Stop Crop and Shop Was a Success!

We enjoyed our 12 hour day of scrapbooking.  We got there at 9:45 to unpack and set-up.  We each had a 6' table, which was ideal.  Guess what table number I had? 

They gave us lunch and supper with snacks.  For lunch we had a stuffed potato bar, with chili, cheese, sour cream, green onions, etc.  For supper there was Lasagna and a green salad.  All was very good and filling.  The vendors weren't as I thought they would be.  I thought they would be scrapbooking stores with booths, but what it was was independant consultants of different companies, like Creative Memories, Party Lite, some Purse company, Tastefully Simple, and there was one Reiki healer and one independant candy maker.  So that was a little dissappointing, but it made me be more focused on actually scrapbooking. 

  For this event I made some "page kits".  I bought some really neat page planner envelopes, here's a link:   http://store.scrapbook.com/ch-pp1212.html.  I really thought that they worked out really well.  I first chose my photos I wanted to scrapbook, then I chose a "sketch card" from my Becky Fleck books, one set has rounded corners, the other set has square corners (which is very nice, now I'll know which deck to put them back in) 

Then I chose the cardstock color for the base of the page, then some decorative paper, close to the size I would need.  I really didn't want alot of scraps, so I cut the papers close to what they would end up being.  Then I chose the embellishments, stamps, etc. that would go well with the page.  Everything for the page fit very nicely in the page planner folder.  Below are some pics of one of my planners filled.   I stuck the layout card in the front pocket, the 12 x 12 papers in the next pocket and then behind that is a half pocket for all the embellishements.



Here's the cover of the  filled page planner.



This is the back of the page planner filled with embelly's.

This is the layout card I chose.
Using these page planners worked out really well for me and I felt that I was very productive. 



AND FOR THE BEST PART I WON TWO DOOR PRIZES!!! YEAH!!!  Below is what I won...

A basket filled with some fun Valentine stuff!

And this Stampin Up stamp set

Stop Crop and Shop TODAY!

First time ever doing this - a grade school in our area is sponsoring a Stop, Crop and Shop today.  12 hours of scrapbooking fun!  From 10am to 10pm, there's a vendor fair, door prizes and raffles, plus lunch and supper with snacks.  I made some page kits for this even and I'm bringing some other things to work on as well.  I have quite a few of them.  This is a new method for me.  I'm hoping that it will be easier for me to get my creativity flowing and get on a roll.  I'll post some pics afterward. 

I'm back from the retreat!

And boy am I tired!  I'm going to post the new challenge and sit quiet and watch a movie or something.  I'm just gonna sit back and do nothing. 

Overall, with 10 people attending we completed about 250 pages!  Not bad for 3 days, eh?

I have to add that I unfortunately only completed about 16 pages myself.  I really spent alot of time doing details this time.  Last year I completed 60 pages.  It's quite the difference this year.  I also had a really hard time focusing, I don't really understand why I was so distracted.  Next year I'm making page kits for the retreat. 

I'm all unpacked and I started scrapbooking again and it seems alot easier now that I am around all my stuff!  Go figure!

I'm at the Scrapbook Retreat

We made it!  The challenge pages below are the first pages that I completed at the retreat.  I wish I would have brought a paint brush and my color wheel.  I'll let ya know if I am wishing for anything else.  I am using my laptop for the color wheel, this sight has been helpful, http://colorcombosgalore.ning.com/.  And I borrowed a paint brush from somebody else.  So all is well.

My room mate's finger turned out to be alot better than expected.  She saw the surgeon today and he doesn't recommend surgery.  Great news!  He gave her a new bandage, the emergency room bandage was up to her elbow and the one the surgeon gave is only on her finger.  So she's on her way.  She actually just arrived and I have to go down and help her unload!  Yeah!

ONE MORE DAY UNTIL THE SB RETREAT!!!

One more day until we leave.  I'm preparing things to go and I'm preparing the house and family for my absence.  A woman's work is never done. 

I am planning on doing my challenge page at the retreat.  I'm bringing my camera and laptop so that I can upload it before Sunday's new challenge.  I will be posting updates of the retreat on my blog as well.  So if you like, come on back and see what's happening. 

I got a call late last night from my room mate as she was leaving the emergency room, it seems she has cut her finger really bad and may need surgical ligament repair and may not be able to come. (her left hand/she's right handed)  We talked today and she is thinking that  she may be coming after all, just a little later.  So we'll see how that turns out. 

All else is progressing as planned*.

*God willing of course.

Packing for a Weekend Crop

In an effort to be organized and productive I made the following videos.  I hope that I will find myself very organized and productive at our yearly crop coming up this week.  I also hope that I won't want for anything. 

It's very hard for me to pack for something like this since I have ladies over to my house every week and I always have all my "stuff" around me.  So for me to pack is really a hard task. 

I'm feeling really good about what I'm bringing this time.  Last year I didn't really know what I was going to scrapbook and this year I chose 3 themes with their pics and projects already decided.  So that will help alot.

The picture below is from last year,  in the brown/green photo containers are all my cricut cartridges, manuals and keypads which I won't need to bring this year.  The stamp and marker tower isn't coming either.  So I've eliminated those two items.  (I bought the Gypsy a couple weeks ago and I love it!)  Behind me are all my bags and I had two large bins which aren't coming this time.  Yeah!

Part 1 Packing for a Weekend Crop

Part 2 Packing for a Weekend Crop

Part 3 Packing for a Weekend Crop

Part 4 Packing for a Weekend Crop

Part 5 Packing for a Weekend Crop

Make n' Take at the Expo from Prima - FREE! Thanks Prima!

This was a beautiful page that we could do for free from Prima!  I love it!!!

OK, So Here's the Damage!!!

I had alot of fun today hanging out at the Expo.  Below are some pics of what I bought.  The only thing that I paid full price for was the October Afternoon paper packet, which I fell in love with.  Other than that, most everything was priced really well.  So here it is:

SCRAPBOOK EXPO TODAY!!!

Hey Everybody,  I'm so excited, I'm going to the Scrapbook Expo today in St. Charles.  I'm picking up my girlfriends at 8 a.m. and we're off for a fun day!  Hopefully, I won't buy too much.  I'll show ya later what I get.  TTFN.  http://www.scrapbookexpo.com/CH-10/

Update on the Scrapbook Retreat

The numbers are in for the total pages completed and that number is 400.  Well done ladies!  Let's see if we can top that next year!  Happy Scrapping!

Some Pics from the Retreat & Some of My Pages

60 PAGES DONE! YAHOO!

I'm back! I had a wonderful time scrapbooking and just hanging out with all my friends. I finished about 60 pages, 8-1/2 x 11, 5 x 7 and 12 x 12. I think that I definately brought too much. I was feeling overwhelmed at times because of all I brought. Next year I am going to be more focused on what I plan to do and try to bring only what I need. I'm putting this down in writing so that when the time comes to pack up next year, I'll read this and remember. I still had a great time making some really fun pages, and hanging out with my friends. I also love going around and seeing what everyone else is doing. All the ladies are very talented in putting pages together, and they inspire me. I love it!!

SCRAPBOOK RETREAT TIME!!

Hey Everybody,

Tomorrow is the day we leave for our scrapbooking retreat.  There are 10 ladies including myself meeting at a nice hotel about 3 hours away.  This is the third year of our retreat.  We plan it around Columbus Day weekend each year.  With 4 suites rented we got a large conference room for free.  Can't wait, I'm very excited to be creative with no interruptions for 4 days, yahoo!!!!  No cooking, cleaning or laundry for 4 days!!

Now, what do I pack?  The hard part is to remember clothes, and food.