My Fall 2012 Trip to California!

I have been a bit out of commission for posting to my blog, and I do apologize.   Plus, I am extremely behind keeping up with my favorite cardmaking blog friends; therefore, I have not been posting comments either...shame on me!  I think I was just having too much fun!

While away, I attend several cropping events and retreats...oh how enjoyable!  I've already told you about my family crop retreat in mid-October at a small town north of Redding, staying at the rustic Trout House...that was scads of fun...just my Mom, my sister, and me this time!  Regressing: in the first two weeks of my arrival, we went to two one-day crops south of Redding: one was private crop hosted by Teresa Barnett in Red Bluff, and the other was an anniversary crop at the Paradise Scrapbook Boutique in Chico (our favorite vintage-decorated shop).  Of course, we stayed away overnight and shopped before we start home at any quaint little shops we found as well!  In the last part of October and early November, we went to a one-day crop at the "Rock Paper Scissors," a new Redding scrapbook store, and another most-of-the-day event called the Christmas Card Extravaganza.  We made 18 cards by six designers in 7 hours!  Needless to say, I brought a few unfinished ones home to complete.

To finish off my trip, we traveled east to the tiny town of Weaverville to a four-day crop retreat, called Trinity Scrapbooking Retreats.  We had a blast with our papercrafting, but also enjoyed this small town's Halloween evening festivities.  It was such fun to see how a rural town celebrates the holiday with costumes worn by shop owners and restaurant employees and each business giving out treats to passersby.  But while there, I did manage to get a little crafting and cardmaking done too.  Some of the cards are from kits provided by my sister, Heidi Gonzales (www.mylilscrapcorner.blogspot.com), who designs and teaches cardmaking at Redding's "Rock Paper Scissors," plus holds her own events and is a Stampin' Up demonstrator, as well.  Here are my "sister cards" with a few modifications if a whim struck me while making them:

Following are some cards I made from ideas I got online or at various events or stores, as well some of my own designs.  I left off the sentiments on most of them so I could decide later what I wanted to use them for, and here they are:

Now that I am home, I must get started on Christmas...I will be sharing a mini album I started in California and some cards I made as well!  Hope your late September, October, and early November were as enjoyable as mine!