Wow, time flies! I hope to get here more often but sometimes life and technology gets in the way. We had such a great time at the January Scrapbook Retreat that I didn't want to miss out on sharing that.
I was thrilled that weather was not an issue this year because in January it can always change on a dime and with attendees traveling from Iowa it gets even more dicey. This was the biggest group that I've had yet so I wanted to share a little about the retreat by the numbers:
- 48 hours
- 34 women
- 34 Ott-lites
- 8 Cricuts (2 supplied by my friend Stacie and I, the rest brought their own)
- Over 200 Cricut cartridges
- 10 extension cords
- 170 meals eaten
- 1 radio with good tunes
- 1 tired and happy hostess
Since so many of the group or night owls, I was always the first one down to the room in the morning. It seemed so quiet without the chatter and the hum of Cricut machines.
For me, a huge part of scrapbooking is about the people. As we scrapbook we talk about the people that we love and our life stories. When we scrapbook with other people we learn a lot about each other.
This is my favorite, and right now it seems like the only way I get to scrapbook. It is a wonderful excuse to spend a weekend catching our breath and catching up with one another.
I love that we learn from each other while we scrapbook. We learn to use new tools and we can be inspired by what someone else has done.
There were several Cricut stations going over the weekend. This gave some who hadn't tried a Cricut before the chance to give it a go and see if they liked using one. Let's be honest, who doesn't like the Cricut once they've tried it?
My friend Stacie Wilson spent a couple of hours on this layout but the results were worth it. The rest of us admired the hand doodling that was done to enhance a great photo and fun floral embellishments.
Some, like my friend Lori, do both traditional and digital scrapbooking. For those of us that haven't ventured into the digital world it is fun to see all of the cool things that can be done using the computer to complete projects.
The most coveted tool of the weekend seemed to be the Scrap N Easel. This was my first time using mine and it was so nice not to have to stand and bend over the project I was working on. I could see it coming together as I pulled out photos and embellishments.
I am extremely lucky to have found a facility that I enjoy work with so much and that help me out so I don't have to worry about whether the food will be good or whether the tables will be set up. The staff at Heartland Presbyterian Center in Parkville, MO are really wonderful and want to make sure we have a good time. There is a lot of preparation for me as I am getting ready to host a retreat but it is all worth it when everyone comes away with a smaller stack of photos and feeling a little rejuvenated.
Can't wait for the next retreat in May when we do it all over again!
