A quick guide to packing, prepping and organizing for a retreat

 

The stars have aligned.  All of your friends were free on the same weekend, your fave retreat house had an opening, you’re on the books and deposits are paid.  You are going to retreat!! WOOT!  And then the panic sets in…What should I work on?  What will I pack? 

 

Never fear, Blue House Fans.  I have compiled a list of how I prepare for retreat.  This is a list that I go by and has proven helpful for me.  I hope you find it helpful! 

 

-PICTURES – The first thing I do is decide what pictures/events I want to scrap.  Knowing what pics I will be taking helps me keep focused on pulling just the things I need for the weekend, and not taking everything in my scrapbook room.

 

-PAPERS – After I have picked my pics, I can select the collections I want to use.  I try and challenge myself to make as many layouts as I can from a collection pack.  This is smart for 2 reasons---a) it helps use up my stash & b) the more layouts I can produce from one collection, the less I have to pack.

 

-CARDSTOCK– Cardstock, cardstock, cardstock.  I can’t stress enough how important this is. Cardstock can be heavy and take up a lot of space, so while I want to take enough, I don’t want to take too much either.  Typically I grab a bunch of neutrals, as they are always my go to.  I take a look at the paper I have chosen to take and pull cardstock based on those collections. 

 

-EMBELLIES – I always pack the embellies that coordinate with the paper collections I have packed.  From there I grab some bling, an array of buttons, the on trend embellishment of the moment (right now its wood veneer), a variety of twine, ribbon, journal cards, flowers…all the usual suspects.  Remember to keep color/them of your papers and pic in mind when making your selections.

 

-BASICS BAG –I pack a bag with my go to scrapping supplies.  Making sure to load up on the adhesive-you can NEVER pack too much adhesive.  Toss in my trimmer, corner rounder, ruler, a variety of journaling pens, some glossy accents and all those other things I find myself reaching for on all of my layouts. Nat and I like to use a big tote with plenty of pockets and compartments for this job.  You can see a complete list of our go to supplies HERE.

 

-PACK A PUNCH – Next up, I  pack some on trend punches (triangles, hexagon, banner), basic punches (varying size circles, scallops, labels) and neutral border punches (scalloped edge, notebook tab).  If I know that I plan on completing a project that will need a specific punch, I throw that in there too.  See how I pack my punches HERE.

 

-A FEW TOOLS OF THE TRADE – I personally think that a die-cutting machine is a necessity for any retreat.  I love my Silhouette, so that’s my pick.  (If you are a Cricut fan, load it up.  Prefer a Big Shot/Cuttlebug& Dies?  Bring it.)  Additionally, I make sure to pack all the needed ‘stuff’ associated with the machine.  Cords, laptop, chargers, mats… whatever it is that your machine needs, make sure it makes it to retreat with you.

 

-SPACE SAVERS – This is important.  At retreats, you typically get 5-6 feet of crop space per person, so optimizing is key.  I always bring along:

1. A milk crate.  These can be found at Walmart or Target.  I like them because they are sturdy and the perfect width for bringing my 12x12 paper collections.  At retreat I put them on either side of me in the floor and they act as drawers. 

 

2. Drink holder.  I like to use one that grips to my table.  This frees up space on the table, but also prevents water rings and spills that might ruin my precious pages.

 

3. A cutting mat.  Nat and I use the Fiskars 24x18in self-healing mats that you can find in the sewing section of the craft store.  We don’t use it for cutting, but as a grounding center to keep our supplies corralled.  It helps me keep my desktop organized as well…I like to keep my current project on the mat and all the other extras pushed to the sides.  This way I don’t feel overwhelmed.  And in a pinch, it acts as a ruler too!

 

4. A dish rack.  Huh?  Yup, you read that right.  It’s an expandable metal rack I picked up at the Container Store and it’s a lifesaver! (see pic below) This little gem of an idea is all Nat.  And now I take mine every time I retreat.  I put it on my desk top as a makeshift shelf.  It is perfect to put your cutting machine on so that your desktop space stays free and you can store supplies under it.  That Nat is a Genius.  Don’t tell her I said that.

 

Make sure to check the retreat website to see what they offer, because you don’t want to double pack something they might already offer.

 

-CREATURE COMFORTS – My own pillow, an extra blanket, yoga pants, peanut butter M&Ms.  Oh, and my old lady gown (no offense to old ladies).  Fun fact: Nat and I have matching old lady gowns.  We got them for Christmas.  Mine is pink and hers is navy.  And we wear them.  A lot.  True story.

 

-CARPOOL – This will force you to share packing space and prevent you from packing too much.

 

-HAVE FUN -  The most important thing about retreat is to relax, have fun with your friends, and maybe getting a little crafting/scrapping done.  Don’t stress if you forgot your bling, just raid your friends stash.  And when that friend realizes she doesn’t have the button she needs to complete a page, repay the favor by letting her raid your stash.

 

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Stay True Blue,

Cat