Crafting When We Travel

As we wrap up July here at Crafty Neighbor, we are still focusing on crafting when we travel. I love taking my crafts with me when I travel, and I’ve been known to take crochet, embroidery, and, of course, scrapbooking along on my trips. Packing projects like embroidery and crochet are pretty straight-forward; you just need needles or hooks, thread or yarn, some scissors, and a pattern. But traveling with paper-crafting supplies can be a bit more challenging, especially if you are someone like me who likes to take everything I own. I have been known to completely fill my SUV with supplies when I head out to a retreat, but I’m trying to learn to bring less so I can get more done.

I recently went on an over-night canoe trip with my family, and my daughter and I both wanted to take our craft supplies along so we could document our trip. Since we have such limited space in our canoes (and not a lot of time for documenting), we restricted our supplies to travelers notebooks and a simple set of drawing/journaling tools. 

 

For this minimalist kit, I included three pens: a Tombow Mono Twin, and two Tombow brush pens, a hard tip and a soft tip. I also brought several pencils of varying hardness, including a .9 mm mechanical pencil, 4H and B graphite pencils, 3 black charcoal pencils (4B, 5B, and 6B), a white charcoal pencil, and a white 2B colored pencil. I also threw in a pencil sharpener, a Tombow Mono eraser, and a couple of bulldog clips to hold the notebooks open/closed as necessary. Since we were in canoes, we stored them in water-proof zipper bags. The idea behind this kind of kit is to do more drawing and journaling. I can still leave room for photos, but I will add those later. Mainly I just want to get the stories into the book before I forget them.

 

For other kinds of travel, I will often add other supplies to my kits. A cruise to the Bahamas for an Aggie Mom’s fundraiser in 2016 allowed me to bring my dual-tipped Stampin’ Up markers (which I am slowly replacing with Tombow markers), scissors, glue pens, Wink of Stella brushes, a white Uniball Signo pen, Tombow Mono adhesive, a Xyron adhesive eraser, a corner rounder punch, a small blender sponge (for use with the markers), Scor-Tape and red line tape, a 6”x6” paper pad, StazOn ink, and a very small assortment of stamps (numbers, letters, weather, travel). In the end, I wound up with a lot of things I never used, so for later trips, I went back to a more minimalist approach with just a few items.

 

My travel kits have evolved a lot since then. The addition of an HP Sprocket photo printer has allowed me to add photos on the spot to my cruise scrapbooks. And since the printer runs on a USB charge, there was no need for electricity. Washi tape allows me to tape ephemera and memorabilia into the album without gluing it down. And the pens, markers, and pencils change according to whatever is my favorite at the time.

 

When I traveled to Las Vegas last summer with my daughter’s bachelorette party, we both took along craft supplies for documenting in our traveler’s notebooks. My kit this time included stickers, an assortment of diecuts, a Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, a date stamp, alpha-numeric stickers, a small assortment of patterned papers, the usual pens and scissors, Versa Fine black ink, a black Uniball Signo pen, plus my watercolor pencils and my Canon Selphy printer (great for photos up to 4”x6”). What got left behind? All those colored markers, most of the stamps, the Wink of Stella, and the blender sponge. This kit fit in my suitcase with my other belongings, and has become my standard go-to kit for traveling.

 

Sometimes, when I am going to be crafting only for one day, I will bring a single project to work on. For instance, one year at our Think Pink crop, I brought my Christmas cards to work on. The supplies for this were very limited: cardstock, scissors, paper trimmer, adhesive, Score-Pal, ink, and a stamp. I’ve also been known to bring my planner and a few stickers, or a bullet journal and pens. I’ve also brought mini albums I made in a class and finally took the time to add photos and journaling.

 

Learning to take smaller kits and one-off projects has helped me get more done when I do travel. When I bring too many supplies, I find that I actually get less done because I spend more time setting up my crafts and choosing supplies and less time actually crafting. Plus it’s a nice change not to lug all those supplies around in a second suitcase or tote bag. 

 

You can read more about taking crafts with you when you travel in our August newsletter, which will go out on the 1^st. Brandi is going to share her travel kit, and I’ll have a new blog article about documenting your travels on the go. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter at http://eepurl.com/TZULf, and you can subscribe to this newsletter using the links on the left.

We Pause for a Brief Commercial Message

Today I am in Promotion Mode.  That’s what happens when I have a lot of events and they aren’t filling up as fast as I want them to, or I just haven’t had time to take care of promoting them like I should.  Usually, I try to spread it out.  I don’t want my customers or my readers to be bombarded by emails and ads for things I’m trying to sell.  Some companies do that.  They’ll send out one or two emails every single day to remind you that it’s their annual “stock up on bath soap” sale, or “get extra points when you buy breakfast”.  It’s annoying.  I don't want to do that. 

Instead, I prefer word of mouth.  I want my customers and event participants to have so much fun at my events that they are eager to share with others and ready to come back and play again.  Don’t get me wrong, I do have to occasionally drop subtle hints, or post an occasional reminder on Facebook, and I send out roughly one newsletter email a month to let everyone know what’s going on, but lately, I have been so busy that I haven’t done any of that (or at least not much).  So I thought today I would do something I almost never do, and that is put it all in a blog post.  After all, I really don’t share all this stuff on the blog very often because the blog is more about crafting and projects, so you might not even know what’s going on.

Of course, a blog post with nothing but me hawking my wares would not be any fun at all, so today I’m going to kill two birds with one stone; I’m going to share some projects with you, and tell you how they relate to some of my events!

First, lets start with 

Cards (and other things, too!):

These cards were some that we made recently at our 3^rd Wednesday Stamp Club meetings.  If you aren’t familiar with it, the stamp club is a gathering we have here at my house (aka Crafty Neighbor Studios) once per month.  We are led by Barbara King, a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator who prepares 2-3 projects for us to do each month.  It’s a lot of fun, and we’re definitely learning a lot of great techniques!  So if you’re in the DFW area on a 3^rd Wednesday, please feel free to join us!  The first visit is free, after that, there is a $30 minimum order.  You can find all the details on Meetup.com.

Classes:

An example of our Perpetual Calendar

Recently, I’ve had a lot of requests for classes, including repeats of several classes I taught in years past.  My trusty side-kick and helper extraordinaire, Marion, and I worked up a schedule we thought would work for anyone, but I guess we were scheduling things too close to the end of school or something because we are still getting emails asking for different dates and times.  So here’s the deal…if you are in the DFW area and you want to take any of our classes, go to our Facebook page and find the post I made today about classes.  Give us your input about dates, times, etc.  We’ll use that info to come up with some more class dates – I promise!

Crops and Retreats:

I don’t have any public crops or retreats coming up any time soon.  I usually like to have one or two fundraiser crops per year, but I am not walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day this year, so no crop for that.  If you have an organization that needs to raise money, and you would like to host a Scrapbooking Fundraiser Crop, give me a shout!  I will be more than happy to organize one for you!  This is especially true in the DFW/North Texas area, but I will also help with crops in other locations as well.  It’s a great way to raise funds for your organization, and it works particularly well for schools, churches, and non-profits like breast cancer charities or social services organizations.  If you are interested, please send me an email.

Cruises:

I haven’t promoted them much here, but one of my favorite projects every year is our annual scrapbooking cruise!  The exciting thing about this year’s cruise is that we have two!  The full scoop is on our website, but here’s the skinny:

Crafty Neighbor Scrapbook LITE

Departing from Galveston, Texas

Carnival Liberty

October 3-8, 2016

Porting in Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico sailing 5 nights with “LITE” amenities, flexible crop times, and a more relaxed/fun environment.  Make your own schedule and work on your own projects.  Optional classes are extra.  Crafters and non-crafters of all skill levels are equally welcome.

Crafty Neighbor Scrapbooking Cruise

Departing from Galveston, Texas
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas

January 8-15. 2017

Porting in Roatan (Honduras), Belize City (Belize) and Cozumel (Mexico) sailing 7-nights with FULL amenities, 24-hour open crop room, and lots of crafts, projects and demonstrations.  Participate in scheduled classes or work on your own projects.  All classes are included in the cost.  Crafters and non-crafters of all skill levels are equally welcome.

Here is one of the projects from our last cruise:

This simple layout was a make-n-take on our 2015 Scrap Cruise.
In all we had 4 make-n-takes, 1 interactive demo, 10+ hours of dedicated
class time plus games, contests, prizes, goodies and giveaways.

Garage Sales:

Last but not least, I’m sad to say I am still waiting for open dates at our Girl Scout facility for the semi-annual scrapbook garage sale.  They assure me that they will know the open dates by the end of May.  Keep your fingers crossed for a fall date.  If not, we may have to look at another facility, which would mean an increase in vendor rates, which I don’t want to do.

That’s it for now, thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the projects I shared as part of this giant advertisement! 

Everything's Coming Up Aggie!

You may have wondered why I haven’t been posting as much lately.  I blame my son.  He just had to go off to Texas A&M University, an institution that some may claim is a cult.  Well, sure enough, I drank that maroon Kool-aid right off the bat, so I am just as indoctrinated in that culture as he is, and I’ve been volunteering with the Denton County A&M Mothers Club ever since.

The Aggies have a funny saying, “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it.  From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”  Texas A&M and the Aggie Spirit have a way of grabbing you and making you feel like you’re home…like this is the group you should have always belonged to.  You wonder why it took you so long to find it.  And if you’re lucky enough to be born into it, you can’t imagine ever belonging anywhere else.  The Aggie network is a brotherhood and sisterhood of all Aggies.  They recognize each other from across the room and they are drawn to each other to share their love for that little school on the Brazos.  It’s not so little now, boasting some 50,000 students, but it still feels like home.

One really unique feature of Texas A&M is the Aggie Moms clubs.  The first club was started in 1921 when the mother of one of the students decided there was no female influence on the young men attending what was then an all-male, all-military school.  The mom’s club started by bringing some welcome home-cooking to the cadets and staff, and has since evolved into a far-reaching organization that supports the school, provides thousands of dollars in scholarships every year, and so much more.  I’ve met so many wonderful ladies through this organization, many with children who graduated long ago.  That’s why I signed up to help with the Aggie Mom Boutique four years ago, and I’m still at it!

This past weekend was  Texas A&M’s annual Parents’ Weekend, where the school invites the Aggie families to spend a few days on campus touring classrooms, attending banquets and awards ceremonies, and, of course, spending money that helps this fine educational establishment.  One of the things parents spend money on is the Aggie Moms Boutique, a craft show to end all craft shows featuring none other than…you guessed it…everything “Aggie” that you can imagine.  Picture two huge ballrooms full of maroon – it’s hard to imagine!

As the Co-Chairs of this year’s Boutique for Denton County, my partner, Alisa, and I were responsible for filling up 5 tables with assorted products of our choice, which you can see below.  Alisa and I made some of these items, and some were purchased or were donated by other Aggie Moms from Denton county.  In our booth we had etched glassware (a huge hit!), decorated picture frames, some altered windows, hand knitted items, sterling silver charms and other jewelry, Christmas ornaments, and, of course, fliers for our Fundraiser Cruise.

So why did I share all of this with you today?  Well, for inspiration, of course!  Maybe you’ll be inspired to check out Texas A&M University for yourself.  Or maybe you can start one of these unique clubs for your school to raise money for scholarships.  You might even be inspired by some of the crafty things we’ve made – you don’t have to make them maroon!

To get an up-close peek at some of our crafty projects, visit our photo album here.

P.S.  If you or your organization is interested in participating in or organizing a fundraiser cruise, please contact me at Crafty Neighbor Travel!  I would love to help you with a cruise, or you are welcome to join ours!

Belated Happy New Year!

I’m a bit late, but I just wanted to send out a “Happy New Year” and a thank all you crafty folk for your continued support of the crafting industry, and especially for your support of Crafty Neighbor by attending our events, following us on Facebook, reading my blog, and by sharing your love of crafting with your friends and family.  I hope you had a fabulous 2015!  It was a good year for Crafty Neighbor, and I'm looking forward to many more fun events in 2016!

A sneak peak at my new "SmashPlanner", which I'll share in an upcoming post.

Every year, around this time, I choose a Word of the Year to live by.  It helps me stay focused on my intentions.  More than a resolution, it is a philosophy that I try to apply to every aspect of my life.  You can read more about my Word of the Year here on my blog, but I wanted to share a bit about this year's word, and how it applies to you, too.  This year, the word I chose was DECLUTTER.

My intention in choosing this word was to spend my year getting rid of all the stuff I don’t need, cleaning up, sorting, and organizing what I do need, and maybe, finally getting to all those unfinished projects.  After further thought, I decided that the word I really needed was SIMPLIFY, because that really encompasses both decluttering, organization, time management, and so much more. So my challenge to myself is to finish the craft room, complete all of the unfinished projects, and get rid of all the things that are cluttering up my life.  That means if I don’t love it, I need to get rid of it!  I’m going to try not to start any new projects until I’ve finished some of these old ones, and I am not going to buy anything new except to resupply stock of basics as they run out.  This year is going to be a year of getting organized and of eliminating some of the excess stuff that is cluttering up my workspace, my computer, and my life.

One of the most obvious ways I'll be getting rid of clutter is by hosting the Crafty Neighbor semi-annual scrapbook garage sale.  I'll also be holding more classes this year, more crops, and I'll even be offering up some kits and supplies for sale online.  As I declutter the craft room, I will be adding more tables and space for more croppers so we can expand our classes and have a little more room at our Thursday Mother's Day Out and weekend crops.  And best of all, I’ll be offering a simpler, less expensive version of our annual scrapbooking cruise – our brand new Crafty Neighbor Scrap Cruise LITE!

So thanks again for reading my blog, and I hope you’ll stick around for another year!  Finishing all these unfinished projects means I’ll have lots of stuff to share with you here on the blog, and even if you’re not local to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I hope you’ll be able to make it to some of our events, which I’ve listed below.

Happy New Year and Happy Crafting!

Cindy
Crafty Neighbor

Semi-Annual Scrapbook Garage Sale

Sellers have a wide variety of scrapbooking supplies to sell at our semi-annual Scrapbook Garage Sale.  There are always good bargains to be found!
Saturday, February 13
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
6001 Summerside Drive
Dallas, Texas 75252

3^rd Wednesday Stamp Club
Join us on the 3^rd Wednesday of each month for a fun evening of stamping and exploring new techniques here at Crafty Neighbor Studios in Carrollton.  Each month, Stampin’ Up! demonstrator Barbara King will share 1-4 fun cards and projects highlighting new techniques and Stampin’ Up! products.  A minimum purchase is required to participate.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Crafty Neighbor Studios
Carrollton 75007

Crafty Neighbor Scrapbooking Cruises
Register for one of our exciting scrapbooking and crafting cruises!  Our cruises feature fabulous food, friends, family, and tons of fun! Don't scrapbook? No problem. We still offer fabulous all-inclusive cruise pricing for your personal or family vacation getaway.

Crafty Neighbor Scrap Cruise LITE
October 5 – 8, 2016
Carnival Liberty - Galveston, TX
Progreso, Cozumel
Starting at $478* per person

10^th Annual Scrapbooking Cruise
January 8 – 15, 2017

Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas - Galveston, TX

Honduras, Belize, Cozumel
Starting at $758* per person

For more information on these and other events
Website: http://www.craftyneighbor.com
Meetup.com:  http://www.meetup.com/craftyneighbor/

You can also find us on
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/craftyneighbor
Or email:  info@craftyneighbor.com

Interactive Mini Album

On our last day of the birthday contest, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite scrapbooking projects from our cruise – this gorgeous mini album designed by Karrie Allen of Scrapp’n Savvy. 

Karrie joined our team of instructors for this cruise, and I have to say she has been a fabulous addition to our group!  You can read all about her here, but I wanted to share that I’m really excited she will be joining us again for our next Crafty Neighbor Scrapbooking Cruise* sailing in January 2017.

I think I mentioned earlier in the week that I am driving down to Spring, Texas to hang out with Karrie (and a few of our new cruise friends).  The intention is to finish some of the many projects I started on the cruise, but did not have time to finish, like this album. 

I don’t know why, but I always bring a bunch of stuff to work on while I’m cruising, and I wind up being so busy playing hostess, running contests, teaching classes and make-n-takes, etc., that I just don’t ever get much done.  This year I brought my Christmas cards (I did start on them) as well as my art journal and Bible journal, neither of which I ever touched.  Of course, if I left it all at home, the universe would conspire to give me tons of free time with no projects to work on, so I’ll just keep lugging this stuff around just in case, and I’ll gladly bring my unfinished workshop kits with me as an excuse to go visit my new friends I made on the last cruise. 

So hopefully this mini album is what I’m working on today as you are reading this, or maybe I’ve already finished it (wouldn’t that be nice?!).  Either way, I wanted to share it with you because it’s been a truly awesome project, and I just love all the detailed elements Karrie added to it.  I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for next year!

That's it for today.  Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog and then go enter the birthday contest.  You can find more info under the “Cruises, Crops and More” tab above.  Until then, please enjoy more pictures of this fabulous album!

*Not to be confused with our new Crafty Neighbor Scrap Cruise Lite sailing October 3-8, 2016.