AE Scrapbooking retreats

Welcome!

Welcome to the AE Scrapbooking Retreats website. 
Please scroll past this intro for the latest post if this is not your first visit.

AE Retreats have become one of New Zealand's most talked about scrapbooking events with a large group of regular attendees anticipating each event.  AE Retreats are run by two friends -  Nic & Lucy  - who have combined their love of the scrapbooking industry and experience in the hospitality feilds to create something amazing. 

If you'd like to know more about the AE events (Spring or Autumn), classes, tutors, or other people behind the scenes, please click the links above. 

If you'd like to be kept up to date with small event updates, photos and general happenings for our next event, please check back regularly!

Enjoy browsing and please feel free to contact us with any questions about our retreats!

Nic & Lucy

Save the Date - Prima ArtVenture

We know, we know, we said we weren't going to do a spring event this year.  And we weren't.  Until large US manufacturer Prima said they wanted to pair up with us to put on the event of the year. 

So here we are, Sept 20th - 22nd.  Circle the date and watch for registration.  With 4 fabulous teachers {to be announced} and all the fun event stuff that Prima is known for - you won't want to miss this one.  

Registrations open in about 10 days time and this event is expected to sell out FAST!

Spring Edition Run-down

It's been a little over a week since Spring Edition finished and I'm still coming down off the high of everything.  Organising an event like this is a little like organising a wedding.  With a lot of brainstorming and help from some of the best friends on the planet, little ideas become big plans and big plans become reality.  Slowly we plan and take care of every detail we can think of.

Registration packs and welcome signs... name tags and gorgeous packaging.

A candy bar full of the most amazing treats.

Room displays, all bought together by different people .. this one put together with an intricate book gifted to me by Rae Cooper, several of my layouts, some scrabble tiles gifted to me at the last Autumn Escape and a fun fairy house, complete with little fairy made by Rachel Tucker- she was named "Pamela the Prima Fairy" by the end of the retreat.  This was one displays that came together purely from the generosity and artistic ability of people that have attended our retreats in the past.

Then there was the reading corner.  The cushions placed across the floor that said "Scrap" on one side and "Relax" on the other.  Needless to say that these cushions spelled many different words throughout the weekend.  This was only part of a display that included chairs, various books and altered items.  A place to relax when time out was needed.

Then there were the classes.  Put together by talented tutors Paula Cheney, Natalie May and myself, there was a huge range of amazing techniques and projects completed.  It's not surprising that one of our most common pieces of feedback is that everyone wants these two ladies back. 

Then of course there was all the other amazing stuff we did.   Janine from "Steeped in Beautea" ensured something totally off-the-wall for a scrapbooking retreat with a buffet of ingedients to make our own relaxing bath-bags.  It was something new to us and we were so glad we took the risk and added something different into the weekend mix.

One of our other make n takes... everyone completed a gorgeous woodland tree.  We were lucky enough to have Tim Holtz's support donating enough trees and ingredients for everyone to colour, glue and glitter to their heart's content.  We know for sure that all Spring Edition Attendees will have pretty houses this coming Christmas.

I could go on with the details but there were so many.  There were more classes, more make n takes, a whole weekend of laughing and learning.  We had one of the best games we've ever had on the Saturday night (did any of you wonder why the toothpicks were on the candy buffet all weekend?!), and the thing that made it - the 90 ladies that attended.  This retreat was the 5th for us, but bought so many new people into the mix - around a third of the attendees had never been to our retreats before.  That's a whole lot of new friends...

And of course the whole weekend wouldn't be complete without the crew...

Rachel, Kate, Tana, Nic, Lianne, Lynda, Paula, Lucy & Natalie.  Some of the best friends a girl could have.

Lucy & thank you, fabulous crew, for all your support before and during the weekend!

And for those that wondered... YES I guarded my roomkey with my life.  YES *somehow* my room still got the worst toiletpapering in all of AE retreat history.  Those responsible will keep... Autumn Escape in April isn't that far away... who's coming along? (Love this place...)
(btw photos taken by Andrea of SweetP photography... thank you so much Andrea!)

Finalising classes.. products being ordered..

It's under 3 months until our special Spring Edition and things are starting to happen fairly quickly now.  The teachers have their classes organised and sneak peeks are available now.  Nat wins the teacher prize for being exceptionally organised and already has her samples done, kits are currently being ordered and some products are on their way. 

We are spoiled in that Nat brings an awesome mix of companies that are new to AE Retreats with products from companies such as Graphic 45, Simple Stories, X-Press Adhesives and Green Tara flowers.  Add in a little ScrapMatrix Chipboard, a touch of Tim Holtz and lots of other little bits and pieces and these are some seriously inspiring classes!

Take a quick look through Natalie's classes - if you were on the fence about booking into any of these, be sure to do so as soon as possible.  We are finalising numbers and ordering class kit supplies and Class 8 - Something Old, Something New, has already sold out!

Class 6:  Doin’ it for the Boys.... Layout class by Nat May
Friday 3.30 – 5.30pm
Saturday 4.30 – 6.30pm

Time to put that man in the picture and create a page that makes him the center of attention! Stamping, inking, masking and getting our fingers dirty, that's what this class is all about.

We will create masculine backgrounds in this class that will transfer to all styles of layouts and have lots of fun doing it – join Nat in this class that will suit the guys in our life, from teen up!



Class 7: On the Bright Side ... Layout class by Nat May
Friday 7.30 – 9.30pm      Saturday 2.00 – 4.00pm

Are you hesitant to do something a little bright? Want to make your page pop?
This class will be bright and summery and we will focus on adding a little colour to your album.

Create a double page that flows with fun and will be suitable for the little terror or the little drama queen in your life!  We'll use simple design elements but keep the focus on the photos and create a page to hold some of your great summertime memories!

Class 8: Something Old - Something New ... Layout class by Nat May
Saturday 11.00 – 1.00pm

You asked for it ... so here it is! Graphic 45 has such a beautiful range of papers and this class is all about creating a page using these papers in their gorgeous style. You can interpret this project however you like ... heritage, vintage, old style, young or just classic.  We will be fussy cutting, distressing, giving your page a slightly aged look, using a little chipboard and having a lot of fun too.

 

Autumn Escape 2013

Autumn Escape 2013 registration is open, and filling fast!
See here for more details...

Spring Edition 2012... and Autumn Escape 2013...

We've had a small amount of 'downtime' here at AE central since Autumn Escape.  We never really have total time out from the planning and organising, but we have had a little bit of quiet time.  That's all over though,  we'll be releasing the class lists for Spring in the next day or two and then it's all on. Bring on Spring Edition, October 2012!!

Soon after that we'll be opening registration for Autumn Escape 2013 - there are so many people asking for that to happen.  You are right - normally registration opens about now - and it won't be far away, we are just waiting for some paperwork to arrive in the mail from our headline teacher.  Who is it?  She is an incredibly experienced, amazing teacher, she is from the USA and it has taken 18 months to secure her place at Autumn Escape, we know you are going to love her, she is going to bowl you over!  As soon as that paperwork arrives, Autumn Escape 2013 registration will open.

Leaving you with some of the Spring Edition class sneaks... for those of you coming along to Spring Edition in October, these and more will be in your inboxes soon!

Introducing Natalie May, Spring Edition tutor...

Hands up who requested an experienced teacher with lots of pizazz and numerous layout ideas?  Hands up who wanted a teacher that can bring three enirely different layout classes to the retreat, completing our line up of EIGHT different amazing classes?

We have the perfect teacher to join Nic Howard and Paula Cheney as the Spring Edition tutor team and we know you are going to love her. 

Introducing Natalie May, from Adelaide, Australia!

Natalie's bio is below.  Notice that Nat is an experienced teacher with many, many classes under her belt.  We are working very closely with Nat to make sure that the 3 layout classes she will offer will be designed around YOUR needs.  We've taken the feedback forms, the facebook ideas, the outlines for the other classes being offered at Spring Edition and we are forming a great class line-up with as many bases covered as possible - we look forward to releasing details in a few weeks!  Thanks for welcoming her to the team!

My name is Natalie May. I am a 37 year old mum to a gorgeous 9 year old daughter, Jessica and a wife to a very supportive hubby.
I am a full time paper crafter, working in Adelaide's best Scrapbooking shop, Seriously Scrapbooking, I’m an experienced teacher - teaching around 15 classes a month instore as well as visiting various retreats and tradeshows throughout the year.  I am also a Certified Copic Designer and am about to undertake my Intermediate training as well.
I have been a card maker for about 16 years and discovered Scrapbooking late 2006. It’s such a brilliant creative outlet, with no restrictions as to what you can do and VERY addictive! {but hey ... you already knew that!}.  I don’t believe have a particular style - I let the paper guide me. I love to experiment and try new things ... and I create what my students are asking for too!
I love using a variety of techniques on my pages from dry and wet embossing, stamping & masking, GlimmerMist, inking and more recently I have become addicted to my Cuttlebug again. I like to experiment with Gesso and Texture Paste and I have a very soft spot for chipboard.
I have been published in all 3 Australian Scrapbooking magazines and have recently been part of several chipboard design teams as well as being involved in Once Upon A Sketch and Blue Bazaar. 

I love this industry … the opportunity to teach a new technique…. Meeting so many amazing people…..and to be able to CREATE every day is quite a blessing.
You can find out more about me here www.happydaks.blogspot.com

AE Spring Edition

It's true... AE is holding a 'Spring Edition' each year.  Autumn Escape was busting at the seams, selling out 10 months in advance each year.  People were missing out and things were gettin HUGE!   We've opted to open up two events each year... come to one, come to both, we'd love to see you!

Registrations for AE Spring Edition are going well...just what we wanted.  Email Lucy at lucy.tom@xtra.co.nz for a registration form and we'll see you there!  Info below!

The final countdown...

The class kits are packed.  Stock for the shop is packed.  There are boxes of demo items, example layouts, goodies to giveaway, things to show and things to create.  We are done.

My hubby is looking forward to being able to get into his wine cupboard again.  These are only about 1/3 of the boxes.  The rest form a castle-like shape, threatening to collapse on anyone that needs to get a bottle of wine after a hard day at work.  It's Ok Paul.  We'll move them tomorrow.  We are on our way to Taupo.

A working bee...

Just a few pictures to show you what we got up to this past weekend...

One of about 3 dozen pics that we had taken - trying to get a nice one of me & Lucy and Tana as well - poor girl got coerced into helping, she thought she was in Auckland for the Taylor Swift concert... oooooh nooo we had better ideas.

WE had trouble getting a nice pic.

There was the "what is that on my head?  A spider out of the trees? Wait. Could it be a hand?" moments...

then there was the moments where there just wasn't a hope of getting anything like a nice pic.  Don't ask what happened here...

Anyway, we had a great time.  LOTS of little jobs got done - lots of creating - making *stuff* for Autumn Escape....

And then of course anything we had problems with, we just referred to the too hard basket.

Good weekend - another one coming up, no doubt.  Still lots to be done!

Happy mail day today....

Thank you to our latest sponsor BoBunny for their incredibly generous gift for everyone attending Autumn Escape this year... just a little sneak peek to give you a clue!