Soon the new year will be here

Ready or not the new year will be here soon.

I have goals for next year that I hope will make me more organized. I wrote these tasks in my calendar to help me stay on track. Now I will tell you so then I need to be accountable. (in case you ask me about my progress at retreat)

Goal #1: To download and organize all pictures from my camera the last day of every month. I have been good at downloading but not organizing. Well, my downloading is not all that great either. I don't delete them off my camera until I make two back ups of the pictures. So when I do download the pictures, sometimes I get the same picture many times. This has caused a huge mess for me. 2011 I have been working on organizing my digital pictures. First I have them organized by year (complete). Now I will go in and organize them by month (in process) and delete the duplicates. Then I will mark if I have scrapbooked/printed them yet. Then when I need to print pictures, I know what to pick. Recently I printed pictures then found I had already printed them. Nothing like wasting money.

Goal #2: To keep these blog postings up to date. 2011 seemed to be hard for us to keep this up to date. I have had planned blog postings since mid August, but have you seen them yet! (They will be coming very soon)

Goal #3: To MAIL the birthday cards on time. As of today, I have made 58 of the 105 cards I need to make for 2012 birthdays. Last year I made all the cards in the beginning of the year also. I have them sorted by month in a box. Somehow I still never get the cards mailed on time. Addressing them is my problem. It doesn't take long but I just cannot seem to get it done. My hubby suggests that I print all the address labels now then I only need to change the ones that move. So I will try that. What could be easier then sticking a label on and walking to the mailbox. I was trying to convince him that since I make the cards, his job should be sending them. So far he is not going for this idea. :0)

That is plenty of goals for me. Others are minor, like continuing to ride my bike 3-4 times a week. That one I have to wait until my doctor releases me to ride the bike again. Currently I am restricted to the stationary bike. That is a lot harder for me then the real bike, outdoors. - Sigh - soon though, soon.


In early December, my mother and I attended a crop in Bixby, OK (south Tulsa). We got so much accomplished. It was wonderful. I completed 13 two page layouts from scratch and 5 two page layouts that I only needed to stick pictures on plus 21 birthday cards. I am trying to make myself make cards every time I complete a layout. I already have all the matching cardstock and embellishments out - why not. So maybe that is a goal for 2012 too. We had a great time.
Hopefully these layouts will be in future blog postings.

At the end of January, Pat and I will be attending CHA in Anahiem, CA. We are so excited. (only 34 days left). So you should see some postings from that. We hope to learn lots to share with you at the Spring Retreat.

Till next time, keep scrapping.
- Dora

Pre-register for the 2KatieDesigns layout class

We have invited 2KatieDesigns back to teach another fantastic layout class at the Fall Retreat.


Come learn tips and techniques while completing this 2 page layout.
You will get a whole set of alphabets so the title can be changed to fit your theme.

This class will be on Saturday, October 22nd at 10:15am. The cost is $15. Sign up using the paypal button on the right side of this page.

There are a limited number of seats to complete the class at retreat with 2KatieDesigns. They will also have some kits to sell.

Pre-register now before the seats fill up.

Moving to a new location

For past few years, Croppin’ Train Scrapbook Retreats have been held at the Embassy Suites in Rogers, Arkansas. The Embassy Suites has taken really good care of us, and we have enjoyed each of our Retreats.

We are often contacted by other venues, with an interest in moving a Retreat to their facility. Until now, we have not seen anything that would compare to the Embassy Suites.

The Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Springdale, however, has undergone major renovations over the past few years, and we have designated them as our host hotel for the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 Croppin’ Train Scrapbook Retreats. This Holiday Inn is owned by the same company that owns Embassy Suites in Rogers.

Following is an excerpt of a recent news article, detailing the renovations:

The $6.5 million, multi-year renovation was executed in three phrases, modernizing the guest rooms, redesigning the public spaces and restaurant, and upgrading the 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Guest rooms and suites now include 36-inch flat screen TVs equipped with cable/satellite. Bathrooms were updated and rooms redesigned to provide work areas. High-speed wireless internet access is throughout the hotel. The lobby, pool, business and fitness centers were all revamped and Precor Fitness exercise equipment added. The hotel features a 24/7 ‘snack area’, adjacent to the front desk.

The Northwest Arkansas Holiday Inn & Convention Center is located at 1500 S. 48th Street in Springdale, at the intersection of Hwys 540 and 412.

Croppin' Train Perks

In addition to the Holiday Inn’s renovations and upgrades in their facility, some of the perks they are offering Croppin’ Train attendees are:

—Reserved carts for Crop Room only!

—Microwave In the Crop Room for emergency pop corn, coffee, tea, etc.

—Electrical available for each Crop group

—Meals (with Salads) will be served in a reserved area, solely for Croppin’ Train attendees.

Retreat Week-ends:

· October 21-23, 2011

· March 30-April 1, 2012

Baseball 2010

I attended a class at Signed, Sealed and Delivered and created this layout. I put Diamond Glaze on the "STAR" of "ALL STAR" to make it stand out. We used the Sewing Heads by We R Memory Keepers to stitch a baseball stitch on the white piece of the left page. I like the effect. We will have these stitching templates at the next retreat or you can go to their website and download it.

Embellish It and My Craft Channel

Are you familier with Embellish It? I received the following info from her today:

To celebrate the launch of My Craft Channel, with a line-

up of 20 expert shows, I get to help give away 20 Cricut Machines in 20 Days.

The really amazing thing is that by helping spread the word today, YOU could WIN not just a Cricut, but a Cricut

E2 Machine!

NOTE: This giveaway is being hosted on the My Craft Channel blog.
To be eligible to WIN the Cricut, you can do the following 5 things:
Even better, you can enter the drawing for each of these things you do (so, do all 5 and you can enter 5 times!)

Make sure you leave a comment here for each thing you do

* You have until midnight PST tonight to enter for the Cricut E2

ONE | LIKE my Facebook page
TWO | LIKE Cricut on Facebook (I think we owe them this)
THREE | LIKE the My Craft Channel on Facebook
FOUR | Forward this email to 5 of your friends
FIVE | Facebook, tweet or blog about me or my new venture coming this fall on My Craft Channel

Mr. Personality

I created this layout using some Kaisercraft paper we sold a few retreats ago. The actual layout design is from the Sketch books that we sold at the last retreat. I LOVE those books for inspiration. Go here to get your own or let is know you want them and we will try to get them at the next retreat.
This layout is about my nephew. He was 13 months old. He made the funniest faces and stills does. It may be hard to tell in these pictures, but he has an Elvis look in one of them. :)

Party at Grandma's House

Ok, this layout isn't quite finished but I wanted to share it anyway. I used paper from a My Mind's Eye paper pad called Twinkle Twinkle Little Boy. This paper made me think of floors in a house.

Take note of two new Stampin' Up products that I am excited about. One is the brown scallop polka dotted ribbon. I have it across both pages. Also there is a new punch that is awesome. You can see it best on the second page below, on the flip book I made, but it is on both pages.

I just need to add a title and a CD of the videos I took of the babies.

Leave a comment of title suggestions.

CHA Day 2

We are SO wiped out. Sorry this post will be weak. Hopefully we will make up for it this weekend. :)

This is what was in a prize box that I received just for being the "timer" during a Minute to Craft It event. As I was pulling things out of this box, it seemed to be never ending. Can't wait to see who wins some of this at retreat...

This is a picture of the make and takes and some gifts I received today. Only thing missing is a little banner we made. We had to rush to the booth giving prizes away so we didn't get to finish the project. I will finish it then post a picture.

The headband uses the iTop tool.

The halloween bag uses the new sew ribbon tool by We R Memory Keepers. You may see that this retreat.

The door hanger uses Harry Potter paper and another project that I asked a couple of times but they didn't explain it at all. Great huh!

There is a little white box from Spellbinders.

A file folder from Tattered Angels and Prima. (love their new products)

The turquiose rectangle is made from sheets of duck tape. Neat.

We decorated a scissor holstor and received a pair of scissors to go inside.

I also made a ring using melt art and mold and pour. Neat technique.

The gray bag is from Silhouette and we die-cut flocking sheets and they ironed it on the bag.

We R Memory Keepers has new Sweetheart Inkers. This picture has an exclusive silver inker.

I will have to share the rest with you at retreat. :)

CHA - Day 1 for Croppin' Train

A Fun Day 1.

First, Dora took a class and used the new Cinch, Sew Easy, Brad Setter, and the Heart Attack. We made a 6x6 book with pocket pages and note pages. You might see something like this at a future retreat.

Then Melissa and Dora took a class on Asian Knot Tying. I don't have a picture yet, but will soon. It was a neat technique.

Then we went to the Navy Pier and rode the Ferris Wheel. That was cool. 15 stories high.

About to leave for the airport to head to CHA in Chicago. So excited here!!!

T-Ball 2009

This layout is of T-Ball practice. I cut the title from the Baseball Cricut cartridge (which we have at retreat for you to use). The base paper has printed stitching around the edge and I purchased it at Hobby Lobby.

K.I.S.S. Summer Fun Crop

Dora and her mom attended the K.I.S.S. Summer Fun Crop in Siloam Springs back in early June. It was a lot of fun and they got a lot completed. They also won some great prizes (look at all that paper/cardstock they got below) and got a few ideas for the next retreat we host. What was neat is that all proceeds from this crop went to Joplin families and volunteers.

Dora's Room - Day 7

My punches are propped up on curtain rods that we mounted on my wall. I love that they are out where I can see them and remember I have them. I like the design of the new punches except they do not work for this type of storage. I will have to come up with something else. The little buckets hanging on the ends hold the punches that are too small for the curtain rods, like the 1/2" circle punch. And one is holding the glimmer mist at the moment.


I saved my favorite for last. This is a zoomed in picture of my Ikea shelf. The bins with the the circles are from Lowes and the solid blue ones are from Ikea. Each bin is labeled with its contents. When I purged my room, I divided the undone kits from the completed kits that just need pictures to the paper collections. I also have a bin for Cricut, Slice, card making supplies, tools, and two for Glimmer Mist. Now when I go to crops, I can just go to whichever bin and pull projects. One of my bins has packs I put together that have the paper and pictures together. That is the easiest one to pull when I am ready for a day of scrapbooking.

Dora's Room - Day 6

This is the corner of my room that is opposite of the closet. I love my shelf from IKEA. It was well worth the money. I have four squares of stamp sets. I am slowly converting them to cling mount and hope to get that down to two squares. I store my scrapbooks on top of my shelf. In front of my shelf is where I store my solid 12x12 cardstock.

Dora's Room - Day 5

This is my closet. I hope it doesn't look too crazy. We took the doors off and added shelves to it when we moved in. I have lots of bins and drawers and everything has its own place. I also made sure the lowest shelf would still allow my rolling drawer carts to fit underneath.

Dora's Room - Day 4

This is my computer desk. I have my scanner and color printer on top. My laptop and natural light lamp on the desk top and the keyboard and mouse in the drawer. I love this desk most of the time. Sometimes the desk top is too small for what I need to do. But then I bring in a TV tray. :)

Dora's Room - Day 3

I have a nice ink rack that I purchased online years ago. (Actually I have two) It holds Stampin' Up ink and other ink pads very well. I am even storing a sponge wedge temporarily on one of them in this picture. :o) This one is on my scrapbook desk. The other is on top of the desk with retired colors and my Powder Puff inks on it.


This is a shelf I purchased at Sam's Club. It comes with the bins too. This one is a mix of office supplies and craft supplies. I love to have my bins labeled so I know where everything is.

Dora's Room - Day 2

I was so lucky one day to find a brand new kitchen cart at Helping Hands for only $75. I have been wanting one and they are normally $100+ and shipping. I store my Sizzix, Cinch and some Sizzix dies of the shelves. I don't have anything in the drawer yet. I have my baby laptop and the xyron inside the door of the cabinet. On top is my cricut and gypsy. This was the main purpose for this cabinet. I had to keep my cricut boxed up. So I rarely used it. Now it is ready to use anytime.

Dora's Room - Day 1

I will post a series of pictures of my room. I just finished purging the whole room. It feels good and I now remember what all I have and know where it is. (At least for a month or two) ha ha


First picture is a zoomed in look at my scrapbook desk my husband built me. I have pegboard as the "wall" so all my tools I use a lot and are easy to loose on a desk are up there. I also have my watercolor crayons handy in a votive holder. In another votive holder I have other handy tools: rulers, bone folder, stylus, pencils and pens, eraser, fan brush, etc.
Later in my series of pictures, I will show a zoomed out picture of the whole desk.

Sunshine Layout

This is a summer layout from a birthday party last year. The kids couldn't get the slip and slide to stay wet so they put it at the end of the slide on the playground and attached the hose to the top. Clever and lots of fun ahead...

I used Rusted Sun by Fancy Pants. I just love their patterned paper.
The "fun in the sun" on the picture is a rub on that matched this collection.

Meet the new Samsung Galazy Tab 10.1. Fall in love

I canot wait to get my hands on one of these. Chick on the link below to help me win one.

http://bit.ly/k6DJoY

Croppin' Train Express - August 6th, 2011

We will be hosting another Crop Express on August 6th in Bentonville. We will set the exact location as the event gets closer.

The Express event will start at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, and run until midnight! Lots of croppin' time for you! Registration is just $25.00 per person, and includes snacks, lunch, dinner, beverage (2 liter of your choice), your very own 6' table, and access to a Cricut Expression machine, with over 80 cartridges!

You will find a PayPal link for Croppin' Train Express registration on the right side of the main page of our blog. We will confirm your registration via email.

Due to the limited number of seats available at an Express event, we will close registration on Monday, August 1st. Don't delay - register today! :)

June 4th Crop Express

Join us for our next Crop Express on June 4th

Scrapbook from 9am to midnight. We will provide lunch, dinner, snacks and a 2 liter of your choice or water. Plus you will have your very own 8' table to crop at.

We'll have two Cricut machines and lots of cartridges. We'll also bring a variety of textured cardstock and adhesive for sale if you need any basics. If you would like us to bring any of our other tools, please let us know.

All this for just $25. You can register by mailing a check, using Paypal (button on the right side of this blog) or by calling with a credit card.

Sign up now as spots are limited.

Location: Extension Office on HWY 102, near jail.

Join me here

National Scrapbooking Day Crop Express

May 7th is National Scrapbooking Day so we HAVE to have a Crop Express. :o)

Scrapbook from 9am to midnight. We will provide lunch, dinner, snacks and a 2 liter of your choice or water. Plus you will have your very own 6' table to crop at.

We'll have two Cricut machines and lots of cartridges. We'll also bring a variety of textured cardstock and adhesive for sale if you need any basics. If you would like us to bring any of our other tools, please let us know.

In addition to the normal offerings listed above, we will have some special things in honor of the day:

We will giveaway door prizes.
You will receive a layout kit.
and more...

All this for just $25. You can register by mailing a check, using Paypal (button on the right side of this blog) or by calling with a credit card.

Sign up now as spots are limited.

This will be held at the Bentonville Police Station

Quote

Someone posted this on Facebook...

nothing is impossible...the word its self says "I'm possible"

Cricut Chatter

The NEW Cricut Expression 2 Anniversary Edition will be highlighted on HSN on Tuesday, April 26, during the following times (all times EASTERN): Midnight - 2:00 a.m.; 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m.; 11:00 a.m. - Noon; 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Watch the HSN schedule as they will sometimes change these times.

If you want to be one of the first to see it, you'll need to watch your clock on Monday night, April 25. Central time zone - tune in at 11:00 p.m.; Mountain time zone - tune in at 10:00 p.m.; Pacific time zone - tune in at 9:00 p.m.

So what's new about this "new" Cricut Expression 2 (CE2)?

Pre-Loaded Cartridges: It will come pre-loaded with Cricut Essentials, Cricut American Alphabet, Cricut Decals, and Just a Note! The Cricut Decals and Just a Note are exclusive to the CE2. Just a Note was designed by Cosmo Cricket.

LDC TOUCH SCREEN: Larger, faster, full-color LCD touch screen display with stylus.

NO KEYPAD OVERLAY REQUIRED! Mat Preview: See shapes you're cutting and where they fit on the mat before you cut. (Similar to using the Gypsy.)

Materials Profile: Choose a default setting for materials you like to cut OR customize a material setting just the way you like it.

Load Mat: There are now brackets on either side of the loading area to make sure your mat stays in place.

Cartridges: It will use both the regular Cricut and Imagine cartridges. You cannot print the Imagine cartridges, but you can cut the images!

Cutting-area Light: A light under the cutting blade to let you see where you're cutting on the mat.

Layered View: See ALL creative features and layers right on the screen, including shift layers. NO NEED to keep referring back to the handbook!

Wrapping: Fit a sequence of images or letters to a specific length by wrapping them onto more than one line or mat.

Independent Image Sizing: Size each image on a mat on its own. (Similar to using the Gypsy.)

Apply All: Apply all of the edits (scale, flip, rotate, etc.) you do for one image to all images on a mat at the same with just one button.

This machine was first introduced in January, and is just now being made available to the general public.

There are several blogs that have announcements and videos for the new CE2. One of the more informative videos (approximately 20 minutes) can be found here: www.mypinkstamper.com/2011/03/cricut-expression-2-anniversary-edition.html.

I haven't seen any pricing yet, but will keep you posted as more information becomes available!

Spring 2011 - Overall Winner

This stunning layout was the overall winner at the Spring 2011 Retreat. It took about two hours to hand-cut all of those little squares. Congratulations - thanks for sharing such beautiful work!

Spring 2011 - Winning "Other" Project

Cindy Tyner won for the best "other " project. She created this adorable mini-album entitled "Summer". Congratulations Cindy!

Spring 2011-Winning Scrapbook Layout

Randee Hallmark had the winning layout at the Spring 2011 Retreat. The banner on the left-side page was created using the Tie The Knot Cricut cartridge. Congratulations Randee!

Spring 2011 Retreat - Done!

Well, the Spring 2011 Retreat has all been boxed up and put away. We'll rest a bit, and then start preparing for our Fall 2011 Retreat.* (*More news about that retreat in a separate post). We had a wonderful week-end, with 43 people in attendance! We had croppers from Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and, of course, Arkansas! Mary Ellen created name tags in the shape of the state to represent each cropper. It was fun to see where everyone traveled from. As usual, we gave away lots of fun prizes, and free goodies! Dora taught a class on a 'waterfall' technique that was used on the free layout kit. I demoed how to stamp on your pictures, a technique that was used in the Early Bird layout kit. We also gave each cropper a mini magnetic bulletin board kit, and a test tube candy holder kit. 2Katies, a local design team, came on Saturday afternoon and taught a beautiful 2-page layout class. This was an optional, extra, class that people could purchase if they wanted. Saturday night we had our layout contest. We had 27 entries - lots of layouts and a few cards, mini-books, etc. All of the entries were awesome, but the winners were truly works of art! We'll post those in a separate, photo-heavy, post. Sunday comes awfully fast! All too soon it was time to give away the last round of door prizes, the grand prize, and then the "big" grand prize! :) At this Retreat, we gave away an Ott lite - many people have been asking about them, so we gave away a small one that can be used for travel - like coming to a crop! Our "big" grand prize is always a "free ride" on the next Croppin' Train. This time, Dana Reed, a first-time attendee, won the free ride. Dana - we look forward to seeing you again in the Fall! We hope everyone enjoyed themselves, and that you got a few things accomplished, too! All of us at Croppin' Train truly appreciate your attendance at any Croppin' Train event, and hope to see each of you again soon! Thanks for riding with us!! Pat

CRICUT ALERT!

Many of you have asked about 'good places' to buy Cricut products. We can sometimes offer sale pricing, but there's a few websites out there that you want to keep an eye on. One of them - www.allthingscricut.com - is having some great bargains right now. Be sure and check them out today -I don't know how long their current prices will be in effect.

Spring 2011 Shirts

Our new shirts are here - and we are so excited...

S-XL are $10 and 2XL-5XL are $12

Another Sneak Peek!

For everyone that fully pays their registration early, we like to thank you with an extra layout kit. This Spring's layout kit will be using Vanilla, Black and Turqouise, with the following picture sizes: (1) 4x6 or 6x4, and (3) 3x3. You can do some stamping on this - you can even stamp directly onto your pictures if you'd like. The kit also includes two pre-cut Cricut pieces.

“It’s the Little Things”

We are pleased to offer a third class opportunity for you this Spring retreat.

Join the 2 Katie’s of 2 Katie Designs for this fabulous 2 page layout class! This class will be on Saturday at 4pm.

They will focus on making pages fabulous while still quickly scrappin’ those 4x6 snap shots! Join them to create this memorable two page layout featuring a newly released paper line from Fancy Pants Designs. Capture the “little things” in your life while learning fresh scrapbook techniques that will leave you inspired and motivated to scrapbook the memories that are often forgotten.

This class is for an additional fee of $15. Click the paypal button to the right to sign up and pay for this class.

Spring 2011 Retreat Class Layout Teaser

It was requested last retreat to let you know what colors we are using for the class layouts you receive. Great Idea!

The layout kit is a Springy layout. The colors are yellow, orange, pink, red, green, cream. Lots of colors as you can tell.

You will need these photos: a 4x4 or 5x5 and seven 2x2's and a 4x4 and a 2.5x3.75

It features an interactive waterfall technique for the photos. We will have an actual class on how to construct this piece on Saturday of retreat at 10:30am.

We are excited to share this technique with you.

Spring 2011 Retreat

We only have 10 spots left for the Spring 2011 Retreat. If you haven't signed up yet or if your friend hasn't, now is the time.

Challenge

Read this article then post what you create with this technique.

Learn more about overlaying textures onto your photos to enhance the stories you're telling.

I can't wait to see what you create

What Can You Expect

We want to invite you to attend the Croppin' Train Scrapbook Retreat week-end.

We are excited to have the retreat back at the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Rogers, AR. This venue is easily accessible from the highway, and is very centrally located to a variety of food establishments and other shopping areas. Signed, Sealed and Delivered is directly across the street. 

For those that have not attended a Croppin' Train event in the past, here's what you can expect.

Friday:
The week-end ride begins at noon. Pick out your very own 8' table (let us know if you want to be seated with a particular group of croppers) and set up your work area. A little later in the evening, when most people have arrived, we'll introduce ourselves, pass out the Welcome Aboard goodie bags, and take a brief tour of both the Supply Depot and Boxcar Store. You can crop as late as you want.

Saturday:
If you are staying in the hotel, you can start the morning off with a hearty breakfast (we have to fortify ourselves for all that scrapbooking!). The crop room will open at 7:30am. Throughout the day, we'll offer demonstrations of new products or techniques at our Demonstration Station. If there's a product or a technique you are particularly interested in, please email us before the retreat so we can try and include it in our demonstrations. 

Sunday:
This is always a short day. The crop room will open at 7:30am. After breakfast (if you are staying in the hotel), you'll want to give yourself that 'last-minute' push to get more scrapbooking done. We'll draw for the final ticket prizes, and get you all on the road by 2:00 p.m.

Door Prizes
We like getting prizes when we attend events, so we want to make sure you get lots of prizes at a Croppin' Train event. In addition to prizes, you'll also win tickets throughout the week-end. You can use those tickets to try and win your favorite prizes on Sunday. These are special prizes that will be put out Friday night; we'll draw a ticket for some prizes on Saturday and the rest on Sunday. You do need to be present on Sunday to receive the ticket-prizes.

Supply Depot
We are proud to offer one of the best Supply Depots in the area! We want to make sure you have all the basics, plus several 'cool tools', at your disposal - and you don't have to bring them from home! You'll find a substantial listing of available tools on the website. Check it out periodically - we are continually updating it with new tools, stamps, etc.

Boxcar Store
We celebrated the Grand Opening of our Boxcar Store at the Spring 2008 Retreat. We are able to offer an impressive array of products -- cardstock, designer paper, fibers, embellisments, alterables, storage / organization items, etc. -- at very low prices (at least 15% off MRSP)! Again, if there's a particular product you are interested in, please email us before the Retreat and we'll see if we can make the item(s) available for you. 

Classes

You will receive layout materials for two classes. We will have a tool area set up specifically for these class kits and have samples to view while you are at the retreat. These classes can be completed at your own leisure. And we are there to help you while you work too.

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” — Mary Lou Cook