Earlier this month, members of the Studio Calico Creative Team and staff converged on a log cabin perched in the rolling green hills of Tennessee for Camp Calico.
We drove from Kentucky and Alabama, boarded flights from France to Arizona, California to Germany. All to reconnect with friends or finally meet in person, share our love for paper crafting and Studio Calico. What I don't think any of us expected was the level of positive, effortless connection and nonstop laughter we would experience.
Campers trickled in on Day One like an episode of the Real World, meeting new roommates and checking out the hot tubs. This cabin was something else, decorated with cute banners and signs from Minted, gorgeous mountain views, a video game arcade, movie theater and indoor pool. We hung out in our pjs and slept four to a room in queen-sized bunk beds.
We drove from Kentucky and Alabama, boarded flights from France to Arizona, California to Germany. All to reconnect with friends or finally meet in person, share our love for paper crafting and Studio Calico. What I don't think any of us expected was the level of positive, effortless connection and nonstop laughter we would experience.
Campers trickled in on Day One like an episode of the Real World, meeting new roommates and checking out the hot tubs. This cabin was something else, decorated with cute banners and signs from Minted, gorgeous mountain views, a video game arcade, movie theater and indoor pool. We hung out in our pjs and slept four to a room in queen-sized bunk beds.
We were greeted with a welcome box filled with goodies: A detailed itinerary, Studio Calico t-shirt with a cool vintage camera design by Matt, a colorful tin of washi tape from Wishy Washi, treats to eat from Kentucky, and a kit custom-designed for Camp Calico by the SC designers. Included in the kit was a woodgrain Handbook, themed journaling cards, stamps, badges, acrylic shapes and wood veneers. Think nature, mountains, and Smokey The Bear. We all went crazy over it!
The week was really laid back. A majority of our time was spent talking, eating and crafting. Tables were set up with sewing machines, Cameos, tags, twine and stamping ink. American Crafts provided tools, pens, and adhesive. We had a ball discussing techniques, products and our different styles. We watched Suzy Plantamura and Steph Washburn work their magic with Copic markers. April and Amy Tan worked on their June Kit layouts. We all drooled over Kinsey Wilson's Project Life album and her insanely detailed notebook of ideas. Shanna Noel rocked the digital Camp designs.
Spa Day. On our first full day, a team of masseurs came to the cabin for massages and facials. Such a relaxing treat! There was also a self-serve nail bar and foot spa all set up to take advantage of.
Zip Lining. A big group went on a zip-lining adventure while others relaxed at the house. There were a few nervous campers going in, but they all had a blast zipping through the trees—some runs were up to 500 feet. There were wild turkey sightings too!
Gifts! Before the trip, the thoughtful Robyn Werlich proposed a gift exchange where we'd all bring something in the $20 range and draw names. It was so interesting to see how similarly our minds work. There were a lot of cute journals, unique crafting supplies and anything with anchors. Dana Fleckenstein handmade a stunning journal with patterned paper that Steph received. We may need a tutorial on that one.
The gifts didn't end there! Each night, we found presents from Studio Calico in our rooms. A canvas tote with an embroidered SC logo filled with My Mind's Eye paper pack, a handmade camera-strap cover in a chevron design from Bluebird Chic and a beautiful custom heart necklace designed by Lisa Leonard Designs. We were so spoiled.
Ticket to ride. On Friday, a group went up into the Smoky Mountains on an aerial tramway and then rode a scenic chairlift and alpine slide. The views are outstanding! However, the highlight of this outing was the drive home. We found ourselves in traffic parallel to Dolly Parton's annual Dollywood parade. Best traffic jam ever. Hilarious.
Photos. You get a group of memory keepers together, there will be a zillion photos. There was a lot of posing, a lot of Instagramming. We even made a somewhat scary side-of-the-road stop for Maggie Holmes to take some shots against a random old house. When I say random, there was a donkey and Amanda Caves got chased by a backwoods dog.
Last day. The crew ventured into Gatlinburg for lunch and outlet shopping, capped off with a round of mini golf at Hillbilly Golf. Yeehaw!
Eating. Oh yes, there was eating. April and Greg invited their talented family friend, Emily, to cater our trip. This is living folks. Every meal was carefully planned with a variety of delicious options. Every fridge was stocked with anything you'd want, fruit and snacks out at all times. She even updated a chalkboard of the menus daily. Meals included spasangne (a DIY spaghetti/lasagne), Hamburger Night, quiche breakfast. But wait—here's the thing about Emily. She makes THE most amazing cookies. There were cookies baking almost nonstop and we ate every. single. one. The final night she introduced brookies into the mix. A cookie/brownie combo. Wow! (She's starting a mail order business. Check it out here - The Cookie Farm.)
The last night ended with everyone getting dressed up for a celebratory dinner and awards ceremony. The awards were silly highlights from the trip. For example, Celine Navarro won for The Most Outfits Worn In One Day for her constant wardrobe changes. That girl is not messing around.
Saying goodbye was so bittersweet. We all flew home to our families with such memories–and you know how we love our memories here. We hope that everyone who vicariously went on this journey with us shared a few smiles and got to know the team a little bit better.
A special thank you from the team to April and Greg for arranging such a special trip and to the Studio Calico staff for ironing out every last detail to perfection.
-Catherine Davis
