I was asked this question recently, and since my answer was so long, I thought it might make a good article for everyone.
The difference between a scrapbook crop and a scrapbook workshop, is simple, yet many struggle to understand the difference. I thought I’d take some time to discuss this concept, especially for those new to scrapbooking or those that are curious about scrapbooking but feel like they are missing out because all the lingo is hard.
A Scrapbooking Crop
Typically, if you are invited to a scrapbooking crop, you can expect to find several scrapbookers sitting around, creating layouts with supplies they have more than likely brought from home, usually snacks are provided and a lot of talking and oohing and aahing goes on.
Crops can take place anywhere, and usually go on for several hours. Some stores have midnight crops or all-nighter crops where you can crop all night if you want.
There are dozens of other things that are specific to crops, but those are the basics. You bring your own supplies, you work on whatever you want, you get done as much or as little as you want and you get to hang out with cool people. (usually)
A Scrapbooking Workshop
A workshop is a bit different. Usually a workshop involves the teaching of something the same way a class would. The difference I’ve found between a workshop and a class is that typically a workshop is longer. This is not always the case, but I have found it to be more often than not.
At a workshop, you are usually given enough supplies to create a project. A project can include things like layouts, cards, an altered item or other scrapbooking related paper craft. Sometimes an entire album is completed at a workshop while other times its just a page or two. At the end of the teaching portion of the workshop, you are usually given a bit of extra time to scrapbook. Either you can finish the layout you started, or you can work on your own projects that you might have brought with you from home.
This differs from a scrapbook class in that a scrapbook class is usually shorter allowing only for the completion of the task or project provided and you go home directly after.
While these are only general answers for the differences, it seems to be the norm. Nothing is set in stone with scrapbooking so while one might hold a four hour workshop, yet call it a class or hold a one hour class and call it a workshop, it is truly dependent on the person that provides the class or workshop.
More on classes, workshops and crops coming soon to the scrapbooking blog.
In the meantime, I’d love to know where you scrapbook? Do you enjoy classes/workshops better or would you rather have the freedom of a crop?