our exciting teachers are...

e2c registration details

e2c 2016 detail

Escape2Create 2016 update ...

Some of you may be wondering where Escape2Create is heading in 2016 retreat wise. Because we value open and honest communication we would like to keep you all in the loop and give everyone plenty of notice of our plans.

Unfortunately, due to a long term lease which clashes with our booking, the Lions Hostel (the normal e2c venue) is unavailable for us in 2016.

We have looked into all available options and rather than cancelling the retreat outright, we have decided that the best and most appropriate venue will be the Port Lincoln Hotel.

For those of you of familiar with the Port Lincoln Hotel here is a link to their page ... http://www.portlincolnhotel.com.au/

We realise that this will change the dynamic / vibe and the cost will be significantly different. However we are looking at offering two options to make the retreat reasonable for what e2c and the hotel can provide.

So the dates for 2016 are ... Friday 24th June to Sunday 26th June.

We have also booked two very exciting teachers for 2016.

We have booked the Lion’s Hostel for 2017 and we will revert to our normal venue and program (vibe and dynamic!) then.

We welcome any questions (here or  email to john.treloar@bigpond.com ) and look forward to seeing you in 2016.

Thank you for your understanding.

More details to be posted soon.

Amanda & Meredith xx 

smile emoticon

2015 mini retreat details

escape2create mini retreat 2015

more details (how to register, when to register, dates, price etc) released in a month or so. Stay tuned.

Location : Trinity Haven - near Tumby Bay, South Australia.

e2c 2015

It's hard to believe that so much time has whizzed by and our retreat is now just a memory. How the heck does that happen!?

We were so blessed to have our wonderful 4 teachers - Leanne Allinson, Fiona Paltridge, Kim Price and Chantalle McDaniel this year. We had been in communication with these ladies from around May last year so both Meredith and myself felt like we had known them *forever* by the time we welcomed them off the plane. And they were just as fantastic IRL as they were in their emails. Within minutes of arriving to our retreat location they were pitching in, asking for any jobs and fitting in like they had always been a part of e2c. We loved that.

Chantalle McDaniel, Fiona Paltridge, Kim Price, Meredith Treloar, Amanda Hall and Leanne Allinson

Our decorations i think were probably my favourites from any year we had ever had... which is kind of nice considering that we had a lot of headache trying to think up something different, something new, not too pricey and incorporating the triangles and the gold. Luckily we had some wonderful helpers to do this and before long the boring old 'shed' was magically transformed into a golden glow of balloons.

before set up

during set up - photo by Sandra Wallace

Thursday passed in a blur - setup and then out for tea with our teachers and shop keepers as we do every year - and all of a sudden it seemed to be 2pm on Friday and there were people lining up to get in the door. We were possibly the most organised and relaxed that we had ever been this year which was so lovely - i think probably the hour later start time helped with that.

our wonderful shop keepers (minus Ally) - photo Sandra Wallace

The best part of the retreat (and believe me it's tricky to pick the best BEST bit) is when everyone first comes in the shed. The noise level explodes and there are squeals of delight and sometimes even some tears of joy (i am not exaggerating!) It's so fulfilling to hear everyone enjoying the experience after so much anticipation and all our work getting everything just right.

the lolly table

personalised mugs by Petch Printing

After everyone settled in and we ate our first deluxe meal by Tony and the team (my goodness that man excelled this year!), we had the fun of Crystal and her Photo Booth. This was a great success and we were thrilled it was supported so well and Crystal was run off her little feet for the entire time we had hired her. Some of the photos are absolute doozies!

A late night was had by a few that evening as we settled into the pace of the weekend and were perhaps a bit too excited to sleep when there was socialising and scrapping to do. I know personally i just loved our little table so much - and the funny conversations that we had that i am still giggling on the inside- that most nights i felt sad when one by one they moved off to bed. Dramatic i know, but i enjoy those girls and their company so much.

Saturday dawned and we were off! Our first class by Fiona Paltridge. And WHAT a great class it was too. A little challenging for some of us cleaner scrappers ( a lot of eek moments for me) but when it all came together in the end there were peals of oohs and ahhs from around the shed. It looked incredible.

After lunch we had Leanne Allinson's class which then challenged those messier, mixed media types (haha!) but the simple scrappers had a field day, whipping up clean pages and trimming like a boss. Just a fantastic class and i enjoyed every single minute of it. It felt so liberating to cut and stick without thinking too much, without stressing about placement and balance. It just flowed. And ohmylordy those products... LOVE.

On Saturday we had our prize table, thanks to many donations that e2c had received. It was wonderful to see so many varied prizes on that table, and everyone who's lucky number was called was grateful to pick from such abundance.

our helpers, chauffeurs and bed buddy coordinators - Trish and Sandra

Sunday morning we had the wildly talented Kim Price. Her backgrounds have been wowing me for years now, and i've tied myself in knots wondering how she does it. How mind-blowing it was to see her create it in real life, right in front of my eyes and the whole technique be so simple!? I know everyone loved their pops of yellow on their page and it was wonderful to see so many pages look so incredibly different.

Our last teacher to step up to the plate was Chantalle McDaniel. Wow what a pocket rocket this woman is! He page was incredibly detailed in parts, and seeing it come to being with a few fancy folds and a bit of washi was so cool. Being a Heidi Swapp lover i just adored this whole kit - especially the set of stamps that every class kit got. So very lucky. Chantalle's puffy stickers were a very clever little process too!

The rest of the time really was free scrap time and boy did it fly by. As Sunday merged into Monday i felt like yelling out 'STOP THE CLOCK' which was ironic as the previous week seemed to drag by. It doesn't seem fair that you can plan for something for so long and then blink and it is gone by. Done. Finished. I always feel like standing up and calling out  'DONT PACK UP YET' when everyone starts to make that final move. (Luckily i restrain myself from all yelling out to avoid looking like a totally nut job)

And then just like that - it's over.

I think that feeling in the shed is something that i love. It's 80 odd women creating and being inspired by others in the shed, which is pretty special in itself but it's more than that. We are ALL pleased to be there. We seemed to be just DELIGHTING in the fact that we were there. It's a rare thing to be able to sit and laugh / eat / scrap / socialise without added pressures of life. Without thinking about the washing, or the kids, other commitments, or our jobs, putting out the garbage or what to cook for tea. Which sounds a bit like a 1950s housewife but for many of us mums and wives - that is what our lives are about. We lose a bit of who we are in all of that busy-ness, day to day living.

And here's the kicker - we get to do this whole lot of nothing for 4 whole days. Four. Whole. Days. What bliss.

My opinion is that the special feeling in the shed is us getting OURSELVES back a little bit. Time for us. Mental health for mums, workers, wives, carers and granmas.

And that is what makes the whole thing worth it to me.

e2c 2015 newsletter

Hello e2c attendees- 

Not too long now until we see you again.. we can hardly wait and hope you are starting to get yourselves organised. We thought we would drop a few lines to you to go over a few points. 

Apologies to those who have attended e2c before and have seen our reminders, but we encourage everyone to please take a few minutes and go over the info in case anything has changed or altered in any way. 

Every year we tweak and change a few things in the way e2c is run and would hate anyone to disregard important info. 

For those who are newbies to the whole e2c experience - please also read carefully, but be aware that our retreat is incredibly laid back, friendly and we know you will have an amazing time. 

Some points to remember  :

CLASSES

• there will only be one screen for a powerpoint 'step by step' type presentation.

• sorry but there will NOT be individual printouts of the steps.

• wifi is not available at the venue... you will need to have your own access to the internet. If you don't have internet access on your iPad / tablet you may be able to hotspot your phone. 

• the QR reader app i have used with success is this one : It is free from the app shop. It will need the internet to work and direct you to the class instructions. The code to scan will be given prior to the class while at the retreat.

• codes to only be used by those who have paid for the classes. Class organisation takes time, effort and considerable costs and we appreciate those who understand and pay for the privilege of being taught by some of the best in Australia.

• if you are unfamiliar with how QR readers work you can practise with the QR reader at home before the retreat. Any QR code will give you a result and it should direct you and open a web page.

•  If you do not have a device to look at the instructions online DO NOT DESPAIR. As said above there is one screen with the instruction projected on, or you can share a device with someone else and we will also have the teachers circulating discussing the step by steps walking us through the whole process in person.

If you haven't already sorted out your class requirements, time is running out! Please check here for details on what you need to bring. 

Being organised for the classes is very important (maybe a ziplock bag for each class) before the retreat and we would also ask for quieter, respectful chatter during the classes due to the number of people who will be trying hard to hear each and every detail the teachers have to offer.

The classes and workshops are scheduled as following (at this stage)

Saturday morning - Fiona Paltridge's class

Saturday afternoon - Leanne Allinson’s class

Sunday morning - Kim Price's class

Sunday afternoon - Chantalle McDaniel's class

Other times will be free scrap time!

E2C PROVIDES FOR YOU TO BORROW :

• computer and printer for journaling (no photos please). Please supply your own paper or card stock.
• sewing machines with some coloured cottons
• cuttlebug
• punches
• blender for drink preparation
• typewriter

OTHER REMINDERS :

• Remember that you do not have the table space to bring EVERYTHING! With 80 ladies attending we are sure that there will be plenty of items that can be borrowed. Our local ladies are very generous and certainly don't mind sharing.

• Please pack a navy t-shirt (or black if you have an e2c collection!) for your t-shirt transfer and group photo. An e2c logo transfer will be given to each attendee in 2015.

• A photo booth will be in operation again over the weekend. If you wish to participate there will be a one off, small cost.

• Our e2c masseuse, Mandy has confirmed that she is able to attend this year and will be bringing a team to pamper you with manicures, pedicures (both with shellac), facials, and massages. There may also be sessions for energy reiki sharing and guidance readings from manawellbeing.com. They will be available for bookings over the weekend at an extra cost. Prices will be passed on to you as soon as we know more. The booking sheet will be circulating on Friday

• You will need to BYO esky and ice for your own BYO drinks (alcoholic or non). If you are a traveller, there will be plenty of local eskies that you may share. You will also need to bring your own wine glass / cocktail glass / cocktail ingredients. A blender or two will be available to use. There will be an extra special esky space for them all which is near to the scrap space.

• Tea and coffee facilities will be available all day, evening and until the wee hours. A scrummy afternoon tea will also be supplied on the Friday afternoon (around 3.30pm)

• A small selection of nibbles will also be available during the retreat. If you have particular eating desires or needs, please bring them along yourself.

• Don’t forget to pack a bath towel, bedding and toiletries.

• Thank you very much to those bedding buddies who have volunteered to bring extra supplies to our travellers. If you are unsure about what to bring or who you are paired with please contact Sandra - sandy5.5@hotmail.com

• If you need airport pickup and transfer to the retreat on Friday also please contact Sandra - sandy5.5@hotmail.com Please note there is no transfers to the airport on the Monday. Taxi’s will be available at your own cost.

• There are 4, 6 or 8 beds per room, in bunk configuration. As previously emailed to you, bedding (and seating) has again been allocated at your requests in 2015. We have tried very hard with both seating and sleeping arrangements to please everyone. If you are a light sleeper we recommend bringing ear plugs or other tools to enable you get a good night’s sleep despite shared (and possibly noisy) accommodation.

• Arrival time is from 2pm on Friday the 20th. ABSOLUTELY NO EARLY ARRIVALS PLEASE.

• The retreat will end around 4pm on Monday. This is to ensure we have enough time to finalise retailer accounts, give us time to clean the rooms and remove ourselves.

• any items that you bring to the retreat and have in the shed or bedrooms are your own responsibility. In the past we have spent CONSIDERABLE time finding lost or misplaced property. Please keep track of your own items. Lost, misplaced, or broken items are not the responsibility of e2c.

PLEASE DO NOT BRING :

• excessive amounts of stash. Please be fair to all attending. Space is at a premium.
• blow heaters or fans
• extension cords, power boards or electrical devices for the main shed. Phones can be charged in your rooms.
• extra furniture, desks, trestle tables, card tables. Raskog trolleys are fine!

PLEASE BRING :

• enthusiasm and smile
• mojo, desire to learn something new and make new friends.
• lots and lots of photos to scrap and projects to keep you busy for all of your days at the retreat. Take much more that you think you could ever scrap and hopefully some mojo magic happens and your creativity will go berserk!
  
  

Wishing you all safe travels and we hope to see you all very very soon.

Meredith and Amanda

A few notes about cancelling.

We have had a few enquiries lately about cancelling attendance at e2c and what it involves.

•  You will be refunded all the cost to attend - except the $80 which is non refundable. HOWEVER if notice is given extremely late, and we are not able to fill your spot, NO REFUND will be given.

•  Depending on timing (if it has been ordered and printed), you are able to receive your own e2c personalised mug. You may need to pay for postage if it needs to be sent via mail.

•  Our class kits are reserved for attendees of e2c. If you have paid for the classes, you will be refunded 100% of this cost. IF there are left over kits after the retreat (rare) you may have the opportunity to re-purchase.

We always feel sad that someone cannot attend, however to be fair on those on our wait list the sooner notice is given the better and we appreciate those who let us know in good time.

Thank you to those who understand that there is quite a bit of behind the scenes juggling to do with any cancellation, another reason why we appreciate those who contact us as soon as there may be issues.

With less than 5 weeks until the big weekend it feels like it will be here before we know it!