Like I said, I forget that there are things that I can do and have done locally that are within my budget and just as refreshing as going to France for weeks at a time.
I am especially in need of recharging after the hectic few months, I had putting together the meeting for this past Monday.
CROP
One of my favorite ways to recharge myself has been to scrapbook. Crops are retreats or events where scrapbookers work on their scrapbooks. The word crop comes from the term used where you cut or crop away any unnecessary parts of the picture to put it into your scrapbook. Caution: dont cut away everything. 50 years from now we want to see the telephones, cars and televisions your family had in the house. Some crops are held in scrapbooking stores for a few hours one night a week. Other crops are held over a weekend where a scrapbooker can work non-stop on completing an album. I was lucky enough to be able to participate in a few crops. I haven't had as much time to do it since I went back to work full time but I have been able to invest in a number of getaways over the years.
Scrapbook Expo
Every August, I attend the Scrapbook Expo in Santa Clara, California. I stay at the Hyatt Regency and go to the crop on Friday or Saturday night. Sometimes I go both nights. My younger daughter went with me for several years. She competed in some of the youth page contests and won. The last time we went in 2009, I drove down after work on Friday. Scrapbook Expo had oversold the Crop tickets and we got there after people had spread there stuff out all over the tables. We couldn't find a place to sit down. The staff set us at a side table which actually turned out to be the volunteer break table. I was angry cause there was some chocolate or food on the table and it smudged on one of my pages. Two other ladies were placed there as well. They were from Southern California and they were disappointed as well because they had pre purchased tickets as I had but the event planner were letting people spread out so there weren't enough tables. After that, I pledged to buy an entire table when I went in the future. The past two years, we went weren't able to go due to some other family events. Now that we are able to go again, I thought it was going to be an annual thing for my daughter and I but this year she decided that she didn't want to go. She is entering high school and I guess she has outgrown it. It's funny because women at the crop would always ask me how I got my daughter to be interested in scrapbooking. http://www.scrapbookexpo.com/
When my older daughter was younger we went to the East Bay crop sponsored by Scrapbook Expo at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. I think I went to that event three or four times over the years. I volunteered the first year, took classes my second and attended the crop night the third. these crops usually run from 5:00 p.m. until 12 midnight. There weren't any hotels nearby so I just drove home at night.
The cropping retreats that I will describe below that are held at hotels are usually open all night long.
I am planning to go this year by myself. At first I wasn't going to go at all but then I remembered that I like scrapbooking and I have alone before. Instead of renting an entire table, I bought only one crop ticket so I will have to share a table with someone. Good opportunity to meet someone new. I registered for three classes/workshop throughout the day. The workshops give you an opportunity to learn some new techniques, try some new products and they always give you a page kit to take home.
I'm looking forward to this mini retreat. I was going to go to RWA convention but I couldn't justify spending a week away from home and the kids when I have so little vacation time per year.
Creating Keepsakes University
I have attended a Creating Keepsakes University (CKU) as a volunteer on year. I think it was held in Santa Clara or San Jose, CA. They didn't really give us anything and I remember standing next to the registration table when I arrived and there were all these tote bags filled with giveaways that they gave to the paid participants. I could have so easily picked on one up and kept it as a token of my volunteer efforts but I didn't. Allright they didn't have to give us anything but usually we get a kit or something. All the participants had already registered so these were extra but I was a good girl and didn't snatch one. I remember thinking they would give us one but they didn't do a darn thing for us. I'm not even sure if we got the kit from the class we helped set up for. It is probably just a well. I like my Scrapbook Expo or private crops better.
I read somewhere that they barely made money on those event after they had to pay for the hotel and magazine staff coming in. Even with the sponsors, I think the conventions are an expensive endeavor. CKU used to be the big thing. When I subscribed to the magazine, I always wanted to go to their events. They were rarely held in California. I think once it was held in Anaheim. There also was the Creating Keepsakes Conventions. I never had the opportunity to attend one of those. http://www.scrapandpapercorner.com/events/cku/2012/index.html
http://www.scrapandpapercorner.com/events/ckc/index.html
Gotta Crop Retreats
My favorite crops were with an organization called Gotta Crop in Lodi, Ca. Gotta Crop was a small independently owned scrapbook store owned by two women, Michelle and Marianne who loved to crop. They held some local crops near their store in Lodi but they also held out of town crops every year. I went to one in Palm Springs at the Wyndham Palm Springs Resort. That was the greatest. The crop room was open all night and day. They brought a table full of tools. There were contests and prizes and giveaways. they sold stuff. I think I have a picture of myself in the pajamas contest winner. I love Palm Springs. I took the train down and didn't have a car but other than that the trip was the greatest. I'll never take the Amtrak train again. I think there was a bus halfway because the train doesn't go all the way. Sigh!
Gotta Crop eventually closed as did many of the other small stores. For a while scrapbook stores used to be the only place to buy the special paper and delicate embellishments for scrapbooking. Then Michaels, Target and the Dollar stores started getting scrapbook stuff and it was the beginning of the end for the small specialty stores.
Croppin' Away Scrapbook Retreats
I went to a crop in La Quinta Resort and Spa outside of Palm Springs with another organization called Croppin Away. http://www.croppinaway.com/index.html It doesn't look like they are sponsoring any events right now but they were a very nicely organized group. I had a great room and there were lots of classes offered during the 3 or 4 day event. I flew down to Palm Springs, rented a car and had my own villa room at La Quinta. I think that was in Fall of 2007 or 2008. Anyway, flying was much more convenient. The resort was beautiful. I have to admit that as much as I like a mommy get away, I am so lonely when I am there in the hotel room by myself.
Creative Memories
I started scrapbooking with Creative Memories. They sell the best archival quality books and papers through sales reps. I love their strap hinge albums. Their albums are truly THE BEST. Whenever I run into a consultant at a crop or at the expo I usually purchase items from them on the spot. I don't know any local consultants but when I run into them at an event I do support them. http://www.creativememories.com/
QVC
For a while Creating Keepsakes was selling scrapbook kits and embellishment kits on QVC. They had a number of todays special values that included books with paper and beautiful pieces to decorate the pages with. I got a beautiful K&Co set which I used to do my middle daughter's baby book.
FAVORITE TECHNIQUES
In terms of scrapbooking, I never branched out from making pages and books. I have taken classes on card making and stamping but I never got into any of those. I subscribed to magazine and books to get ideas but I stuck with basic pages except what I got from classes. I do a lot of color blocking. A lot of basic stuff from Creative Memories class of 1995.
I do love embellishments and still have a GIANT tote full of goodies collected over the years. I went through a period when I loved brads. I bought a bunch from Queen& Co in the shape of baseballs, footballs, baseball gloves, Halloween figures. I have papers and ribbons and buttons and stickers. In fact, I think I've even donated some stuff to the kids school and thrown stuff away. Right now my tote is in the living room waiting for the upcoming Scrapbook Expo in August. I pulled it out of the back of the closet to make room for clothes and get more organized. I would love to meet up with someone to exchange materials with.
DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING
Okay, to be honest, I'm not really into digital scrapbooking. I've slowed down a lot with the scrapbooking since I don't print out as many pictures as I used to. Social media sites such as Facebook allow people to post their pictures online and keep them in some sort of archival format. I guess Facebook will be around in the future. Who know? Now that I think about it, I want to keep putting the pictures into books as well as keeping them in some sort of digital format.
I took a class at Scrapbook Expo a few years ago about digital scrapbooking. They gave out a disc with sample software. You could make the actual pages with virtual embellishments and colored background and then print them on a 12X12 Epson printer. Then you could put the page in a book. I think Epson was sponsoring the class. It just wasn't something that I was interested in at the time.
I love the idea of putting together digital art work but I love the actual paper scrapbooks. I am willing to go to digital e-books but I like my paper scrapbooks. Creating paper scrapbooks with the pictures also gives me some time away from the computer. I put so much time in at the computer at work and at home trying to write. I can't image spending my rejuvenate time in front of the computer either.
Come to think of it, I get more writing done in long hand.
SCRAPBOOK BASICS
The basics of scrapbooking are you sort your printed pictures by occasion and put your pictures into an album with archival safe tape or glue. Add embellishments to help tell the story or decorate the pages. Finish by journalling something about the event or the pictures. Heading, dates and other information help to make the story complete.
I've done two of my children's baby books. I did their kindergarten through about third grade books. I 've done their sports books.
I have some old books with my wedding pictures (snapshots not professional pictures) that probably should be put in archival quality books.
I have tubs of my oldest daughters baby pictures that need to be put in books.
So many of my pictures now are still trapped in computer. The kids (now teens post them to Facebook pages) but I haven't been as good about putting together scrapbooks as I once was.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I do recommend buying high quality stuff. I bought some books of tear out paper from I don't know where that I used on my son's baby books. Those pages have all faded badly. I bought some colored construction paper from somewhere probably same place as the paper and that has faded as well.
SEI papers seem to have faded and I purchased those at the Scrapbook Expo. I think I got the pages from a class kit. It was a really pretty dots collage and it has lost so much color. I used to really like the SEI paper but looking back now...*shaking my head* I'm glad that I didn't buy more.
Like I said above, I love Creative Memories products. Queen & Co brads are very nice. I haven't tried their papers or kits.
I've purchased a few kits from the Expo. Kits are pages that include all the components already cut out. All the scrapbooker has to do is follow the instructions and put them back together and add their pictures.
Take classes and go to conventions. You can see alot of the new products and see them demonstrated, then decide what your specialty is. Everyone can't do everything. Become a specialist in something. For a while I was sewing fabric onto paper before it became a fad. Then I started seeing it at the expos.
I never got into using the chalk or the metal but it is all over the place.
Figure out what mediums you like to work in.
SCRAPBOOKING AS THERAPY
I definitely think scrapbooking is therapy. Looking through pictures gives you an opportunity to look back at your accomplishments. Completing pages and books gives one a sense of accomplishment.
FUTURE/ WISHLIST
One of these days, I will have a dedicated scrapbook/ crafting room/ office so that I can leave my artwork out on the table. Now, I have to put stuff back after I work on it.
I'd love to get one of the cricut machines to cut out letters and shapes but then I would need to have a space to work.
I'd love to go on a crop cruise. I see those offered every now and then.
Since I live in a small house, its such a hassle to take things out and put it back again. Anyway, I love the crops and I have to get organized before the August 10th event.
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