CKC Review 2- Friday AM Classes

Hi, I'm back for another installment of my CKC Manchester review.

My first class was Holiday Highlights made simple. I do not think this was the best class for me to take first. It freaked me out a bit and did not set a very good tone for the rest of the day. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the class, because I did. The album is super cute. (Take a peek of the cover on the CKC website.) The concept is great too- I love the idea of having a book full of family holiday traditions. The problem was that basically all we finished was the cover and the tabs. There were instructions, so I know I will be able to finish the album later, but I still wish there had been time to complete a couple of pages. The problem was that one of the first steps was to punch holes through chipboard. Any of you who have ever tried to do that know that it is nearly impossible with a regular hole puncher or eyelet setting tool. They should have either pre-cut the holes or provided each table with a crop-o-dile. It is no fun to spend most of your class punching holes. Also, I did not really like the stamps, but I guess that is more of a personal preference for clear stamps over mounted ones than anything else.

In summary:
Event Name: Holiday Highlights Made Simple
Cost: $19 (1 hour)
Recommend: With reservations. Cute project, but I would have been happy just buying the kit and doing the whole thing at home.
Finished?: Not even close
Hints: Bring a crop-o-dile and be prepared to do most of the album at home

My second class of the day was Rusty Pickle's Everything Mini Album. I had heard that Rusty Pickle classes were some of the best, and I completely agree. The class name is a little deceptive. Basically, we did a mini A B C album with the theme "Everything I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten." I have already decided I'm going to put a bunch of my school pictures into this album. We started out by painting the album covers and cool cardboard letters. Painting is a little hard to do in such a confined area, and there was not nearly enough paint, but it was also fun to do something different. After that, putting the rest of the album together was a breeze. The instructor was very outgoing and fun. I finished about 20 minutes early, but even if I hadn't, they included very easy to follow instructions in the class kit.

In summary:
Event Name: Everything Mini Album
Cost: $32 (2 hours)
Recommend: Yes!
Finished?: Yes, with time to spare
Hints: Wear something that you don't mind getting paint on. Also, bring lots of adhesive- there is a lot of gluing in this class.

Still reading? You're quite a trooper. Just one more review for now. My next class was "Just Be You" by The Button Farm. Go check out their website. They had some of their other kits on sale at the vendor fair, and they are so cute and fun. I'll be keeping my eyes out for new kits. We made a 4 x 6 album using Scenic Route papers. The instructor was sweet. You could tell she wanted us to all have a good experience and didn't mind answering questions, demonstrating how to use rub-ons, or handing out extra supplies. I really liked this album and could see myself making more of them. Just note that if you want to add pictures, they will have to be small, and you need to plan ahead so you don't put a rub-on or other element over where you want to put a photo.

In summary:
Event Name: Just Be You
Cost: $20 (1 hour)
Recommend: Yes
Finished?: As much as I could without adding photos
Hints: Plan for a few minutes where you want to put your photos, or just make it an inspiring quote album