Event Calendar Oh Eleven

Long time, no speak.  My bad.  I'm getting my ass kicked acclimated at work and no energy at night.  But its the first of the year and I promised an overview of craft-e events so I'm going to deliver.  Even though there is packing for Las Brisas to do and a project laid out on my desk that is WAY over due.  Because I love you guys so much...

Okay, so I'll give a rundown of (some of) the events that I know are happening in 2011 and I'll try to refrain from whining about events that aren't going to happen in 2011.  

Inspired with Donna Downey in Concord, NC.  I absolutely LURVE this event, because you can play and try (six) new art forms.  Simple as that.  Yes, it has its faults and I'm not always happy about certain things but overall, its an event that inspires me (no pun intended) to play and create.  And there's nothing better than that.  I am super thrilled that Suzi Blu will be teaching, I've "knew" her before she was famous and so excited to see what she offers.  She teaches in the same theme as Donna - just play and "its perfect just the way you create".  I went to an event in March 2007 in Vancouver that had 3 teachers - Donna, Ali Edwards and Claudine Hellmuth and remember Donna saying that over and over.  That mindset is so freeing and inspiring.  I fell in love with Susan Edmonton 2 years ago when she made a fabric scrapbook.  Last year Sandy and I had such a blast at the French Bakery, Amelie and well, the whole weekend.  Hopefully she still wants to room this year.  The shopping is pretty damn good at the event too!  I do miss Jeanne and the gang though.

I do know that Mary Engelbreit (St. Louis) loved doing her Home Companion Workshop in 2010 but its a big commitment and has said she might do a smaller, intimate one day events during this year.  Nothing announced yet.

Creative Escape is happening for the last year.  It's in Phoenix and I attended the first four events and met some of the best people on this planet earth at that event.  The teachers this year are enticing - Ali Edwards, Vicki Boutin and Heidi Swapp always inspires me.  And shopping is Phoenix is the best, next to NYC.  I would go just for Mystic Paper, not to mention SAS and Creative Quest.  Honestly, I love MP.  The more I talk about it, I think I want to sign up! 

Creative Connection (St. Paul) looked so interesting last year and I would have attended just to meet Pioneer Woman.  They've posted the 2011 dates and information - its looking to be more of a Blogher  themed event.  I will say, Jo Packham impressed the hell out of me at Silver Bella.  I could have listened to her for days and unfortunately, she was shut down way too early during her speech at that event.  And the two Dallas girls from The Gilded Life are working on the event.  They also have a weekend in June, the Art of Spring that they're hosting.  I've heard rave reviews but I'm just not a jewelry maker, which is one of the classes. 

I'll tell you what I really regret, is missing Kaari Meng's event last weekend, in Los Angeles.  The Art of Craft.  It looked exquisite.  I know I would have loved Charlotte Lyon's class - isn't that banner beautiful!  Let's hope there's another one this year.  She also has a week in France - actually, I think it is two separate weeks.  And she's done it for a couple of years now so you know it has got to be fabulous.  And she's so down to earth and kind...

One or should I say two new events this year are the Art is You event, happening on the East Coast and West Coast.   I would definitely go for Charlotte's classes and also to take a class from Dee Foust.  I think she is amazing.  She attended ME's event this year and wanted to get into teaching.  Love her Bethany Lowe works.   She'll also be teaching at Jen Hayslip's event in October in Asheville, NC.  Jen is a bella and has hosted a couple of events and I've always heard good things.  Most of the teachers attended Silver Bella. 

And speaking of Bella - well she is gone and no more.  Even though I complained about it last year, I still would have liked to have gone one more time... the classes were always fun and inspiring.  All good things have to come to an end.  Its a shame they ended badly in this case. 

There are a couple other events, but I could spend my days writing about this stuff.  Tim Holtz has an October cruise that's sold out.  Debby Schuh has classes all over the country AND in Paris and those are always inspiring.  I mean, c'mon, the girl invented the Anthro bag album!  We had an incredible time in New York in November with her shopping trip and class at Tinsel Trading.  Over the moon fantastic.  I believe she's going to offer it again this year.  You.should.go.

And the last event I know about it Art and Soul.  I really wanted to check it out last October in Portland.  Lisa Kaus is an awesome teacher and Liz Kettle looks very interesting... They've been held for several years, so it has to be a good formula.  I hope to go one day soon.

I miss the good old days when a gang of us went to events like Scrap etc. or CE and yet, at the time you don't realize how fantastic it is and how much you will miss those people later.  Scrap etc. was my first event ever, in 2006.  My mother in law moved in with us on Easter weekend and the inaugural event was the following week.  I lined up some help that week and I was off to Birmingham.  Didn't know a soul, just knew I wanted to take a class from Heidi Swapp.  So glad I started that journey...