If not Creative Memories, then who?

[My2Qtz0205]

It looks more and more like CM is moving away from traditional scrapbooking with their Chapter 11 reorganization. Many of their traditional products (refill pages, page protectors) will be "last chance" in July.

If you don't use CM products, what quality traditional products do you use? I don't mind buying paper and stickers elsewhere, but I've only ever used CM albums.

 

[chattadisser]

I have this same question as well. I buy paper, sticker, ect from mostly big box stores when i can find them on sale but I have only used CM albums, pages and protectors. I've looked around and it doesn't seem like there many that have the flex-hinge in the albums. Right now I am trying to figure out what I need to finish the projects that I have in progress.

I have looked at the pocket type albums and pages that seem to be popular right now but I think that trying to figure out which pictures would go in each pocket (horizontial vs. vertical ) would drive me mad! I was planning on moving towards digital in a year or so...but now I guess it might be sooner rather than later. I just really like having the physical memorabila in the albums!

Christine

 

[tefrench]

Ugh, I am Not Happy. CM albums are all I use.

If anyone finds an alternative, let me know.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I suggest WRMK (We R Memory Keeper) albums. I found them this year and just love them... I'm slowly converting all of my postbound albums to the WRMK - 3 ring albums).

 

[BLLB]

I also use CM albums and would be really bummed if they quit making the 12x12. I thought maybe they may be talking about the 8x8 and the picfolio line.

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

I second the wrmk albums. I started switching over to different albums when they changed sizes before. But now I'm on to wrmk. I need to finish up some albums first.

I love the versatilty of wrmk page protectors you can do regular 12x12, or the pocket pages.

 

[Pixieflip]

I'm am sooooo sad, too. I have kept my eyes open over the years and never found anything as nice as CM albums. I'm also curious what people will suggest here. I don't know what to do either.

 

[Belle0101]

I only just got back into scrapbooking and use, exclusively, CM pages, page protectors and albums.

Maybe I'm a jinx. It's not the first time I started shopping somewhere just to have them run into financial problems.

 

[taylor3297]

Folks that i know that scrap book go to a store called Archivers.

 

[chattadisser]

Hopefully, this will help someone out. Since I posted yesterday I started to search on the internet for possible other albums and pages that use the strap form that CM does. ~ I know there are other type albums but what can I say, I like the strap ones ~

I found that Hobby Lobby has some by the Paper Studio. They are 12 x 12 size and work with the CM albums. I went by and grabbed a pack yesterday to see if they fit the CM album before I place what might be my last CM order. The bonus is you can use the 40% coupon that they have each week for these so I ended up getting 20 pages for $9 and some change. I figure this way I can just stock up on CM albums (it was going to drive me crazy that I would have albums on my shelf that did't match the others!). I know I was in a panic trying to figure out how many page packs I was going to need since I have several books in progress.

So if you have a Hobby Lobby nearby go check them out, or they are on their website as well.

Christine

 

[My2Qtz0205]

Hopefully, this will help someone out. Since I posted yesterday I started to search on the internet for possible other albums and pages that use the strap form that CM does. ~ I know there are other type albums but what can I say, I like the strap ones ~

I found that Hobby Lobby has some by the Paper Studio. They are 12 x 12 size and work with the CM albums. I went by and grabbed a pack yesterday to see if they fit the CM album before I place what might be my last CM order. The bonus is you can use the 40% coupon that they have each week for these so I ended up getting 20 pages for $9 and some change. I figure this way I can just stock up on CM albums (it was going to drive me crazy that I would have albums on my shelf that did't match the others!). I know I was in a panic trying to figure out how many page packs I was going to need since I have several books in progress.

So if you have a Hobby Lobby nearby go check them out, or they are on their website as well.

Christine

We don't have a Hobby Lobby, but I could order online. Do they have promo codes to use with online orders?

 

[chattadisser]

We don't have a Hobby Lobby, but I could order online. Do they have promo codes to use with online orders?

I think they do. I haven't looked through the website too much. I think you can look online and there is a code that is the same as the 40% off that you get for the coupon in-store. I don't know how cost effective it would be with shipping but the page packs are way less than the CM ones so it might work out.

Christine

 

[Belle0101]

My consultant sent out an email the other day and here is some of it (what I haven't copied and pasted pertains solely to her customers):

As I have told you Creative Memories is going thru a chapter 11 bankruptcy which is a reorganization. Because of this they will be changing the products we will be carrying. I do not know what all will be changing and what will be gone for good. I listened to the leader call this morning and this is what they said and my take of this information.

First, at the end of June we will be given a list of products that they will be “while supplies last”, this is supposed to be an extensive list. These will all be at regular price. These are things made by other companies. When they are gone, they are gone and we don’t have any idea how much of each is in inventory. We are already seeing some this out of stock already.

Second, From July 8th – July 31st they will be having a Last Chance sale on refill pages, page protectors and some coversets. These will all be at regular price. These are products made in house and they will make as many as needed to fill the orders given during this time only!

Third, they are ending the Rewards Club program. The club will be done on August 21st. All $ in this club must be spent by then. They will be placing placing $ into your Club account for unused days of your entry fee into the club but I don’t know when that will be placed in.

Fourth, The Host rewards will be done the end of this Month. They tell us that the Host rewards will be better than ever when we launch our new business and new products.

I am giving you as much information as I know and will continue to inform you of any new developments.

They do say there will be albums in the future but pages, page protectors, and albums probably will not be the same. Some say they will be like the Fast to Fabulous predesigned albums, but I do not know.


OP here - please keep in mind this is what she understood from the phone call. Another consultant could have understood things differently.

For me, I think this weekend I will go through my inventory and make sure I have an equal amount of pages to page protectors and sufficient albums for those. Other than that, I'm just not sure what, if anything, I'll stock up on.

I did look online at the Hobby Lobby strap hinge albums and pages, they look nice! Thanks for posting that chattadisser.

 

[MazdaUK]

I feel your pain!! CM pulled out of the UK about 18 months ago and, while we purchased enough to finish immediate projects no-one has time money (or space!) to buy enough for EVER AFTER!

I've been using Papermania postbound albums (not loving them), but two ex-CMCs have set up their own company and have found a kit to convert post-bound albums to strap-and-hinge, so I might give that a try.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I did check out Hobby Lobby's online selection of strap-hinged albums. They only had 2 colors--navy and black. I may stock up on a few CM albums so I can have different colors.

 

[Lisa]

I am not giving up on CM yet. While they are recommending one buys pages and page protectors to complete current projects, they still have Picfolio and the Fast to Fabulous albums. Many have used the picfolios to do the 365 picture of the day project, and I can personally attest to the F2F albums. My life is far too busy to spend two hours on one page. I want to complete in album in two hours.

Come fall, Creative Memories is expected to have a new look, a more simpler look, and I am looking forward it.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I am not giving up on CM yet. While they are recommending one buys pages and page protectors to complete current projects, they still have Picfolio and the Fast to Fabulous albums. Many have used the picfolios to do the 365 picture of the day project, and I can personally attest to the F2F albums. My life is far too busy to spend two hours on one page. I want to complete in album in two hours.

Come fall, Creative Memories is expected to have a new look, a more simpler look, and I am looking forward it.

To each their own. I do not like having a certain layout I have to fit my pictures on. I enjoy the creativity in scrap booking. They are counting on their business surviving on people who just want to get their pictures in albums. Not that there's anything wrong with that! They will be losing customers like me, though. I also resent feeling like I need to hurry and stock up, spending more than I normally would in a month's time. I almost feel like it's a ruse. Time will tell.

 

[BLLB]

To each their own. I do not like having a certain layout I have to fit my pictures on. I enjoy the creativity in scrap booking. They are counting on their business surviving on people who just want to get their pictures in albums. Not that there's anything wrong with that! They will be losing customers like me, though. I also resent feeling like I need to hurry and stock up, spending more than I normally would in a month's time. I almost feel like it's a ruse. Time will tell.

My friend and I were just saying that. I will be spending what I normally spend over a 6-8 month time in one order.

It's just sad.

 

[mlktwins]

To each their own. I do not like having a certain layout I have to fit my pictures on. I enjoy the creativity in scrap booking. They are counting on their business surviving on people who just want to get their pictures in albums. Not that there's anything wrong with that! They will be losing customers like me, though. I also resent feeling like I need to hurry and stock up, spending more than I normally would in a month's time. I almost feel like it's a ruse. Time will tell.

I TOTALLY AGREE with everything you said!!!

I am in the middle of making sure I have enough pages protectors for the albums I've started :-( . Problem for me is, these are the only albums I really like!

 

[chattadisser]

I TOTALLY AGREE with everything you said!!!

I am in the middle of making sure I have enough pages protectors for the albums I've started :-( . Problem for me is, these are the only albums I really like!

I agree as well. I don't want pre-planned pages, some only have two pictures on a page. At that rate, it would take many albums, but then maybe that is the point. I did get some of the picfolio albums previously in an effort to get caught up I got the 12 X 12 one as I wanted it to match the rest of my albums. Well, I started to put 2013 in it and I HATE it. When I take pictures, I take them to fit the situation, not thinking 'I have an album that only takes horizontal pictures..must get nothing but horizontal pictures'. I was so frustrated that I took those pictures out and started putting in all the old pictures from my husbands family that I am now the keeper of. I can only guess who most of the people in them are or what year they might have been taken so the Picfolio is perfect to just slide them in. Of course, no story will be told either like it is in the rest of my albums.

I agree that there is part of me that feels like this is some sort of ruse...but then I think well if it is then I won't have to order anything for over a year. If that is the plan I think that will backfire. I have spoken to several CM consultants who are astounded by what is happenning and feel like the company may not be around much longer. Most of them seem to do traditional scrapbooking so CM may lose a lot of their workforce (in addition to customers) should they move completely away from traditional scrapbooking.

Christine