyone else (the other big reason was the paper

You can go to the corporate website http://www.closetomyheart.com and enter your information to have a consultant contact you in your area (which I highly reccommend) or you can PM me for more details.

 

[eeyoreforever]

Thanks for the replies! Someone mentioned about some albums not being true 12x12. Are the Dalee and Close to My Heart true 12x12? As I stated in my original post, my dd's use Pioneer and one of their albums was true 12x12, but the other dd's said something about digitial on the cover and it was not true 12x12. I didn't think that would make any difference when I bought it for her and we didn't discover it until we went to put about 15 pages in it and they wouldn't fit. A lot of them could have been trimmed, but some couldn't, so I bought her a different Pioneer that didn't say digital on it. Guess I'll put that one in my next garage sale.

 

[TonyS20]

Originally posted by eeyoreforever
Thanks for the replies! Someone mentioned about some albums not being true 12x12. Are the Dalee and Close to My Heart true 12x12?

I used Close to My Heart for my last Disney album and it was a true 12x12. None of my pages had to be trimmed.

 

[scrapsoflife]

Something to consider with the Pioneer albums: they take almost any refills for the post-bound style (but not the Hobby Lobby generic: the extra gutter makes them a tad too wide--as me how I know lol), so you can always sub someone else's refills. Another thing is that Pioneer went through a reformat a couple years ago and went from 12x12 that was really 11 3/4x12 to a true 12x12 but without the packaging changing much at all (so some old stock sometimes gets mixed in at stores that don't move the stock as much as they need to).

And yes, CTMH is definitely a true 12x12