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Now that the HIA trade show is over and many new
products have been released, there is a flurry of excitement over
attending scrapbooking conventions. This month I want to take a few
minutes and talk about Scrapbooking conventions and how to make the most
of them. Scrapbookers attend conventions to learn more about scrapbooking,
meet their cyber-scrapbooking buddies, shop for supplies, gather new ideas
and work on their albums.
If you are attending a scrapbooking show to
learn more about scrapbooking, you will want to attend as many classes as
possible. Class
schedules are usually released a month or two before the show and classes
fill up fast. You will want to get the information as soon as possible
from the show coordinator and sign up as soon as you get the class
schedule in order to get the best classes. How will you know what classes
are the best? I try and look for a class that teaches a technique rather
than a class that show how to use one product. What are the best classes I
have taken? Lettering, heritage albums, how to use decorative scissors
(REALLY!), pop-up pages and decorating die cuts have been some of the
really helpful classes I have taken.
Are you on a listserver or do you have buddies from
your favorite bulletin board that you'd like to meet? A convention is a
great place to meet your cyber-friends face-to-face. Where to meet your
buddies and how to recognize each other at the convention are two hurdles
to overcome. Almost all convention have a food court or food area- so
meeting near the food is a fairly safe bet. If you are attending a show
where there is a ShopA-Z.com "Cyber-scrapbookers" booth like the Pomona
Memories Expo just pick a time and meet at the booth and get your picture
taken while you are there. Many scrapbookers place a die cut or sticker on
a name tag to help identify each other.
Shopping for supplies at a convention can be a
wonderful way to buy hard-to-find supplies and hot new products. When
attending a show and looking for hot new products, be aware that they may
sell out early. You might want to scout out all of the booths and look for
the items you really want before you settle down to your browsing and more
involved shopping. Popular new scrapbooking supplies have been known to
sell out in less than 20 minutes at past conventions.
Many scrapbookers attend conventions to gather new
ideas and page layouts for their scrapbooks. To help you gather ideas, you
will want to bring a camera, fresh batteries and lots of film. I usually
use a 200 speed film in my camera but for taking layouts consider using a
400 speed film to reduce the need for a flash. Please be sure that you
obtain permission before you start taking pictures of albums. Scrapbookers
with digital cameras will want to consider using a digital camera instead
of a conventional camera for taking photos at conventions.
Those who plan to work on their albums while at a
convention will want to have pre-planned pages (for an article look here)
and a cropping bag that is stocked with basic supplies. Ask what
tools will be provided before you pack your bag, many crops supply large
paper cutters and other items that are bulky to carry. Keep in mind that many conventions have
page layout contests at their crops so you may want to bring some
pre-planned pages that are creative or unique. Some crops offer a prize
for the most pages completed, if you would like to try for such a prize,
you will want to have a number of simple pages pre-planned and ready to
scrap. I would recommend labeling all of your tools before cropping away
from home.
Make the most of your time at the convention. If you
can, leave your kids at home. Wear a fanny pack instead of carrying a
bulky purse. If you plan on buying a lot of supplies and/ or bringing
supplies for a crop you will want to considered bringing a wheeled bag
such as the Crop In Style XXL here
or Cropper Hopper Roll Away Bag here.
Don't leave your money in the car! Remember, some items sell out fast and
if you want them, you'll want to have your cash or credit card ready.
Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes and comfortable clothing. Because
you never know how warm or cold the convention hall will be, I recommend
wearing layered clothing. Scrapbooking conventions are a lot of fun and can be
very productive if you do a little work ahead of time!
Jennia Hart
Editor of Scrapbooking Content
Scrapbooking.com
Letters to the Editor
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