Store Crop Sessions

This is about the only way that I crop! Our local Hallmark store carries scrapbooking supplies and they hold Open Crops a few times a month. The crops run from 6:30 - midnight. It costs $6, but dinner is included (usually pizza and pop, chips, cookies, and other snacks)! Everybody hauls in all of their stuff and spreads it out on the tables. In addition to buying things off the shelf, everybody swaps things they don't want for things they do! I have all girls, and one of the other ladies that scrapbooks with us has all boys. I'm always trading her some blue things for some of her pink stuff!! The store has a sizzix machine with a few alphabets that we can use. And we are always borrowing other peoples stuff. The store gives a discount on anything that you buy that night too. It's a great way to get out of the house without the kids and hang out with other ladies that have the same hobbies (obsessions) as you. I've made some great friends through scrapbooking!

I've only cropped at one store and that was when I was on a weekend retreat. I don't have any scrapbooking stores but if I did then i'd surely use their crop sessions. I think that it's a wonderful thing and then you also don't have to buy those expensive tools...use what the store has. How great also that your store lets you have store credit...neato! I'd only use it for the night though and not for daily use. Have fun at your next crop...you're so lucky!

My local scrapboo store used to have scrap and chat, where you paid $5 and you scrapped for 2 hours. This included use of tools, stamps and ink and computer/printer. I used to love it more for the socialisation aspect of the meet-ups.

There are a few stores I've seen do this, but I really wouldn't do it. Like you said, it would be easy to spend 2 bucks here, 2 bucks there, and run up a 100$ tab! Besides the cash, I wouldn't be interested b/c I prefer to scrapbook at home while I watch TV. I also like to make a big mess and spread stuff out all over the table! I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this at a store for fear of all my things getting messed up. I have 4 books of supplies, I couldn't easily bring all that to the store.

The scrapbook store here has alot of crops. They have open crops where you come in and work on your stuff. I have gone to these. You can use their diecut machine, and usually I go with one of my girls. They keep it to two at a table so theres tons of room to spread out. I have tons of stuff so I usually decide ahead of time what layout I plan to work on and take what I need for that one. that way I am not dragging TONS of stuff with me that I wont be using. We exchange ideas, stickers, supplies and I love it, everyone has such different styles. They also have specialized crops. where they have kits and everyone makes the same page layout.The cost of that is a bit more because you are purchasing the kit. I have never been to one of those, I guess I am more of a freestyle person LOL Plus because I havent been scrapbooking since my kids were little I do one new page to each old page. this way I can catch up on all the old photos I want to do..

We have one small scrapbook store in my little town that has crop nights every other Friday from 5 p.m. till midnight. You pay $10 to use their space, but refreshments are provided, and you really do have a lot of space to work in. The store owner is awesome about helping you if you get stuck, loaning you supplies, etc. and she also leaves a receipt on each table so you can take what you need from the store, jot it down and pay at the end of the evening. Surprisingly, I've never spent more than $20 (on top of the $10 fee), and most of that has been on paper and adhesive. They're always so much fun, and I get so much more done there than I can at home. I can't wait till the next one!

I think a lot of scrapbook stores have free services to attract customers. I once saw one in Reno where you can cut paper with a bunch of their scissors with edges and where they also let you use their stencils. I wish there was one like that here in the Philippines.