Scrapbooking Inspiration: Scrapbook Weekend Getaway

Catch and Release [May 2007]

Just got back from another outstanding weekend at CJ's Creative Cottage. Every visit to CJ's is great. The accommodations are super - lots of great cropping space, good lighting, excellent tools. The computer and printer are new. I really like the printer; it is a true 12x12 color printer. I thought it was awesome to be able to print directly onto my full layout even after I had glued down the background papers. (See "Worms and Olivia" below.) I've been visiting the Cottage for about three years now and have NEVER been disappointed. There are fun new Cricuit cartridges as well. I know I should just break down and buy more for my own Cricuit, but I do enjoy trying them out ahead of time. The Cottage is only 35 miles from home; just far enough to feel like I'm getting away and close enough that I don't dread the trip. I spent the last couple of months getting prepared by selecting photos and matching them up to paper. It may sound dreary and tedious, but it is one of the parts of scrapbooking that I really like. I especially like separating it from the actually time building layouts. I like to savor the decision-making. Laying out all the pictures from an event and sorting out the "must have in a 5x7" from the "never see the light of day" pictures. Once that's done, I pick the paper. I LOVE this part. I am a paper freak. Getting a chance to browse through the florals, strips, circles & dots, and holiday & theme paper is very engaging. It reminds of the paper I have purchased ("What was I thinking?") and gives purpose to the money I spent. It also lets me lounge and dilly-dally on the choices; something that I feel guilty about when I am actually cropping and gluing. It's just feels luxurious to hem and ha over three shades of green knowing that when I'm sitting there on the marathon weekend of cropping, the decisions have been made and path set. For this weekend, I had over 30 layouts prepped. That is pretty ridiculous, I know, but I knew that they would never go to waste. It's all about me FEELING organized. I did finish 17 pages over the weekend. A little disappointing because it is fewer than the last weekend I was there. However, I do like the results.

Most of the layouts were from summer. I felt like I spent a long time scrapping pictures from Fourth of July vacation.