**Warning :) This post is going to be LONG :) I just got back from 3 days at CKC**

I thought it would be fun to make this “Made for Mondays” a Review of All Things CKC :) I was ridiculously excited about this year’s CKC Manchester!! (If you don’t know what CKC is… It’s a Creating Keepsakes Convention… Essentially a Scrapbook Convention… A weekend filled with scrappy-goodness… classes, crops, and a vendor fair… The local-ish one is in Manchester, NH). I went on Thursday (right from school), took a personal day for Friday, and stayed over 2 nights with friends!! A much needed weekend escape!!  I had so much fun, but I came home exhausted!! That’s a LOT of crafting over 3 days…  I wound up taking 2 classes that I didn’t originally plan for, but was thrilled to be able to just sit and glue what they told me to glue.  I LOVE to teach classes, but sometimes it’s just nice to sit and be told what to do!!!  Before I left, I scanned every website I could find to get reviews of the classes I was planning to take, and there weren’t that many, it’s still early in the convention year… So, here’s a review of the classes that I took…

On a random note… I took a total of 8 classes, PLUS went to the Friday night crop… and won exactly 0 door prizes… that’s right, ZERO :) but that’s OK :) I had a ton of fun… Just not going to bother purchasing a lottery ticket this week!

So, here goes… My personal thoughts on the classes I took…

15 Things that Define Me Album Workshop

LOVED this class… Taught by Shelby from CK… We got an American Crafts black cloth album, plus we made most of 9 pages in class. The papers are Cosmo Cricket, and the pages we made were just my style.  Instructions were clear, and although I’ll change up a few of the titles just ’cause they don’t work for me, it was a wonderful class… pricy, and it was from 1:30-5, we used every minute and it went by fast!!  I’m glad it was at the beginning ’cause I’m not sure I could have concentrated that long toward the end of the weekend :)

Thursday Technique Workshop

I added this one when I arrived… Just for something to do Thursday evening once my first class was done. It was OK.  basically, many of the vendors create a 1 page layout for you to create in a 15 minute quickie mini-class.  You make one page in class, and most vendors had a coordinating second page for sale in their booths. Some of the layouts were cute, Technique Tuesday and Embellish It were my 2 favorites, and I actually purchased the 2nd page in their booths… Others were just fine, and a couple used papers that made me go hmmmm… If you can’t sell the paper ’cause it’s so ugly, PLEASE don’t use it in the kits… But all in all, it was good, and a fun was to spend the evening…

Celebrating a Year in a Box

I got a lot of useful information in this class… It’s essentially a box (that you don’t make in class, but it’s in your kit to make at home…) that you fill with themed month cards. We managed to get 6 months done in class, with full instructions for the rest.  Well done, and a cute project… Not exactly what I expected, but I really liked it. Instructor was great (But I can’t remember her name…) It was fast and furious, but we got done everything she said we would!

Perspectives by Ali Edwards

Oh, I loved this class! It was sponsored by Technique Tuesday, and Sam, the teacher is wonderful!!! We spent a LOT of time (and ummm money) in her booth. I thought this class was great… It was a little cutting-heavy… make sure you bring a trimmer! BUT we finished 4 layouts in class. They’re all ready for pictures and a title.  I loved the papers so much that I went and bought the paper pack so that I can use them even more :) I love that the layouts are DONE!

Oh So Beautiful

I was looking forward to this class more than all the other classes. The mini-book looked beautiful in the samples, and you know me :) I love a good mini-album!!  It’s totally true, the mini-album is beautiful… The instructor was really very good, and I got done in class everything that I “had” to do (like using the alcohol inks that I don’t have at home) but, I actually left class a little bit early (there was a little break)… I’ve never been in a class with so many rude inconsiderate people in my entire life!!  The class was sold out, and there were several people that were holding full (loud) conversations, and just wouldn’t stop, no matter what the teacher and other students who were trying to listen to the instruction said… I’ve never seen anything like it at CKC.  I am very excited though, I finished the book at the crop, and it’s really very nice… all ready for pictures… And the instructor from Accent Scrapbooking… OMGosh, I hope you don’t judge us in the NorthEast based on that group of people…  The class itself was great, and my second favorite project of all the classes I took!!

Friday Night Crop

You could register for a whole table at the crop this year, and get it reserved for a group of friends, and that’s what we did!! We didn’t need to worry about getting there early to scope out a table… It was nice… I don’t love round tables, and there were 5 of us, but we had a fun time!! Ryan won a Cricut Cartridge (that she doesn’t already have, it was a miracle!!!) that was fun :) I finished the album from class, and worked on an upcoming class, plus my May Arts finalist project… Pretty productive evening.

Material Girl

Another class taught by the fabulous Shelby, who taught the 15 Things class… Love her… It was a 4 page layout kit using October Afternoon papers that I adore (Thrift Shop line) and we made most of 2 pages in class… It was a good class, kit is generous… I want to sit down soon and finish those pages ’cause they were really cute… I do like it better when we finish in class, but the layouts are going to be great if I ever get around to finishing them :)

Trendy Techniques

eh, this was my least favorite class of the ones I took… The class was good, and well taught.  Melissa Francis herself was there for the class, so that was kinda cool, she was very nice. I recognized the teacher from Rusty Pickle classes I took years ago.  We learned to make really cute crepe paper roses, but the style of the book is a little too cutesy shabby chic for me.  It was a good class, but the final project just isn’t for me.  Nothing to do with the class or the teacher… Just my own taste!

Expanding Your Creative Borders

This class was not on my original schedule either… A friend was unable to go, so I bought her ticket… Another Technique Tuesday class taught by Sam.  It was LATE and we were all really tired!!  But the class was good.  We really didn’t get much accomplished in class, except for the stamping of the card, but the stamp set is nice, and I can see myself using the basic idea of the class in the future.

OK… Now I know this is already an epically long post… but let’s talk Vendor Fair just for a minute…

First, it was CROWDED… I was a little bit surprised at how crowded it was on Friday… Usually, if you can get there on Friday to shop it’s good ’cause it’s usually slower than Saturday… But, maybe because it was NH vacation week, it was very crowded on Friday… Which I know is a good thing :) but I don’t particularly like crowds…  There was a lot of the same-old stuff… Several vendors noticeably not there… Cricut Dan wasn’t there, and neither was the Dollar Scrapbooking booth… There really wasn’t anyone with Cricut stuff…

A new vendor there this year was Studio Calico… They are an AMAZING kit club that I used to subscribe to… but then stopped when I realized I was just a “pretty paper” hoarder, and would keep all the kits together and just take them out and look at them… And at that point, economically, I just couldn’t justify it… Anyway, they always included an exclusive (designed for/by them) stamp, and the collections of “stuff” they put together was great… Now they actually have their own paper lines too… Their booth was great :) I spent a lot of time there talking to the wonderful and friendly ladies (Hi Lorie!! It’s me… Julie, from Tewksbury :)… bought a BUNCH of their papers… and re-signed up for the kit club :) ’cause, you know, I need more pretty paper :)

The other booth where I spent a good deal of time was Technique Tuesday… I LOVE their stamps, and again, they were so nice!!  I’m pretty sure that between my friend Ryan and I, they’ll not have to worry about sales for a while :)

One more booth I want to mention… Accent Scrapbooking… They carried the acrylic and mixed acrylic/chipboard albums that I also hoard, I mean, love to use… Again… super friendly, and I loved giving them my business ’cause they were so nice! I felt like I had to go shop there ’cause the teacher of that class that I loved, but the other people in class were so rude is one of the owners… and she was so nice!! Maybe too nice :) I just had to go be supportive with them ’cause I felt so bad!!

Oh, there’s also Embellish It great store, friendly people… I so love that they have beautiful paper packs, and Bazzill packs that match… I didn’t go completely crazy there… but I did get a really pretty Fancy Pants paper pack and matching cardstock… If you want to see a feeding frenzy… be at the Friday Night crop when Embellish It comes in and sells CS packs for $5, It was a CRAZY thing to watch :)

All in all, except for the fact that I wasn’t a winner in any of the ridiculous number of classes I took :( I had a very fabulous time this past weekend!!!!!

Whew!! If you made it through that epic post, Thanks for reading :) It was really a great time, we saw lots of friends that we haven’t seen for a while, and I’m just so happy I went!! Now, I’ve got books and assignments to work on, and have some creative juices flowing again to get started!! When I finish some of the projects (and get the laundry etc. done) I’ll post pics…