What’s a ‘Crop’ and What do I Bring???

I remember asking that very question. I had no idea what a ‘crop’ was.  I knew what the word crop meant, but how did it pertain to Scrapbooking? 

First things first 

Crop —  

• (noun) 1. A scrapbooking party hosted by an expert who shares techniques, products and information with the group.  

• (verb) 2. To cut or trim a photograph, to highlight a certain area, or cut out unwanted activity, or simply changing the photograph’s shape.  

So with that out of the way,

What do I bring to a Crop?

No!

As recommended by Michaels craft store, your basic Scrapbooking kit includes:

• a good paper trimmer
• scissors
• liquid glue
• dry adhesives
• Craft knife
• Fine line Marker 
• adhesive remover

That’s it.  And now for the extras…

A crop is a wonderful opportunity to socialize; think of it as a ‘sewing circle for scrapbookers’.

To have a successful crop you need to plan ahead.  The more you prepare at home, the more fun you will have at the crop.  

Decide ahead of time:

• What photos you want to work with
• What papers you will use
• What embellishments you will use
• Make sure you have all your information about your photos and if you are going to journal, either make notes or write out what you want to say and attach it to the back of the photo(s) with a sticky note.

Place each ‘page’ in a ‘baggie’ – i.e. put the papers, embellishments and photos you have selected together in one bag.

You may be able to find out ahead of time what the specific challenges and contests will be, and plan for those too.

The next thing you want to consider is:

• Which stamps, inks, sprays, and/or paints you might want to use
• Markers, punches, coloured pencils
• Any ‘fancy’ scissors ( like Fiskars)
• Will you want to emboss your papers? Do you want to bring your Cuttlebug or Sizzix? 

I have seen croppers bring Cricuts, full-size sewing machines — you name it! 

I would think that you could ‘leave that fancy stuff’ for later when you return home.

Having access to electrical outlets is always limited and may not be possible or be very inconvenient.

Some croppers bring huge ‘storage towers’ to house all their ink pads, stamps, embossing powders, gadgets…  That says to me that they didn’t plan ahead as well as they could have. They need to use ‘dollies’ to transport all their stuff from their car to the crop room. They have A LOT of stuff!

Important things to pack:

• wet wipes
• bottled water or juices – keep hydrated
• lipstick, gloss or Chapstick – rooms tend to be really dry
• a snack/meal if you will be there all day
• snacks to share (optional, of course) – always nice and a great way to make friends!! 🙂
• use a bag on wheels
• leave your purse at home – carry your cash and a credit card on you. If you get a ‘badge’ for the crop to wear around your neck you can put your cash/credit card in there. 

I think that’s it.  Please add your own tips and I will update the post.

I hope this helps

~Roberta

Decorables