Becoming a mother at 46 and the adventure of having a baby unicorn!

Friday, April 06, 2012

My two AWESOME clubs in So Cal.


I have been leading 2 groups of women for a few years now. Well, one group has been going for about 7 years or something like that and we just have a ball!

I think I always forget to talk about it because I have been doing them for so long and they are just a part of my life.  But being a part of my life, I want to make sure that I get it on my blog more often!

The first group is called Outside the Book Club. Its held 6:30-8:30 pm the first Thursday of the month at Gee Gee's Stamps n Stuff in Carlsbad, California.  This club started at Pink Pineapple Scrapbooks after I came back from Taiwan the 2nd time.  I think that was 2005 or something like that.  I seriously am the worst with dates!  When Pink Pineapple closed we were gypsies for a little while looking for a place to settle and then we landed nicely at Gee Gees and its been wonderful! Gayle is an awesome artist and proprietor and she welcomed us warmly.



The second club is Cool Scrapbook Club and is held 6:30-8:30 pm on the third Weds of the month at Cool Scrapbook Stuff in Poway, California.  Don't let the name fool you. This is also a mixed media group. I had originally planned on this being geared more towards Scrapbooking but I guess with me being more of a mixed media artist, the group kind of ended up evolving that way.  And it has worked out amazing.

We have a make and take each time.   I try to come up with interesting techniques and sometimes the members offer to do a make and take which I love!
teaching the girls how to make tshirt yarn.

the leftovers from making tshirt yarn.  helllloooo 80s!
Of course I have so much time on my hands NOT! , so my dear friend Kat took over the admin side of book club for me so that I could keep doing this while trying to grown Charity Wings to the point that it can sustain itself as well as hire employees.  Having Kat's help has made a huge huge difference. She agreed to do all the communications for me, and the blog and over the months has taken on organizing different parties etc.  It has made a world of difference for me and Kat loves it and the girls love and appreciate her.  Such a win-win situation.

We have at least one guest each cycle. Either the author of the book, or another industry leader.  Here are some of the awesome guests we have had recently:
Christen Olivarez and Jana Holstein


The amazing Jenny Doh.
Jen Cushman and Liz Hicks
Lisa Fulmer and Andrea Currie
Tracy Weinzapfel


We do have room for new members. The first club is pretty full but 1 or 2 more would be ok. and the second club has room to grow.  You can see the fun we have on the blog that Kat updates for us after each meeting.

If you want to make new friends, do art, expand your creativity and be inspired, join us!

2 comments:

huntla1 said...

I want to join... Especially in January... Maybe I could move in with you in December, go to the soiree, have Christmas with your family (are they opposed to amazons at their dinner table?), then I could do book club(s), then go to CHA, and heck book club is right around the corner again so I'll stay til February. Does that work for you? You said you wanted to spend quality time with me...

Elena Lai Etcheverry said...

Oh yes, we love amazons especially ones with awesome husbands who fit right in :) I hope you dont mind hot pot for christmas dinner and I like to whoop it up on new years so you have to stay up late and have lots of champagne with me and then I will probably work you to the bone getting ready for CHA and then you of course can have your book club reward :) Love you Laurie!