To crop or not to crop?

[laura&fam]

Do other people who have a scrapbook area go to crops or not? If so how do you pack/unpack quickly? If not how to you escape your DH and kids (if you have them) to actually scrapbook at home?

I have avoided going to crops because it seems like it takes so much time to pack all my stuff up and unpack all my stuff that I felt like I could get more done at home. Now I'm starting to wonder. I have a shrinking space for my scrapbook stuff at home, but I know where everything is.

Tonight I started to scrapbook and stoped to: cut my husbands hair, post an ad for him on an online classifieds, watch the kids, bath the kids, and spend several hours editing a computer file for DH. All this was after my DH said "sure, go ahead and scrapbook".

 

[morgansmom2000]

Unless I have a specific project in mind, I can't get much done at home at all. I don't have a dedicated space, so by the time I get everything dragged out and in place, I want to take a nap.

I like to go to longer crops. Ones that are at least 8 hours or so. Otherwise, I feel like I just get there and need to pack up. I do a weekend in April every year with my friends. We unpack and pack once. Unpack on Thursday, pack on Sunday (except for the Cricut and cartridges, I don't leave those out overnight).

I wish I could do at least one of those weekends a month, but for some reason, DH just won't go for it!

 

[LindaBabe]

I drive to CT when I want to crop. (90 miles) I kit all my pages, on one project, take a back up project (usually cards), my atg and my tool box of basic tools. They all fit in one tote. That is IT. I can usually get 8-10 pages done in the day. Wish it was the whole weekend, but oh, well. it is NOT necessary to take everything one owns!

 

[rlovew]

I have an area to scrapbook at home although even though I have a dedicated area in our bedroom (it is 11-15 ft wide and about 10 ft long (it has a diagonal wall). I generally get a few things together and actually work on snack trays out in the family room with the doigs and everyone around.

When I go to crops I take a set of kits or a project. When I went to the Scrapbook Expo crop last weekend I took an album in a box kit and extra embellishments to work on a Horse Show we went to(got that done) I also brought along the things to work on my puppies album (that is still packed and will come on our week trip to Disney so I can work on it during midday breaks- DH will be in class). I took along a few page kits and a card kit which I got done after doing the Horse show album.

Sometimes people take along swap things to a crop if it is shorter and just do them there.

Kitting and working on 1 topic helps since you only need to take along the things for that. I did a tutorial that is linked in the techniques sticky about kitting. I use it for what I do at home and at crops.

When I go to the weekend crop at Disney (SDV) I take along enough kits to complete 200 pages. Both of the last 2 years I have done at least 150 pages over the weekend. While there have been a combination of family things and my attitude that have kept me from doing too much work at home this year if you look at last years numbers I did about 100 pages a month at home also.

Rebecca

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Even though I have a dedicated space I never get stuff done at home. Like you, I have way to many distractions.

For day and overnight crops I pack one specific theme, mostly vacations. I kit everything, so I have what I need. I also pretty know which tools are my go to tools so I grab those out of my home stash the day before I leave.

One kit consists of:
photos for a 2 page layout
all papers, nothing cut
embellishments
sketch if I have one
post it note

If I'm doing a Disney theme I will also have a bag with extra disney themed doodads, paper, etc (just in case)

I start to gather my kits a few minutes at a time. One day I'll sort photos for 15 minutes, the next day I'll round up papers, and down the line. Everything goes into a CM power sort box or hefty 2 1/2 gallon ziploc bags.
When I get to a crop it maybe takes me 5-10 minutes to set up(longer if I bring my cricut), depending on how much I chit chat.
I work out of my box or bags. If I really get into a groove I can get 50-60 pages done during an 8 hour crop.

I also bring a 2 1/2 gallon bag for scraps. I put those away when I get home.

 

[katied]

I can't get anything done at home, generally, and I have a room for my scrapbooking stuff. I get the most done on weekend trips with girlfriends. Otherwise, a 5 hr block at a crop is great.

What I do is plan ahead what project I'll be working on, pull the paper, photos, etc. for it, and then my key tools. Once I decide the project, I can pack up the essentials in about 30 min. I'll leave the Cricut at home, and just make a note of what I plan to do with the Cricut for my layouts - or, if there is something essential, I'll cut it ahead with the Cricut. Same for journeling - I'll do that later.

(the exception is the weekend crops, where there's a Cricut and computer available so I can get everything truely completed).

Having a 5 hr block to focus just on my scrapbooking actually is a significant amount of time, and then I can squeeze in a few minutes here and there to do some wrap up at home.

 

[BevS97]

I love cropping, I go mainly for the social aspect, it's a great opportunity to meet people and some of my best friends are people I met at a crop.

I find the best plan is to take supplies to work on a small project, mini books work well, or make page kits to take.

I crop at a store, so I don't take cardstock etc, as I can always pick some up at the store.

I particularly like weekend crops, and usually go to one or two a year, as you can really get a lot done and limited packing/unpacking, but I go to an evening crop once a month and have got the hang of packing quickly. I don't take the kitchen sink anymore - way too much stress.

 

[devonsmommy]

Yes! I have a scrapbook room and I still go to crops every couple of months. I also own a scrapbook retreat house that I rent out to myself once a year...LOL just so I have time to scrapbook without interruptions.

I really only use monthly kits anymore. So my supplies are all coordinating and packed together already. Then I just have to match up pictures to them. Then I take my "tool tote" with my cutter, scissors, cropadile, etc. and my lazy susan to set it on. Sometimes I'll bring additional embellies that I have in stacking plastic containers with a handle.

 

[MarieS]

I never scrap at home--too many distractions. Plus I can't keep my stufff out. I get together with friends to crop once a month. We either go to a crop at a store ( Archivers) or at a friends home whose kids are grown. I kit my pages( photos,paper, embellishments) and bring extra cardstock plus my basic tools. Between the 4 of us we have a sizzix, cuttlebug, alphas and dies so it works well.

I love the all day crops since I can get more done than an evening crop.

 

[ColleenG]

I have a scrapbooking rom at home, but I still love to go to crops. When I'm home I can really only get anything done after the kids are in bed, so I might be able to get 2 or 3 pages done in a night. If I can get to an all day crop I can usually get between 10-15 pages done. I have these cube draw things that I store a lot of my stuff in. Each cube has 3 drawers. I have drawers that are just for paper and then some are by topic, like Disney, holidays. The drawers can easily be moved around so I can switch them and take only what I am working on. I've never been organized enough to get anything kitted together like a lot of the girls here do. Then I can never make up my mind about what I want to work on so I usually end up taking just about everything and at least it's in the car if I need it. DH always says I ought to get a UHaul to go to crops! Plus the crops are a nice way for me to get out and away from DH and the kids and socialize with the other girls.

 

[disney-akj]

I have a desk dedicated to cropping, but like everyone else there are a lot of distractions and "helpers" around so it is difficult to finish much. I enjoy going to other places to crop. If it is a shorter crop, I just decide on about three or four layouts to work on. I try to have an idea in mind with the photos, paper, and supplies (ribbon/buttons/stickers/embellishments) already laid out together in a box ready to go. Then I bring along my must haves like paper trimmer, scissors, tape runner, etc. Everywhere I go- there is alway a cricut available so sometimes I will bring along a cartridge if I have a particular one I need. It does take time to organize before I leave the house, but then I am more productive when I get there because everything is ready to go. When I go on weekend crops, I do the same thing BUT it takes a lot longer. I try to spend a little time each day before I go, organizing a few layouts at a time. I make sure to bring extra solid colors of cardstock on longer weekends too just in case. When I don't do this ahead of time, I always over pack and feel like I am moving in : )

 

[jacksmomma]

I guess I am sort of in the minority here. I rarely go to crops. My biggest complaint with them is the cost. Why pay $5-$30 to do something I can do at home?! I do not have a scrap room, just a corner of the kitchen with an end of my very long kitchen table but it works for me. I have some girlfriends who host a rotating crop once a month and I go to it, but boy is it a pain to pack everything up! I am the most sophisticated scrapper of the bunch (only one with a Cricut) and it feels like I bring 5x as much stuff because I have the bug, the G, the cords, etc. I still do most of my scrapping at naptime, but DH is also really good about leaving me alone when I am "in my zone".

 

[JandJ]

I have a craft room and I rarely go to crops. I don't have the distractions others may have (no kids and DH encourages me to have "me time" and doesn't bug me if I'm in my craft room). At home, I know where everything is and at crops I found I was leaving pages unfinished so I could fill it in when I got home. That was a pain. My CMC had free crops, but she moved 2 hours south so I don't think she'll have any more crops up here anyway. Like a PP, I won't pay $15-$30 for something I can do at home for free. I don't like going through the hassle of packing things up and then unpacking them again for a 4 or 6 hour crop. I do go to SDV at Disney, but that's a long weekend - 3 or 4 days - and it's A LOT of fun! So, that's worth it to me. I kit my pages and have lots of different things to work on to keep it interesting.

Since I started working full-time again I'm just not motivated to scrap. After work I'm at the gym or yoga and don't get home until 7:00 PM, then I have to fix dinner, eat dinner, clean up from dinner, make the next day's lunches, do laundry, maybe watch TV, and I like to read, so that pretty much takes up my evenings. On weekends I'm usually out with DH, it's really the only time we get to spend together. But, I do have to carve out some time to kit up for SDV in August.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I have a scrap space (table in our bedroom), but I rarely use it because the lighting is not good up there; it's great in the middle of the day when I can open the blinds, though. My Cricut stays up there, though. Most of my scrapping gets done at the dining room table, and I do leave my stuff out there most of the time.

I guess I'm in the minority as far as interruptions, but maybe because I'm right there in the dining room and they can see what I'm doing? DH often tells me to go scrap or take time for myself, but I don't always take him up on it. He doesn't usually ask me to do things or get things for him anyway, and he wouldn't interrupt me if I was working on something unless it was something he really needed and couldn't do it. Both of the DS' like to stop and see what I'm working on, tell me if they like it, and offer "suggestions" (lol), but they don't usually ask me to get up and do things for them either.

I go to a 4-5 hour crop every couple of months or so, when it's on a night I can go. I don't take everything with me, just whatever pics I plan to work on (WDW trip, family album, or whatever), a few pages worth of backup pics in case I get stuck on ideas, and the tools that will fit in my daisy tote--usually the ones I use the most. My CMC brings her Cricut and we can use it; I do bring my mat and carts, though. I usually have one bag plus my daisy tote.

I like to go to crops because there is always lots of good food and I like to visit, but I get more done at home.

I am packing up all my stuff and taking it to the beach with us next week, that might be interesting. It's the first time I've taken it on vacation.

Steph

 

[MommyMcQueen]

I have never attended a crop, and do all my scrapbooking at home with 2 little kids (now 6 and 4). I do not have a dedicated scrapbook room, so I have to haul everything out from the closet and I usually spread out the on the kitchen counter. It has usually worked out okay because both of my kids love to do art and projects, so I set them up at the dining table and they "work" there while I work at the counter, so we're all together although they are not right in my space and getting into my stuff.

What I usually do is spend a new nights kittng stuff together for my pix, not everything but the basics - background paper, accents, ribbons, stickers. Then I shove everything for that layout into a sleeve, and when I have a bunch of sleeves ready they I pull out everything and spend a couple days sprawled out on the counter. Usually a nice rainy weekend works best and I can get several layouts done in a day. I keep the kids somewhat entertained by giving them my scraps, extra pictures and stickers, stuff they can use for their projects. After a while they get bored, wander away, play for a while. Then they'll come back and paint or do something else.

I've always been lucky with them though, even as babies and toddlers I could put them in a highchair and pull them up to the table with me with some crayons and paper and they'd be content for a while. They kind of grew up doing this with me so they really enjoy it and we actually have a lot of fun together. DH generally does not bother me while I'm scrapping (since the kids are also mostly occupied), although I do have to move everything to the side of the counter to make meals and stuff.

 

[jacksmomma]

I have never attended a crop, and do all my scrapbooking at home with 2 little kids (now 6 and 4). I do not have a dedicated scrapbook room, so I have to haul everything out from the closet and I usually spread out the on the kitchen counter. It has usually worked out okay because both of my kids love to do art and projects, so I set them up at the dining table and they "work" there while I work at the counter, so we're all together although they are not right in my space and getting into my stuff.

What I usually do is spend a new nights kittng stuff together for my pix, not everything but the basics - background paper, accents, ribbons, stickers. Then I shove everything for that layout into a sleeve, and when I have a bunch of sleeves ready they I pull out everything and spend a couple days sprawled out on the counter. Usually a nice rainy weekend works best and I can get several layouts done in a day. I keep the kids somewhat entertained by giving them my scraps, extra pictures and stickers, stuff they can use for their projects. After a while they get bored, wander away, play for a while. Then they'll come back and paint or do something else.

I've always been lucky with them though, even as babies and toddlers I could put them in a highchair and pull them up to the table with me with some crayons and paper and they'd be content for a while. They kind of grew up doing this with me so they really enjoy it and we actually have a lot of fun together. DH generally does not bother me while I'm scrapping (since the kids are also mostly occupied), although I do have to move everything to the side of the counter to make meals and stuff.

Just wanted to say, cute kiddos and great PTR!