Scrapajack

it was -well technically it was Thursday , Friday and Saturday! - the 1st Scrapajack Retreat.

I arrived on Thursday at 9.30am in a car park in Stratford that belonged to the Swans Nest Hotel, I knew I was in the right place because car boots were opening and the tell tale signs of scrappers was emerging you know the ones totes, totes and more rolling totes.

On arrival I was greeted by the oh so lovely Jakki & Debs the wonderful organisers and was introduced to my buddy Rachel (aka Taniwha) each buddy had made a handmade gift for us, I had a pillow box decorated with Kiwis and filled to the brim with delish Kiwi treats and if that wasn’t enough a calico Scrapajack goodie filled with scrapping goodies also awaited me - after a wonderful warm welcome I found myself seated next to my room mate for the next few days Mary affectionately known as Scary Mary (she doesn’t live up to her name unless of course you are a waitress trying to take her breakfast before she has finished her fried bread!).

The place soon filled up as scrappers from all around the country and abroad as we were joined by Steph from Home-grown scrapbooks who had brought suitcases of goodies , on top of the brilliant Scrapajack shop that had stash shouting at me to ‘buy me now’ it was stash overload!.

Classes began in the afternoon and I took a variety of different ones but as soon as I saw the class examples I wished I could have fitted them all in, in real life they were superb, luckily there were extra kits available at the end so I was able to make a few extra purchases.

Each class was packed with techniques that I wouldn’t maybe have tried - lots of paint techniques from Ness - what a talented lady, she took amongst others the ‘Bits on the Side’ classes, I turned a bird feeder into a fairy house, changed a paper mache frame into a mini work of art and I wished I had done her Potato bag class as the ones I saw around were stunning.
She also took the friend layout class which saw me scrap a 12 x 12 page for the first time a couple of years! , we painted and tore up old pizza boxes ( I can now justify more purchases as it is classed as recycling), her Pride mini book saw us stitching, using acetate, more pizza boxes and yet more paint.
Acetate also featured in Steph’s Star mini album where we tried out paint and stamp techniques galore. A Shrink plastic book with lots of stamping was taken by Karen who also showed us a wired beaded binding technique- she made it all so simple and the end was result was beautiful.
Jilly had created one of the best Heritage layouts I have seen called Hidden moments with lots of page interaction, Steph had also created a layout class using prima printables and paper piecing, Rachel had a very pink and girly class that used thickers! - I recreated this at home as an 81/2 x 11 lo using her brilliantly written instructions.

OK so if all the classes & bits on the side weren’t enough Home grown had a Banner Buffet late on the Friday night were you could make a Maya road banner decorated with all sorts of scrummy stash - rumour has it that some people stayed up till 3.30am scrapping the night away!.
Aside from this there were also challenges with some fantastic prizes for the winners, prizes were also given for the pre retreat challenges that we had worked on, a name badge ,a book of me and an altered item.

What about the hotel?, the rooms were great and the food was perfect, the most comprehensive breakfast ever, I’d never have smoked haddock with a lightly poached egg on top at home but I did here!, along with the full cooked English - but not on the same day!.

Lunch was a hot and cold buffet with seriously calorie loaded desserts and the evening meal was a three course waitress served meal that would be very hard to beat .
All meals were a wonderfully social occasion and the big comfy settees in the foyer were perfect for relaxing on with a cup of coffee after or at any time of day as refreshments & little treats were available all day long even the scrap room & classroom had unlimited bottled water available - the sparkling was a brill paintbrush cleaner!.

So three full fun packed days of scrapping with some the nicest people I have met, I finally put faces to names , the laughter I am sure could be heard in the middle of Stratford and guess what in October I’m going back for more- I cannot wait - the chocolate goody bags are already at the planning stage!

If you are looking for your next retreat or have never been and want to try one- book the next one today you won't regret it.