Scrapping Away from Home

I go to a 3 day crop in another state twice a year. A must have for me is my Ott light. I like for my workspace to be well lit. If you are working on any type of theme album it helps to limit the supplies you bring with you. My crop is coming up in August and I made page kits. I have about 20 made up with photos, papers, and embellishments. That keeps me from feeling as if I need to bring every paper I own. I do bring my Big Sot and some dies, but I don’t have a ton of dies. It’s basic shapes and some alphabets. Always plenty of adhesive because I don’t want to run out of that. I bring inks and some stamps. My best advice is bring anything that you use frequently on a page, whatever that is.

I used to go to crops, but I almost always forgot something crucial every time. Without fail. Then I sat there, frustrated. I hope your scrapbook getaway goes better for you than mine did.

When we were getting ready to move halfway across the country, I put my essentials in my crop bag, along with page kits that I had put together. That worked far better than how I had previously packed for crops (which I had usually done in a hurry and with far less planning). I actually got some decent pages done, and I wasn’t scrambling due to missing supplies.

Plan your layouts ahead of time, so you’ll know what you need. I put my kits together in 2+ gallon zip lock bags. Those went in one side of the bag, and my tools and supplies in the other side.

Enjoy your getaway!

Have a wonderful time on your getaway. Once in awhile I would take sb supplies with me on vacation so I could work on projects while my husband played golf. And, like cannmom, your OttLite (or extra lighting) is a welcome item to bring along. I didn't do this the first time and I really needed it.
I limited myself to a couple of projects and pulled the papers and extras that I thought I'd use on those. Also, extra adhesive.

And if you’re ordering them from Persnickety Prints, make sure to place your order early enough so the photos arrive to your house before you leave vs arriving at your house two hours after you left to drive across the state. Yeah. 🫤

Bring enough adhesive and refills! I use an ATG which usually has plenty unless it’s almost empty. It lasted three layouts. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I love finishing my layouts with Nuvo Drops but don’t bring them with me. I’m never quite sure how much space I’ll have so wet finishing touches happen at home. I put a post it note on the back with what I still need/want to do. 

Photos!!! Choose a few themes you would like to scrap.

Ideas! I print off sketches and the 2Peas Challenge list. Not all crop sites have good internet, so I will save or print any Pinterest inspiration I want to refer to.

Tools & supplies: take the tools you know you will use. Your trimmer. A mat to work on--glass or self healing or... Pen, pencil, ruler. Scissors, Xacto knife, paper piercer, bone folder, whatever you use on a daily basis scrapping. Inks and brushes if you use them. Baby wipes and paper towels. If you are a Silhouette scrapper, ask your hosts if there will be accommodations for this, and if there will be, then take the machine, a laptop and extension cords. If you use dies, pack the ones you want to use and your Big Shot or other die cutter. If you don't think you need more than a couple of shapes cut, you can do those at home and pack them, but if you use this all the time, then take the machine.

I have a friend that I admire SO much. She packs kits for each page that she plans on doing. Her mixed media is done ahead of time and she only brings what she needs. Sketches are printed out and filed with each kit. Die cutting is complete. I aspire to this level of organization and planning, but I always fail. Although, she does admit that she starts packing for a weekend crop two weeks in advance.

I definitely like being a collection scrapper for crops. I like to have options, but if I have a collection where I have bought papers and embellishments, etc. I feel like I have options within that collection. Then I can bring a few photos that work with that collection. Same thing with a "limited" theme. For example, I have only a few camping lines and supplies that are all mixed together. I have kitted them all together in a big zip top bag, so that is something easy for me to take without feeling like I have to pack everything but the kitchen sink.

Sometimes having a more limited selection makes me more creative--I use what I have. I once went to a weekend crop with only a Heidi Swapp paper pad and matching embellishments (and my photos). I was thrilled with how I made use of the paper pad and I still love all the pages I made.

Just wanted to echo a chair cushion and good lighting. Amazon sells memory foam chair cushions that make any chair - folding chairs, hotel ballroom chairs etc more comfortable.

Also, something to put your completed layouts in. An iris case or something like this?? I have a lightweight tote with pink handles but I'm not sure who makes it.

www.scrapbook.com/store/cci-tt-sasc-pt12x12.html

I find that packing for scrapping in "waves" also helps. I'll pack what I think is a reasonable amount for the number of days and then pack another bag of stuff that I leave in the vehicle. I only bring in what I want to start with and rarely need to go to the additional bag of stuff. I do like knowing that I have it with me if I really need it.

A seat cushion or even your own chair!  
Bottled water
Bring more adhesive than you can imagine needing
Trimmer blades
Tylenol or Aleve or whatever you prefer
A portable fan
Extension cord even just for phone charging
trash bag just in case you need an extra
duct tape roll just in case you need to tape down a cord, patch a wheel on your rolling tote or tape a broken iris case

Lots of good advice already, and I think there are some old threads on packing for crops if you search.

Extension cords
chargers - phone, battery packs, etc
wireless chargers
headphones/earbuds
snacks - candy
wagon - if you have for loading/unloading stuff
tool/cup holder for your table
scotch tape (to tape garbage bag to table)
tea bags/k cups

This thread is timely, I am going to Expo, first crop in over 3 years, so I need to revisit my lists/packing strategy...

I go to 2-3 four to five day crops a year. My standard packing list for scrapping supplies includes:


Ott light
Extension cord
Extra adhesive
Supply caddy
Paper trimmer
Cameo & supplies
Die cutting machine & plates
Laptop & cord
Cardstock
Patterned paper
Self-healing mat
Seat cushion
Embellishment bin
Current projects
Album
Trash bag & packing tape
Extra pictures
Headphones
Give Away Stuff
Enamel Dots
Tables

The biggest must for me is to have stuff in some kind of kits. It is so convenient at a crop to pull out a bag that has matching paper and embellishments. It does take some time before crops to make them if you don't store stuff this way, but it is so handy. I don't add enamel dots, alphabets, washi, wood shapes, and things like that- I store those separate and make those kind of decisions at the crop.

The big musts: Photos and underwear. I've forgotten both of those at weekend crops.

Musts for me:

Ott Light and extension cord
Cushion for chair
Something to put my little scrap trash in - I have a mini trash can but I've used a brown paper lunch bag, too.
Adhesive! Bring loads and loads of adhesive - more than you'll ever need.
Paper Cutter. I usually bring several because inevitably one of my friends forgets theirs.
Scissors and ruler
Pencil

I always bring my photo printer to retreats. It can be tricky printing wirelessly at hotels with the WiFi but I finally figured that out.

Yes! I struggled with this at my last retreat with my PM400. I finally got it to print, but I have no idea how I did it. I’m going again in a month, so any tips on this, Citygirl?