Destination Create!

Ok, so Destination Create was awesome! The first weekend of May (which also is National Scrapbook Day weekend!) I packed up my gear (ok, so I spent the better part of the previous week packing up!) and headed out to the Four Points Sheraton in Thorold. I went last year and had such a good time, and got lots done. This year was no different. We had fabulous meals, great goodie bags, I took an awesome class with Caroline of Maya Road fame, and had some great roommates.

The event started on Friday at 11am, but b/c I had to do lunch duty, I decided to wait until JA was home from school to go. So we all went in and dropped my gear off. No tears this year from anyone!! YAY! I found my table, dropped my stuff, and took a look around, did some visiting, and went to supper.  I was sitting with Cathy B., Vanessa I., and Karen T. Behind me were Sherry P. and Cathy M. I didn’t know the other two ladies at the table.

On Saturday morning Vanessa let me borrow her SUV to head to the Fairview Mall for bowling awards for JA. I missed it last year, and didn’t want to miss it again. More on bowling awards later.

Saturday afternoon I took the best class ever!! Honestly, I have taken other classes before, and have never been 100% satisfied. I have enjoyed them, but WOW this class was AMAZING! Caroline , the co-creator of Maya Road flew in from Texas to teach some fabulous classes. I wasn’t going to take any due to the cost, and the no job thing still... but I am oh so glad I took the plunge and got the last seat available! We made a butterfly book made of chipboard and acrylic pages. We had different techniques on several pages – using Maya Mist (similar to Glimmer Mist only better!), painting on chipboard, rubbing stickles on (wow, it gives a totally different effect!), stamping on patterned paper, embossing the acrylic with Tim Holtz distress embossing powder, and using ribbons and lots of chipboard embellishments! After the class time flew by, I went back and started working on my book. On Saturday night I had it completed! I do want to add a teensy bit of journaling to it, and some ribbons to the jump ring to make it totally complete... but that will come. I will post photos soon! The product we got in that pkg was also beyond amazing!! We needed 5 chipboard letters, she gave us the whole tin, we needed a few little bling flowers, again, the whole tin! We got yards and yards of ribbons, several patterned papers from Pink Paislee, whole packages of chipboard scrolls, and then some!! It was certainly worth the price, as the value of the product was beyond wow!! So glad Karen talked me into the class (you know, twisting my slightly rubbery arm LOL).
Friday night we went up to the hospitality suite and had a little surprise 40th birthday party for Patti. Several of the ladies from the Nook/Nook boards made a 4x4 chipboard coaster for her, and it turned out so beautiful!! Everyone put such efforts and each one was a work of art. She cried. Mission accomplished ;) LOL
I stayed up WAY too late both nights, and suffered for it for the next few days, but it was all so worth it!! I got started on my ‘secret project’ , did a page in our Florida album, and did a page in the Port Weller School album as well.

All in all, a fabulous retreat, and I cannot wait for next year!!!

HUGE thanks to Barb, Patti and Elia for putting on a fabulous weekend!