Friday, February 3, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
Thursday, July 28, 2016
e2c 2016 post retreat debrief
This post is well overdue but to be honest i've struggled to find the time to make a blog post worthy of our time away. It's been 4 weeks since the retreat now, and that time has just passed in a blur.
Not only have i been reeling from such a great time and the proud feelings i get with all that, but i've been super busy too (i know Meredith has also had A LOT on her plate post retreat also).
It was hard to believe the day had arrived that we had been waiting for for so long. After a long year of planning, Wilna Furstenberg (our e2c 2016 teacher) was arriving in Port Lincoln. All the way from Canada!!
After a busy Tuesday in Port Lincoln I rushed home with 20 minutes to unpack the car, change, sort out 3 kids and a husband and be ready for Meredith to pick me up. We chatted excitedly on the way down and were still pinching ourselves as we sat in the airport waiting to meet the little aeroplane that would bring our first ever international teacher to our 'country' retreat. What would she be like? How would she fit in? Would she even show??
As the plane taxied in, out excitement was bubbling over! We just couldn't believe that this wonderfully, inspirational teacher with such a soothing voice (yes we had watched a fair share of you tube clips!) was only meters away.
Meredith nudged me as the disembarking people filed in, "there she is!". A total blonde bombshell with a beautiful beaming smile was before us. Looking equally stunning was her daughter Tia by her side. Within moments we were hugging like long lost friends. With so much emailing and class planning spanning 12 months or so we had gotten to know Wilna quite well and it felt completely natural to talk to her (and Tia) as if we had known each other for a long time.
We packed their suitcases into Meredith's car and drove into Port Lincoln pointing out some sights of the city as the sun was setting. I had made an extra effort this year as normally i leave that sort of tourist chat to Meredith (she's better at it than me). It was hilarious later on when she commented at how amazed she was at my sight seeing commentary.
The suitcases were dropped off at my Mum's, who had kindly agreed to house Wilna for 2 nights. It was an ideal location, giving her and Tia a little bit more room than a hotel, privacy and ability to cook if they wanted to. We are super grateful to Mum for being so generous.
That night we headed out for tea at the Port Lincoln Hotel to show her where we would be for the weekend and had a lovely meal together. That night was full of great food and wine and lots of getting to know you conversation which was just wonderful. After tea and a quick trip to the supermarket, we dropped Wilna and Tia back at Mum's and Meredith and myself headed home to our farms.
On Wednesday we were both up early, packing and saying our final goodbyes to our families. Driving to Port Lincoln, I felt like i was in some sort of dream sequence... everything that we had planned was HAPPENING!!
Around 11am, I arrived within minutes of Meredith at Mum's house and Wilna and Tia looked as if they had had a great night's sleep and really enjoyed cooking their own breakfast. We unpacked one car and all bundled in together to do a little sight seeing. The weather was a little dodgy but we decided to park the car in the main street and have a little walk along Tasman Terrace and Liverpool Street. Luckily the rain held off while we were walking around town and we ducked into a health food shop for some lunch.
Afterwards we headed out to Glen Forest Animal Park and showed Wilna and Tia some Aussie animals. Tia fed and patted kangaroos and they were adorably sweet laying on the grass while multiple selfies were taken. The koalas were a bit shyer, and further away but we were still able to see them in the trees at the park. It was a great experience seeing our fauna through a tourist's eyes, as we can get a bit blasé about 'the bloody roos' but they really are incredibly unique and something to be proud of. It started to rain a little by the time we got back to Port Lincoln and Tia and Wilna had asked to have an early night, and were hanging to cook a meal for themselves, so we dropped them back at Mum's, picked up the luggage we had previously dropped off and Meredith and myself went back to the hotel to book ourselves in and unpack. We had a lovely (and interesting) meal in an Indian restaurant and a few drinks before hitting the pillows, knowing that we had a massive weekend ahead of us.
The next day (Thursday) we again picked Wilna and Tia up at 11am and headed out to Coffin Bay National Park. Again it was cold and raining, but we managed to dodge the showers fairly well considering how miserable it was. We were able to see kangaroos and emu in the wild, which i thought was a brilliant display (thank you Coffins!) for any tourist. We also went to Golden Island beach, which was blustery and cold ... but deserted and pristine. It was sensational and i kept looking down the beach thinking 'how lucky we are to have such beauty on our doorstep!' We drove back into Coffins and had lunch at the 1802 restaurant which was delicious as always.
As we drove back into Port Lincoln, we had a quick stop off at the art shop and the kitchen / homewares shop before heading back to the hotel to check Wilna and Tia in. As is our e2c tradition, we head out for tea with the teachers the night before the retreat and this year was no exception.
We had also asked the wonderfully inspiring Lou Nelson to be another teacher for 2016. We have had a long history with Lou, with her attending most e2c retreats and mini retreats in the past, and was also a teacher in 2011. We have always enjoyed her positivity and support towards our retreat and were thrilled that she was joining us in a teaching capacity again this year. We are so proud of Lou's accomplishments, here in Australia and overseas and are very grateful at her willingness to share her incredible talents with us.
Lou and Wilna hit it off immediately, and it was lovely to see them both together and bask in their creative glow!
Lou met us in the foyer and we caught a maxi taxi out for tea. Before long we were all chatting and laughing, enjoying each other's company and sharing the anticipation of the weekend ahead.
When we arrived back at the hotel we asked if we could start to set up a few things and luckily the duty manager allowed us to have a few hours in the ballroom sorting our stuff out. This is vastly different to other years, when we have had the retreat in another location which requires many, many hours of tidying up prior to us setting up. Usually this whole process takes a whole day and a half... however this year the venue was clean and basically set up for us and it took only a few hours to transform it into our creative space. On the Thursday night, we packed the goodie bags, Lou and Wilna packed and sticker-ed up their kits and I made the #escape2create2016 to go on the bottom of the selfie frame. We toddled off to bed knowing that TOMORROW WAS THE DAY!
It felt like the alarm was going off far too soon but we had an early start to get everything done in time for the 2pm opening. We were back in the ballroom at 8am, and we had some wonderful helpers join us to give a hand. Sandra, Trish, Sue, Tia and Lauren (the platterista) were incredible supports and helpers along with Lou and Wilna of course. Nothing we asked was too much and we certainly couldn't do it without them. Banners were put up, +s were strung up, balloons were arranged, tables were decorated, tables were given their seating arrangement list, powerpoint displays and music was connected, the shared area (sewing machine, minc, big shot, punches, printer) was set up, mugs and goodie bags put out and of course the wonderful shops moved in. What a massive job for Ally and Leonie but we are SO grateful for their attendance. We feel very spoilt to have two shops on hand all retreat and realise how demanding it is for them. The lolly table lady arrived very last minute, so it was a great rush to set her up with everyone pitching in, basically throwing the flowers into the display so we weren't running too much over time.
There was a great crowd lined up outside the glass doors and i went to open the big double doors into the ballroom that we had carefully hidden up until then. I'll admit that i had a quiet tear then, as i really couldn't believe that we had done this.
You see we had booked our old venue for a March/April 2016 date well in advance after the 2015 retreat, only to learn a few months later that it wouldn't be available to us due to a long term booking that had come up in the mean time. While we understood their position, it threw us into an absolute spin. Where else could we have it? Would it mean the end of e2c? We initially thought that the price for a retreat at the hotel would be completely out of range for everyone so didn't even consider it. However as time went on, and we realised that the only other option was to not have a retreat at all in 2016, we thought we would speak with the hotel and see what they could do for us.
Right from that very first meeting they were exceptional. Once Meredith had done some number crunching we realised that it could be a possibility, but were not expecting big numbers as we do with our other retreat. (haha boy were we wrong!??)
Once we had booked the hotel, we sent an email to our teachers and where thrilled when they both said YES! We suddenly had the trifecta - a great venue, Lou Nelson AND Wilna Furstenberg!!
As we opened the doors, and the attendees rolled in, it felt like a dream. I stood there welcoming new faces as well as some familiar faces. Some that had been to every retreat we'd ever had, others that were returning for the second year, some that had been teachers in the past (i think that is one thing that never ceases to thrill me - when our teachers come back as attendees!) and a LOT that were brand new to e2c. What a buzz it is to meet so many people in such a short space of time. I felt like my brain was going to explode with a heady mix of names, faces, excitement and a drop of champagne.
Everyone found their seat and the weekend had begun!
Friday was free time, and the idea of this was for people to take their time and relax into it... meeting people, chatting and having a social night.
All of the classes over the weekend (two Saturday and two Sunday) were brimming with creative inspiration and i heard so much positive chatter about techniques learnt. I always adore the table that i am on, and this year was no different... i just love those girls! It was super special this year being next to Sue P and Marika's table as well as the Lock girls (who normally are at the other end of the shed but it was SO good to talk to them all weekend too).
I'm not sure i can pinpoint exactly my most favourite memory of the weekend... it was just a fabulous escape and every part was good for my soul. Hopefully every attendee felt as fulfilled as i did at the end. Exhausted but happy.
We are so thankful to have positive, supportive people behind e2c who share our vision. To Wilna and Tia for travelling half way across the world to meet with strangers. And to Lou for always backing e2c and wanting to be an important creative part of 2016. It's safe to say that it wouldn't be as successful without your amazing input. To our shops who add that important retail factor to the weekend and the extra services from Mandy and Ngahuia that make us feel completely spoilt. To our attendees who were as wonderful as ever and understood that this year was a completely new ballgame for us as organisers. That we were newbies as well this year and that everything ... yep EVERYTHING was unknown.
To our team of two that seem to do an ok job of putting a pretty big event together!
We are not sure what 2017 will bring, but it will be e2c's 10th year. Ten years of retreats deserves a great celebration. I hope we see you there.
Not only have i been reeling from such a great time and the proud feelings i get with all that, but i've been super busy too (i know Meredith has also had A LOT on her plate post retreat also).
It was hard to believe the day had arrived that we had been waiting for for so long. After a long year of planning, Wilna Furstenberg (our e2c 2016 teacher) was arriving in Port Lincoln. All the way from Canada!!
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| Wilna Furstenberg and Tia Furstenberg en route to Australia from Canada Instagram @wilnafurstenberg |
After a busy Tuesday in Port Lincoln I rushed home with 20 minutes to unpack the car, change, sort out 3 kids and a husband and be ready for Meredith to pick me up. We chatted excitedly on the way down and were still pinching ourselves as we sat in the airport waiting to meet the little aeroplane that would bring our first ever international teacher to our 'country' retreat. What would she be like? How would she fit in? Would she even show??
As the plane taxied in, out excitement was bubbling over! We just couldn't believe that this wonderfully, inspirational teacher with such a soothing voice (yes we had watched a fair share of you tube clips!) was only meters away.
Meredith nudged me as the disembarking people filed in, "there she is!". A total blonde bombshell with a beautiful beaming smile was before us. Looking equally stunning was her daughter Tia by her side. Within moments we were hugging like long lost friends. With so much emailing and class planning spanning 12 months or so we had gotten to know Wilna quite well and it felt completely natural to talk to her (and Tia) as if we had known each other for a long time.
We packed their suitcases into Meredith's car and drove into Port Lincoln pointing out some sights of the city as the sun was setting. I had made an extra effort this year as normally i leave that sort of tourist chat to Meredith (she's better at it than me). It was hilarious later on when she commented at how amazed she was at my sight seeing commentary.
The suitcases were dropped off at my Mum's, who had kindly agreed to house Wilna for 2 nights. It was an ideal location, giving her and Tia a little bit more room than a hotel, privacy and ability to cook if they wanted to. We are super grateful to Mum for being so generous.
That night we headed out for tea at the Port Lincoln Hotel to show her where we would be for the weekend and had a lovely meal together. That night was full of great food and wine and lots of getting to know you conversation which was just wonderful. After tea and a quick trip to the supermarket, we dropped Wilna and Tia back at Mum's and Meredith and myself headed home to our farms.
On Wednesday we were both up early, packing and saying our final goodbyes to our families. Driving to Port Lincoln, I felt like i was in some sort of dream sequence... everything that we had planned was HAPPENING!!
Around 11am, I arrived within minutes of Meredith at Mum's house and Wilna and Tia looked as if they had had a great night's sleep and really enjoyed cooking their own breakfast. We unpacked one car and all bundled in together to do a little sight seeing. The weather was a little dodgy but we decided to park the car in the main street and have a little walk along Tasman Terrace and Liverpool Street. Luckily the rain held off while we were walking around town and we ducked into a health food shop for some lunch.
 |
| Tia and Wilna at Glen Forest Animal Park Port Lincoln from Instagram @wilnafurstenberg |
Afterwards we headed out to Glen Forest Animal Park and showed Wilna and Tia some Aussie animals. Tia fed and patted kangaroos and they were adorably sweet laying on the grass while multiple selfies were taken. The koalas were a bit shyer, and further away but we were still able to see them in the trees at the park. It was a great experience seeing our fauna through a tourist's eyes, as we can get a bit blasé about 'the bloody roos' but they really are incredibly unique and something to be proud of. It started to rain a little by the time we got back to Port Lincoln and Tia and Wilna had asked to have an early night, and were hanging to cook a meal for themselves, so we dropped them back at Mum's, picked up the luggage we had previously dropped off and Meredith and myself went back to the hotel to book ourselves in and unpack. We had a lovely (and interesting) meal in an Indian restaurant and a few drinks before hitting the pillows, knowing that we had a massive weekend ahead of us.
The next day (Thursday) we again picked Wilna and Tia up at 11am and headed out to Coffin Bay National Park. Again it was cold and raining, but we managed to dodge the showers fairly well considering how miserable it was. We were able to see kangaroos and emu in the wild, which i thought was a brilliant display (thank you Coffins!) for any tourist. We also went to Golden Island beach, which was blustery and cold ... but deserted and pristine. It was sensational and i kept looking down the beach thinking 'how lucky we are to have such beauty on our doorstep!' We drove back into Coffins and had lunch at the 1802 restaurant which was delicious as always.
 |
| Golden Island beach from Instagram @wilnafurstenberg |
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| Tia and Wilna in the Coffin Bay National Park from Instagram @tiafurstenberg |
We had also asked the wonderfully inspiring Lou Nelson to be another teacher for 2016. We have had a long history with Lou, with her attending most e2c retreats and mini retreats in the past, and was also a teacher in 2011. We have always enjoyed her positivity and support towards our retreat and were thrilled that she was joining us in a teaching capacity again this year. We are so proud of Lou's accomplishments, here in Australia and overseas and are very grateful at her willingness to share her incredible talents with us.
Lou and Wilna hit it off immediately, and it was lovely to see them both together and bask in their creative glow!
 |
| from Instagram @loolabelle |
Lou met us in the foyer and we caught a maxi taxi out for tea. Before long we were all chatting and laughing, enjoying each other's company and sharing the anticipation of the weekend ahead.
When we arrived back at the hotel we asked if we could start to set up a few things and luckily the duty manager allowed us to have a few hours in the ballroom sorting our stuff out. This is vastly different to other years, when we have had the retreat in another location which requires many, many hours of tidying up prior to us setting up. Usually this whole process takes a whole day and a half... however this year the venue was clean and basically set up for us and it took only a few hours to transform it into our creative space. On the Thursday night, we packed the goodie bags, Lou and Wilna packed and sticker-ed up their kits and I made the #escape2create2016 to go on the bottom of the selfie frame. We toddled off to bed knowing that TOMORROW WAS THE DAY!
It felt like the alarm was going off far too soon but we had an early start to get everything done in time for the 2pm opening. We were back in the ballroom at 8am, and we had some wonderful helpers join us to give a hand. Sandra, Trish, Sue, Tia and Lauren (the platterista) were incredible supports and helpers along with Lou and Wilna of course. Nothing we asked was too much and we certainly couldn't do it without them. Banners were put up, +s were strung up, balloons were arranged, tables were decorated, tables were given their seating arrangement list, powerpoint displays and music was connected, the shared area (sewing machine, minc, big shot, punches, printer) was set up, mugs and goodie bags put out and of course the wonderful shops moved in. What a massive job for Ally and Leonie but we are SO grateful for their attendance. We feel very spoilt to have two shops on hand all retreat and realise how demanding it is for them. The lolly table lady arrived very last minute, so it was a great rush to set her up with everyone pitching in, basically throwing the flowers into the display so we weren't running too much over time.
 |
| from Instagram @meredithtrel |
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| Louise Nelson from Instagram @loolabelle |
There was a great crowd lined up outside the glass doors and i went to open the big double doors into the ballroom that we had carefully hidden up until then. I'll admit that i had a quiet tear then, as i really couldn't believe that we had done this.
You see we had booked our old venue for a March/April 2016 date well in advance after the 2015 retreat, only to learn a few months later that it wouldn't be available to us due to a long term booking that had come up in the mean time. While we understood their position, it threw us into an absolute spin. Where else could we have it? Would it mean the end of e2c? We initially thought that the price for a retreat at the hotel would be completely out of range for everyone so didn't even consider it. However as time went on, and we realised that the only other option was to not have a retreat at all in 2016, we thought we would speak with the hotel and see what they could do for us.
Right from that very first meeting they were exceptional. Once Meredith had done some number crunching we realised that it could be a possibility, but were not expecting big numbers as we do with our other retreat. (haha boy were we wrong!??)
Once we had booked the hotel, we sent an email to our teachers and where thrilled when they both said YES! We suddenly had the trifecta - a great venue, Lou Nelson AND Wilna Furstenberg!!
 |
| waiting for the doors to open at e2c Instagram @loolabelle |
As we opened the doors, and the attendees rolled in, it felt like a dream. I stood there welcoming new faces as well as some familiar faces. Some that had been to every retreat we'd ever had, others that were returning for the second year, some that had been teachers in the past (i think that is one thing that never ceases to thrill me - when our teachers come back as attendees!) and a LOT that were brand new to e2c. What a buzz it is to meet so many people in such a short space of time. I felt like my brain was going to explode with a heady mix of names, faces, excitement and a drop of champagne.
Everyone found their seat and the weekend had begun!
Friday was free time, and the idea of this was for people to take their time and relax into it... meeting people, chatting and having a social night.
All of the classes over the weekend (two Saturday and two Sunday) were brimming with creative inspiration and i heard so much positive chatter about techniques learnt. I always adore the table that i am on, and this year was no different... i just love those girls! It was super special this year being next to Sue P and Marika's table as well as the Lock girls (who normally are at the other end of the shed but it was SO good to talk to them all weekend too).
 |
| e2c2016 group photo by Sandra Wallace and Christine Cid |
To our team of two that seem to do an ok job of putting a pretty big event together!
 |
| from Instagram @wilnafurstenberg |
We are not sure what 2017 will bring, but it will be e2c's 10th year. Ten years of retreats deserves a great celebration. I hope we see you there.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
2016 Class update
We have had a few little changes to our original adverts so this is the updated list of kit supplies and things that you will need bring yourself. The photo sizes are also listed below.
Also a watercolour paint set will now be included in Wilna's kit which can also be used in Lousie's class.
LOUISE NELSON'S CLASSES
Facebook Create2Escape Bring to class... from amanda hall on Vimeo.
Also a watercolour paint set will now be included in Wilna's kit which can also be used in Lousie's class.
LOUISE NELSON'S CLASSES
photo tips from Lou -
WIRE CLASS :
Layout one:I used a black and white photo 7.5cm x 7.5cm. Photo is of spiral staircase inside the Guggenheim Museum NYC. Chipboard title I used is 'art'. Kit also includes a mini/tiny alpha set in lower case.
Layout two: I used a black and white photo landscape orientation, 8.5cm x 4.5cm. Photo is a posed/professional family photo and the chipboard title is small and says #wonderful
Layout three: I used 3 black and white photos 7.5cm x 7.5cm of images of NYC [subway, a sculpture, bikes covered in snow]. Chipboard titles 1 x large saying Fun times, 2 smaller chipboard titles saying #awesome, and #happy.
Layout three: I used 3 black and white photos 7.5cm x 7.5cm of images of NYC [subway, a sculpture, bikes covered in snow]. Chipboard titles 1 x large saying Fun times, 2 smaller chipboard titles saying #awesome, and #happy.
Teaspoon - disposable / plastic.
BEAD CLASS:
Layout one - I used a black and white 'couples' photo cropped to fit an oval frame that's portrait orientation 3cm x 4cm. Title is stamped saying "life is splendid"
Layout two - I used a black and white photo of a woman cropped to fit an oval frame 3cm x 5cm. No title included.
Layout three - I used a black and white wedding photo, cropped to fit a 5.5cm round frame. Large chipboard title 'us'.
BEAD CLASS:
Layout one - I used a black and white 'couples' photo cropped to fit an oval frame that's portrait orientation 3cm x 4cm. Title is stamped saying "life is splendid"
Layout two - I used a black and white photo of a woman cropped to fit an oval frame 3cm x 5cm. No title included.
Layout three - I used a black and white wedding photo, cropped to fit a 5.5cm round frame. Large chipboard title 'us'.
WILNA FURSTENBERG'S CLASS
PHOTO SIZES : 2 x 4x6" photos. 1 portrait (to go on layout with a cut file that says 'lovely'), and the other landscape (on a layout with cut file that says 'with my heart emoticon and my soul). Wilna has used colour photos for both layouts.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Monday, November 23, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
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
smile emoticon
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
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.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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| 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.
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| before set up |
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| during set up - photo by Sandra Wallace |
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| our wonderful shop keepers (minus Ally) - photo Sandra Wallace |
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| the lolly table |
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| 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.
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| 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!
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.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
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.CLASSESSome points to remember :
- 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 classSaturday afternoon - Leanne Allinson’s classSunday morning - Kim Price's classSunday afternoon - Chantalle McDaniel's classOther times will be free scrap time!OTHER REMINDERS :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
- 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
Monday, February 16, 2015
A few notes about cancelling.
We have had a few enquiries lately about cancelling attendance at e2c and what it involves.
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!
- 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!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
e2c 2015 chauffeur service - airport pickup
Sandra Wallace and Trish Stevens have volunteered to coordinate this very valuable service to e2c in 2015. It has certainly been appreciated in the past, and although the airport is not far from our retreat accommodation, it's one less thing to worry about on arrival.
There were many comments of loving the friendly faces greeting them at the airport and certainly adds to the 'country hospitality' feel of our retreat. Thanks Sandra and Trish.
Here's a message from them:
For those of you flying in.. The friendly e2c Chauffeur Service will be available again in 2015.
Available from (very) early Friday morning.
If you would like to be picked up from the airport please send your name, flight and arrival time to
sandy5.5@hotmail.com
Please note that there is strictly NO ADMITTANCE to the e2c shed PRIOR to the arranged 'opening times', however luggage may be dropped off with the accompaniment of Trish and Sandra.
There were many comments of loving the friendly faces greeting them at the airport and certainly adds to the 'country hospitality' feel of our retreat. Thanks Sandra and Trish.
Here's a message from them:
For those of you flying in.. The friendly e2c Chauffeur Service will be available again in 2015.
Available from (very) early Friday morning.
If you would like to be picked up from the airport please send your name, flight and arrival time to
sandy5.5@hotmail.com
Please note that there is strictly NO ADMITTANCE to the e2c shed PRIOR to the arranged 'opening times', however luggage may be dropped off with the accompaniment of Trish and Sandra.
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