Throwing out old class pages!

[joolsmicra]

spent this morning sorting out old class pages and half finished kits.......sad to throw some out, but if I've not found suitable photos in 10 years Im unlikely to!
Most of my baddies are pages with a specific theme, rather than technique (Autumn, wedding,)or supplier classes that I would never have bought on my own (such as an Anna Griffin one, lovely, but I dont live an Anna Griffin life!) Some kits that were unfinished, I have taken apart, such as one of the Album classes from Scrapaganza, as I like the papers, but wont use the 'concept'
I feel a lot better without loads of unused unfinished projects, whispering 'you must use us.... we cost hundreds of pounds!'
Its strange that when I started, I only like classes with a finished page, now I prefer a taught technique that I can use in my own way!
Next stop getting rid of papers I will never use........

[MaryAnne]

I am forever coming across old class kits. To be honest if I go to a weekend I often attend the class and do the technique (if there is one) but don't make the full page. If I love the page, of course I do that, but usually while I may like it I am unlikely to want a page in my album that has 25 other siblings out there The papers get incorporated into my stash and show up elsewhere.

I agree - I like to learn a technique but be able to bring it into my album in my own way rather than make a page exactly like the class page.

[jackinthebox]

Oh...you are good!!!! Wish I could do that!!! I have a few boxes of 'kits' that need finishing/photos!! But I live in hope that I will find a photo that suits!!!

[Azimuth]

i keep meaning to do that... i wonder what's holding me back from just chucking them out. I admit I used to sit in the class doing my own thing with what she'd given us, so most of them are actually in my albums! I do still have a fair few that I don't like or never bothered to finish though. I'll try to follow your example...

[CoventryAnn]

I agree Mary, that i don't want pages in my scrapbook that don't feel like they're mine! If I go to a class i always change the page slightly to fit my own style, and use any new techniques along the way. I very often have to find somewhere to add journalling as not every class includes it.
Saying that, i have attended some fab classes and learned lots, I just trust that the teachers don't mind me doing my own thing as well.

[Gwennie]

I've never been to a class but can't imagine throwing stuff that you've made away. There again, I am someone who takes bits out of the bin that my friend has thrown away saying,"You can't throw that away - you could use it"! hehe

[Gwennie]

To clarify - Craft stuff I mean, like paper offcuts - not the normal rubbish bin!

[Mrs Cheshire]

Lol Gwen, will have to watch you next time we're at our scrapping group together, don't want you rooting through Sue's bins!
I've never really bought class pages before. I've bought page kits that you could look at the example layout but never used it in the same way! I tend to use a sketch or a layout for inspiration then do my own thing!

[Mollymoo]

I have been looking for a technique based retreat/day for ages.......

you are right I dont want pages that look the same as everyone else's, but I do want inspiration on techniques that I can then apply to my own photos and colour schemes.

I know a lot of classes do a page with focus on a technique, but I would liek to do it the other way around and almost not come away with a full 'project' but a bunch of little things, like a technique book, I can refer to again and again......

no joy finding such a thing tho

[MaryAnne]

There is so much inspiration out there that it is hard to identify truly NEW things that have never been seen before Here's a laugh - I used member Daphnie's layout on Blog Bits this week and she linked to a chevron fold she had seen. It was haunting me and I realized that something I did more than 10 years ago would work to create something very similar. Bizarre. I am always doing things then finding that it's old hat, or finding not something truly new but just a better way to do something.

But while I would love an event that was pure technique, like a play day really, so many people feel exactly the opposite - they feel a day (and supplies) are wasted unless they walk away with a finished item to add to their albums. I don't think you will ever find a happy middle ground. and no matter how open the organizer is about the purpose of the event/class you are going to get people who complain. So even if it is clear from the start you are going to be copying a page, or learning a technique but not ending up with a finished item at the end, people will book then whinge it wasn't what they expected or even if it WAS what they expected they find they don't like it.

I don't teach often (and people who have taken a class from me will understand why - I'm just not that good at it ) but one of the MOST successful was where I taught a concept but people got to go to the shop and pick their own papers to create the project. I only gave a basic idea (ie, cardstock, 2 patterns, one bold one subtle) and let them shop. EVERY one was different, every one way lovely, and every one reflected the taste and style of the class participants. It took some of them AGES to decide, which was the flaw in the plan, but even so a lot of people commented how they LOVED doing it that way.

I wonder how people would react to a class that was a project, and a technique, but they had to supply their own decorative items. So the class might use Distress ink, versamark, and a water spritzer. The classroom had multiple of all the inks and stamp pads and bottle, supplied plain card, maybe even cut to size, but the paptterned papers, cardstock, etc was supplied by the attendees so the final project reflected them and was more unique.

[MaryAnne]

I was just looking at the TH Creative Chemistry online class. He says:

Complete with videos, downloadable tips and tricks, and printable technique labels – this is not your typical project based class. In fact it’s more of an artful exploration where our main objective is the mastering of technique as we focus on creating technique tag swatches with step by step instruction labels on the back. These handy tags will be a useful tool for you to reference on all of your future projects and take the guess work out of how to do it all.

Anyone have any feedback if they are doing this class? It sounds interesting.

[ShabbyChick]

I did this class series and learned loads about how to use Ranger projects and more about the 'chemistry' behind why they work the way that they do. Interestingly though, I haven't done any of the technique tags he demonstrates as I'm more of a complete project kind of a girl. I really don't want to have 25 technique tags hanging around my craft room. I will almost certainly include the techniques in a complete project very soon.

I suppose that this goes to show that there are different camps out there in the craft world and you can't please all the people all of the time! I can however highly recommend this class, there are masses of hints and tips, lots of techniques (some of them he has already made youtube videos for but he goes into more depth in this) and some very useful information about products. Well worth $35 and you get lifetime access to the class material.

Karen

[Mollymoo]

hmmmm might be worth looking at - I guess I avoided it as I dont have much of Tim's stuff and dont want to have to buy it - I took it that the products worked a certain way with their chemistry so using a different product wouldnt work on the technique

[Fizzydrink]

If you're looking for a technique based retreat I can recommend sponsors Just Scrapbooking. They are based in Cornwall but Linda holds her retreats all over the country. She focuses on around 6 techniques over the weekend, and although she has some lush examples of pages that you can follow it's up to you whether you do that or create your own pages.

I found the courses very liberating - plus Linda encourages you to use up your own stash rather than buy lots of papers for the classes.
If you look at their website there are examples from recent courses on there.
HTH