Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

It's been a full week since the Scrap for Survival 2010 and I am finally recovered. I am so recovered, in fact, that I am almost ready to do it again!!!! (Almost! :)

This year's event was so spectacular, we cannot thank you enough. We had so much fun. You were wonderful participants; you went with the flow (even when things got off schedule..and stayed off schedule) and you made all of our hard work more than worth it! Thanks to all of you for your generous donations, your tireless efforts at raising donations from friends, coworkers, and family members, your purchases at the crop, your generosity in the silent auction AND the impromptu live auction and more, we raised (drumroll, please!)...................

OVER $9,650 FOR YSC DULUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are just so pleased and overwhelmed by your support. Thank you to all of you, to our great volunteers, and to our wonderful donors for making this year so fantastic. Keep your eyes and ears open for the next Scrap for Survival! We hope we see you again soon!

Sincerely,

The YSC Duluth and the Scrap for Survival Team

Scrap for Survival...the Photos!

We had a wonderful day yesterday at yesterday's Scrap for Survival and we hope you did too! I'm posting a link to a gallery where you can see photos from the day. We'll have more to say in a future post!

Scrap for Survival Gallery

The Time Has Come

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the Scrap for Survival! Don't forget your trimmer and adhesive!

Sneak Peak #2!

I am so in love with this project that I had to share it with you. All I have to say is: "Ladies, don't be afraid to get messy!" We are going to mix things up with this one: vintage finds, scrapbook supplies, computer generated elements, paint, mod podge, and more! I hope you are ready for some FUN! I love the vintage photo we will be using for this project. It is a picture of Julie's Grandpa. Isn't he adorable?



I just love incorporating vintage goodies into my crafting, and I have been dying to use these milk caps I scored at an estate sale earlier this year. I love the cool graphic and color they add to the finished project. I hope you will too!



Scrap for Survival is less than one week away! Woohoo!!!!!! The excitement is building!

Just a little sneak peak!

I don't normally do this, but I am going to put out a sneak peak of one of the classes we have planned for the crop. I will be teaching this one and it uses some of my favorite things: Cosmo Cricket patterned paper, punches, office supplies, Unity rubber stamps, and tags! I LOVE tags! Especially these HUGE ones! I hope this little taste will get everyone even more excited to come! Stay tuned for a sneak peak for one of the other classes coming soon!

"Getting So Much Better All the Time!"

Right now I have the Beatles tune about things getting better all the time looping through my head and I'm loving it! We are so blessed to have wonderful participants in our crop who return year after year and we LOVE YOU ALL!!! Many people who have never been but are thinking of signing up balk at the mandatory minimum of $100 in donations we ask from every participant. But once you've been to the event, nobody ever seems to think twice! We are so grateful!

I want to let everyone know that 100% of the donations that you bring in for YSC Duluth stays in our area to help young women with breast cancer by funding our support, outreach, and educational programs. In fact we work hard to get donations ourselves so as much money as possible from your registration fee can be put into our programs as well. We are constantly touched and overwhelmed by the generosity of our sponsors and donors, but especially by all of you. Each person you ask for a few dollars is one more person who will know that young women can AND DO get breast cancer. Each person who donates to our auction or writes you a check is one more person who will share with the women in their lives the importance of being aware and proactive in their own breast health.

So I want to express a special thank you to all of you for helping our cause, not just with money, but with your words, with your efforts, and with your support.

In my last post I highlighted Kathy Stewart, Creative Memories Consultant Extraordinaire. This time I want to bring your attention to another one of our three time participants, Heidi Blix, who is a Close To My Heart Consultant. (Heidi's been keeping that info under her hat so she can enjoy the Scrap for Survival for herself! Way to make yourself a priority, Heidi!!!! We love that!) Anyway, Heidi is very generously donating all of the proceeds from her sales during the month of March to YSC Duluth. Isn't that incredible? We are blown away by her generosity! If you are new to Close to My Heart, you have to check out what they have to offer. They have beautiful paper and embellishments and clear stamps to die for! Their products are wonderful whether you're a card maker or a scrap booker. There's truly something for everyone! Check out Heidi's website at www.urcrafty.com and take a look at all of the great March specials too! If you prefer not to order online, Heidi is willing to take phone orders and will still make the donation to YSC Duluth. Heidi's contact information is on the website.

Thank you so much, Heidi! It truly is just getting better all the time!

Happy Scrapping, everyone!

-Alane

P.S.: We still have seats avalable, so if you know any friends who are on the fence, tell them to quit stalling and come to the best crop around! They won't be sorry!!!
And don't forget to participate in the page challenges, dessert maker challenge, and art bra contest! We can't wait to see what you cook up!

Update on March Creative Memories Specials! Proceeds Support YSC Duluth!

Hi everyone!

Creative Memories Consultant, friend, YSC supporter, and scrapper extraordinaire Kathy Stewart has some updates on the Creative Memories specials that will be available for the Crop during March.

1. Try the new rotary trimmer or new Jumbo cutting patterns and receive a free gift.

2. Buy any two Palette Additions and get the third for 50% off. You pay $22.50 and save $4.50.

3. "More to Love" Bundle: Buy the new Love Struck maker and receive three 12x12 sheets of cardstock (red, pink and white), a $2.40 value.

4. "Butterflies are Beautiful" Bundle: Buy any component of the of the new Simply Beautiful palette and add the Butterfly Pocket punch for only $10.00, a $2.00 value.


Kathy will be placing an order on Wed. March 10th if anyone would like to pre-order any supplies before Scrap for Survival on the 20th. You can view the entire CM catalog at www.creativememories.com. Call Kathy at 218-724-3231 or email her at kmstewcm@msn.com if you wish to place an order. Remember, Kathy is generously donating 20% of the proceeds to YSC Duluth!

Thanks, Kathy!

You've Got to be Kidding Me

No, friends. We're not kidding. The weather outside is frightful, which means the event has been postponed.

The good thing is: Only the date for the Scrap for Survival has changed. Everything else stays the same. You'll have the same great classes, the same food (OK, not the SAME food. The food will be made FRESH by our fine sponsors, not frozen in foil for two months!), and the same great contests and prizes!

Now it's time to round up a few more friends and get ready to scrap in March.

And tell old man winter to go somewhere else. Like Arizona. (Oh, wait...didn't he just hit that area? ;D )

So the new date is Saturday, March 20th. If you've registered for the crop already, consider yourself registered for the March 20th date. Watch for an e-mail from Alane which will explain what to do if you're registered for January and can't make the new date.

Registration is still open and spots are still available for the March 20th Scrap for Survival.

Come and get your crop on!

Challenge Info For You Last Minute Ladies...

Hi there! Just take a look at this guy...he's a cutie, but even better is what he brings with him when he visits the YSC Duluth office...donations!!!! Notice the name on the box. We all screamed with delight when we saw it. (And, yes, he thinks we're totally crazy...for the screaming and for the picture taking!) But we couldn't be more excited for you to see what's in store for you next Saturday. That's right the Scrap for Survival is only ONE WEEK AWAY!!!!

For you last minute ladies (you know who you are) who have waited to register, we wanted to make sure that you have the opportunity to take part in our special crop challenges! This information comes in your crop packet, but we want you to have as much time as possible to participate and possibly win a prize! That's right! There are prizes for the winner of each one of these challenges! So with no further ado, here are the details:

Dessert Maker:
This is very much like our “Queen of Sweets” from the last two years. Basically, bring in a homemade treat which we will serve at dessert time (when the blood sugar is running low). Then, each participant will vote on their favorite dessert and the most popular dessert maker will receive a prize!

Decorated/Altered Bra Contest:
Now’s your chance to have a lot of fun with altered art! This is something that members of the YSC Duluth did for an event in October, and we had so much fun that we couldn’t resist including it in this year’s event. Get out your bling, glitter, rhinestones, ribbon and whatever else you can scrounge together and alter a FABULOUS bra! Check out our creations in the slide show at the top of the blog.
Rules:
1: Please purchase a new bra as your foundation. Any cheap bra will do. You can use any size or any color...it's up to you!
2: Decorate your bra with anything you want! If you are looking for ideas or you are needing an example...there are examples on our blog at http://duluthcrop4acure.blogspot.com
3: You may adhere, sew or iron on...or whatever you fancy! Just make sure your supplies can stay on the bra while your bra is hanging up for judging.
4: Your bra can be made anytime from now up until the event. A deadline will be announced at the Event.
5: Much like with the desserts, altered bras will be judged by the participants at the event. You will be judged specifically on who's Altered Bra receives the most votes!
6: This is the most important rule!!! Have Fun with it!!!!!!!!

Survivor Page Layout Challenges:
You can participate in 1 or ALL layout challenges. Our main goal besides raising a ton of money for such a wonderful cause is for you to have the time of your life! I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful pages you will be creating this year. Below is a list of the Challenges along with the guidelines.

Breast Cancer Story

Have you or someone you’ve known or loved been affected by Breast Cancer? If so, we would love to see your story! Create a 1 page layout explaining your personal experience. This can and may include any Breast Cancer walks, or events or even just a personal story of how you or someone you know, has been affected by the disease. Be creative and don’t be shy with the PINK!
Rules:
1. Must be a 12x12, 1 page layout only
2. Layout must include at least 1 pink Breast Cancer (ribbon) Symbol
3. Must include journaling

Bodacious Bling:

Okay ladies….Who doesn’t love bling? This one is sure to be a big hit! It’s all about the bling baby! Create a 1 page layout using as much bling as you like, as long as it meets the minimum requirements. Be creative with your rhinestones and by all means, don’t be shy!
Rules:
1. Must be a 12x12, 1 page layout only
2. Must have title with bling on it
3. Must have at least 1 5x7 photo
4. Must include one bling shaped object. (Example: heart, square, circle, etc.) Individual bling must create a shape.
5. Must use at least 2 different colors of bling.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Okay ladies! We all know how fun a day or night out with the girls is! Whether it is a night out to dinner, or a fun day shopping, or just a great movie night at the house with your BFF! We want to see what you can come up with. Create a 1 page layout of your fun day or night out with the girls. Here’s the Challenge…we want to see 3 different patterns of paper!
Rules:
1. Must be a 12x12, 1 page layout only
2. Must use 3 different patterns of paper
3. Must have at least 1 photo in it, with at least 2 girls in the picture.
4. Must use “Girls just wanna have fun” in the Title.
5. Must include journaling

Calling all Sports Themed Pages:

Who doesn’t have a car load of photos of sports related events to scrap? Be creative! Soccer, hockey, football, tennis, anyone? If it’s a sport, it counts! Create a 1 page sports themed layout. Here’s the real challenge: we want you to use four photos on one page!
Rules:
1. Must be a 12x12, 1 page layout only
2. Must incorporate ribbon into the layout
3. Must include four photos (Yes, they can be cropped!)
4. Must include journaling
5. Must include at least three brads

Please note: Your pages can be done prior to the event or you can work on them at the event, as long as they are turned in for judging at a specified time (announced on the morning of Scrap for Survival). All individual pages need to be submitted in a clear page protector for judging. Your first and last name needs to be on the back of your page. Any layouts submitted for the contests MUST include ALL the listed guidelines. Any submissions that do not follow the guidelines exactly will be disqualified from that specific layout challenge.

Don't forget the prizes for the top three fundraisers! We hope you're working to bring in those donations! We all agree that the prizes are pretty fantastic! First prize is worth at least $200, 2nd prize is worth at least $150, and third prize is worth at least $100. And who knows? If more donations keep coming in, we might just beef them up some more!!!

Happy Scrapping!

The Scrap for Survival Team

Creative Memories Event Specials!!! Get 'Em While They're Hot!!!

The Scrap for Survival team wants to send a HUGE thank you to our good friend, Kathy Stewart, who has been a supporter and volunteer for YSC Duluth since its inception. Even though Kathy has not personally had breast cancer, she has been a generous and devoted friend, volunteer, and sponsor of our Scrap for Survival. Kathy is a Creative Memories Consultant and in addition to helping decorate, teaching classes, and generally giving us a helping hand whenever we need it, every year Kathy has supported YSC Duluth through her Creative Memories sales. She always has some wonderful event specials for us and this year is no different!

So without any further ado I'll announce Kathy's Fabulous Creative Memories Scrap for Survival Spacials: 2010 Edition!

1. Try the new rotary trimmer or new Jumbo cutting patterns and receive a free gift.

2. Buy a rotary trimmer and get an additional blade for only $5.50 (you save $2.00).

3. Buy any two Palette Additions and get the third only 50% off. You pay $22.50 and save $4.50.

4. “More to Love” bundle: Buy the new Love Struck maker and the Valentine Classic Stickers for $23.50 and receive three free 12x12 sheets of cardstock (red, pink and white), a $2.40 value.

5. “Be My Valentine” project bundle: Create 32 handmade cards (4x4 and 3x3) with this bundle. You receive 10 sheets of 12x12 cranberry cardstock, the Sweet Heart Maker, the Black & White Storybox, Black & White Paper Ribbon and 32 envelopes for $42 (you save 15%).

Kathy will be at the event as a participant, but she will also have loads of Creative Memories goodies on hand for you to purchase. We are eternally grateful that again this year Kathy is generously donating 20% of her profits from this event to YSC. Without support from friends like Kathy, our other generous sponsors, and you, our wonderful participants, the Scrap for Survival would never be the successful event it has turned out to be.

It's only nine days away!!!! We are getting REALLY excited! We hope you are, too!

Check out the blog of our favorite teacher!

Hi everyone!

January is already moving past at a rapid pace and we are working as hard as Christmas elves to bring you the best day of scrapbooking ever! (The office really is starting to look like Santa's workshop with all of the goodies piling up :) I wanted to share something exciting with you. We are so lucky to have Heather Nichols from Papertrey Ink as one of our class teachers again this year. She had such a fun, creative, and delightful class last year, we can't believe how lucky we are that she has agreed to come back!!! She is just a joy to be around, and we couldn't be happier. Well, you need to slide on over to her blog and read today's post...it's all about us! (We're blushing!) If you can, please take the time and comment on her post to tell her thank you for supporting us. I know she'd love it. I also seriously encourage you to check out the website for Papertrey Ink. This is the stamp company that Heather designs for, and their stuff is "da bomb"! I love their unique, sweet style and interchangeable stamps. Their designs are cute, smart, and savvy. Make sure and pay special attention to the adorable valentine's paper designed by Heather! Their products are only available on the website, not in stores. Check them out. You will not be sorry!

On another note, we still have seats available at this year's event. What are you waiting for? Register now by visiting our website where you can download a registration form to mail in or register securely online. Believe me, you don't want to miss out!

-Alane

A different kind of sneak peak!

Hi there! Thank you to those of you who have registered for the Scrap for Survival! Your welcome packets will be going in the mail this week so watch out for them! They're filled with information about the event, some fundraising tips, and other good stuff. Included in the event info is the details on some fun challenges we have planned this year. We are having a set of four page challenges! These are pages that can be completed ahead of time, so don't worry! We will be giving out small prizes to the winner of each challenge. Send in your registration now so you don't miss out on all the info!
We are also having an altered bra contest. (How's that for part of our new theme?) This is a go wild and have fun challenge that everyone will be voting on. The point is to have fun and free your creativity. I'll post some pics of altered bras the YSC Duluth made in October to give you a little creative push in an upcoming post. Again, register now so you can get all the details on these fun challenges and the rest of the event!
Everyone who has come to the event in the past has really enjoyed the three classes. We try to keep them fresh and different and full of new techniques or ideas you may not have tried yet. I have been hard at work in my craft room playing, spritzing, cutting and gluing to come up with something really special. Heather Nichols from Papertrey (who taught one of last years classes) is back again this year and her project is so awesome, I know you will love it. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at some of the papers I've been playing with...just to whet your appetite!


Remember January 23rd is fast approaching! Get your registrations in early to guarantee your spot!
Until then Happy Scrapping!
-Alane

Hopefully Kim won't mind...

Kim is doing such a fantastic job as our blogger, I don't want to step on her toes, but I am getting SO excited for our crop this year! Lots of things have been happening, and I wanted to make sure to keep you up to date.

First I have to mention that Kim's photos are a-maze-ing! They make me want to drool! It's almost better than looking at the stuff in person!

I was in the office yesterday and some new packages full of goodies arrived. Dang, I love the UPS man, especially when it doesn't come with a bill :)
Hopefully Kim can get some sneak peaks up soon, but I wanted to let you know that we received packages from Tattered Angels, Stampin' Up!, The Impatient Beader, and (one of mey personal favorites) Unity Stamp Co. Seriously, you will jump for joy when you see what they have in store for you!!! Also, Marni Steltz, owner of Pine City Scrapbooking Co. unfortunately cannnot return as a teacher this year but she is sending a donation. If I know Marni, it's going to be fantastic!

We have also received some fabulous donations from local merchants including Security Jewelers, Justin Paul Salons, and many more. One of the most exciting is a donation from the owner of Takk For Matten Cafe which is right on Superior St. next to Catherine's Imports. If you have not been there, I am telling you: run, don't walk! The food is phenomenal and extremely reasonably priced. A lot of the recipes are scandinavian traditional ones. Breakfast is served all day and includes such yummy fare as crepes, lingonberry waffles, strata, and more. The lunch menu is equally delish. I was in the other day and had a fabulous turkey and pear sandwich on cranberry wild rice bread with a side of leek and potato soup. YUM! All of their items are eat-in or carry out. And don't even get me started on their bakery case. I had to look away to avoid drooling on the glass. You will be so excited when you see the silent auction item they have donated!

I just wanted to give you a taste (you can tell where my mind's at) of what's in the works!

We have three people already registered and I expect a rush once Christmas is over. Register now to secure your seat! Visit www.youngsurvival.org/duluth to access the printable registration form or register online through our special auctionpay page!

I will write more later about our new theme (which we're keeping under wraps), prize categories and challenges! We are ready to have LOADS of fun!

Happy Scrapping and Happy Holidays!

-Alane and the Scrap for Survival Elves

Sneak Peeks!

A Word (or two) About Registration

Yesterday, I posted the link to the Scrap for Survival registration FORM.

Today, I'd like to point you to one other place. It's a place where you can register ONLINE!

All you have to do is click HERE, fill out the form, and put in your credit card number. It's that simple!

Please note, if you'd like to pay your $50.00 registration fee, the number you enter is "1", for 1 ticket to the event. If you enter 50, as in 50-dollars, you will be paying 50-times-50, which comes out to 25-HUNDRED dollars. While that would be very nice, you would also be buying up all the seats at the crop, and you'd be all by yourself, forced to eat an Olive Garden pasta meal (with salad & breadsticks) for 50 people. I just don't think that would be enjoyable. Do you? (not that a pasta meal isn't enjoyable...but for 50? how do you scrap after that?)

Through this site, you may also choose to pay your donation minimum of $100. Some people prefer that. Of course, we'd still love for you to ask your friends & family for donations to the Young Survival Coalition. Keep in mind, we'll be giving prizes to the THREE people who bring in the most cash donations.

News, News & More News

The weeks are cruising by at warp speed! Doesn't it feel like as it gets closer to the end of the year the days go faster? Maybe that has something to do with the time change, and the days getting shorter...or maybe I'm just getting older.

Ah, well, enough rambling.

First, we hope you've received your registration form in the mail. If you've misplaced it, check out this website: http://www.youngsurvival.org/duluth.

You can download another copy, or print one out for a friend. Yes! share it with friends! The more the merrier (up until 50, that is. we draw the line at 50!)

We all know the crop is about raising money for the Young Survival Coalition...but another great part about the crop: NO COOKING! Yes, my friends, we have you covered. Famous Dave's and the Olive Garden have again generously donated food for our crop! For you coffee-addicted sorts (you know who you are), Caribou coffee WILL be served!

We're receiving some great donations in the new office. I'll be down there tomorrow and will try and get a few sneak peek photos. We'll see if Alane will go for that or not. ;D

We're Still Here!

Just wanted to let you know we're still here, and still working to put on the First and Best Crop of 2010! We are receiving donations (check out the Donor List on the left!) and things are on track.

Registration is delayed for a very exciting reason! We are working hard to "package" our event, so other YSC affiliates can run the same type of program in their cities! Doing that requires a little extra behind the scenes work (involving logo design, standardizing forms, etc.)

So, here's where things stand right now. We have submitted a registration form to the Young Survival Coalition. As soon as it is approved, they will post the form right on the YSC website. You (attendees) will be able to print off the registration form, and send it directly to us! We're also hoping to have you pay your registration fee by credit card through that website...but no guarantees on that one! You may need to send us a check.

So, Hang In There! Please Stay tuned!

and

SAVE THE DATE!

When is it?

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23rd!

Are you coming? Why don't you leave us a post in the comments section? We'd love to hear from you!

The New Office

This is the office "The Crop" built.

Well, "The Crop", and the Mother's Day Walk, and a lot of really hard work!
Julie and Alane have plenty of space to work in this place, and let me tell you, it's in a great location! Right on East Superior Street in Duluth, across the street from Pizza Luce. What could be better than that? There's plenty of storage room for any incoming crop donations, *wink*wink*...but you'll have to wait a while before we give any sneak peeks!

Now for the story of Pineapple, the little pink bear in our previous post.

Alane says Pineapple came from one of their group members who is from the south. She says pineapples traditionally mean "welcome", so Pineapple was the name given to the bear. Whenever the YSC holds a group meeting, Pineapple is passed around, and whoever has the bear has the floor.

We'll have more information on the Crop in the coming days! Stay tuned!

Take a Look At This

Many of you have already seen and heard this news, but for those of you have not, our friend and fellow crop organizer Julie Bates (pictured left in our header photo) was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago. This is her second battle with "b-c" so, unfortunately, Julie knows the drill.

Last month, when Julie's first round of chemo started causing her hair to fall out, she made a few phone calls and we headed to her house for a head shaving party. Julie allowed me to take pictures, and she put together this slideshow. Take a look, and please, leave some encouraging words for Julie in her "album comments" section at the bottom of the slideshow! I know she'd appreciate them!

Julie's chemo treatments should be wrapped up by Christmas time, in the meantime, she is working with the rest of us on putting together one heckuva crop!

Coming up in a future post...I'll tell you more about this photo with Julie & Alane, and the little pink bear named Pineapple! Stay tuned!

Alane's Surprise

So, many of you know Alane rode in this years' Young Survival Coalition Tour De Pink, a 226 mile bike ride from Hershey, PA, to Manhattan. But how many of you saw her on the National News this morning?

Click here to see Alane's Surprise!