My CKU-M Experience

I've been following the thread over on the CK message board the one titled CKU disappointment. It's been a very interesting read to say the least. I do feel that these women have made some very valid points and I respect them. Let me fill you in on my experience.

I arrived on Wednesday. It took me 3 flights to get to Boston (note to self, don't book with Expedia again unless you want to take the scenic route, LOL). I met a trio ladies (sorry I forgot your names) on the water taxi that were also attending CKU-Masters. It's always fun to meet someone on person that you see posting all of the time on a message board (CKU Boston yahoo group). To be able to put a name with a face...priceless! The first night I went on the shuttle to Scrapbook cupboard...what a great store! The owner and staff were wonderful and treated us all to deli sandwiches, pizza and soft drinks. The selection of items in the store was not a let down by any means! Lets just say that I spent plenty of moola. I met some wonderful ladies on that shuttle bus, one in particular, Peggy Thatcher is a gem! We discovered that we had several classes together and we hung out other through out our time spent at CKU.


Thursday- make and take day. I have to say that I liked it being an organized theme (being pages for an album et all) but would have liked it to have been 12x12 pages or maybe even 8x8 so I don't have to crop the heck out of a picture, 6x6 is just too darn small. But hey, I can make these same things in a larger format later on if I desire.
Becky Higgins class- A Snapshot of Me was a great theme but was way to short. It bothered me when she spoke and said that she is not a masters level teacher and would never be asked to teach at one. To hear her put herself down like that, it tugged on my heart. She is a humble and likable person and gave attention to everyone, we all especially loved how she took pictures of ourselves with our own cameras...WOW! My picture looks great and this is an experience that I will cherish. Becky has a such warm and bubbly personality. Her class should have been allotted more time. But in a nutshell I enjoyed every minute of it!
The mini class with Bazzill Basics Paper...fun fun fun!I think that any class sponsored by Bazzill is going to be fun! Eva Flake and Amy Totty are amazing women! They made my CKU-M experience a total blast! My last CKU experience and Bazzill sponsored class was a blast and this was the same! Mr Bazzill has some awesome folks representing his company!

Friday- Lets start with my first Class Pocket Full of Memories taught by Lisa Bearnson. I have to say that I do consider myself an advanced scrapbooker. I teach classes, make scrapbooks for others (and they pay me money to do it) and organize a couple of scrapbooking groups here at the Air Force base where I currently reside. In my opinion, this class was too fast paced. Lisa seemed rushed and was barking out directions like a Marine Drill Sergeant (Trust me I know Marine's, my Dad is an Old Marine)...unfortunately for some of us half of the time she had to correct herself because she told us the wrong size dimensions to cut our paper. The kits did not have all of the elements and was missing papers as well. It will be a great 2 page spread once I complete it at home. But if I were to give a class the way she did...I would no longer have any students. It miffed me that she had only the 1 TA and she would walk about carrying the layouts for us to see. The other things that really bothered me was the fact that she had a 15 minute slide show presentation of her family...nice but it's taking up precious class time and 2nd she ended class 20 minutes early so she could sign autographs and have pictures taken. I'm sorry but when a class is supposed to be 1½ hours long I expect it to be 1½ hours long, not 55 minutes. 3rd, it was Lisa constantly telling us "You're all Master level students" like we had to be reminded, come on! Now maybe if she was a master level teacher and she didn't take up our time with other things like her family video, had the right items in our page kits, told us the right dimensions to cut our papers and didn't stop 20 minutes early to sign autographs and have her picture taken with folks we might have been able to get though most of this project. I think a class that has 60 students is too large a group. The lighting was terrible, I could not see the layout on the screen nor could anyone else at my table. I just packed up my kit and told myself I will just do this later at my own speed. And that right there says something...speed, this was all about speed. I'd like to let the new owners of CK magazine and events know that speed does not constitute quality. This is a lovely 2 page layout that needs TIME to complete it. The class size should have been limited to 30 people, extended to the FULL hour and a half time frame and the kits double checked to make sure that all of the elements were in it. Much time was wasted because the TA was running back and forth bringing kits elements to nearly everyone in the class. I'm sure that Lisa is a very nice person, I'm not trying to say that she isn't. What I am saying is that she was not the right person to teach this class

My second class Envelope Books was much more relaxing. This was sponsored by Around the Block. Jennifer and Sarah rocked! They had a fantastic TA that really helped out and all 3 were so upbeat, they made the class FUN! I was actually able to complete my most of my project (I just need to adhere my pictures and journal). I loved using their products and will be looking to purchase their entire Christmas line later on (I have to pay off the credit card first though, LOL). They took time with each and every one of us and it was great! IN my book, THIS is what the CKU-Masters experience is about!

Third Class- Design-Color-Type sponsored by Bazzill Basics Paper taught by Eva Flake and Amy Totty. Oh my gosh these 2 ladies have to be THE funniest people I have ever met! Effervescent is the word that I would use to describe them:-) Great class! I learned so much in this class, and if they had not given out the Bazzill CD I would have bought it as soon as I got home (yes it is that good). Again, this is what a Masters class is about...enjoying everything and not feeling that it's some sort of race. The give awys here were FANTASTIC! I took a couple of Bazzill sponsered classes at my last CKU and they were just as awesome as this one!

My fourth class Memory Glass Memoirs with Tim Holtz...LOVED IT!!! This man is so talented! He had awesome TA's, awesome techniques to show and teach us. He personally came and checked out how each person in the class was doing on their projects, I was able to complete 2 projects in his class...and I love them! The give aways in his class were amazing! Each and every student in his class got a give away, and these were not cheesy in any way! We all walked away with terrific products and very satisfied! I'd take any class given by Tim, his techniques and top notch and most of all he's a patient teacher.