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Natural Beginnings and the first Secret Box of 2026! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Happy Snowmageddon, scrapbook friends! Except here in Alabama, where weirdly the snow completely passed us by. We did get some freezing rain that impacted the roads for a bit Saturday morning, but since then it’s just been cold and soggy!
THANK YOU to my Winterfest Session One guests who put up with a week of uncertainty and then an abbreviated event. I still had a great time and I truly appreciate you for understanding the agonies of this crazy winter weather.
To those of you in places that DID get ice/snow, I hope you are snug in a warm place with lots of snowstorm snacks, all your utilities intact, and plenty of time for scrapbooking! (Frankly I was kinda hoping for that myself!)
Coming Monday we have the second of our Album in a Box bundles (I hope you were able to watch my YouTube Live where I put together the On the Bright Side album kit in almost exactly an hour!) with Natural Beginnings. The coordinating full collection is LOVELY and it’s also time to order Secret Box #1!!
My family and I are going on a long-planned trip to JAPAN in mid-February, so I am going to go ahead and open up registration for both the February and March events now too. I’ve set it up so that you will get a confirmation email reminding you of which events you signed up for, please let me know if you like having that happen automatically or if you wish I’d go back to the old way!
Ready? here we go!
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All events are held at my studio in Madison, Alabama, and drop in shoppers are always welcome during any scheduled event.
To help me ensure that I know who to expect, I do all registrations/crop fee payments via Google Forms, so once you’ve looked at the options please click the link at the bottom of this section to sign up!
Wednesday Day Crops: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Wednesday January 28, February 4, 11, March 11, 18, 25. No frills, just time to work on your current projects. Bring your lunch or we’ll go in together on a DoorDash order.
Scrap Journal Club: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Scrap Journal is the new name for Happy Album!
Tuesday, February 3 and Tuesday, March 10
Project Recipe Class: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, February 10 and Tuesday, March 24
Come create two double page layouts using some of CM’s newest collections. I’ll provide the “ingredients” and the directions and we’ll build the layouts together.
Please sign up on the Google doc linked here:
February/March Cropping Events (Wednesday, January 28th is on there too!)
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CM is launching several Album Kits in 2026, each designed to help you turn a stack of photos into a finished 12x12 album! Each offers a simple, step-by-step system to help get your memories into an album you’ll be proud to share. They are about finally telling your story — beautifully, easily and completely. Why you’ll love this kit: Designed for any level. Built to eliminate overwhelm and create with confidence. A complete story, not just supplies. Finish a full album, not another unfinished project. Fast, satisfying, meaningful. Because memory keeping should feel good.
Built for beginners. Loved by seasoned crafters.
Start it. Finish it. Feel good about it.
Last week Saturday I tried my first ever Facebook Live which turned into a YouTube Live because I am technologically challenged! Several of you joined me for that (AND stayed through the first half hour which was when I was reminded how technologically challenged I am!) but now the video has been edited to remove the chaos at the beginning and you can just watch the process from box opening to finished album.
On the Bright Side Album Process Video
On Monday, we are getting the second option of these quick albums with Natural Beginnings. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was to put the album together and while the Bright version is definitely my style, this one might match your photos better!
Choose from three identical options except for the choice of album, which comes preloaded with top-loading pages. Also included are 48 preprinted pages (32 base pages and 18 cut-aparts), six sticker sheets, 80 sorted/numbered embellishments and a Repositionable Tape Runner to put it all together! (This is equivalent to sixteen Simple Page Kits!)
With this box kit you can choose from the Natural Beginnings Ebony, Natural Beginnings Caramel or Pearl Album Covers. If you love the style of this, have no fear because the coordinating collection is available Monday as well!
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Natural Beginnings Collection
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Natural Beginnings is a beautiful, peaceful collection which will let your photos be the star of your layouts. It’s got soft textures and muted patterns in a calming color palette.
The album covers (except for Pearl) are the same ones available in the Box kits, if you wanted to see what those look like. Pearl will not be available separately. The collection includes Designer Paper, Tone-on-Tone paper, mat pack, clear stickers, monthly title stickers and embellishments. There’s also a great new Border Maker Cartridge which will work with almost any themed layout, Sunrise Scallop. |
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If you want it all, your best bet is the Buy-it-All Bundle which includes all the paper products along with coordinating cardstock and the BMC, plus a FREE Project Playbook! You’ll get 10% off the cost of buying the items separately plus be entered to win a year’s supply of Tape Runner Refills (if you order within the first 48 hours!) |
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Secret Boxes are back for 2026! If you’re willing to take a chance on mystery products and you like exclusive items, the Secret Boxes may be for you!
Usually the marketing image (above) shared with us by Creative Memories gives a clue of the contents of the box - but I’m stumped on this one. They did tell us it’s a “highly requested theme,” which is a good sign, and that it will include a brand new Border & Frame Punch (which will not be available separately, just in the box!) Plus you save 10% off the retail price if the items had been available individually.
Just like last year, if you want the opportunity to purchase Secret Box #5, you’ll need to buy the first four - THE SAME WAY. So if you have me buy Box 1 for you, you need to have me buy them all. If you order it directly from my website, you’ll need to order all the rest of them yourself.
Want to make sure that you don’t miss any?? Join my Secret Box Club! I will automatically order each of the boxes for you (you can quit the club at any time!) OR if you would prefer to order on your own but want to make sure you don’t miss it, I will text you the day before to remind you when a new Secret Box is available.
Secret Box #1 is $65.50. Click here to join the club: Secret Box Club 2026 |
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If you are not already in the Simple Page Kit Club (which gives you 12 SPKs for the price of ten, plus no sales tax) the February kit will be available starting Monday. If you want to get in on the Club, I can still fit you in: 2026 Simple Page Kit Club, but only until the end of January. After that you’ll have to purchase the kits month by month. |
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The 12” Trimmer we have known and loved for many years is JUST ABOUT perfect — and now CM has fixed the things that kept it from being exactly what I needed! I’m not sure when we will see the updated model, but it will have a wider base (so you don’t have to fold out the arm to measure 6”!) a shorter fold-out arm (so it won’t be as wobbly) and MORE storage space underneath!
They’ve told us they expect the new trimmers in March, and I gotta tell you that it’ll be just my luck that they’re released while I am in Japan! But if you would like me to order one for you, let me know and I will put you on my list!
PLEASE do not feel like you “have to” get this new trimmer if you are happy with the existing one! The ONLY difference is the width. Otherwise it’ll work the same and I don’t want anyone to feel like their existing trimmer is obsolete! In my opinion it’s still the best scrapbooking trimmer out there — except when I have to measure more than 5.5”. :) (And even then it’s probably still better than the others!) |
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For more details on the new products launching Monday, you can check out the CM landing page here: January 26th Preview Page
As always, if you are local and would like me to order for you, please fill out my Local Pickup Preorder Form. Please note that this is only for PRE orders and needs to be filled out by 11 am Monday to guarantee it gets on this week’s order (and will be available at my Winterfest crop this Friday/Saturday for pickup). If you need something after Monday you can just email me. :)
If you are not local to take advantage of free shipping with local pickup, I would love to gift you a $10 CM Credit to help offset your shipping charges (because I know none of us likes to pay shipping!) Please EMAIL ME (or reply to this email) and say: “I am planning to order” and I will transfer the credit to your account. This is a special thank you to those who shop with me - I know you have many options about where to spend your crafting money, and I truly appreciate that you choose to support my small business.
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That’s it for this week. I think the final Album in a Box kit, Global Getaways, is coming February 2nd, and who knows what else CM has up their sleeve for us! But I’ll be back in your inbox two weeks from today with all the details, and of course you can always keep up with me on Facebook in my Nicole’s Scrapbook Friends group!
Happy Scrapbooking!
Nicole Soh
Creative Memories Independent Advisor www.NicolesScrapbooks.com
www.CreativeMemories.com/user/nicolesoh
#MemoriesMatter
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