Crafty Catch-Up – July 2017

After stepping out of my comfort zone for the first Crafty Catch Up in February 2017, it was  a given that I was going to rugby tackle anyone I needed to for a ticket for the July 2017 catch up.

Taking a beautifully scenic journey through the Kent countryside, I arrived in Lydd and entered a room full of smiles and happiness. Rachel and Emily (the organisers) had done a fantastic job in setting up stalls and tables for the attendees.

I had the pleasure of being on Table 1 with a brilliant bunch of planner girls – Charlotte, Lynsey, Joey, Anna & Stephanie. Balloons, gold foiling, bunting, the most adorable cake & sweet stand and a safe place to plan, craft & create….what could be better?

It was so wonderful to be able to browse some planner shops – when the whole of the Planner world is online, its great to be able to see products in real life…..although this did mean that there were some indulgent purchases.

A new addition to the day was a set of craft classes which added a great dynamic. We had a TN insert class and TN pocket folder class by CraftyAliCat, hand lettering by SoJoey and a memory keeping book class by BitsOfStationery. It was also wonderful to just sit with my fellow planner girls and plan our week and have a giggle (there were plenty of those).

The goody bags were handed out by Rachel and the room was filled by ooohs and aahs of excitement, apart from me, who in my unique style, chose to wait until 2 days later…..the contents are incredible – I loved everything!

The raffle was disappointing…..but only because I didn’t win the Love From Poppy TN and it was very clear that the winner (LauraLizzy) was very VERY excited about it!! I did win something even with my impeccable timing for sharing my frustration that my name had yet to be called out.

What I have come to realise is that planner friends do truly make the best type of friends – their acceptance of your enjoyment in anything creative is so heartwarming and they have an ability to make you smile by the smallest of gestures.

The day came to an end all too quickly but that was certainly made easier with the announcement for the next catch up at the end of the year.

So, I’ll be seeing you all on 2nd December…..hopefully…..

Check out my Instagram for all the pics – @pineapplebuttonco

x PB x

Why I love multiple planners!

When I first entered the world of planning, I found it hard to understand how it was possible to use more than 1 planner at a time. How could it be that you invest in a beautiful leather ring bound planner and then justify the need to add to that collection? Why would you not worship every part of that planner and that planner alone?

Oh, how naive this slightly younger version of myself was….almost 3 years on into my love (and mild addiction) into all things Planner related, I use 4 planners on a daily basis! Yep, F O U R. And I use them all with equal determination and purpose.

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So, let’s start with my Kate Spade ballerina pink zipped personal size. A purchase from the US, this beauty is where I store lists, lists and more lists….what books I want to read, ideas for Christmas and birthday presents (for myself obviously!), holiday planning, packing lists, shopping lists and anything else that I think should be or look like a list. With decorative pockets and a couple of creative dashboards made by moi, it’s what makes me smile every day.

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Next is my bubblegum pink Kikki K in A5. A pre loved purchase but in perfect condition. This was the first planner setup I saw on YouTube whilst watching Paper & Glam and I loved it ever since. I use this predominantly as a notebook for work so it has minimal decoration on the pockets and no fancy dividers or dashboard. I keep a Prima Planner pencil case and wipe clean notes page at the front, perfect for on the go. I also use the My Pretty Week tuck tabs to section off the different parts of the planner – so useful and adaptable! By using a planner as a notebook, it also means I can transfer into other planners should the desire take me.

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A planner collection would not be complete without an Erin Condren. I will do a full review on the new planner soon but I essentially use this as my everyday to do list and reminders. It also gives me an excuse to use pretty stickers!!

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Finally, my bargain of the year…Ban.do floral planner which I use to plan my blogs. This has minimal decoration as I don’t use it every day but I pimp it up by creating fun notes pages using my selection of post it notes.

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I think I have finally found Planner Peace. How long it lasts, I’m not sure. Particularly as I am eyeing up a Foxy Fix TN currently…..

How many planners do you use everyday? What planner item can’t you live without?

#Back2School4GrownUps – Haul Time!

I have been building up quite the small collection of recently purchased items, both planning and stationery related and both online and in-store.

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So, first up – I have been to TKMaxx (surprise, surprise!) and found this gorgeous pad of craft paper. The colours are perfect moving into Autmn/Winter and will certainly be put to good use. A bargain too at £7.99.

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As you will remember from my #Blogspiration post a week or so ago, I mentioned my admiration and slight obsession with The Reset Girl. When she announced that she had changed her store format to ready to ship, I knew I had to purchase something. To make the shipping (and customs!!) worthwhile, I bought a stack of stickers from her in her iconic patterns and colours. Along with some text stickers, I also purchased Craft Market and Simple Stories brand too as they were actually more reasonably priced in dollars compared to sterling. I love how Cori included some misfit stickers (which I can’t actually tell what is wrong with them) and a sweet little note! Highly recommend a visit!

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So, Tesco have upped their stationery game and have this gorgeous collection of rose gold/pink metallic notebooks and pencil cases. I also spotted these 4 tabbed notebooks which I thought would be perfect inside a large Midori. Finally, this adorable peach and cream lace ribbon would go perfectly with the peach Kikki K – would make great page markers!

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20150903_063936357_iOSI recently spotted on Instagram these adorable stamps perfect for bloggers! From Neat & Tangled you place these stamps on an acrylic block and stamp away! They have been so useful when planning my blog posts and photos. I also use the To Do and Top 3 in my Erin Condren as they fit perfectly in the vertical boxes! Shipped from the US very quickly and no customs!

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20150903_064127544_iOSI made another purchase from Craftie Charlie – I love this UK based online store – they have such a wide collection, my wish list is forever growing! I spotted these absolutely amazing autumn/fall themed stickers and craft paper. Autumn is by far my favourite season – my birthday month is September, I love the going back to school feeling and the weather always seems to be beautiful. I can’t wait to decorate my planners with these beauties!

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I am part of a number of groups on Facebook – Planner Dreams UK, Planner Dreams Sales UK, Paper and Glam Planning etc – I find these a great source for inspiration as well as networking with like-minded planner obsessed individuals. I recently purchased some items from Planner Dreams Sales UK. A great bunch of ladies who always seem to be having a de-stash and at very reasonable prices. These two notebooks, including postage, were less than £5 – will certainly be put to good use for my Autumn set ups. I also have some stickers on the way which I am very excited about. I highly recommend you join Facebook groups!

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Finally, I found a rather significant bargain in Paperchase! Paperchase now have a loyalty card which gives you money off depending on your spending habits! Well, as you can imagine, I have made my fair share of purchases over recent months giving me £5 off my next spend. I spotted this beautiful patent navy planner. I think it is equivalent to a Filofax personal size. Reduced from £16 to £8, I used my £5 off so…..£3 in total!!

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It is a perfect Autumn colour and I will be using my recent supplies to make this my #ListersGottaList journal. So, make sure you sign up to the loyalty scheme, highly recommended.

x PB x

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