Scrapbook Expo

I had such a great time at the Scrapbook Expo. It turned out so much better than last year, I definitely think I'll do it again. For one thing, I drove myself, which sounds like a dumb thing but gave me a sense of independence from the beginning, like "I can do this." I need to have that feeling more often, which having a car gives me, but my overprotective husband is going to have to realize that I need it as well.

Anyway, I arrived early enough that I got close parking, didn't have to stand in a long will-call line, and was ready for the expo to open about 30 minutes before it actually opened. I think a first for the usually running late me. It was nice because it wasn't overly crowded when I first got it, so I had a chance to walk through all the vendors' displays without feeling pressured or pushed. I knew from last year who I definitely wanted to see, so I went to those vendors first. Then I just walked around looking at what everyone was displaying and what was new. It was a nice, non-pressured way to start the day. Since so much of my stuff is in storage still, I have no idea what I need or have, so I didn't feel the need to buy a ton of stuff. I mainly wanted to see the new stuff, and to take the classes I had signed up for.

So my first class was at 10:30 and it was six two-page layouts. I didn't take pictures because we didn't finish them, but they were mainly to give us ideas of different ways to layout our 4x6 pictures, which is what the majority of us use most of the time. Honestly, I love the beautiful layouts that display a single photo, but a rarely do them. I loved getting ideas on how to use different patterned papers mixed together and still have a cohesive, pretty layout (that is, not overwhelmed by the patterns).

My next class was a Prima class, which is known for their flowers but also makes beautiful paper and chipboard cutouts. That's the class I was excited about and I wasn't let down. I love using flowers in my layouts, and we learned how to use flowers. These pictures are the layouts we did. 

 These are so three-dimensional that you almost couldn't put them in a book, you'd want to put them in a display case. But they are so beautiful that you'd want them on display. It's hard to see where the pictures would be, but I'll try to explain.

 Well, this one is the type of layout I normally don't do: the big layout for one picture. But I guess if you have one picture you really want to showcase it would make sense. I just normally don't think that way. You can see where the picture would go, though, and it would be a little covered by the leaves and flower at the top of you chose to do it that way. Otherwise you'd just use a 4x6 and let the page be as much of the display as the picture itself.

This one is made for three pictures, one at the top and two at the bottom. Or two 4x6s if that's what you want to do, I don't think three of that size would fit. Again, the layout is so beautiful and I just love it, the pictures just don't do justice to how pretty the papers and flowers really are.

The last class was "From Overwhelmed to Organized," and I got some fantastic tips in that class that I am really going to put into practice. Especially living in a small area that leaves little space for my scrapbooking items, I need to have everything well organized, and the way she explained it was so simple and logical that I think with a little effort I can have all my stuff in one place and still not feel cluttered and overwhelmed. The biggest challenge will be finding the space to actually get my stuff out and organize it.

Overall it was a great day, and I'm really glad I didn't let my fears intimidate me so I didn't go.

Oh, and I think I found a crop retreat I want to go to, so if anyone is interested let me know, it would be a blast to have someone I know go, too.