The Planner Society - TPS 2017 Planner Meet Up Event - Day 1 - Part 1

The Planner Society September Kit - 2017

I recently had the opportunity to attend "The Planner Society" TPS 2017 event where I got to spend two days planning, socializing and having a great time with ladies who shared my love of planning.  The event was put on by Christy Tomlinson who is the creator of the Scarlet Lime and "The Planner Society" monthly subscription kit.

  As we entered the room for the event, we were greeted by several of the TPS crew and they

handed us an amazing swag bag full of really fun items that we can use in our planners and or memory planning, that included the July Planner Society kit.

These were the contents of the #TPSCROP2017swag bags.

As if that wasn't enough, each seat had a place setting of items that included:

• a Planner Society Baseball Cap
• a Planner Society Mug
• a Fairy Themed Travelers Notebook
• a Planner Society August Kit and more.

Here is a picture that shows some of the items that were included in the August kit. 

The blue travelers' notebook you see in the picture is the new Planner Society Fairy themed travelers notebook.

Here is what it looks like opened up.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Planner Society, here is a little background on monthly kits.  The monthly Planner Society Scrapbooking and Planner Crafting Kit are all designed by Christy Tomlinson and her team.  The Planner Society Scrapbooking and Planner Kit can be ordered as a single kit with or without add-ons.  The Basic Planner Society kit is $24.95 plus Shipping.  The basic kit offers two-sided printed papers (sometimes they are made from vellum or other printable paper), stickers, planner clips, colorful tabs (with pre-printed labels you can attach) and so much more.  I did a review of the Planner Society August 2016 kit that you can read to see examples of the different types of items that can come in a kit. You can also add a Sticker Kit for an additional $16.50 plus shipping (if you subscribe to the box the shipping is free). If you use a planner with boxes, like the Happy Planner's, you should know that Christy Tomlinson also offers a box sticker kit which sells for $17.50 plus shipping.  The last add-on item is the Washi Tape Kit. The Planner Society Washi Tape Kit sells for $11.95 plus shipping and includes three different sizes of washi tape that share the theme for that specific month. If you love pretty floral prints, then you will love these kits.  You can get a better idea of the kit contents and how to use them by checking out the Planner Society Instagram Account, where Christy uploads sneak peaks into the upcoming kits.  The Planner Society also has a fan Facebook page where people post some of the layouts that they do with their kits.

There was a photo booth area filled with props and cameras

where we could take photos throughout the event.

Once everyone was settled in, Christy gave an opening speech which was followed by the workshops. I will do a separate post on the workshops. For those who are interested, I have included below the schedule of events for each day.

Schedule for the first day 9/22/17:

(We will NOT be doing any swaps or gift exchanging this day)

12:30PM- Registration Begins

1:15PM- Welcome Opening

1:30PM-2:30PM Memory Keeping with Florence

2:30PM-2:40PM BREAK

2:40PM-4:00PM Shaker Dashboard with Sharr

3:40PM-4:00PM Instagram Photography tips with Meka #1

4:00PM-4:15PM BREAK

4:15PM-5:00PM How to make a TN pocket and decorate it with Dedra

5:00PM-6:00PM Making a Bookmark with Marci

5:40PM-6:00PM Photography demo with Meka #2 

6:00PM-7:00PM DINNER BREAK

7:15PM Christy’s Workshop
Candy was provided through out the day to provide a sweet break.

The candy table.

The Crop Room was available until MIDNIGHT for us to stay and work on our planners or crop!

Schedule for the Second day 9/23/17:

11:00AM- CROP opens!

11:00AM-2:00PM- Swap Time. Plus there are 2 pop up shops in the registration area filled with fun sticker sets from @rainbowbunnyco, and a booth that sold some adorable planner charms.  Plus, there are 2 make and takes you can participate in.

12:30PM- PLANNER BINGO GAME #1 + raffle prizes

2:00PM- PLANNER BINGO GAME #2 + raffle prizes

2:30PM-5:30PM 2 NEW Pop Up shops. One of which was the Prima Booth where we had a chance to view their newest travelers notebooks and other supplies.  There was a fun collection of pop stores that included @rainbowbunnyco , Crown and Crumpet Tea Salon, Prima, and a few others.
4:00PM- HASH TAG GAME #3 + raffle prizes (the prize for this one was a Scriver Creek Travelers Notebook).

5:30PM- $15 GIFT EXCHANGE (if you want to participate in this, please

bring one wrapped or bagged item(s) that’s worth $15).

6:00PM-7:00PM DINNER BREAK!

(Don’t forget to bring/ change into your pajamas!!)

And more fun pajama moments.

After the dinner break, there will be two more pop up shops selling some fun Kawaii style grab bads, tea and some fun sticker sets.

7:00PM-10:00PM 2 NEW shops + 2 make and takes will be in the

registration area

8:00PM- GAME #4 + raffle prizes

10:00PM- #HASHTAG challenge (game) raffle prizes

10:30PM- Start to pack up and say goodbyes!
There was even a trash to treasure table where people dropped off things they did not need anymore and could take things they did need.

Below is a look at some of the Bingo Game Sticker Packs and Paper Set prizes.

Note: There was a poll in the TPS2017Crop facebook group as to who had the cutest/ coolest PJs.  I cannot remember who won but I think they were all cute.

 You can see that we were kept pretty busy throughout the two days. Also, there are so many photos and amazing moments that I decided I will break down this event review or overview into several parts.  So check back to see more.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with "The Planner Society" organization, nor was I paid to do this review.  I paid for my ticket with my own funds and these are just my memories and opinions of the event.  My experience may differ from someone else's.

LEGO Friends Snow Resort Off-Roader Set | Review

If you like the Lego Friends Collection you will be happy to know that Lego has released the new Snow Resort Off-roader kit.  The Lego Friends Snow Resort Off-roader Kit features a female figure, a snowboard, luggage, a map of the ski slopes, assorted accessories along with the very cool off-roader vehicle   The set (41321) is reasonably priced at $14.99 on the Lego website but can also be found online and at other retailers like Amazon.  The Lego Friends Snow Resort Off-Roader Kit is currently available on Amazon at $14.99 (with free shipping if you are an Amazon Prime Member). I don't know how long that price will last so if you want the kit, you should check Amazon and see what the current price is.  

The new snow resort collection being sold by LEGO include a Snow Resort Chalet (41323), an Ice Rink (41322), a Snow Resort Hot Chocolate Van, and a Ski Lift (41324).  The Snow Resort Hot Chocolate Van comes with two characters and the van opens up to create a cute kitchen like setting.  The Snow Resort Chalet Kit also comes with two characters and in addition to the chalet(and an impressive list of accessories), it includes what looks like snowmobile. The Ice Rink also includes two characters, the ice rink, and an assortment of other extras.  I found that all of these kits work well with the other sets in this collection, as well as being able to stand alone.  The attention that LEGO paid to the details on these kits is amazing.

The Snow Resort Kits is a wonderful collection to introduce children to the joys of skiing and the Ski Etiquette. LEGO has even produced a darling YouTube video on the Lego Channel that explains some of more commonly known rules of ski etiquette to kids in a fun way.  The video below offers some great tips for anyone going to the ski slopes for the first time.




I love the five tips that are covered by this video.  They are:
Tip #1 – Grab a map, agree to your goals for the day, and remember to pace yourself. Some people head right for the black diamonds, but a real pro warms up before cutting loose on the tougher runs!
Tip #2 – Wait your turn at the lift and try not to step on anyone’s skis. And, don’t forget to mind those ski poles!
Tip #3 – The mountain is beautiful, so enjoy your ride on the lift, but give yourself enough time to be prepared to exit. The lift waits for no one!
Tip #4 – Your fellow skiers and shredders want to keep moving! If you need to stop, move to the side of the slope.
Tip #5 – At the end of the day, make time to unwind at the lodge. Recap your favorite moments and celebrate each other for a great day of active fun, but don’t be that space hog in the lodge; we’re friends on the slopes.

The Lego Friends Snow Resort Off-roader set is made up 141 pieces which also included stickers.

The instruction manual has wonderful step by step diagrams to assist parents in building the sets (my kids never look at the manuals but I have to).

You can see how easy the instructions are for assembling each piece of the kit.

I took only 20 minutes to put together the kit.  We have shared it with some of the kids my older daughter babysits and they have really enjoyed the elements of this kit. Again, there are so many cool elements and accessories to this kit and can be played by more than one child at a time (if you have other LEGO characters on hand).

Note: Thank you to the folks at LEGO who were kind enough to send me this kit so my kids could try it out and add it to the many other kits I have purchased.  I highly recommend joining the Lego Club because you can earn points and they send out emails with current specials and new releases.

Minion Super Hero Planner Meet-up at Hearts-n-Crafts Etc

The Minion themed Planner Meet-up at the Hearts-n-Craft Etc. store in Covina, California was a fun opportunity to spend the afternoon with other like-minded individuals who also enjoy working on their planners or travelers notebooks.  Pamela Heck Milligan-Hersey put a lot of effort into making this a fun event for us.  The theme for this event was "Minion Super Hero's" which meant that she and Tee (the owner of Hearts-n-Crafts Etc. store) would be making some pretty cool decorations.  After all, it is a scrapbooking and card making store that stocks some pretty fabulous merchandise.

They even had a cute photo corner where you could take a pic with this adorable Minion Frame.  I had Pamela Heck Milligan-Hersey pose with it so I could take a picture to show you.

We learned to make the above Travelers Notebook out of cardstock and paper.  It also holds sticky notes, which we also learned to make. Who knew that rubber cement is good for making sticky notes? It was a surprise for me.  Below is an example of one made by one of the attendees.  It looks great!

The table centerpieces were darling and reflected the Minion Super Hero theme in a cute way.

They actually made enough that each of us was able to take one home. My daughter loved the one I brought home which was the Batman themed minion.

Along with the Super Hero Minion Center Pieces, we also got a planner goody bag which was also decorated in the minion theme.

Here are only some of the planner goodies we got at the Minion Super Hero Planner Meet-up which included: stickers, die cuts, a mini travelers insert kit, planner clips and more.

Instead of the usual planner swap where we give out a small planner related item to each person, Pamela decided to try something new.  She had us make 5 mini make-n-take sets.

The first one was a Halloween Themed Card taught by Sandy Irvine.

All the parts needed to make the card were included in the packets.  It was so fun to see how each person had a different card using the same parts.

Here is another "Make-n-take" tutorial was done,  we learned how to decorate these

adorable animal card frames.

There were more projects, this was just a sampling.  Those who wanted to participate got to show the others how to make the project.  This was an amazing idea which we really liked. I can't wait to see what Pamela and Tee come up with at the next event or class.  You can follow the Hearts-n-Crafts Etc Facebook page to see what upcoming events they are having in the store.

You can find pictures from other planner meet-ups and a variety of planner photos by using any of the following hashtags on Instagram:

#plannernerd

#planner

#journal

#plannercommunity

#theplannergirl

#plannerlove

#plannermeetup

#travelersnotebook

#planwithme

Disclaimer: I am not associated with "Hearts-n-Crafts Etc" store nor do I work for Pamela.  I paid for my ticket with my own funds and had a great time.

Embossed and Painted Leather Travelers Notebook Advanced Techniques Class Review

I had such a great time at the Planner Friends Event Advanced Embossed Leather and Alcohol Ink Techniques Travelers Notebook class on September 3, 2017.  It was held at the new Michaels Store in Irvine, California.  Tammy Santana and her crew taught us how to emboss leather, then paint the leather using alcohol inks.  She shared with us various tips on applying and layering the inks to create various effects on the leather.  She also showed us how easy it is to bead our travelers notebooks with seed beads to add some decorative details to our travelers journals (notebooks) in order to create one of a kind pieces.

During the last half of the class, we learned how to make some beautiful decorative leather spines that attach to the reinforced spine of the Travelers Notebooks. This actually adds two more elastics to our leather travelers notebooks, while at the same time changing the look of it.  It is easily removable but ultra handy to know how to make.

The first thing Tammy did was to show us how to Emboss Leather using our Sizzix Big Shot machine and an embossing folder.  The results you achieve depends on the thickness of the leather, how wet you get the leather and which embossing pattern you choose.  Then we used our kit from the last leather class that Tammy taught to mark our patterns for the hole.  In case you are interested in getting your own leather kit, Tammy bought ours on Amazon for around $40.

The kit has everything you need to get started working on leather.  First we marked our leather with the Edger Beveler.

Then we used the lacing chisels to mark our holes.

The spacing and size of the holes is completely dependent upon which chisel you decided to use. I decided on the black one (this one is not included in kit but can be purchased at Hobby Lobby) because I knew I was going to use larger beads and that size matched them better.

After the entire leather travelers notebook was marked, we painted our leather using the alcohol inks that Tammy provided.  The photo above shows how beautifully Tammy painted the leather with her alcohol inks and used them to emphasize the paisley style pattern she used for this travelers notebook.
Once we were finished painting the leather with the alcohol inks and had allowed them to dry, we started to sew the spine pieces together.  Before we got started, we had to decided where and what beads we wanted to use for beading the leather travelers notebook.  Tammy is a very easy going teacher and while she is happy to teach techniques, she loves to encourage everyone to do their own thing.  That being said, I decided to do my own thing and only bead the spine of the travelers notebook.

I beaded the entire travelers journal first using the wax linen thread that Tammy provided.  Then I beaded my spine using some very small turtle beads, crystals and fire wire.  I wanted to be sure that the beads were not going to fall off with use.

The smaller beads close to the quarter are the ones I decided to use.  I bought these on sale at Michaels and they are really cool to bead with.

The crystals that I choose matched the removable spine that I made in class.

Since we were not required to bead our travelers notebook, each book was unique.  Some of the students beaded their entire book with the silver seed beads provided and even finished them in class (they were super focused on the project).

Jessica Lam (who is known for her stunning Green & Lyme A5 Planners) choose not to bead her travelers notebook at all. She went with a simple elegant look.  She purposely applied the inks so that they blended beautifully to create the effect below.  It looked even better in person.

Jessica, also simplified the decorative removable leather spine so that it complimented the travelers notebook that she made.  You can see more of Jessica's planners (and upcoming events) on her website or follow her on the  Green & Lyme Facebook page.

Keely (known for her handmade dolls on and handmade travelers notebooks on Etsy) decided to blanket stitch her leather travelers notebook instead of using the traditional stitch.  Her book has a green sheen to it but for some reason my camera did not really pick it up.  There is a better picture of it on her instagram at @oddgirljournals.

Another class member made one out of suede that looks stunning. If I can find out who made this one, I will list her instagram later.

Some people embossed their leather travelers notebooks. Some just painted the leather with alcohol inks.  Some beaded their travelers notebook and some did not.  However,  all of them came out beautiful and each reflected the vision of the person who made it.  You can see more examples of the various travelers notebooks that we all created on Instagram at the @plannerfriendsevents pages.


Personally, I found that this beading process took a long time for me to finish beading my field note sized travelers notebook. In the end,  it was well worth the effort.  I know have extreme respect for those vendors who make these type of travelers journals.  I also will not feel guilty to pay a little more for them to personalize my books for me.  If you want to learn to make your own travelers notebook or learn some leather techniques, I recommend taking a class.  Tammy Santana's beaded travelers notebook class was so easy and fun to do.  It was also a fun social occasion where I got to meet some really talented ladies.   I know that I can not wait to see what Tammy will be teaching at her next class.  You can find her on Facebook and/or her blog.  For those of us who do not have enough free time to make up our own removable spine, we are trying to convince Tammy to sell a few on Instagram.  I will let you know if she decides to make a few to sell.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. I paid for my class with my own funds.