Farewell Archivers - I Will Miss You

I first discovered Archivers back in 2009, shortly after I started scrapbooking.  The Hubster and I were trying to find a local store that carried a newfangled thing called a Silhouette - it was going to be my birthday present if I liked it - and after checking online, we found out that Archivers carried them.  I remember walking into the store for the first time and thinking I could spend hours, literally hours, just looking at and touching everything.  Sadly, the Hubster wasn't on board with that idea at all!  We found the Silhouette, made our purchase, and left.  But I vowed to go back, and go back I did - frequently - over the next four-and-a-half years.  

I knew nothing - less than nothing - about scrapbooking when I started (despite purchasing a Silhouette), but the sales ladies at Archivers were always there and always willing to answer even my dumbest questions, without once laughing or even batting an eye.  They demonstrated everything from the most basic, "What are brads used for?  How do you put them through paper?" to the more complex questions about stamping and embossing.  They oohed and aahed over my layouts when I went to crops - just like any encouraging mentor would.  They always listened with a smile on their faces as I gushed over the newest collection coming out.  I loved that store; I loved those employees.  So when I heard they were going to close their doors forever, I wanted to cry.  And I knew I had to go to one last crop there.  I spent the weekend with two fabulous ladies who love scrapbooking as much as I do:  Heather Leopard and Majken Pullin.  Before we left, I snapped this picture.  Yep, that's my big ole head taking up most of the pic (due to the short stubby arms I was genetically gifted with which were not able to hold my cell camera further away), but you can see we were having the best time, bittersweet as it was.  I love that picture and I love the memories it brings back - not just of that particular weekend, but of it all.

To create this layout, I started with a fabulous sketch that caught my eye over at MY SCRAPS AND MORE SKETCHES.  I used leftover scraps of LILY BEE papers and other random bits and pieces that were orphaned on my desk after I cleaned up from my last couple of projects.  I changed things around a little.  I only used one photo instead of 3 as shown in the sketch.  And, I used the bottom left space as a journaling spot instead of placing patterned paper there.  To make my layout look a little more like the sketch, I added a "faux photo" spot next to my one and only picture.  

I loved this "Happy" hexagon shape that I found, but it was the only hexagon shape sitting out on my desk.  No problem!  I simply used my shape as a template to trace and cut out a few more from my patterned papers.  I layered my handmade hexagons with flair and wood shapes and called them done!

I think it was quite fitting to pay tribute to my favorite scrapbooking store in a layout, don't you?  I know, I don't actually say anything about the store in my layout.  But I will always be able to look at this and remember how being there made me feel.  And that is really what is important.