First Exclusive Scrapbook Store
in Greensburg
By Karen Fetter
One of the best ways to preserve your family heritage is to
scrapbook your photo memories. The best place to begin
is to visit the First Exclusive
Scrapbook Store in Greensburg
- The Crop Shop. The Crop Shop is located next to
Sams Club in the Hempfield Plaza.
This amazing new store offers everything from paper,
stickers, and books to classes and crop nights. The
store is spacious, stroller friendly, and organized by theme
instead of supplies. Not to mention that there are
tools available to use and dozens of scrapbooking ideas
readily available.
I want to know my customers and I want them to feel like
they are at home, said Cathy Greeley, The Crop Shops
owner. And what is great about scrapbooking is that
you can make it as simple or as complex as you would like.
I am here to help in any way that I can.
Many scrapbooking stores immediately intimidate beginners
with a confusing selection of supplies. However,
entering into the Crop Shop is a different experience.
The organization allows customers to visually see main
ideas. So instead of becoming overwhelmed, they become
excited about how they can create a certain page. The
supplies are unique and are not found in just any craft
store. So if there is something you are specifically
looking for, then the Crop Shop is your stop. And if
they dont have it, they will get it.
The Crop Shop is not just about scrapbooking. Its
about going into a friendly environment and getting the best
help you can get to make your latest project a success.
Cathy greets each person that walks in the door. Her
staff has the knowledge to help guide each customer with any
problem they might have.
Everyone has a different style, said Cathy. You can
work from other peoples ideas, from magazines, or you can
create a book that is unique to you. That is what is
so wonderful about scrapbooking. You cant make a
mistake.
One way that Cathy has set herself apart from other stores
is her customer service. She plans several events each
month that benefit the customer. One event that is
particularly popular is Friday Night Crop Night. This
event is usually two times a month and is from 6 p.m. to
midnight. There are refreshments, snacks, and prize
giveaways. Customers are welcomed to use any equipment
at the shop and instructors are there to provide any help.
There are also themed events and classes throughout the
month. For a list of these events and classes visit
the website at
www.thecrop-shop.com or stop in the shop to pick up a
calendar.
In addition to their numerous events and classes, The Crop
Shop also offers a preferred customer program, gift
registries, private cropping parties, gift certificates, and
contests.
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The most recent event at The Crop Shop was their annual
Crop-toberfest, held October 12-14. This three-day
event allowed customers to scrapbook until they couldnt
scrapbook any more. And of course The Corp Shop
provided plenty of food and fun to last the entire time.
Pre-registration is required for all events and classes.
You can register at the store or by phone at 724-832-3004.
Scrapbooking begins with organizing your photos. Once
your photos are organized you will have a better idea of
where you want to start. The best place to start is
with the present. If you go back too far at first, you
may find the project overwhelming. Once you work on
the present and gain confidence, then you can pick certain
events or time frames to go back to and scrapbook.
After organizing, try to decide which method of scrapbooking
works for you. One way is to use multiple photos on a
page for an event or holiday. Another way is to
scrapbook moments. You may only have one picture but
that is all you need to explain a precious moment that you
want to remember. This is your heritage that you are
passing down, so it is important to feature each member of
your family. Include journaling and handwritten
statements. These are the things that make
scrapbooking special. And dont forget to include
yourself. Often times as the scrapbooker, you may not
feel the need to include yourself. However, you want
your children and family to remember your moments in their
lives as well.
When you begin shopping for supplies, Cathy recommends
shopping with a plan. Have your photos with you and
bring them to the shop. You can get assistance and you
will not overbuy.
Cathy also recommends taking a beginner class. She
helps people get over the intimidation of creating their
first page and helps them get their photos organized.
Organizing your thoughts and your photos is a key component
to becoming a good scrapbooker. And lastly, but just
as important, do not put pressure on yourself to complete a
scrapbook. Many people feel pressure to have a book
done by a certain time. There are no rules.
Enjoy it and do not stress about it. Have fun!
How did Cathy become such an avid scrapbooker? It
started about eight years ago for her and she has never
looked back.
My sister got me started. I got married and she
bought me a wedding album and some tools. I was
hooked, said Cathy.
Afterwards, Cathy and her family were living in Morocco.
She was a new mom and she devoted much of her time to
scrapbooking. She was often frustrated about getting
good supplies and her friend mentioned that she should start
her own store. The plans started to develop and then
became a reality when Cathy and her family relocated back to
western Pennsylvania. She found the right location,
renovated it, and opened her doors in February 2007.
You will see that a scrapbooker owns The Crop Shop the
minute you step inside. Take advantage of having the
areas first exclusive scrapbook store and visit the Crop
Shop today!
Visit the First
Exclusive Scrapbook Store in Greensburg today.