| You may be a consultant wanting to interest your | | | | You may not have considered scrapping about |
| customers in coming to more of your events, or | | | | your friends or relatives who have been touched |
| equally you may be hosting a crop made up of a | | | | by cancer, for example, but you may be very |
| group of friends getting together for fun. If you | | | | glad you were encouraged to make pages about |
| are the Hostess/Consultant, it is always good to | | | | them |
| have a few ideas up your sleeve to keep people | | | | 4. - Do something fun around the theme of your |
| inspired, including yourself! | | | | charity. For example, we 'scrapped a bra' this |
| The beauty of scrapbooking is that each person is | | | | year for one of my friend's events. We each |
| making an album that suits them alone. Beginners | | | | chose a favourite bra (or bought a new one just |
| and more advanced scrappers can comfortably | | | | for the occasion!) and decorated it in ribbons, lace, |
| sit in a crop together. Each person will take an | | | | beads, flowers, feathers, stitching, Cuttlebugged |
| idea you give them and make it their own at their | | | | felt cutouts, iron on embroidered patches and any |
| own level and in their own style. I am yet to find | | | | other embellishments we could think of. Some of |
| a wrong way to make a scrapbook page. | | | | the finished items were wearable and some were |
| Encourage your guests along these lines with the | | | | not, but we all felt inspired to use our scrapping |
| aim of making them feel comfortable enough to | | | | supplies in new ways afterward |
| explore their own tastes, ideas and goals for their | | | | 5. - Encourage scrappers to make a greeting card |
| albums. | | | | to cheer someone or encourage that person, |
| Things to keep in mind | | | | then to actually send it. Scrapping supplies are |
| Everyone wants to find their mojo (their artistic | | | | very good for making cards. You can even do a |
| muse or inspirational voice) and often you hear | | | | little research and find a stranger affected by |
| scrappers and paper crafters in general saying | | | | your issue to encourage. For example, if you |
| their mojo has gone on vacation! Coming to | | | | were supporting Muscular Dystrophy awareness, |
| scrapbook crops can kick start the mojo in all of | | | | find a person has the condition and send that |
| us again. | | | | person some cheerful 'thinking of you' cards. Or |
| Encourage scrappers to share their ideas, pages, | | | | choose a tireless charity worker and make thank |
| techniques and creations with each other. Be | | | | you cards for that person to show their efforts |
| willing (as the Hostess) to be first to share. You | | | | are recognised. This kind of behaviour is called a |
| can do it informally, leaning across and verbally | | | | RAK -- a Random Act of Kindness |
| admiring another person's work, then showing a | | | | 6. Idea: You could have a series of Masquerade |
| page or idea of your own. Or you can be a bit | | | | Crops throughout the year! Pick a theme and ask |
| more formal and offer to let people in on your | | | | people to come along dressed in costume. Choose |
| thinking process behind making one of your | | | | a theme from a period in history that was fun like |
| pages, or explain how you came up with a whole | | | | the Roaring 20's, the 1950s (or choose another |
| album. Or ask a more experienced scrapper to | | | | favourite decade from history), or pick a theme |
| share some of their work and thinking about | | | | like Circus events, Cowboys and Indians, Hawaiian |
| these same things. | | | | days (or beach days), Space, The Grand Old |
| You may just see a light bulb go off in someone's | | | | Oprey, or fit in with a holiday that is coming up. |
| mind as you speak! That is their mojo returning | | | | Ask people to find photos they could work on |
| from vacation! | | | | that will fit with the theme. When they arrive, |
| When you can see people are inspired it takes | | | | provide an ideas page for them such as a sketch |
| very little else for them to enjoy the day. You | | | | or a hand made embellishment they can make, or |
| certainly can add value to the event however | | | | even a small packet of scrapping material such as |
| with the following inspirational concepts. | | | | lace, raffia or ribbons that would fit in with the |
| Three Inspiring Ideas | | | | theme. Your friends could agree to bring a plate |
| | | | of food in the style of the theme and you would |
| 1. Idea: Have a series of Charity Crops throughout | | | | have a reason and means to crop all day. |
| the year! Do you support a charity or have a | | | | 7. Idea: Have a series of Technique and Tip Crops |
| cause you would like to promote? One of my | | | | throughout the year! Pick a series of techniques |
| friends fund raises for breast cancer research. | | | | you would like to know more about yourself and |
| She goes to the Breast Cancer Awareness | | | | learn how to show them to your friends. Or pick |
| website for inspiration about how to crop a page. | | | | a few friends who know how to use particular |
| You could do the same with your own charity or | | | | techniques very well and ask for a demonstration |
| passion. Most charities have websites these days | | | | of them. Provide little kits of sample materials for |
| and you can get a feel for their theme quite | | | | people to try out the technique you have chosen |
| easily. Here are some ideas for how to use your | | | | to highlight. Ask friends to bring a page or two to |
| charity or passion to inspire yourself and your | | | | show others how they have used the technique in |
| scrappers: | | | | the past. Have a place set up (the ironing board |
| 2. - Pick the theme colour of your charity and | | | | with a sheet over it is a great slim line display |
| challenge your croppers to scrap in tones or | | | | area) to show off the pages people make using |
| shades of it on the day. For example, for breast | | | | the new technique. You may be amazed at the |
| cancer awareness, the colour is pink. Ask people | | | | different interpretations people come up with |
| to make a layout with a pink ribbon on it, or pink | | | | when using the very same techniques. |
| flowers or rhinestones, or all three. | | | | I hope these three concepts may assist you in |
| 3. - Encourage people to bring along a photo of | | | | conducting some enjoyable scrapbooking crops |
| someone they love or admire who has had the | | | | and that your Hostess mojo is well and truly back |
| condition you are trying to raise awareness about. | | | | now! |