Small Business Saturday

Today, November 26, is a day to support small businesses.  But really, shouldn't we support small businesses all the time, not just on one special day of the year?  Small businesses are great because they foster creativity, provide employment opportunities, and create a sense of community.  In honor of the day, I'm highlighting three of my favorite, local small businesses in this blog post.

First up is Scrapbooks Too, an independently-owned papercrafting supply shop in the Minneapolis area.  Now, Minneapolis is home to several Archivers stores (as well as Archivers corporate headquarters), but Scrapbooks Too still manages to thrive in this market.  I think there are two reasons for this.  First, Scrapbooks Too provides that personal touch--you feel welcome there from the moment you walk in the door.  Second, Scrapbooks Too has an amazing assortment of products, both new and old.  Check out the layout below, which I made mostly with products purchased at Scrapbooks Too.  On the layout you'll see some items from "Sidewalks," one of the newest OA collections, but you will also see lots of items from "Weathervane," and other older OA lines.  I love shopping at Scrapbooks Too, looking for treasures both new and old.

Supplies: cardstock (Wausau Paper); patterned papers, chipboard, die cuts, stickers, buttons, and journaling card (October Afternoon); border punch (EK Success); pens (Zig); thread (DMC).

More about small businesses after the detail shots...

The next business I'd like to highlight is Dee's Place, one of my favorite sources for beading supplies.  Besides having all the basics, Dee also carries unusual items.  In other words, Dee's Place is another great spot for crafty treasure-hunting.  The owl below is a Christmas ornament I created from a pattern (Sew Simple magazine volume 11), but I "made it my own" by adding the felt flowers under the eyes and the vintage Czech sequins for the spots on the body.  Both the flowers and the sequins are treasures I purchased from Dee; without Dee, my owl would not have quite so much personality!

The final business I'd like to highlight, Glass Garden, is also a beading supply merchant.    The Glass Garden recycled bottle cap charm on my "Urban Beauty" layout below adds a vintage vibe to the page.  I love that so many of the products at Glass Garden are made with recycled materials.

Supplies: Grain Belt charm (Glass Garden Beads), cardstock (American Crafts), cityscape patterned paper (Basic Grey), all other patterned papers (Authentique), border stickers (Bo Bunny), black bottle caps (Bottle Cap Inc.), alphabet stickers (Authentique), rub-ons (October Afternoon--used on bottle cap), pens (Zig), thread (DMC).

I hope that I've encouraged you to check out and support some local businesses.  Even if you don't have any scrapbooking shops in your area, I'll bet you can still find a way to use items from local small businesses in your scrapbooking and other crafts...after all, we crafters are nothing if not creative.  Happy shopping!