Regardless of what type of event you will be attending, an all day crop, a weekend retreat or a convention, pre-planning is essential to a successful get-away. By pre-planning you will not only be able to get more done, but you will also lighten your load. Remember that THE SCRAP SHACK will be onsite for your shopping convenience, so don't bring everything you own, you know you will be shopping for all the latest, greatest products.
REMEMBER that there will be multiple people at a table - all your supplies MUST fit on or under your table. You cannot block the walkways or between the tables.
STEP 1: SELECT WHICH PHOTOS TO BRING - Pre-planning will help you determine which photos to bring and which ones to leave home. Decide what you want to work on. Bring the photos that speak to you - the ones that quickly evoke emotion and bring a tear or a smile to your face. These are the one you will want to crop since you'll be inspired and eager to work on them. The photos that do nothing for you will only cause you stress and you'll sit and spin, wondering what you want to journal, how you want to lay them out, etc.
STEP 2: PULL TOGETHER PAGE KITS - Groups of co-ordinated patterned paper and cardstock, embellishments, stickers, etc, are a must for any retreat. Page kits will save you time and help you get more accomplished during your retreat than you thought possible. You won't need to bring every paper you own, as you have already chosen them. All you need to do is select the photos and the papers that go with them.
STEP 3: DETERMINE HOW MANY PAGES YOU WILL COMPLETE - The number of pages you will complete in a weekend depends on how much time you will be actually scrapbooking. If your pages are very detailed and take you several hours to complete, you won't need to bring as many supplies as someone whose layouts are simple and completed within 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remember that classes, talking, looking at other peoples work, shopping, eating, etc will all compete for your time. You'll want to decide how much time you are going to spend scrapbooking. It's always a good idea to bring more planned pages than you think you'll need because running out of stuff to work on while on a scrapbooking weekend could be a bummer. If you don't get all your pages done, you will have a good start on some pages when you get home. By organizing your pages, you will actually be bringing less, have less to carry, but get more layouts completed.
