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Greetings!
With so much non-scrapbooking excitement leading up to the September crop, we're sure you are like us and can't wait to sit down and enjoy a weekend all to yourself!
There is a lot to cover as we get ready for the crop, which is just two weeks away! We hope you sit back and enjoy reading this newsletter, particularly the really helpful journaling tips from Joanna Campbell Slan.
See you soon!
The Crops Plus Team
PO Box 2041
Arlington, VA 22202
703-260-6105
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September Scrapbooking Tip
Jump start your journaling!
Last month, we had a chance to sit down with Joanna Campbell Slan, the author of the Kiki Lowenstein scrapbooking murder mystery series. She was kind enough to share with us some of her tried and true methods for journaling. Whether you're looking for ways to spice yours up or wanting inspiration to start - this is the place! As Joanna says "SOMETHING is better than nothing, and ANYTHING (no matter how small) is a start on something."
First, from a practical perspective, try not to journal at the same time that you are scrapbooking. It requires two different sides of the brain. Joanna suggests setting aside your layouts and then going back and journaling several at a time using the following methods:
1) Keep it simple and short
At the very least, you can start with the Who, Where, What, Why, When and How. Generally, It's a good idea to name the folks in the picture, explain where and why it was taken and try to pin down a date. Think of your pages generations from now. These are the answers to the most important questions.
2) Mindmapping/Brainstorming
Mindmapping is the best way to hang on to elusive ideas and dredge up nearly forgotten information. Try to write your subject or topic in the middle of the paper. Draw spokes radiating out from that subject and try to fill in the spokes as quickly as possible. Then use your notes to write your journaling.
3) Where do I begin?
There is no ONE perfect place to start any written piece. You just have to start SOMEWHERE. Here are some ways you can get started:
- Chronologically - "My first experience with snorkeling was when..."
- Quotation - Always a favorite with scrapbookers, Google quotations regarding your current sentiments
- Description - "Here is a picture of the bedroom I grew up in as a child."
- Result - If the result is more important than the starting point, start at the end. "We had no idea what mess it would create to clean the garage."
- Statement of fact - Is there one idea you really want to get across? Start with that. "This was the best vacation ever."
- Be contrary - Why might your thoughts differ from others?
"I realize most people wouldn't like an ugly sweater like this, but I do. Here's why..." - Retrospective - What do you know now that you didn't know originally? "This was taken before just before he proposed..."
- Share something your reader wouldn't know from the photo. "Looking at mom, you would never guess that such a strong woman was barely 5 feet tall!"
4) The Middles
Now that you have found your starting point, are you wondering what to do next? You can fill in the next space several ways.
- Details - For example, if writing about your childhood bedroom, you can write about your bed, your dresser, the decor, etc. You might even include them as a list.
- Expansion - Describe the details. Write about the colors, sizes, textures and smells "Our bedspreads were made of Chenille, pale pink and knobby fringe around the edges."
- Explanation - Share something not immediately apparent. Or tell the reader "Why" - "Chenille was pretty popular back then."
- Change - Describe how things have changed from the photo. "Eventually, mom repainted the dresser blue and put it in my brother's room."
- Repeat - Start over with another detail and take it through steps all over again
5) In Conclusion
Most people finish the middle of their journaling and are relieved that it's "over". That's unfortunate because the ending is the best part. It's where you tell how you have grown, what you think or what you've learned. Here are some good ways to make summaries and conclusions:
- Highlight things that have changed "I remember the day you were born - and here you are, a graduate!"
- Share what you have learned "I don't think I will ever be making that trip again"
- Conclude your journaling with a wish "I hope your marriage will be as joyful and happy as ours has been."
- A summary observation "It's clear to see you have set high goals for yourself."
Courtesy of Joanna Campbell Slan
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September Grand Prize and Raffle
Stayed tuned on Facebook to win extra raffle tickets.
We are offering bigger and better prizes than ever! In addition to our table gifts (which are very exciting!!), we have prizes for our bingo and treasure hunt, door prizes AND our grand prize! The grand prize for the September crop is a $150 gift certificate to AC Moore! Imagine the scrapbooking supplies you can guy with that!
We finally have all the products in for the raffle and you are going to be blown away at how much stuff there is! We have products from: American Crafts, Cricut, Xyron, We R Memory Keepers, SEI, DCWV, Prima Flowers, Basic Grey, Martha Stewart, Tim Holtz, Queen and Company, magazines, 7 Gypsies, Jolees, ColorBox, Making Memories, Kaisercraft, Autumn Leaves and more! PLUS, the winner will receive $100 of her favorite adhesive and a rolling tote! This is surely a raffle not to be missed!
We have begun our weekly contests on Facebook to win extra raffle tickets. Make sure you check our Facebook page on Wednesdays for the contests.
Every attendee at the crop will receive a free raffle ticket and can win more throughout the crop weekend. You can also win tickets before the crop by participating in sketch contests, contests in the newsletter (like the one in this newsletter!) and Facebook, registering for classes and more. You must be present at the September crop to win the raffle package.
We do everything we can to send you home happy!
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September Crop Card Drive
Give your best to America's best!
 We had such success with the food drive we conducted in April, that we thought we would capitalize on the generosity of our scrapbookers again.
Many of you may have heard about a recent card drive with We R Memory Keepers to benefit an organization called Operation Write Home. We thought that this was a great idea!
Operation Write Home is an organization that provides blank and themed cards to troops serving overseas, who can in turn mail the cards with sentiments back to their families and loved ones. Think of it as a Hero's Hallmark store. How nice would it be for a soldier to send a birthday card to his/her child, spouse, parent etc! We will be collecting handmade cards all weekend. For every completed card you donate by 11am on Sunday, September 18th, you will get an extra ticket for the rolling tote raffle! If you are not interested in providing blank cards, you can also write a card or letter with a personal note addressed to "Any Hero" and we will send those as well. More information and specifications will be provided at the crop. |
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September Classes Announced!
Enjoy classes with some of the best vendors around!
With the September crop just over two weeks away, most of our vendors have posted their classes. This will just give you a peek into the amazing talents of our vendors and teachers.
Classes have and will sell out, so to guarantee a spot, be sure to email the teacher to register.
You can view the classes here: http://ourcropsplus.blogspot.com/
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2012 Registration
Be sure to register before events sell out!
Our January 20-22, 2012 event is already creating a lot of buzz! The registration will open on September 20th, a full 4 months before the start of the crop. January typically sells out rather quickly, so be sure to put a note on your calendar to register early!
The registration for the March event will begin on November 28th, to allow everyone some recovery time after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The May event is a special event as it will be hosted in a new hotel and INCLUDES hotel cost in the registration price. Because of this, there will be a special page for registering and it will be up and ready to accept registrations October 3.
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Joanna Campbell Slan Book Winner!
Congratulations!
A big congratulations goes out to Lauren Bowser! Out of over 100 entries, Lauren is the winner of our newsletter contest for a copy of Joanna Campbell Slan's most recent book in the Kiki Lowenstein series: "Make, Take, Murder." Congratulations, Lauren!
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August Sketch Contest Winner
Congratulations, Lorie!
 A special congratulations to our Monthly Sketch Contest winner: Lorie Hill!
Lorie's winning layout is a digital work of art. She has won TWO My Minds Eye paper packs!
If you would like to enter the August contest, see the sketch below!
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September Sketch Contest
Enter to win prizes!
 Every month in our newsletter, we publish a sketch. Any scrapper who feels inspired by the sketch should create a layout based on the sketch and post it on our Facebook page. You can also email your layout to us and we can post it for you if you do not have access to Facebook.
Layouts must be posted by the 21st at midnight Eastern time every month. Voting will start via poll on Facebook on the 22nd through the end of the month. The winner will receive a $20 Cricut tool kit!
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Featured Vendor: Michelle Vocke
Meet our featured class instructor for September!
 Michelle Vocke has been a talented teacher (and friend to Crops Plus) for many years. Her wonderful, layered works and mini-albums have been some of the most popular classes at crops across the Northern Virginia area. We are thrilled to have her come and teach a class at the September crop.
Michelle has been passionate about art and crafting since childhood. In fact, she remembers getting in trouble when she was seven years old because she kept catching paper on fire while trying to heat emboss over the gas stove. Now, she has better tools and feels very blessed to have a truly amazing husband and a wonderful and talented son that continue to encourage her creative passions. Her scrapbooking style is classic with sprinkles of trends and techniques that intrigue her thrown in the mix. She enjoys teaching classes and watching the creative spirit come alive in others. She is the National Scrapbooking Examiner and DC Paper Craft Examiner for Examiner.com, a Certified Ranger Educator, and an Endorsed Educator for Basically Bare. Michelle also enjoys being a Staff Designer for Scrap n' Art Magazine. Be sure to check out her blog: Creative Musings by Michelle Vocke (www.michellevocke.com).To sign up for Michelle's class, visit the Crops Plus Vendor/Class Blog here: http://ourcropsplus.blogspot.com/ |
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