So yesterday I was at the “Scrap-a-Licious” event…
The first time I ever participated in something like that.
A bunch of scrapladies sitting around big tables. Workshops.
It looked like this:

And yes, I felt like a little kid again, standing in a corner. Not knowing anybody and feeling insecure. Noticing that when I feel insecure I look aloof and arrogant. (I’ve been told many times before!)

I tried to socialize (not really my kind of thing to approach people I don’t know…  I became quite solitary-minded over the last couple of years)
I don’t know if I managed, but I met a couple of ladies, we exchanged blog addresses and talked a bit. Don’t know what they thought about me, standing in the corner of that big, big table (I was the only one standing up while working… so actually I was glad I was on a corner!) and not having such a nice scrapping bag and all, but hey, never mind. I’m new. I don’t know the codes yet…

It’s strange though, whenever I have to teach or talk, standing in front of a classroom filled with people, I’m not insecure at all! Maybe it’s because my role is obvious then. Do I have troubles mixing with people? I don’t know, but anyway, I tried “to fit and mix”. I talked a bit. At least I talked to people. Corinne (who organized it), Iris, Linda, Liesbeth & Petra & Astrid (who I knew a bit through their blogs) and I also talked to Birgit (hope you and Anniek got home well!) and Dina (who was kind enough, together with Iris, to look through my album! Nobody else brought their work and so I felt like I was showing off,
which was not my intention at all!)

And then the workshops:

How hard can YOU blow through a straw? Well, it became quite clear I’m a heavy smoker! My gosh… I had hardly any breath left and I felt dizzy in my head after blowing the ecoline (some sort of ink) around on my paper! Pfffffffffff…..

This is the result. It’s a very colourful lay out.
The ink all had bright colours
(I usually work with “earthly colours”) so I decided to let my “psychedelic wonderland photo” go with it… and it worked nice. So although this was a fast lay out
(at least for a slow scrapper like I am!) I like it.  

The second workshop was Birgit’s (with pink cardigan) We all got a house shaped, black board mini book and
Birgit showed us some techniques.
The little “family” is embossed using embossing powder and a heat tool. I don’t have these at home, and never worked with it either  so I was glad to get the opportunity to use this technique. 

The little fabric flower is quite easy to make and I will certainly use this more often.

This mini book isn’t finished (that’s not possible in one and a half hour!) and I don’t know if I’ll finish it at home…

I don’t like “pre-shaped” books very much, but maybe I’ll make a present out of it someday… or I’ll change my mind. Time will tell.

 
Here’s Dina with Corinne taking a picture of them selves (while I took a picture of them)

Dina ‘s workshop was about making a mini book using all kinds of techniques. The Scrap-a-Licious website promised: 
“no pressure, just enjoy!” and at this point I started enjoying myself!

Maybe because it was after lunch (and I met some ladies during lunch) and I started feeling a little more comfortable by that time. I had a laugh about staples with my neighbour-scrapper and also I could use ink and paint spray in my favorite colours with this project… it was a mess but a lot of fun! 
(This minibook isn’t finished either but I’ll go on working on it at home; fill it with journaling and embelishments and maybe change the front; ’cause I like this book!)

 
Birgit was enjoying
Dina’s workshop as well,
look at this
wonderful mess!

 
We sprayed our hands too,
but when you look at the results
it was worthwhile getting messy!

By the time Martha
started her workshop,
I was exhausted!
Not used to many people around me, not used to noisy rooms and not feeling as comfortable “myself” as I feel at home and also standing on my feet the whole time –
it took it’s toll…
So this “wall hanger” (not finished either) is not what it should be… at least I can see tiredness in it.

I like the basic… but still have to work a bit on this one (and because I don’t like wall hangers, I won’t put a ribbon on it… it’s just a lay out then.)

And now it’s monday, “the day after”.
I slept. Not very well, but enough tonight.
I thought about yesterday.
I looked at the photo’s.
Do I have a conclusion?

Yep, I have.
Sort of.
My conclusions/what I learned yesterday:

• I’m not a “public scrapper” (Dina called it that way, and it fits the way I feel it!) I need to be all concentrated and by myself and it certainly takes more time to get something done that “fits my standarts”.
• I’m not comfortable in the role of “student”. I am a teacher. (Glad to know, because that’s what I was trained to do. At least my study wasn’t a waste of time after all….)
• Although I had difficulties “socializing”, I’m glad I went along and met some new people. I now know which faces go with the blogs/stories (and so do they, I hope!) and that gives more “feeling” to the stories on the blogs.
• I won’t be registering much to any of these event in the future. I’m too much a loner and a teacher, I’m not that comfortable in the role of “student” anymore. Did I learn some techniques then? Well, yes, but I could have found them on the internet as well. The good thing for me though was meeting other scrapbookers, and if this is the only way to do that then maybe I will register now and then… but I have to keep in mind that the main purpose for me is to meet other scrapbookers and chat about scrapbooking, and not to get a nice lay out done or something….

And the “shopping part?”
I was in Veghel on Saturday.
I had the opportunity to shop without time limits.
It wasn’t crowded (with workshops going on) so I could take a good look at all the goodies they were selling.
I looked again, I looked at everything, and then I started buying.
And more buying.
And I went home with a bag full of scrapgoodies.
Stamps. (A lot!)
Background papers. (A lot, all sorts of trademarks)
Thicker alphabets.
Stickers.
More stamps.
Distress ink.

Oooooh, there was one shop having a big sale, and I mean BIG.
Like 50 % off!
I stuck to my budget, and still came home loaded!
Can’t wait to play with it!
Too bad I can’t use it all in one lay out,
but you’ll see bits and pieces coming in the following weeks.
Count on that!
See ya, je t’embrasse!

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