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Updated 07/19/10 - STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
Scrappersaurus
Scrapbook Services and Supply, LLC

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Scrappersaurus Scrapbook Services & Supply, LLC
http://www.Scrappersaurus.com/
Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com
504-812-2261

Hurricane Preparedness for Crafters

Hurricanes are serious, and we need to be serious about how we prepare for them.  As crafters, we do
not want to see our creations destroyed, however, we may be faced with having to leave some things
behind if we evacuate.

Speaking strictly from personal experience, we would like to offer some suggestions on how to prepare
things relating to your crafting and other important papers necessary during or after an evacuation.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GENERAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND WHAT TO DO IN AN
EMERGENCY OR FOR A HURRICANE THREAT, please visit an official governmental website on the
Internet.  We have listed a few below, and you can find many more by simply typing in Hurricane
Preparedness into your browser.

•        http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Hurricane-
Preparedness-Week/
•        http://www.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml
•        http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/hurricane.html
•        http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/hurricane.html


•        Create several copies of an Identification Tag to be stored with your photos in Ziplocs*, and
laminate them if at all possible.  This Identification Tag should have:

o        Your full name
o        Cell phone number, including the Area Code
o        E-mail address
o        If you are comfortable with it, you can put your postal mailing address on it, however, most people
are easily reached by cell phone or e-mail these days.

•        Place ALL PHOTOGRAPHS into Ziploc bags with an I.D. tag and a couple packs of desiccant or silica
powder in each one to absorb any moisture that may be in the air inside the bag when you seal it.
(Remember, most of us in the hurricane danger zone are in a very humid area, so there’s bound to
be moisture in the bags when you seal them.)

•        Keep out at least one recent photo of each family member and any pets.  Make sure you are also in
the photo with your pet(s), thus proving you are the true owner.) Bring these photographs with
you when you evacuate, also in a sealed Ziploc bag with an I.D. tag in it, “just in case”. (See below
for other important items to include in your Emergency Evacuation Kit.)

•        Place groupings of these smaller sets of photos in Ziplocs into a larger gallon-sized Ziploc, also
with a couple packs of desiccant and another I.D. tag.

•        Take all of your sealed packs of photos (and memorabilia, too, if you’ve got it packed) and place
them into a heavy-duty construction or lawn-and-leaf bag, which you should tie shut with a strong
cord or zip tie.  Take good quality shipping tape and wrap it tightly over the cord or zip tie, several
times.  Place this into another large construction or lawn-and-leaf bag, and wrap it up the same
way.  Remember to include an I.D. tag in each of the bags.

•        Place the entire construction or lawn-and-leaf bag with all of the photos and memorabilia into an
airtight (if possible) plastic or rubber container, or at least a bin with a snap-on lid.  A bin with a
locking lid is even better.  Again using good quality shipping tape, tape around the entire bin,
wrapping around it at least twice.

•        Store these bins at least four (4) feet above floor level, preferably on an inside room closet shelf.

•        If you must leave behind albums, seal them up the same way you did your photographs.  Ziploc
makes Big Bags, in which even bedding and clothes fit, so your albums should fit very well.  Tape
these bags shut across the seal, with shipping tape, and then finish protecting them as you did
your photos.  Remember to include an I.D. tag and desiccant or silica powder packets.

•        If it floods above the four (4) feet, the bin will hopefully float up.  Should the roof be torn off and
the bin blown away, whomever finds it should be able to identify and contact the owner (you),
and your items should be safe and dry.

Other important paper items to include in your Emergency Evacuation Kit—which you should take with
you every time you evacuate—include but are not limited to the following:

•        All legal documents possible.  These would include birth/death/marriage certificates, divorce
decrees, alimony/palimony and child support orders, legal name-change documents, passports,
and Social Security cards.

•        Proof of any and all insurance, which could include the Declarations Page of every insurance policy
you own (Homeowner’s, Renter’s, Auto, Boat, Commercial, etc.).  Also bring your Health
Insurance or Medicare and Medicaid cards.  Make sure whatever records you bring of your
insurance includes:

o        Full names of all insurance companies
o        Contact phone numbers for all insurance companies
o        Policy numbers for each insurance policy
o        Effective dates of coverage for each policy
o        If you have an Insurance Agent, have their full contact information (company name, if any;
phone number with Area Code; e-mail address; and postal mailing address)
o        If you have pet insurance, include all the above for their insurance information, too!

•        A list with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of ALL of the physicians that currently treat
you and your family members, for any reason.  

•        A list of every medication (including over-the-counter or herbal preparations) being taken, with
the name of the person taking the medication.  Also include, for each person listed, the doctor who
prescribed the medication, the full name of the medication, the strength, and how it is supposed to
be taken.  Note any other special medical or physical needs that you or your family members may
have.

•        If you have a Handicapped Placard for a motor vehicle, make sure you bring it, too, along with
your Mobility Impairment ID.

•        Don’t forget your pets’ health information!  You need to bring vaccination certificates for each pet,
along with any medications or special needs items they have, just like for your family members.
List the pets’ names, veterinarian’s name, address, phone number, and any medications your
pet(s) take on the same list as you put your family’s medications.

•        For durability and to make them waterproof, laminate the medical information documents, as well.
For safekeeping, make another laminated copy of this document and give it to another family
member in case you lose yours.

•        For those of you who are able to, you may want to consider scanning all of the above information
to your computer (papers and photos) and either burning it all to a CD or DVD, or at least having a
copy of it all on a removable thumb drive or jump drive.  Doing this would mean a lot less
paperwork to keep track of when you evacuate, but it would also be absolutely essential that you
not lose it as you evacuate!  If you do this, you may want to make a couple copies and give one to
each family member.  You probably would not need an excessive amount of memory on the
removable drive, for just this paperwork and photos. They are inexpensive enough, and a lot of
them come on a key fob or lanyard so you can easily keep track of them.  


While there are no guarantees in life, the above tips should help to protect your photos and memorabilia,
as well as the documentation necessary to get on with your life after the hurricane is gone.

*We are recommending Ziploc brand because they have the tightest seal we have found.  Most generics
that we tried did not seal as well.  Plus, Ziploc makes Double Guard Freezer Bags in Medium and Large
sizes that are essentially a bag in a bag, with a double zipper.  These are recommended, but you can use
regular Ziploc bags if you cannot find the Double Guard bags.

The above information resulted from the collaborative effort of Deidra Luquette Famularo and Marlane
Mayo after both lost immeasurable amounts of information, crafting tools, supplies, samples, and many
photographs in Hurricane Katrina because of the destruction of the first Scrappersaurus Store in Metairie,
Louisiana, August 29, 2005. We hope that our losses were not in vain, and the knowledge gained from it
helps YOU to protect YOUR memories.

Please feel free to e-mail us any comments or ideas that you may have to improve upon these
Suggestions.

Revised August 9, 2009
“Having problems inserting a completed page into the sheet
protector in your scrapbook?  Here is a great tip to keep those
embellishments and photos beautiful.  Take the blank page that
comes in the sheet protector or other scrapbook paper (use the
same size as your finished page) and place it over your
completed page.  Then just slide it into the protector.  With one
hand hold your completed page and the protector together on
the tip-top and remove the plain page with your other hand.
Your work will look fantastic!”
How to Get Your Cricut Personal to Multi-cut

I discovered a pretty cool Cricut trick the other day while playing with my Cricut markers. I know that
the original Cricut (which is the one I have) does not have a multi-cut feature like the Expression does,
but I figured out how to “trick” the original Cricut into doing a multi-cut.

When you use the Cricut markers, select the shape you want to draw—with your marker in the blade
housing—and then press CUT, to have it draw. Then you hit LOAD PAPER to bring the paper back to the
spot where it first began drawing. You replace the marker with the blade, and then press REPEAT LAST.
The Cricut then cuts out right where you drew.

To “trick” your Cricut into a multi-cut, all you have to do is start with a new piece of paper/chipboard
lined up in the corner of your mat. Load the paper, and select your shape, then cut. Next hit the LOAD
PAPER button, and it will bring your paper back to the point where it started cutting. Hit the REPEAT
LAST button, and then cut. It will cut in the same exact lines as it did the last time. Voila! Multi-cut!  Just
be careful not to press UNLOAD PAPER because when you reload it, it will not line up exactly with the
first cut!

Submitted by Scrappersaurus Design Team Member, Heather Landry
Extremely Easy Faux Stitching!!!

I came across this technique in one of my (many) craft books, and thought I’d share.  A lot
of people love the look of stitching on their layouts and cards, but are hesitant to actually
stitch on them.  Well, now you don’t have to actually use a needle and thread!  Simply use
one of the many rotary perforating tools that many manufacturers now make and a dye ink
pad.  Run the perforating tool over the ink pad to pick up ink on the prongs, and then run it
on your paper where you want the faux stitching to appear.  You will have to keep a close
eye and see when you need to re-ink, but the results will be fabulous, and will take a LOT
less time than actual stitching!  Please send me pics of your finished projects using this
technique, and I will be happy to post them here with this tip!

Dee
Shortcuts for Holiday Cards and Other Papercrafts

Tying Bows on Cards
A lot of people love to use ribbons on their holiday cards, and when you find the right one, it can really
set your card apart and make it stand out above the rest.  One very quick and easy way to make “bows”
on your card is actually not a tied bow, at all.  It’s very simple and quick, and can save you a lot of time
and hassle if you’re making a number of cards.  Here’s how:

1.        Once you’ve chosen your ribbon and chosen where you want your “bow” on your card, punch
two holes side-by-side large enough for your ribbon to pass through easily, but not so large that you
see empty space around the ribbon once it is threaded through.  You can test the ribbon you’re using
and the hole size on a scrap piece of paper before you actually punch your card, to be sure it’s the right
size.  (FYI: Scrappersaurus sells three different sized hole punches for $1.99 each.)
2.        Thread each end of your ribbon through the holes from the front.  Turn card over so you’re
looking at the ends of the ribbon on the back.
3.        Take a ribbon slide or buckle and slide both ends of the ribbon through.  (FYI: Scrappersaurus
sells both ribbon slides and buckles, individually and in bulk!)
4.        Take the left side of the ribbon and, with it wrapped over the buckle or ribbon slide, push it back
through the left hole in the card.  Repeat for the right side.
5.        Flip your card over to the front and snug up the ends of the ribbon so it doesn’t move or come
out.  The ribbon slide or buckle will be flat against the back of your card.
6.        Pinch the tip of each side of your ribbon, and cut it at an angle towards your other hand to make
an inverted “V” in the end of the ribbon.  If you cut at an angle away from your other hand, you will
have a “V” shape (pointed end).

All done!  Isn’t that easier than wrangling the ribbon and trying to tie an actual bow?!  Another plus of
using this technique is that the ribbon sits flatter on the card; it fits in the envelope easier, as well as on
a scrapbook page if the recipient scraps their cards.  And, best of all, it uses a lot less ribbon, so you can
use your favorite ribbon on more projects!

Best Scissors for Ribbon or Fibers
If you’re a ribbon fanatic (as I know many of you are!), the best scissors we have found for cutting
ribbon and fibers of any kind are the Tim Holtz Non-Stick Micro Serrated scissors made by Tonic
Studios.  They cut and snip (at the very tip even) very cleanly without snagging fibers or fabric at all,
and they even cut through light wires, metal, plastic, acetate, zip-ties, chipboard, cardboard, rubber,
and of course, paper!  The non-stick coating ensures that cutting through adhesives will not gum up the
blades, and the cushiony handles are designed to be comfortable even with cutting for very long
periods of time.  We sell a lot of these, and usually our crafters purchase them initially and then their
husbands figure out how great they are for shop use, and we end up selling them to the husbands as
well!  They make an excellent, very versatile tool to have for crafting, and definitely a wonderful gift to
give or receive.

Un-Du Saves the Day!!!
A must-have for many types of crafters (and a great kitchen assistant) is a bottle of Un Du.  This little
miracle-worker actually neutralizes adhesive long enough for you to pick up a misplaced stamp, sticker,
or other embellishment that was adhered with a dry adhesive (not liquid glue), and then allows you to
reposition it properly once it has evaporated.  It evaporates extremely fast and is scrapbook-safe.  It
does not stain your paper, and will not make your journaling or papers “bleed”, and I’ve even used it
on photographs!  It comes in a bottle with a scoop-type “collar” that you simply slide under the edge of
whatever you’re trying to remove; allow the liquid to flow out of the bottle onto the sticker, and then
slide the collar completely under the sticker and pick it up in its entirety.  You then turn the sticker over
(adhesive side up) and allow the Un-Du to evaporate, and then position it where you need it to be.  It’s
THAT simple! (Yes, Scrappersaurus sells Un-Du, as well!)

I hope these tips help make your cardmaking and other paper crafts easier.  If you have any questions
or any tips you’d like to share, please write to me at Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com.  

Happy Holidays!

Dee