A while back an event invite popped up on my FB notifications. Rachel (from EllieBeth Designs UK) and her team were going to be running a planner meet up in Lancashire.
The Journey to Lancashire
My brain doesn’t function too well early in the morning. But getting to and from Lancashire in one day was going to take sacrifices (of sorts!)
While I was in the bathroom, Chris got dressed then while I got dressed he got Jaxon up and organised. Jaxon was a little confused at first because he comes and wakes me/us in the monring but today we woke him.
I did typical Mum type things before leaving the house including topping up the dishwasher and loading the washing machine while Jaxon ate his toast. He got a little upset when Chris had a rice car bar for breakfast and Jaxon wasn’t allowed “treats” for breakfast but Daddy shared a little bit and that made the world all better again.
We got on the road and headed to Jade’s reaching there just before 7am. Jade and I then got on the road. Chatting about all sorts from hospital adventures to new cars.
We arrived at the venue just before 10am and fortunately there was a supermarket just across the road so we both grabbed some breakfast before heading to the venue.
When I arrived I bumped into Liselotte from theLizzuPapers (she’s also part of the EBD Design Team), I had a present for her that we’d discussed a week or so ago and she had these for me! I knew about the envelope as it was a TN insert that I had ordered. The red and white bag were some extra goodies for me.
The Morning Session…
The morning session was about bible journalling. Although I’ve had a bible for journalling for a few months now I still hadn’t really got on with it and painted in it. I think the whole “do not draw in your bible” kept coming back and part of me really couldn’t get over that.
Rachel (from EllieBeth Designs and “hostess with the mostess”) led the workshop and started with this slide from Illustrated Faith. (Clearer version here)
I love it – breaks it down simply rather than a “just do it” kind of method.
Each table had different mediums to work with and we were on the watercolours table. There were also gelatos and acrylics amongst other bits. Before using the watercolours on the bible pages it’s reccomended to use gesso first. It’s a type of white acrylic paint but it’s thinner. It’s a bit like you’d use paint primer on walls or woodwork before painting your emulsion or gloss over the top. When using it on paper it helps to stop the paper soaking up all the water from the paint. On the bible pages, the watercolours would bleed through the page.
We were also given a little bag of goodies to help prompt where to start with our journalling. (Now I’m home I really want to get on with another page but of course I don’t have gesso! Boo! Might try as get some tomorrow or Monday maybe).
I chose Zephaniah 3:17 as my bible verse to work with. It’s about God rejoicing over you with singing. One of my favourites,
I kept looking at this page. It’s definitely missing something – but what is it missing? That is the question. I used the rest of the time to get my journal out and worked on writing about the day so far. At the end of this session if was time for lunch.
The Afternoon Session…
Following lunch, Rachel spoke about using using planning as part of self care and emotional wellbeing. (The funds from the raffle later in the afternoon went to MIND which is great).
After Rachel’s talk there was time to decorate our planners, do some journalling or just chat with the people there.
After this session it was time for the Planner Stack! I can just about spot 2 of my 3 in the picture but my Erin Condren Hourly definitely merges into the pile of other Erin Condren planners!
Both the prizes I won during the day we gifted to me by other people. In the morning session, Jade had won a journalling bible but decided to give it to me which was so very lovely of her. Also means that I need to get a wiggle on because I’ve so far completed one single page in my original journaling bible and now I have a second! In the afternoon, when the raffle was drawn, Loretta got her tickets drawn three times! She gave her second one to Louise who was on our table and gave her third to Jeni who I was sat next to except Jeni had donated the prize so I was allowed to adopt it. There was lots of planner-y sharing love around our table.
It was a long day and by the time I got through the door, I was ready for my bed. I am so grateful for Rachel and the lovely EBD team putting everything together for today.
