A bit of this and a bit of that - e2c totally rocked!

Well, I have had a curiously amazing week. I have travelled over 4000km in a car, been in 3 different states at various times, spent an awesome few days at a brilliant retreat in SA, and back to normal life via a sad and unexpected funeral :( Phew! And, funerals most definitely excluded, I'll be doing it all again next year!! I am almost reluctant to tell you more about it in case you all decide to go along and steal all the spots!!

The Escape 2 Create retreat was organised and run by a bunch of fab girls I feel I have known for years, and in some (online) ways, I have! Thanks!! Thanks!! and more Thanks!!! go to Amanda, Meredith, Sue, Val, Kathryn and Mel for your wonderful hospitality and brilliantly smooth organisation. I haven't laughed so hard since... last year's retreat!! I also managed to get quite a lot done, with three classes, a scrapped 2010 calendar from a kit (thought that since it was nearly April that I should make that a priority!), and all up I made 13 cards as well.

The top layout is the one I made during Amanda Hall's class. She's such a clever chicky that it's already been snapped up for publication, so give me a yell if you need me to take it down! It was lots of fun, and although I had reservations about my choice of photo (taken by my then 8 year old!), it turned out to fit in just brilliantly. Ciaran is very excited to see it scrapped at last.

The second layout I made during a class by Mel Forbes, who was guest teaching at e2c all the way from WA. It was great to catch up with Mel again IRL, and I got to watch her talent up close sitting at the same table, making the most stunning off the page creations. The layout looks a lot more complicated that it actually was to create, so that's a bonus!! And, it was nearly as messy as a good stamping session, so I felt right at home!!

I also got to meet IRL a lovely digiscrapping online mate, Ange Byrnes. You have probably seen her super 'real' creations in the mags, and she was also the lightest packed scrapper in the shed!! Her expanse of table top looked positively vacant!! In the top pic we have Mel, Ange and Amanda left to right, nice and happy scrapped out faces from the final hours on Sunday.
It was lovely to catch up with old mates from last year, thanks to Tiff, Sue, Sandra, Val and plenty more for making me feel so welcome. The piece de resistance was a shoulder, back and neck massage by the diminutively powerful Mandy - I fair glided out of the shed and into the car for the trip home. Stay tuned for some card creations and the cutest mini flap album (the source of much late night hilarity) by Meredith maybe tomorrow - off to the Royal Easter Show with kids in tow!