OTR: WINNING

You cannot understand the pressure Crafty Girl and I feel coming to the scrapbooking retreat each year.  Yes, it is supposed to be relaxing fun.  But something happened by year two that added a layer of stress to the whole experience...a winning streak.

We have won prizes in the photo layout contest every year.  This is the fourth year we've been coming.  There is a contest Friday and Saturday nights.  Once you start a streak...well, you don't want to break it.  Admittedly, we haven't even touched the prizes that we won in years past.  But, the pride of winning really just gives us a major creative boost.  We have literally made moving wheels on our pages, added sound, and this year lights are a possibility.  We spend half a day working on a single layout.  Sometimes it is a page we don't even really need for our books, but we know it is just a great idea.  We can't help ourselves.  We are sick with the scrapbooking fever.

Aided by a fruity cocktail...Crafty Cat was very relieved to continue the streak Friday night.  My layout of a beautiful garden in China took first place.  I'm a bit mortified about one thing.  I have been working on my China book for the past 3 1/2 years.  You all know how much work we put into scrapbooks for other people.  This is the only album I've ever made for myself and I rarely have time to work on it.  So, I bring it to the retreat each year and get a couple of layouts done.  I'm sure these judges think I have some sort of weird obsession with China.  But, these layout have handed me 1st place wins for 3 years.  First, the Great Wall, then a handmade rickshaw, and finally...the garden tribute this year.  I'm not past working on it next year with those results.  More to come.