How The Crop Shop Came to Be

The idea of the Crop Shop started thousands of miles away when I was living in Morocco. Being frustrated with how to get scrapbooking supplies, a cropping friend said to me “you should open a scrapbooking store! I would order from you all the time!” We laughed, but the thought had hit home.  It stuck with me.  A scrapbooking store!
 
I made a deal with myself. If my little family somehow moved back to my roots --- southwestern Pennsylvania --- then I would seriously research the possibility of a scrapbooking store. My husband's orders came and, with a second child on the way, we found ourselves heading back to PA. So I read, planned, researched, discussed and dreamed. The Crop Shop began to take shape on paper, a place where you could find the best scrapbooking supplies, learn all about scrapbooking, and get the help you need with that first scrapbook album.  After more time than I planned, the cards started to fall into place.
 
In the Fall of 2006, we leased space in the Hempfield Plaza and started renovations.  We opened in February of 2007.  My dream of a scrapbooking store has come true! 

See Pictures of our Opening Day

About Cathy Greeley, the Store Owner,
and how she started cropping...

I received a wedding gift from my sister that included a wedding album and a few essential scrapbooking tools. That is how it all started -- eight years ago.

It took me almost a full year to finish that first scrapbook album. That was when I really did not know what I was doing, nor did I have any idea of the possibilities and techniques. But, I was determined to create a scrapbook album that my children, one day, would ask me to read to them once in a while. I also wanted to make sure my wedding photos would not end up in a box on the top shelf of a closet.

Now, a daughter and son later, my packs of photos grow bigger and my available time to crop shrinks. I find myself about a year and a half behind in my family album projects. Don’t feel bad for me! It’s OK! Years ago, I lost that sense of pressure to finish my books in a more timely fashion. Now, I enjoy creating a two-page spread even if it takes me two to three hours to finish.

Sure, at first, I would panic, feeling a sense of “I will never finish this scrapbook album!” That fear took the fun out of scrapbooking for me. Now I know better. Now I know that it is okay to go at my own pace. After all, scrapbooking is supposed to be relaxing. So now, I crop only six to twelve hours a month, and I simply love it. And yes, my kids do ask me to read them “The Wedding Book”. They even know the story by heart.

Please come visit my scrapbooking store, where you’ll find all the scrapbooking supplies your heart desires.

Instructors

Lynn and Phyllis were in great demand at our Grand Opening.   Their cropping and card making demonstrations were almost more popular than the shopping!   If you got a chance to meet them then surely you were impressed with their talent and their wonderful personalities.  They are both so excited to share their expertise with you.   Sign up for a scrapping class to get a chance to see first hand how great they are!

Lynn Ciccone

Lynn is married with a beautiful daughter and two canine kids.  She is friendly, talkative and creative.  We can attest to all three of these qualities!
 
Her hobbies include scrapbooking and papercrafting, reading, gardening, Harley rides, and her hubby.
 
Her favorite things include Book Club, cropping with friends, new scrapbooking magazines, angel hair pasta, massages, New York, Steeler games, her puppies, and the smell of cinnamon.

Phyllis Hutter

“A few years ago my daughter invited me to a stamping party.  I resisted the opportunity to purchase any items because it was something that did not really interest me.  Several weeks later she was working on a project and I began to watch over her shoulder.  And that was the moment my interest was sparked!  As the saying goes, the rest is history.
 
I have a wonderful family which includes my husband of 36 years, two daughters each of whom married a great guy and four beautiful grandchildren.  Could life be any better!
 
I am thrilled to join the Crop Shop team as a card designer/instructor.”

Meet our wonderful instructors at classes, crops AND our monthly DEMO DAYS.  Check our calendar for dates and our classes and events page for details.

The Crop Shop Service Area

The Crop Shop serves the scrapbooking needs of scrapbookers throughout southwestern PA, including but not limited to the Pittsburgh region, Allegheny County, Blair County, Butler County, Beaver County, Fayette County, Indiana County, Washington County, Westmoreland County, Somerset County, and the towns and municipalities of: Aliquippa, Altoona, Apollo, Avonmore, Beaver Falls, Belle Vernon, Blairsville, Blawnox, Bloomfield, Braddock, Butler, Canonsburg, Charleroi, Cheswick, Churchill, Connellsville, Cranberry, Delmont, Derry, Duncansville, Duquesne, East Liberty, East Pittsburgh, Ebensburg, Edgewood, Etna, Export, Fox Chapel, Garfield, Glassport, Glenwood, Greensburg, Harmarville, Harrison City, Hempfield Township, Highland Park, Holiday Park, Indiana Township, Irwin, Jeannette, Jefferson, Jennerstown, Johnstown, Latrobe, Lawrenceville, Leechburg, Ligonier, Lower Burrell McKeesport, Millvale, Monongahela, Monroeville, Mt. Washington, Murrysville, New Kensington, North Huntingdon, North Side, North Versailles, North Washington Township, Oakmont, O’Hara Township, Penn Hills, Penn Township, Pittsburgh, Plum Boro, Point Breeze, Rankin, Salem Township, Troy Hill, Saltsburg, Shadyside, Shaler, Sharpsburg, Slickville, Somerset, South Side, Springdale, Squirrel Hill, Swissvale, Tarentum, Trees Mills, Turtle Creek, Tyrone, Unity Township, Uniontown, Vandergrift, Verona, Wall, Washington (Little Washington), Waynesburg, White Oak, Wilkinsburg, Youngwood.

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