Carrollton, Texas – May 2, 2017 - Craft event organizer, Crafty Neighbor, announced last month that it will be adding five new crafting cruise dates to its schedule, including one themed around painting workshops. The addition of the new cruises, the first of which sails on September 18, 2017, expands the company’s schedule into 2019, and highlights the growth of the brand’s popular scrapbooking and craft cruises.
Cindy Murray, Event Organizer and Co-Founder of Crafty Neighbor stated, “We are excited that the interest in our scrapbooking cruises keeps growing, and with the popularity of cruising at an all-time high, we felt it was in our best interest to plan further in advance than previous years.” The advance planning has allowed the organizers to secure meeting space onboard the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas, which is in such demand that it is often booked up more than a year in advance. “Every year, it is harder and harder to get space on the ships, so setting these future cruise dates now ensures that we have space for our scrapbooking and crafting activities.”
The two cruises on Royal Caribbean will be the company’s fourth and fifth on the popular cruise line, and represent the premier crafting experience offered by the organizer. “We like to spoil our participants,” says Murray. “We want them to feel like they got more than their money’s worth when they cruise with us.” This will be especially true of Crafty Neighbor’s 2019 cruise, which falls on the week leading up to National Scrapbook Day in May. “We have plans for even more giveaways and fun activities. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience!” Two other cruises, which will sail on Carnival cruise ships, will be shorter, “LITE” versions of the scrapbooking cruise, with a less structured schedule of activities and fewer included amenities than the longer cruises. Murray claims it is the “perfect solution for first-time cruisers and those on a tighter budget.” These shorter cruises also more closely reflect the format of our earlier scrapbooking cruises.
The latest addition to the Crafty Neighbor repertoire, and one that Murray is very excited about, is a twist on a popular wine and painting party concept. Called “Brush Strokes in the Bahamas”, this 7-Night cruise on the Carnival Breeze next February will feature painting lessons taught by Fort Worth-based Shelley Cox, the owner of Sassafras Arts and Crafts Studio. “Shelley taught for us on two cruises in the past year, and with her background in commercial art, we thought that adding a painting cruise made perfect sense.” Cox will be assisted by Murray and Linda Watkins, formerly of Albany, New York. The trio is looking forward to bringing this new concept to Crafty Neighbor’s clients and plan to host more painting cruises in the future if this one is successful.
All inquires regarding crafting cruises, partnerships, and sponsorship opportunities can be emailed to cruise@craftyneighbor.com. For a list of dates and complete details on Crafty Neighbor cruises and other events, visit www.craftyneighbor.com.
About Crafty Neighbor
Founded in 2003, Crafty Neighbor is a crafting event organizer in Carrollton, Texas, committed to bringing people together to support and promote the arts and endeavors of crafters in our local communities. By organizing creative and fun opportunities to meet new friends, scrapbook at different venues, and learn new techniques, Crafty Neighbor encourages others to explore their creative potential and to harness the talents and qualities that make each of us unique.
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Notes to Editors:
Cindy Murray is a native of Lubbock, Texas having moved to the Dallas area in 1997. She and her husband, Mark Murray, still have many friends and family there.
Shelley Cox is a native of Detroit, Michigan and has lived in Anaheim, California and Nashville, Tennessee. She currently resides in Watauga, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth.
Linda Watkins in a native of Albany, New York, and moved to the Dallas area a year ago.
Crafty Neighbor was founded in 2003 by neighbors, Cindy Murray and Stephanie McIntosh. Pam Wilemon of The Scrapbook Barn organized the first two cruises beginning in 2006 before partnering with Crafty Neighbor to organize cruises under that name. In 2011, Murray and Wilemon created Crafty Neighbor Travel, a full-service travel agency, to handle the travel logistics of the craft cruises. |
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