eclectickeepsakes

Back to Back

2012-02-05T02:37:00.000-08:00

Well the intrepid EK ladies braved the snow that was forecast and traveled from far and near for another, albeit a little chilly, EK crop.

It was so lovely to see Denise (for reasons explained here).

This month, it was my turn to teach and we made a back to back book with photos of our favourite (not favorite as is on the title card) things.

The book had several interactive features and was an easy project to make and to teach, in fact I was able to get on and make a layout

whilst the ladies got on with their mini albums.

So here is the book page by page (apologies in advance for the many, many photos)!

Front cover

Page with large parcel tag.

Tag pulled out.

Lift the Flap page.

With the flap lifted.

Hearts and Tags page

Page with stamping using white paint.

Stamping with Stazon onto acetate.

Dinner money envelope.

Dinner money envelope tag.

Simple page using die cuts.

Tag holder made out of journaling card.

Journaling card envelope tag.

Not very hidden, hidden tag page.

Not very hidden tag;

I have a few kits, with full instructions, available for sale. If you are interested email me at eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com.

Now it's another 4 weeks until the next crop and I can't wait!

Take Care

Karen

xxxxx

A Little Taste Of Things To Come

2012-02-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

Just a little teaser of the mini book class on Saturday.

Safe journey to all who are coming to the crop and I look forward to seeing you there.

Karen

xxx

Getting Ready for a Random Time

2012-01-29T09:04:00.000-08:00

Not long now until the next crop.

A Few of my Favourite Things mini book class designed
Cupcakes planned
Kits at my house (but not packed yet)
Excitement abounds!

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday and I will leave you with a picture of the papers we are going to be using. They are from the beautiful Random collection by Crate Paper.

Hopefully I will be back later in the week with some sneaky peeks. If you are coming to the crop and I haven't emailed you with the photo requirements please email me at eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com

Karen

Take & Make

2012-01-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well December seems to have passed by in a blur of tinsal and glitter and I completely omitted to post any photos from the December Mega Crop! I may get a few posted next week but no promises.

Yesterday, was our January crop and rather than have a formal class we had a make and take where the components for a little project were laid out and we just took the bits and a set of instructions when we felt like tackling the project but mainly got on with out own thing all day.

We started off with 1 piece of pattern paper, 1 set of journaling cards, 8 labels, a piece of ribbon and a printed die cut.

We than turned it into this - a little photo wallet that holds 8 photos with lines for journaling on the back.

Mine featured photos of my G-Girl through the ages from her first Christmas at 8 months to this one just gone when she was 18. I was struck by how out of focus the early photos were and lament the fact that with the old film cameras you didn't know how the photo would turn out until you had them developed and by then the moment had passed and it was too late :(

The wallet holds 4 photos in the triangular pockets,

one tucked in each side and

one tucked into each side of the middle.

I think all ladies made at least one wallet with some making more to send to relatives as far away as Australia!

So with a promise to update this blog a little more often I leave you with rather belated Happy New Year wishes.

Karen x

Counting down to Christmas!

2011-11-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

We are counting down to the big Christmas crop on 3rd December and here are the details that you need.

For Ann's calendar class she is using this paper line

You will need 12 - 3inch x 4 inch photos (2 per 6 x 4 photo) and for the project additional project 3 coordinating photos max 2 inches x 2.5 inches.

Debbie is using these papers for her class

When I asked her for photo size this was her reply

"No photos required for this class ... yet. It is a countdown to Christmas layout - the idea being to create a page then add a photo or journalling card each day from the 1st to the 25th December. What is required is the delegates take a photo or make a note of something each day from the 1.12.2011 to add to their page after."

What an exciting prospect - The whole of Christmas 2011 on a double page!

For Denise's class it would be helpful if you could bring along a blending tool, if you have one and distress inks.

Well there you have it - a 10 hour day packed full of crafting, a bring and share lunch, an amazing calendar class and a project taught by Ann Freeman, an awesome double page layout taught by Debbie Jewell and a fabulous card and envelope taught by Denise Holmes - all for just £30.00. We have three remaining places so if you would like to book one then email eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com.

Have a safe journey ladies and I look forward to seeing you on the 3rd.

Karen

Three Remaining Places!

2011-11-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

If you are free on 3rd December you might like .............................................................

Are you up for catching a few scraps?

2011-11-08T00:05:00.000-08:00

Look at this absolutely gorgeous scrap catcher - the class that, the very talented but oh so modest, Jane taught at the Eclectic Keepsakes crop on Saturday.
By the end of the afternoon almost everyone had one of these little beauties dangling from their scrap space and can you believe it - some had even started using them for paper scraps! They were just so easy to make, especially with the comprehensive instructions that Jane supplied and even Denise who claims not to have sewn since leaving school had made a perfect scrap catcher.

Now here's the deal, Jane has a few spare kits that are for sale at £7.50 including p&p. All that is needed to finish the scrap catcher is a sewing machine and 250gms of red lentils to fill the bag that holds the catcher onto the table. If you would like a kit, email me at eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com.

Inking it up with Sue

2011-10-16T13:32:00.001-07:00

Well, better late than never. A few examples of the beauties that Sue coaxed out of our inks and card. Her class was fabulous and we all learnt so much. Sandie has sent me some examples of the beautiful pieces she has made and also given details on how to achieve the beautiful effects over on her blog .

Also, I had a bash at her technique on Thursday and am delighted with the result.

I made my piece of stamping/inking into a banner for a layout which can be seen on my blog here.

Karen M

Prepare to be Wowed

2011-10-01T22:40:00.001-07:00

As I said in the last post Sue is so talented when it comes to anything Tim Holtz. She came over to my house a few months ago and made some of the pennants that I have photos of below. This was what gave me the idea of asking her to teach at the crop.

Now when you look at these pennants bear in mind that they all started off as plain white card. I think AWESOME is the word that comes to mind.

She inks and stamps and works all sorts of magic on the card to produce such beautiful results.

There is no pattened paper involved at all just stamps, ink and Sue's magic.

So how about some sneaky peeks at the class, Sue has made two examples but we emphasise that this is a technique class and not a page class so although you will have all you need to make a page the same as Sue has, it is up to you how your page turns out.

Photo requirement is one or two photos, any size, any orientation and any subject.

So see you Saturday ladies.

Karen
xxx

Welcome to Victoria Gardens

2011-09-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

We are getting closer to the next Eclectic Keepsakes crop on the 8th October and we are delighted to have Sue Plampton teaching a technique class using Tim Holtz inks and stamps. I cannot describe the beautiful projects she produces and will try to persuade her to let me photograph a couple to put on the blog next week. So this is the kit she is going to work her magic on,

it uses a selection of papers from Echo Park's Victoria Garden range and we will have available a selection of ink pads in coordinating colours.

I, for one, cannot wait to learn some new and exciting techniques and am working up to the trauma of getting my hands all inky!

I will be back on Sunday with some sneaky peeks of the class and the photo size.

See you soon.

Karen M

Variations on a Theme

2011-09-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

Well what can I say, the class by Ann went down a storm and we all loved our pages.

It always amazes me how you ladies take an idea and run with it. Ann loves it when she gives you the basis of a page and you take it up and 'freestyle it'. So with no further ado here are the variations on the theme. The first two pages are Ann's pages and the rest are from our talented croppers.

What a fantastic day we all had and I am so looking forward to next month's class by Sue - a technique class using lots of stamping, inking, and all sorts of messy stuff !

Karen M

The Count Down

2011-09-01T23:53:00.001-07:00

Well ladies, the count down has begun. Just over a week until the next crop and the class being taught by Ann. I can promise you is it a stunner and just to get you excited here is a little peep at what to expect.

Photo requirements for the two pages are a 6 x 4 portrait for layout one (colour or black and white) and a 7 x 5 landscape (sepia) photo for layout 2.

Have a lovely week and see you on the 10th.

Karen M

Lost and Found

2011-08-28T00:44:00.001-07:00

Not my marbles but the papers Ann is going to use for the September class.

Are you getting excited yet?

Karen M

Beach Babes!

2011-08-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the day for the August Crop and what a lovely day it was. Thank you ladies for making it a day filled with laughter, crafting, witty banter and friendship. I really love our monthly crop because we have such a lovely bunch of ladies that come along.

Although the numbers were not our usual, we still made the class that was postponed from last month. It used beautiful whitewashed Core'dination card and Fancy Pants Beach Babe paper and chipboard along with hybrid elements from several Echo Park ranges.

I made the example and the ladies rocked it so well! I only have examples from two of the ladies but the others were also brilliant.

Apologies for the bad photographs - silly me had the camera on the wrong setting!

First there was Denise's page

Just look how Denise so cleverly used the bunting on the journaling card as the tail for her kite.

Than Jane's

Look carefully and you will spy Jane's little crab peeping out from the waves - genius!

and finally Denise was so inspired that she decided to make another page!

Love how Denise has made two separate pages from the kit rather than a double page.

So a fun time was had by all and we are all looking forward to next month when the fabulously talented Ann Freeman is teaching - I am counting down the days!

Ladies who were unable to make it this month - we missed you and hope you can come next month.

Karen M

Work in Progress

2011-07-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for tomorrow's crop and just a little peep at what to expect.

There are six of these little collages to make and put onto a double lo. I am way behind with finishing it but am off to visit the very lovely Mel and Jill this afternoon to pick up the card and papers so by tomorrow (and by the skin of my teeth, as always) the class will be finished and packed. Don't forget you will need scissors or craft knife for lots of cutting and lots of foam pads. Also the photo requirement is two 7 x 5 beach themed photos, one landscape and one portrait.

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow and I am busily thinking about what cupcakes to make!

Karen M

Today

2011-05-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

We are having lots of fun at Marks Tey today. We have just finished a Lime Twist Minds Eye layout and have a few extra cropping hours as it's National Scrapbooking Month. Here are some of our layouts:

-

Hope you are all having a great day.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bags of Fun

2011-04-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, we all had bags of fun on Saturday making this little number.

It must have been a challenging class because there were quite a few moments of absolute silence while all the ladies concentrated on making their flowers.

We were amazed at the variations that all the ladies managed to make, some added their own fancy buttons, some designed different flowers and some used inventive colour combinations but I think we all agreed that the results were fabulous.

This is one that Deb made,

a little free styling going on and that is what we like to see.

Our classes are only meant as a springboard for your creativity and this class proved what creative and talented ladies you all are. What tosh telling me you couldn't sew!

We have a few kits left over from the day in various colours which are available for purchase at £7.00, including post and packaging. If you would like one of these please email us at eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com and we will sell them on a first come first served basis.

Karen & Karen.

The Shape Of Things To Come

2011-04-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we will be stitching and twisting and beading and gathering

and hopefully Ohhhhing and Ahhhhhing.

Ops I spy a cotton that needs snipping off!

But we wont be doing any of this because I have done it already :)

See you all tomorrow

Karen & Karen

xxx Happy Birthday To Us xxx

2011-03-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you all you lovely ladies and businesses who have supported us over the last year. I cannot believe that a whole year has gone by since we had our first crop and we have made so many friends and learnt so much from the marvelous teachers we have had.

The day started, as it always does with tea and cupcakes.

Then there was a little birthday present for all the ladies at the crop. A super little stamp for use on projects made at our crop. I stamped the back of my lo and even my rubbish stamping looked good with this little beauty.

We did our own thing for the morning

all eagerly awaiting Denise's beautiful class (not many of our teachers bring Tom Selleck to our crop, a welcome addition he was too).

What a stunner she taught.

I loved all the different variations that people have produced - the sign of a good class, very adaptable.
What is a birthday without a cake? During the afternoon we had a tea break and a piece of the delicious Eclectic Keepsake birthday cake.

The time to pack up and go home came much too quickly for most of us but there is always next time to look forward to. A very big thank you to the ladies who stayed behind and helped me pack away.xxx

Karen M
xxx

Are you excited yet?

2011-02-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

We are both very, very excited about the crop next Saturday. It marks our first birthday and the year has absolutely flown by. We are delighted with how the crop has evolved and it has certainly exceeded our wildest dreams of how good it could be. We have renewed friendships and made lots of new ones and we so look forward to our days at Marks Tey.

As it is our Big Birthday Bash we have a few little surprises up our sleeves - or more to the point - in our bags for you lovely ladies. Karen C has the most stupendious little gift for you all and I am sure I can find something in the cake department for us all to share.

So on to the class.

This is the gorgeous kit that our very own Denise has chosen and the class she is going to teach is beyond beautiful. Be gentle with her girls as this is the first time she has taught a class but I know she will rise to the challenge.

I apologise for the bad photo but I wanted to get this blog post written and up today rather than have to wait for better light tomorrow evening (at least my kitchen floor is clean for once). To view the papers in their full glory please click on the links below.

MyMind's Eye
Market Street 'Happy Birthday' Tapestry

My Mind's Eye
Portobello Road 'Family' First Class

My Mind's Eye
Portobello Road 'Party' Looking Glass

My Mind's Eye
Lost and Found -Portobello Road -You and Me Accessory sheet

Fancy Pants designs
Lilac House Cards

The size of photos needed for the class are-

2 - 6x4 portrait
1 - To be cut down to fit the little frame - approximately 2" wide and 3" long

In addition to your normal crafting kit you will need to bring some brown ink and foam pads.

If you have made page or card for this month's sketch challenge please bring it along to go in the draw.

As always, we are really looking forward to Saturday and hope you are too.

Karen M

Mixing It Up

2011-02-09T09:34:00.001-08:00

As a change from our usual format, this month we decided to have a whole month to make a card or lo using the monthly sketch. If you didn't pick up a sketch at the crop or if you weren't there this month, this is the sketch we have chosen.

I took it from one of the pages I made in January.

Bring along you finished project or a photo of it, or post a link to it, to be eligible to go into the draw for the prize. I am really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Also if you are up for a challenge why not visit the Chicken Soup blog for their weekly inspiration!

On another note, I have ordered the papers for next month's class by the fabulously talented Denise. As soon as they come in I will post a little peek on the blog.

Happy scrapping

Karen M

Getting us some February Love xxxxx

2011-02-06T02:57:00.001-08:00

Love certainly was in the air at this month's crop. Just sitting and listening to all the chat and laughter that went on for the whole 8 hours made my little heart sing and makes the time it takes to organise and plan so worth it.

This month we had the very talented Ann Freeman come and teach a double page lo using Echo Park papers. There were several ladies wanting clarification that these papers were actually Echo Park as they were different to their usual style but they were oh so beautiful!

As always, Ann's class was absolutely sumptuous! Involving quite a bit of hand cutting and (EEEEk!) stamping straight onto your pages, the results were stunning.

This is Ann's double page lo. I apologise for the photos as I took them quickly just for reference, fully intending to take better ones later but forgot.

Ann also designs for the Chicken Soup blog so if your mojo is a little poorly this month why don't you pop over and try their challenge but be sure to upload it for us all to admire.

Counting down the days to the next crop xxx

Karen M

Look at what we have for you!

2011-01-30T12:09:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post to show you the kit that Ann has put together for February's crop. She is teaching a double page lo class and I will update you with the photo sizes later in the week.

The papers are from one of the new Echo Park ranges and can be viewed on the following links.

BM9004 Love Letters http://www.echoparkpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/BM9004_LoveLetters.jpg

BM9006 Journal Cards http://www.echoparkpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/BM9006_JournalCards.jpg

BM9010 French Chronicle http://www.echoparkpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/BM9010_FrenchChronicle.jpg

BM9007 Rose Bouquet http://www.echoparkpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/BM9007_RoseBouquet.jpg

With the prospect of playing with a gorgeous kit like this I cannot wait.

See you all on Saturday and I hope that the poorly ladies are feeling much better.

Karen M

The January Super Crop Review.

2011-01-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

I know it is a little late but I promise you it's well worth the wait!

First of all a big thank you to all the ladies who came along and made the day the outstanding success it was. Friends old and new who spent a fantastic day chatting, crafting, eating cupcakes and most of all laughing. We missed the friends who couldn't make it and look forward to seeing you at a crop very soon.

So what did we do - well to say it was a busy day was an understatement. For a slow scrapper like me (what has happened I used to be able to crank out the pages) I managed to get 4 projects completed and almost finish a 5th.

The first project we all tackled was a make and take. It was a waterfall book and had a journalling card that when pulled 'magically' turned the pages. Inside was space for 7 photos.

Next up was the card class. I would not call myself a card maker but I was really pleased with the design of this card and loved all the variations that you ladies made. Although it is satisfying to design a project I find it even more satisfying when someone takes that project and runs with it to the next level and you ladies certainly did that.

Then it was time for Karen C's packaging class. In this one we made a fabulous box, just waiting to be filled with chocolates I think, a gorgeous bag and two absolutely beautiful tags.

This is Sandie's box as her one was much better than mine!

Finally, we had a lo class from Debbie Jewell - I cannot begin to describe how beautiful and sparkly the papers were. This class involved handcutting the filigree pattern on the paper and then lots of layering of different papers.

The result was again stunning. This one again is Sandie's one which shows how beautiful the class looks with black and white photos

and then my one showing that it works just as well with coloured ones.

Our next crop is on February 5th and we have a couple of places available so if you would like to join us please email us at eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com.

We look forward to seeing you lovely ladies soon and a big thank you to Sandie for letting me put her projects onto the blog.

Karen M

January 8th Super Crop

2011-01-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

An update for the 8th Jan Super Duper Crop (postponed from December).

Debbie's snow based class will remain the same.

Karen C's project class has been revamped to a more general/non Christmas based class.

Karen M is teaching the card class as due to family commitments Mel is unable to come.

Class Info from Debbie

We will be creating a layout with a Wintery Feel to it, working with the gorgeous MME Portabello Road Glittered papers, wording on the page says "Perfect".
Colours are icey blue, ivory and silver.

Photograph sizes
1x 7x5in landscape photo in colour or b&w. I have used snowy photos and would suggest if you are wanting to scrap images that are not wintery colours then to convert them to black and white.
1x image cropped to a 2in circle

You will need:
Regular tool kit, including a sharp craft knife and cutting matt. (and a brown ink pad if you like to ink the edges of your project - optional)

Make and take

I have used Christmas photos for this project. You can use a selection of Christmas favorite photos from years gone by or ones from this year.

1 photo 13cm x 8.5cm

2 photos 11.5 x 8.5 cm

2 photos 10cm x 8.5cm

2 photos 8.5 x 8.5

You will also need double sided tape.

We are so excited about the crop and cannot wait

Karen & Karen

Four More Sleeps And Counting ...........

2010-11-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

Only four more sleeps until our Christmas Extravaganza! I am getting so excited, a whole 10 hours of crafting, chatting and eating cupcakes - what more could a girl ask for?

To get the ball rolling I am giving you a sneak peek of the take and make I am preparing. More sneakies to come tomorrow, I hope.

Hope you are all safe and warm and see you soon

Karen M

Dates for your Diary

2010-11-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hellooooooo Ladies

Are you getting excited yet? I certainly am and have been so looking forward to our Christmas Extravaganza. The classes are being designed and Karen and I are working on some little surprises. As soon as I have some sneaky peeks I will put them up.

Dates for your diary

8th January
5th February
5th March
2nd April
14th May
11th June
9th July
6th August
10th September
8th October
5th November
3rd December

Remember we only have 18 places so make sure you book your place.

Have a lovely week

Karen M

Eye Candy

2010-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

We promised you a fabulous class from Wendy Mckee and boy were we right! Just feast your eyes on these little tasters of what is to come next Saturday.

No photographs needed for this class but you do need a needle and white and brown thread.

We will bring some spares along just in case.

So not long now until our next crop.

Karen M

It's In The Bag

2010-10-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well we had our monthly crop today and each of us had a little carry out bag.

inside was this

and at the end of the afternoon we had turned it into versions of this!

An acrylic photo frame.

Thank you ladies for such a lovely day and I am counting the days until next month already.

Karen M

Sneaky Peeks for October

2010-09-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here we are ladies - as I promised, a taste of the class for Saturday.

See you soon.

Karen M

A glimpse of what's to come.

2010-09-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well hello ladies,

A little glimpse of the papers we are going to be using for the October class. They are from the Paper Girl line from The Girl's Paperie. I think you will agree that this is an absolutely gorgeous line. So from this you can assume that the class will be very pink and girlie - I am going to use one of my wedding photos.

I will post some sneaky peeks of the class next week and you will be able to get a better idea of what photo you would like to bring - only one 4 x 6 portrait photo needed.

Karen M

We've changed address!

2010-09-06T01:31:00.001-07:00

If you need us, we are now at:

eclectickeepsakes@btinternet.com

It's good to talk!

Karen and Karen

Stunning us in September

2010-09-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day we had yesterday! We all knew that Ann's classes would be stunning but stunning does not do them adequate justice! They were awesome.

For the first one the only cutting we had to do was to take the decorative edge from the bottom of the Sassafras Lass paper and that was it. The whole page was based on arranging your photos on the page and then sewing between the photos with coloured thread which had been skillfully matched, by Ann, to the printed stitching on the paper. We then added the stickers and die cut shapes to the available spaces and there we have it - a beautiful page.

The second one utilised both sides of another piece of Sassafras Lass paper and the border strips from both pieces that were in the kit. We also used a couple of the stickers that we had reserved from the sticker sheet and some die cut flowers. Another stunning page created in no time at all. Notice those cute little ladybugs on both of the pages. As a little extra Ann also showed us how to make a cute little notebook with the remaining bits and pieces from the kit.

Thanks to the continued support and sponsorship by Mel and Jill at ATDML we were able to make 2 los and a little project for £5.00 - amazing value.

Another surprise was Mel from ATDML arriving at the crop with my supplies for next month's class - I can honestly say that the papers are more beautiful in real life than I had ever imagined - so I had better get on designing my page and getting the sneak peeks ready for next month.

ATDML have the Indie Girl papers and stickers that were used for Ann's page, on their website if you've been inspired by Ann's class, and would like to buy some .

Keep an eye on the blog as once I have all my supplies I will get a photo of them up so you can decide which photo to use.

Thank you ladies for such a wonderful day and we both appreciate how much fun everyone makes our crop.

Karen M

Not Long Now

2010-09-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

No, it's not long now until our next crop and the lovely Ann has sent us a sneak peak of each of her 2 los she is going to teach.

Page 1

Page

Ann has asked that you bring a needle, large enough to take DMC thread if possible.

See you on Saturday and safe journey.

Karen M

It's getting closer!

2010-08-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Soon, very soon but not soon enough for some of us, it will be our next little gathering and we are really excited about the class Ann is going to teach. She has promised us 2 los and a little project for our September class and is going to be using the Indie Girl range from Sassafras Lass. You can see how gorgeous it is and so suitable for scrapping both boy and girl pages!

For the first lo you will need 4 (3in x 3in) photos and for the second 1 or 2 (6in x 4in portrait) photographs.

We hope to get some sneaky peeks of the class up before the crop so keep an eye on the blog.

Karen M

Painting The Roses Red

2010-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the late post! The other Karen has been really busy so I have taken over this post for her.

We had a fabulous day on Saturday making our mini books from scratch. Cutting the covers, sewing in the pages getting sticky with bookbinding tape, punching, stamping and painting to our little hearts content. As promised, the mini book, designed by Karen C, did not disappoint. The internal pages were made from pages of an Alice In Wonderland book and all the stamps and embellishments were Alice themed. It was a fabulous kit and an absolute bargain for the price. Everyone went home with the majority of their books finished.

For the ladies who haven't gotten around to finishing their books and for anyone who would like to drool over Karen's project below are 32 (sorry for the huge number but I photographed each page as a single page and not as a double - durrrrr) photos from the book.

A huge thanks to Elsie Flannigan for allowing us to use her Alice in Wonderland paper dolls.

Next month's class is well on the way and we will be back later in the month with some sneak peaks of the papers being used and little tasters of the project Ann is making.

Karen M

I think we are spoiling you!

2010-07-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

We have updated our class list with the classes for the remainder of this year and I hope you are all as excited as we are.

August - Karen Cole's awesome mini (I had a sneak preview today and I am completely blown away with what she has in store for us - this is a class you should definitely not miss!)

September - Ann Freeman, who makes the most amazing projects and pages have a look on her blog here.

October - it's little old me with a piece of home decor.

November - Wendy McKee. Wendy makes the most beautiful cards, pages, home decor items and many other beautiful paper based projects. Her blog is here, well worth a look.

December - A Christmas Extravaganza with an extended crop and three, yes you read that correctly, three classes with Mel Hand, Debbie Jewell and our very own Karen Cole. We are hoping that Mel will bring the shop along again so there will be an opportunity to treat yourself to an early Christmas present.

So we are half way through July already and our August crop will be upon us before we know it - not a moment too soon for me, I can hardly wait!

Karen M

What A Wonderful Day We Had

2010-07-14T12:49:00.001-07:00

Firstly, apologies for not blogging sooner but real life got in the way!

A huge thank you to Laura Buckingham for teaching our awesome class this month. The papers were from the Delovely range and the colours so bright and summery.

The class technique was layering and using everyday products from stationary stores.

We used staples, luggage labels and tiny pricing labels. There was lovely Japanese tape and lots of border punches and we even did a little hand stitching.

Everyone took the class and we were all delighted with the results. It was so nice to be told that our classes are so good because the pace of teaching does not put any undue pressure on the participants, therefore making for a relaxing afternoon.

I am sure you will agree that the results were stunning - so a huge thank you to Laura.

The winners of this months prizes are:-

Denise - a set of Stamping Up stamps.

Naomi - the Papermaze voucher

Sandie - a Shimelle class pass.

I am looking forward to next month's crop already and eagerly anticipating the mini book that Karen C is teaching. Anyone who knows her will know that she makes awesome minis and I promise you this one will be a bumper kit which will not disappoint!

Karen M

What goodies do we have in store for you?

2010-07-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

We are delighted to be able to tell you that we have not 1, not 2 but 3 fabulous prizes available tomorrow!

1. A set of stamping up stamps from the lovely Tara.
2. A Papermaze voucher
AND
3. A class pass for this Class - Love Your Pictures, Love Your Pages.

All this and our much anticipated class with the lovely and talented Laura - what more could a girl ask to make the weekend fab?

Photo Info

2010-07-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Hello again ladies - only 3 (well 4 if you count today) more days till the crop and we are fizzing and ready to rumble! Laura says you need two 6 x 4 (15cm x 10cm) photos for her class. They can be portrait or landscape but not a mix - either two portrait or two landscape.

We are so excited about this class as the gorgeous papers combined with Laura's unique style is sure to mean we will be making an absolutely fablous page.

See you on Saturday xxx

2010-06-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well Hello Ladies - it is almost time for our next crop - only another 8 days and we can't wait. So to wet your appitite a little sneak peek at the papers that Laura is going to be using for the class. They are from the Delovely range but I think you will agree that they could very well be named Delicious!

Keep an eye on the blog because we will be posting a couple of sneaks of Laura's finished lo very soon.

June Crop

2010-06-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our June crop and very successful it was too, even if we do say so ourselves!

It was so lovely to spend the day with old friends and make new friends with the ladies who had come along for the first time. We both really love how our crop is evolving and it has become the kind of crop we have dreamed of for a long time. We have, by choice, kept is small and we are confident that this has been a good decision as it means that everyone chats with everyone else and there can never be groups of people who don't mix with the others.

We had our much anticipated crochet class with the very lovely and talented Elaine. She spent the morning crocheting away and making the most awesome little flowers which we all aspire to making eventually.

Most of our ladies opted to take the class and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly they could pick up crocheting and with the results of their endeavors under the guidance of the very patient Elaine. I think, next month, there will be lots of projects at the crop which have cute little crochet flowers on them.

On a happy, but sad note we are fully booked for July and now have a waiting list. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, in case there are any cancellations, please e-mail us at eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com.

We will be back soon with details of our July class which is being taught by the very talented Laura Buckingham.

Karen & Karen

Look - We're Famous!

2010-05-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

What a lovely surprise when I opened up my copy of The Scrapbook Magazine - an article about our crop on page 6! But I have to say that they did get it a little wrong and ATDML are not at every crop.

June 5th Crop

2010-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

We are now fully booked for the crop on June 5th. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, in case of cancellations, please e-mail us at eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com. Elaine has the class prepared and will be bringing some card making bits and pieces to sell too. We are so excited at the prospect of crocheting our own little embellishments and hope you will be too.

Stampin' Up at Eclectic Keepsakes

2010-05-08T01:01:00.000-07:00

Tara will be bringing her Stampin' Up goodies to the June Crop so get saving ladies because you will want to spend, spend, spend when you see what she has on offer!

Some News

2010-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

You will have seen that we have added some more dates for the rest of the year.

Why have we done this piecemeal? well it's all about getting the best deal, the best value for money and making sure you love the hall and venue as much as we do! So now we know we are doing things right, we are storming ahead!

Some exciting news regarding classes. Remember we said we were trying to get some exciting teachers for the rest of the year, here are some of the confirmed dates:

June - Learn to crochet your own embellishments.
July - Laura Buckingham
August - Karen Cole
September - Ann Freeman
October - TBC
November- TBC
December - December Spectacular - three classes and an extended day.

We hope you are as excited as we are and look forward to you joining us on these dates. Also, keep an eye out for details about us in UK Scrapbook magazines, wow we are excited!

Speed Scrapping With Shimelle

2010-05-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our National Scrapbooking Day crop/class with the urber talented Shimelle. What a fabulous day we all had. In total there were 16 of us and we each made 16 pages for an 8.5 x 11 album in a day! Shimelle was her ever patient self and by the end we had all achieved the basic pages ready to follow the instructions to complete them later. I cannot believe we did so many pages with so little stress - a testimony to a brilliant teacher.

It was a fantastic day spent with some of our regular ladies and some ladies who had booked in for the day to take the class. Ladies had traveled from far and wide - one lady had taken 5 trains to reach us, that's what I call dedication!

Also congratulations to Denise who won the Sarah's Cards kit for her sketch challenge lo, last month. This was the most creative use of the sketch and was chosen by SJ who said she was really impressed by the hand cutting, our thanks to Sarah's Cards for very generously donating a May Kit.

Next crop is on June 5th when we have a crochet class to show us how to make lovely handmade embellishments for our pages. Contact us at eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com if you would like to book a place.

Shop with us on National Scrapbook Day

2010-04-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

An update about May 1st, Shimelle will be brining along the entire Shimelle Shop for the day.

Not only will we be able to buy beautiful AC albums to house our project, but lots of other goodies as well. From stamps and rub ons to paper and card, we are sure that you will love the shop as much as we do.

A beautiful collection of up to date stash at amazing prices.

If you live nearby and would like to pop in for a spot of shopping, please do so anytime after 4.30-6pm.

Watch this Space

2010-04-13T23:46:00.001-07:00

We are working hard to secure fabulous teachers for the remainder of the year and have a sensational day in mind for December!

Our National Scrapbooking Day with Shimelle is racing along and we will update the details,on here, later in the week. We only have 2 places left so if you have been unsure whether you want to take the class or not NOW is the time to say yes and join us for what promises to be a fabulous and fun packed day - who else but Shimelle can help you make an 8.5 x 11 inch album in a day?

Shimelle is also bringing her shop so if you would like to come along to browse then you will be most welcome - the shop will be open to non croppers from 1pm - 2pm and 4pm - 5pm.

Soooooo watch this space for more information!

Congratulations

2010-04-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

A big well done to Bibi and Yas who won the first prize in the draw.

Here is the layout they created...

Congratulations and well done to you for winning the most amazing march kit from Sarah's Cards who very kindly and very generously sponsored the kit challenge.

SJ has picked the winner of the most creative use of the sketch, to be announced shortly.....

April's Crop

2010-04-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, how lucky are we? The fabulously talented SJ taught our card class and it was phenomenal! Not one but 2 cards, complete with specially designed Little Musings, one for the boys in your life and one for the girls, although Karen C used Phoebe for both of her cards. SJ was so patient with our ladies who were not too confident with the techniques used and every lady who took the class was absolutely delighted with the cards they had made. There was the basic option, using the colour printed Justin and Phoebe or the 'Kick it Up' version using different colouring mediums on the black and white version of the characters.

The fabulously talented SJ

Now these cards were not your ordinary sized cards either but big, beautiful, fully loaded A5 size cards - the sort we have come to expect from SJ. So in the kit everyone got 4 6 x 12 pieces of Crate paper, 1 sheet of Crate stickers, Little Musings and sentiment tokens and bits and bobs to make beautiful flowers and a fantastic punched butterfly, 2 A5 white cards, with envelopes and 2 pieces of Kraft card. All this for £2.00 - how can we do this? Well, because we are a not for profit crop and we put any profits back into classes for our ladies we were able to use some of the money left over from last month's crop towards the cost of this class. I am assured that the kit alone should retail for £5.00 and that is without taking into account SJ's teaching fee!

Justin Card

Phoebe Card

Many of our ladies decided to make the cards, but some, myself included, decided to use the kit for a lo. To the lady who decided to use them for a lo about her daughter and boyfriend and coloured little shoes onto Phoebe - inspiring idea and one which I have taken up.

Look at all those beautiful cards (ladies who made los not in photo - sorry ladies I forgot to invite you outside for the photo).

May Crop News

We only have 4 places left for our National Scrapbooking Day class with Shimelle Laine so if you would like one of these, and they are selling like hot cakes, please contact us to reserve your place.

National Scrapbooking Day May 1st - A Not so Mini Album with Shimelle

2010-03-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Announcing the

Eclectic Keepsakes National Scrapbooking Day Event

Join us on May 1st for a very special day of scrapbooking with Shimelle Laine.

Join us at our superb hall in Marks Tey from 10am – 6pm in the evening for a great day, papercrafting, fun and of course some cupcakes.

What are we doing that is different?

We are keeping it intimate. We will limit our numbers to a maximum of 16. That means you have lots of room to create in and get some real quality time with the teacher. We prefer the quality to quantity approach and know that you will learn some amazing stuff if we do it this way!

During our eight hour day of cropping, you will enjoy five hours of dedicated tuition from Shimelle. That means you can really master some great techniques and spend time on your project without rushing the class or feeling pressured. (leaves a little time for eating cake and chatting as well as finishing off at your own speed)

We are creating an album, and well its NOT SO MINI ! We wanted to do something different and so we will be working towards creating a whole album. Ever fancied creating 8.5 x 11 ? Well that is what we are going to do. It’s perfect for beginners and those who want to try a different medium size.

We are using the latest products. We want to keep it fresh and fun and will bring you a selection of the most up to date releases to use in your project. There is nothing quite like the latest must have stash to play with.

We are maxing out the stash and will bring you as much as we can at the best possible price. We will work towards creating a whole album – kit contents will be the innards with a very special deal on some beautiful and spring like AC albums as an ‘add on’ on the day if you don’t have one hanging about in your stash already. We will amaze you with the goodies you get to play with on the day.

Shopping opportunities and sponsorships to be announced.

We are a not for profit event and as such we will be keeping the price as low as we can. Investing in the best teachers, the best products in the best quantities we can get for you.

So join us for a whole day for only £65 each.

Contact us to reserve your spot:

eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com

Pre payment in full will be required to secure your place.

Check out our blog for news and updates here:

http://eclectickeepsakes.blogspot.com/

Event Address:

Marks Tey Parish Hall, Old London Road, Marks Tey, Colchester, Essex, CO6 1EN

(Hugely accessible, 20 mins from Ipswich and Clacton areas, 25 mins from M25, yummy food available nearby)

April at Eclectic Keepsakes

2010-03-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, what are we up to next Saturday?

Don't forget to bring anything that you want to sell on. We are hosting our first bring and buy/gift event. We will nto be doing this when we have a shop at the event but we have been asked about selling on unwanted stash and we hope this will be a good way to do it!

Remember to keep it in good working order and we find that pretty packaging always helps :)

We have some fantastic Giveaways throughout the day.

I am so pleased to announce that Little Light Studio are once again supporting us with a voucher for the event. I know that Sue won the last voucher and that she has been in touch with Kayla to arrange what classes to take.

Check out the site HERE for the latest and most innovative classes. We know you will find something you love.

Also we are super pleased and chuffed to announce that our sketch challenge will be supported by Sarahs Cards. THey have been hugely generous with their support and we will have an amazing prize for the winner of the sketch challenge AND ALSO the most innovative interpretation of the sketch.

Sarahs Cards not only has the most amazing monthly kits, it is also a UK retailer and one of the biggest suppliers of American Crafts products amongst others.

Check out their site HERE for all the latest must have products including:

3 Bugs in a Rug
American Crafts
Cosmo Cricket

Crate Paper
Fancy Pants
Hambly

Jenni Bowlin
Jillibean Soup
Kaisercraft

My Little Shoebox
Pink Paislee
Scrap within Reach

I am about to email you all just to firm up numbers. I know we still have a few people on the waiting list. So from both Karen's, we can't wait to see you next weekend.

More dates for your diary

2010-03-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce some more dates for the year.

They are:

June 5th
July 10th
August 7th

Please note on July 10th we have been asked to tweak our times a little to accommodate an evening function, thus instead of the usual 10am - 6pm we will be running the event from 9:45 - 5:45.

See you there!

Exciting Stuff on the horizon

2010-03-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, we are almost there with the crochet class, we hope this will be either June or July. We will be linking up with a hugely talented local lady and we will supply with you a little kit to be able to create your very first crochet projects.

(Just in case you were wondering, we haven't been able to confirm as we are trying to line up a very special teacher to come along and create a lovely scrapbook class especially for us)

April Class

2010-03-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

OK, we are getting closer, so some more details about the April class.

This has been specially designed by the ultra talented SJ Dowsett. Check out her blog HERE for details about her and see more of her gorgeous Little Musing Characters.

(PS. Also check out her blog post tomorrow for more details about Eclectic Keepsakes)

OK, so the class itself is a card class based around two special characters; Justin for the men in your life and Phoebe for the girls.

In the kit you will get;

Four 6x12 pieces of Crate paper
A sheet of 6x12 Crate stickers
Phoebe Print & Card titles
Justin Print & Card titles
Two A5 Card blanks - white textured
Two Envelopes
A kraft off cut
A sheet of book paper
Some punch outs

The Price? Only £2.
Remember, we are able to do this using the latest, just released products as we are a not for profit event and we believe in getting you the best teachers and the best products in the right quantities.

There will of course be the original class and the kick it up version. This class will introduce you to some cool paper crafting techniques along with some ideas about colouring images as well.

What you will need to bring:

Essential tools:

Detail scissors (If you don't have any, tesco sell them for £2.50!)(Some will be available for use on the day but this will be shared)
Pop Dots or Foam tape
Glue, be it pritt or Double tape - which ever you prefer
A brown ink pad
A colouring medium if you want to kick it up. Pencils, watercolour paints or watercolour pencils, promarkers, etc. Again some mediums will be available on the day but again this will be shared.

We will have some extra kits for you to purchase on the day or via post - email us for further information.

We hope you are as excited as we are to welcome SJ to the EK event, cant wait for the3rd to arrive now!

March Class Kit

2010-03-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

We also wanted to share with you the class kit as made by Denise.

I really love the way that Denise has made this her own by using it to show off a period of time. She has shown the relationship between her and her son as he has grown and finally has included a lovely portrait shot of him too.

Beautiful.

April Stampin Up

2010-03-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

We can also confirm that we have asked one of our crop attendees; Tara to bring along her Stampin Up Goodies which will be on display at the event.

Stampin Up are most famous for their lovely stamps and card making products which we thought would be a perfect match to go alongside our beautiful card class run by SJ Dowsett.

For those of you that are not familiar, you place your order and pay on the day and the goods are shipped in for you to pick up at a later stage. Tara has asked me to remind you that cash or cheques will be the preferred methods of payment.

If you havent tried the products before, this will be the perfect chance to have a look at some sample products. The quality is amazing and the designs are beautiful.

If you live in the local area, please feel free to pop in and take a peek even if you are not spending the day with us.

April, April, April - you are almost here!

2010-03-19T02:17:00.000-07:00

News on the shopping for the April crop!

As a response to requests, we are hosting our very own Bring and Buy Stash event this month.

Do you have an overwhelming amount of stash that on further consideration you wish you had not bought? I know I do! I think this has beenprompted by Shimelle's new class, so far I am still trying to wade through my metals and use up as many as I possibly can!

Well bring it along and either gift it or sell it on the day. Paper, embellishments, tools and gadgets, make sure they are in good, clean, working order and bring them along.

News for April

2010-03-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

First of we all we are pleased but sad to say we are all full up.

Today we have sent out emails so if for any reason you cant make it, please email us as we have a waiting list running for people who would like to come.

We are very excited about SJ's class. This will be a card class based around her Little Musings designs. SJ will create some characters unique to Eclectic Keepsakes and there will be a feminine and masculine version that you can choose from.

The class will also include some lovely papercrafting techniques. SJ has chosen a new range from Crate Paper which we love.

Here is a little peek at what we will be using.

FInally, we hope you don't mind but we have asked Cheryl Johnson to join us later in the year rather than April. We hope that this will guarantee better weather and give us a bit more time to get all our families together.

Some of you have said you would like her to come later in the year and some people who wanted a session are on holiday. We know that CJ will only be able to come once this year, we want to be able to offer different things each month. (We do listen to what you say!)

Cheryl has promised that she will offer the same package prices for the sessions and we will keep you posted.

In the meanwhile, we have been busy lining up a crochet for beginners class. Anyone want to learn how to make flowers and embellishments for your paper crafting projects?

March Class

2010-03-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

We wanted to share with you what Karelyn created from the March class kit, we love it!

What a great way to change the title.

Two Kits for Sale

2010-03-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

We have two spare class kits with full colour instructions relating to our March Hybrid kit.

If you are interested and would like one, they are £4.50 each including P and P.

See a few posts below for full contents and details.

Please email us, first come, first served.

TFB X

Some Pictures....

2010-03-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

....as promised....

Kerry with her finished layout

The shop goodies (wish I had taken more photos of this now!)

Some layouts by Naomi...

(also congrats to you as you won the sketch challenge draw x)

Crafters hard at work (see we did more than just eat cake and chat!)

Please send us photos of your finished projects so we can add them to the blog.

Be back later.....

2010-03-07T01:59:00.000-08:00

with some photos from the day.....

Something a Little Different - KE - Kick it Up.

2010-03-07T01:43:00.001-08:00

So, you know how we said we didn't want to let all our ideas out of the bag in one go, well we let you in to our class plans yesterday.

Each time we do a class, there will be two versions. We will do a basic class and a Kick it up version.

Why? We want to encourage all levels of crafters to take part and expand their skills. Often the biggest problem when designing a class can be getting the pitch and level of the class just right. Too basic and those with more skill arent as excited as they should be. Too advanced and those who want to learn a new skill may be put off.

So we will always do two classes to make sure we do our best to reach everyone.

We want to use the freshest products and will get our teachers to choose what they want to use and present rather than vice versa.

We hope you like our idea. We know that ATDML liked it, they even blogged us! It's new and as far as we are aware we dont know of anyone else doing this.....yet! (Answers on a postcard please!)

So here are the two full versions that we created, and now you know why we didnt put the full versions on the blog earlier!

The Sketch

2010-03-07T01:33:00.001-08:00

As part of the day, we ran a sketch challenge. Open to all types of paper mediums, create a project designed on the sketch.

We wanted to upload this to the blog so if you didn't get chance to make it along, you can still make something with it. If you publish your project, please link back to our blog and we would love to see what you create with it!

Congratulations to Naomi who won the sketch challenge draw.

The other side of the first - beware lengthy Oscar-type acceptance speech below!

2010-03-07T01:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, we had such a fab day yesterday, we hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did.

I guess I have lots of thank you's first of all!

To all those who came along and made the event what it was. I know that some of you travelled a long way, we hope you enjoyed it. We loved you being there.

Thank you to those who said they couldnt make it but wanted to come along next month, we will start working towards finalising class details as soon as we can. We will email you all this week to confirm whether you are coming or not.

I can't thank Mel and Jill from A Trip Down Memory Lane enough for bringing the shop along. We were so lucky as they brought the latest papers, books, and goodies along. I found it hard deciding what not to buy! It was amazing. Thanks for your support.

To the clever and talented people who gave away their products to help us make the day more special: Jen Martakis, Little Light Studio, Wilna Furstenberg, Shimelle; a BIG thank you from us. xxx

To Karen for the cupcakes, that topping was delicious!

To those that helped with the tabels and chairs. You weren't supposed to , but we thank you!

To the special person who came to the doughnut rescue for us. We thank you for everthing and for being a great friend. x

We are looking forward to next Month and hope to make it better. Any feedback you have, please contact us. It's through your input that we make it better.

What's in the FREE Hybrid Class Kit?

2010-03-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the class kit for tomorrow, hope you are as excited as we are.

Remember if you cant make it for the day you are more than welcome to come along and see us at Marks Tey Village Hall to find out what we do and to shop with A Trip Down Memory lane who will be with us for the day.

Class Sneak Peeks

2010-03-03T02:40:00.001-08:00

Want to see some peeks of the hybrid class that we will be doing this Saturday?

Here they are...

You will need to bring with you:

foam dots
white journalling pen
cropodile or hole puncher
Photos:
Two 6 x 4 portrait photos and One 6 x 4 landscape photo

More exciting Giveaways

2010-02-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the news about the new class from Shimelle Laine? Something from almost nothing?

We are pleased to announce that we have an amazing Give Away for our March crop, a free place in this new class for you AND a friend.

This is a fantatsic prize which will help you use up your older stash and learn some new tips and techniques.

Dont forget to email us if you want to come along on Saturday, we are finalising names this week.

eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com

Want more for March?

2010-02-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Check in tomorrow and see what we have for you.

More super exciting stuff!

Want a March Giveaway?

2010-02-27T10:41:00.001-08:00

We have a couple of super cool giveaways to make our very first date a little bit special. We are thrilled to be supported by Little Light Studio.

This is the brain child of two very talented designers. Wilna Furstenburg and Kayla Aimee.

In 2006 Wilna she won the CK Hall of Fame and the first Making Memories Idols contest. She currently designs for Making Memories, Jenni Bowlin Kits and creates her own digital kits which are available at Two Peas in a Bucket Digital Store.

Kayla has been published in several publications including Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers and Scrapbooks Etc. She has also worked with popular scrapbooking manufacturers, serving on design teams and designing product samples for trade shows. She currently designs for Pink Paislee.

Little Light Studio is a place where you can take part in classes, connect with fellow scrapbookers and photographers in the Community and create some beautiful artwork. We love the fact that all classes are super affordable and there are lots of FREE CLASSES which are way too cute.

There is something very different about Little Light Studio and that is art. Both Wilna and Kayla clearly love art and that shines through in the amazing projects and classes that they and their fellow tutor alumni have created.

We love the fact that Little Light Studio nutures talent and is as passionate about making beautiful things as we are.

So our first give away will be a free Coffee Album: Valentine Edition. This is an amazingly popular class and has even been featured on Ali edwards blog.

The 2010 VALENTINE EDITION of the class includes six exclusive handpainted inner pages and album cover. All you will need to do is print off the templates, add your own photos and embellishments, and follow the directions included in the PDF lesson handout to make this beautiful album in less than an hour!

Our second Giveaway will be a $15 gift card than can be applied to any self paced class at Little Light Studio. So you can take a class to improve your journalling skills, learn digital scrapbooking from scratch with Love Digital 101 or try something tactile such as the coffee shop mini album or handmade gifts.

We hope that you are as excited as we are, and look out for furture Giveaways and Support from this amazing team.

Talking April and March hasn't happened?

2010-02-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

We know we haven't had March yet, but we are so excited about April that we wanted to let you know what we are doing. We hope that by letting you know early, this gives you chance to plan your diaries (and your photo sessions!)

We are still accepting bookings for March, so do contact us and don't forget to talk April!

PS Did we mention that this amazing photo was taken by Cheryl?

Eclectic Keepsakes Easter Saturday 3rd April event with SJ Dowsett and Cheryl Johnson.

2010-02-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

We know its Easter weekend and traditionally its time spent with the family, but we hope that this year you can combine the both.

We are pleased to welcome our two very special guests for the day.

The ever so talented SJ Dowsett will join us to teach a special Little Musings class. This is going to be card class with a special, unique Little Musings image designed specially for us.

SJ is a member of Shimelles Digital Dozens, and a guest CT member for Kate Hadfield designs. She is the founder of Little Musings and creates the most beautiful hand drawn characters. (Also custom characters can be ordered).

Remember, if you are not a cardmarker, grab a class kit and we will help you create something a little different that can be added to a more traditional layout.

Check out her blog HERE for examples of her designs and work.

We also welcome the very talented photographer Cheryl Johnson who will be with us on the day. If you haven’t been lucky enough to have a little photo shoot with Cheryl before, now is the time to do it. She is a very clever lady and you can see some of her amazing photos at her website HERE .

We asked Cheryl along as we thought Easter weekend would be a great time to get family together for a special portrait session. Cheryl has put together two amazing packages for us:

Single Family Session Fee £90 Extended Family Sessions from £125

(includes CD with six beautifully enhanced high resolution images)

A regular session in studio with Cheryl starts at £250 with digital negatives, so these packages are an amazing bargain. In the first instance, contact us with your interest and we can send you a special flyer that Cheryl has produced outlining the packages.

Join us at Marks Tey Village Hall, April 3rd 2010, 10am - 6pm.

To reserve your place contact us at eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com or telephone us on 07519 786611

£10 per event; and book your priority seat for out special National Scrapbooking Day event on May 1st. (Class kit and photographic sessions will incur additional charges)

Please remember spaces are limited, so contact us to reserve you space as soon as possible.

Event Address:

Marks Tey Village Hall, Parish Hall, Old London Road, Marks Tey, Colchester, Colchester, CO6 1EN

(20 mins from Ipswich and Clacton areas, 25 mins from M25)

April and May

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Ok, we are simply bursting to tell you what is planned for April and May crops.

We have been busy working away to get some very talentend teachers down for these days.

The plan is to spill the beans at the end of next week, looks like Saturday will be the big reveal day, but we guarantee you will want to join us for National Scrapbooking Day.

Its not just a carrier bag, its my carrier bag

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We are pleased to announce that A Trip Down Memory Lane will be attending our first crop and bringing with them lots of lovely goodies.

WE HAVE A SHOP!

Mel and Jill have kindly arranged to bring a fantastic selection of goodies for us to buy. They will be replenishing and adding extra products all through the day, so no need to worry about things running out! The only thing you need to do is bring along some carrier bags!

****Want free Postage and Packaging?****

If you place on an online order and pick it up from the Crop then you will not have to pay postage or packaging. Simply select 'in store pick up' from the delivery options and put a short note in the comments box stating Colchester Crop Order. They will be packed and brought along for you to pick up on the day.

****Cant make the whole day but still want to shop?****

Pop in and see us FREE OF CHARGE to browse, shop and say hello. We would love to see you there.

Check out the shop HERE and place your order now.

Keep an eye on the inspiration blog HERE

The Venue

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Like every important event, we have thought long and hard about where to host it. We think this hall is perfect. In no particular order, here is why.

First, its hugely accessible. It is a stones throw away from the A12. If you travel past you can see it from the road. It's a few minutes from Colchester, 20 minutes from Ipswich and Clacton and about 25 minutes from the M25 turn off on the A12. We hope this will attract craft lovers from all over Essex and Suffolk. And beyond too!

Second, the parking. The car park is massive, we could fit several buses in it and it's in good condition - no pot holes or gravel for our discerning crafters/loving cared for craft totes. On a serious note, it is secure and well lit which makes us happy that you are safe.

Third, the grounds. The hall itself is surrounded by a large grass area. This means when you want to take a break you can go for a wander and it's somewhere nice to eat your lunch in the warmer months. Also, if you want to grab some photos of friends you will find some nice backdrops for your scrapping photos without having to travel or walk far.

Four, the hall itself. Its recently built, modern, clean and comfortable. The toilets are great. The caretakers and trustees are helpful. We have room to grow or hold larger special events, there are actually three halls here so we can hold these special events without too much drama/trauma. Its fully accessible for those with mobility issues and it will be easy to get in all our crafting equipment. There are a large amount of tables at our use, so lots of room for you during the day.

(BTW all tables will be put out for you and put away again at the end of the event. So all you have to do is turn up and create without worrying about etiquette or upset!)

Five, the cost. Its affordable folks, remember we are a not for profit event and we want everything to be ploughed back in to the events throughout the year. In the current economic downturn every penny counts and we believe that this crafters co-operative way is the way to go.

Six, the food. We will supply tea, coffee and biscuits for the entrance fee for you throughout the day. Ok, maybe a cake as well from time to time! There is a small kitchen for our exclusive use, a small fridge, food prep area, etc. There are lots of options for you at lunch should you not bring yours with you. A petrol station, local shop and sandwich shop are nearby. A garden centre a stones throw away in the opposite direction serves fantastic cakes and sandwiches. Sainsbury's is a 4 minute drive away (yup, we timed it). Frankie & Bennys and a whole host of food serving pubs are also along this road and would be perfect for a spot to meet up with family for a bite to eat at the end of the day.

We know you will be as pleased with the hall as we are.

And the little girl was born with glitter in her veins

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So how did we come up with the name? And what are the words about?

Well we thought these words embodied the aims of the event, and this according to Wikipedia is why.....

Eclectic [i-klek-tik]
1. selecting or choosing from various sources.
2. made up of what is selected from different sources.

Keepsakes [keep-seyk]
Noun: anything kept, or given to be kept, as a token of friendship or affection; remembrance.

Oh yeah, and its also a mixture of our initials

The Announcement

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Do you (heart) the handmade?

We are Eclectic Keepsakes and we are a strictly not for profit organisation dedicated to the handmade.

Join us for our inaugural meet
Eclectic Keepsakes March 6th 2010

Come join us in our new and exciting crafty group to be held on a monthly basis on the Essex/Suffolk border area.

Our emphasis is on people who love different types of handmade. Scrapbooking, card making, paper crafts, printing, sewing, knitting and more.

Join us for the day, creating alongside one another in a friendly and relaxed environment.

Bring your enthusiasm, tools and stash and by the end of the day hopefully you will have met new people and learnt new skills.

Throw some classes, teachers and exciting and NEW workshops in to the mix and there you have it.

Eclectic Keepsakes.

Join us at Marks Tey Village Hall, 10am - 6pm.

To reserve your place contact us at eclectickeepsakes@googlemail.com or telephone us on 07519 786611

We have a fantastic hybrid scrapbooking class lined up for our first event. This is a free class sponsered by Jen Martakis Designs. Jen creates her own digital kits and is currently a Two Peas in a Bucket Garden Girl.

(We have lots more news and exciting ‘stuff’ planned for this first crop along with future events. Keep an eye on our blog for sneak peeks. Well, you didn’t think we’d give away all our secrets in one go did you?!)
http://eclectickeepsakes.blogspot.com/

Event Address:

Marks Tey Village HallParish Hall, Old London Road, Marks Tey, Colchester, Colchester, CO6 1EN

(20 mins from Ipswich and Clacton areas, 25 mins from M25)