I was Inspired

I participated in Donna Downey's event in Concord, NC last weekend - with some of my peeps... And even though it was the second event in 2 weeks, I thoroughly enjoyed it with my creative flame ignited. The event set up really worked for me - the hotel was luxurious without being expensive - just the right mix. I loved having 3 hours for each class (and somehow we didn't finish the painting class). The on site store was downright addicting and I knew well enough to get into Jenni Bowlin's booth first thing. She offers the best vintage goodies and AT A FAIR PRICE, which I just love. It is so nice and refreshing - its like she shares her stuff with you, with a little money involved. The other booth, Random Arts had very eclectic artsy things for sale - most I didn't understand but I knew a few good things when I saw them - blue bird ribbon and copper plates. Of course the fabric store was inviting and the trim/button store had some lovely goodness that I selected - a vintage yellow puppy dog ribbon. I haven't unpacked much nor downloaded my photos so I'm either going to have to steal from someone's gallery or you'll have to wait. Better wait.

I have to say I was put on fire with Susan Edmonson's sewing class. First of all, kudos to Donna for having a nice large room, and plenty of sewing machines, that all worked and a great TA who kept them threaded and fixed for us. It was a joy and a pleasure - I've been to events where the electrical issues weren't thought out so this was great appreciated. And the fabric journal that we made just makes my heart sing... after all its sewing - machine stitching and since Silver Bella anything sewing really is making my creative heart dance! We even skipped the next class so that we could go to the fabric store, Sew Much Fun and get more moda goodness. I selected pastel fabrics and sewed 3 "pages", that still need buttons and writing etc., but they're sewed! It really was soooo much fun - just like scrapbooking but with fabric. Its a whole new world! I've also been grappling a bit with my creativity lately because it seems I only create when I have an end in mind - I want to make a gift for someone - and this was more about just putting pretty fabrics together, er - creating. Its not perfect, its my first time out but I just kept going. It felt so good and light and happy. I want to do more of it. I will do more of it. I learned how to thread the machine by putting my two index fingers together and putting the thread through the needle and it works! Okay, I'll cut the exclamation points - are they getting annoying? I just can't say enough, how much I loved this class and want to incorporate it into my creativity.

My favorite workshop (I did 4) was right as I stepped off the plane, with a Stampin Up demonstrator, Anna Marie Still. She put together a bracketed mini book made from a Big Shot and already embossed with gorgeous sparkly SU embossing powder. It was pretty and delicate and made me want to buy the stuff - good marketing tool. We watercolored with crayons (SU of course) and a water pen. Lots of fun play time with different technics, small project which was just right for an hour workshop. And I loved the pink version (there were three colors to choose from - green, blue, pink). Look down a couple entries on her blog and she shows them being kitted. I promise to photo mine this weekend. Promise. I have to say I was really taken back by her because she seemed such a confusing combination of a person and I mean this in a good way. She has lots of tattooes, but she's an SU demonstrator, she had a baby strapped to the front of her and yet she was dressed young and hip and so-not-mom like... It just makes me laugh at me for thinking old and trying to pigeon hole someone into one category. People can surprise you and I enjoyed her individuality.

Right now I have a little girl that needs to go to the beauty shop (Grace) and a job that's calling my name. I'll talk more about Inspired this week. Especially the heavenly goodness like Carol Wingert's journal, which I can definitely make over and over again.

FKS SSL Project Pics

Was that whiney enough for you? Sorry about that - it sure did feel good to sleep in my own bed. Late this afternoon we had a HUGE thunderstorm that knocked out electricity for a couple of hours. After IKE, I bought a large lantern that sure came in handy tonight. A little after eight, we were back on and I could start the unpacking process. Because I'm lazy, I'm stealing a couple of photos from other people to show some of the projects from this weekend. I loved the size and style of Cheryl Mezzetti's beautiful project - the colors from CI's Narratives line really resonated with me, along with a few fun techniques that she added. I knew nothing about her before the class, but with her BAWston accent and funny stories, it was a great class to close out the event. Loved the attention to detail.

I wish I had a photo available of the Clear Scraps Scrap St. Louis project that we made. It really is terrific - I loved making it and I love that it is so unique! Last year we made a cute Mickey Mouse album and this year was just as spectacular. I still haven't unpacked all of my goodies and my project was pretty close to finish. I'll take photos soon (don't you hate when people promise that kind of stuff - kind of like - let's do lunch).

Anyhoo, using Ten Seconds Studio metal, we made a very cool tag with Linda Cain. She was just delightful and so relaxed and easy to be around. I would definitely take another class from her. And like I suspected - I loved working with the metal.

Wendy Vecchi's project was cool - fun to play with grungepaper. I'm just a wee bit of a freak about getting all that ink on my fingers... I know - lame but thats just me. I liked the design of the project but I just wasn't firing on all cylinders for that class.

Okay, I was a total dweeb today. I saw this project on Layle Koncar's blog and went to Pier One at lunch and bought a bird stand. Also picked up a beautiful blue bird plate... not sure if I'll keep it on my desk at work or in my scrap room. I really wanted one of these beautiful pillows (it has embroidery on it), but I drew the line quickly. They had some very cute white patio furniture ...

Oh and one of the St. Louis ladies, Ann Caryl used a Mighty Bright light during class - spiffy and we all oooohhhed and aaaaahhhed over it. Think I just might need one myself. It uses LED bulbs and she says she's had it forever and never replaced one!

That's all I'm saying. Good night.

Home Again Home Again

I'm dog tired and back from Scrap St. Louis. When I get back home I am so exhausted... I had a great time, hanging with Tanya and seeing all the Chicago girls(Jeanne, Cathy, Nan, Melissa and Kathleen and Finn), the local SL girls (Barb, Kathy, Julianne, & Kathy W) having a good time at Rock, Paper Scissors and dinner in St. Charles... and of course, all the classes at SSL. It is such an good easy time being there - the classes were fun and I got to try some metal work and some grunge paper flowers ... Lots of favorites: the St. Louis Clear Scraps album we made (way cool), Cheryl Mezzetti (who was a hoot) plus her project was all Karen Russell design - just gorgeous, the metal work we did with Linda Cain (who was just the nicest) and I fell in love with the spring line that Margie A's used in her project. It was all good and I'm just tired... What was so beautiful about St. Louis in spring was all the red bud and dogwood trees blooming. Just gorgeous. Tanya and I had a chance to walk through Missouri Botanical Gardens (my second year) and the tulips were phenomenal... Just lovely. Sorry I can't add much more - I'm just beat. I'll exit stage left through the tulips..

How Could I?

forget... On Sunday I tried herding some squirrels, er puppy dogs and out of 200 photos got a couple of good ones... I would love to post some of the out takes because now I sympathize with all the moms when they're trying to get their kids to stand still, look at the camera, for a picture. Jeez Louise, these dogs were just as bad. They really aren't keen on me whipping out the camera. Look, even my angel, Killer boy is misbehaving! (click on the smaller picture and you can see the devil coming out) Can you believe! Anyway, it was fun to once again try to capture them all together on film. I had such a difficult time getting all three in focus, so I'm really looking forward to getting into Karen Russell's online photography class in June so I can fix it! Just fix it. I did take my Canon to a retirement party for our company president, which was hard to give up my easy point and shoot Canon for the manual mac-daddy. But its the only way you'll learn. So hard to give up that comfort zone.

And I am so happy to say that in November, I will be attending Silver Bella again. Absolutely thrilled. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it until several months later but besides being a fantastic event (well organized, good people - like Scrap St Louis which is next week!), I thrive on those types of projects now. I didn't say I've been doing the stitching and glittering, but I love looking at them... Another great way to get out of your comfort zone and stretch... I will get there! I'm taking two Rebecca Sower classes, one Charlotte Lyons, one Pam Garrison and one Corba. It's too early to go look them up and I'm going to be late for work... Enjoy your weekend!

I {heart} Anthro

Been doing some fun things lately. Created this for my hubby - an accordian album for his desk at work - b/w pics of his father, who died 30 years ago. I made this simple and sweet - I didn't want to over do it - confuse the focus. When we did the Donna Downey project in Vancouver in 07 of b/w photos on bazzill 3 x 5 cards - it crystalized in my mind the need to get old photos out into view... and I've made several versions as gifts.

Last night the downtown Central Library had a workshop about memoir writing, given by an author, Thomas Larson who wrote a book called Memoirs and the Memoirist. It was a fascinating talk and we spent about 45 minutes writing also. He explained that an autobiography is (drawing hands out like an accordian) is about a lifetime whereas a memoir can be like a vertical cylinder - about a specific person, passion or life event. It was thought-provoking, different group of people and a great way to spend an evening. Thanks HPL! I'm kicking myself for not buying his book. He hails from San Diego - not sure why he came to Texas, but glad he did.

Lunch today involved some inspiration, thanks to our favorite, Anthropologie. I mean - what a great store. The creativity just flows like a river when I enter the store. I realized today in the middle of it are several large box skylights - no wonder it is flooded with light and feels so nice. Okay, tell me this cabinet is not the yummiest?? A large concept library card catalog - too cool. I'm not thrilled with the rolled book "collage" but it is an interesting concept. The drawings are very mid century modern, (another way of saying 50s) - v. interesting. I picked up several cute things, but I can't show them to you because some of them might, just might be gifts for friends that I will see next week in St. Louis. St. Louis, rah! I can't wait... to see all those Chi town girls plus the STL girls - it will be just too much fun. In 6 wake ups, as they say on the Yahoo board.

And have you seen Tim Holtz's projects posted on his blog today? I am in love with the second project, Transparent Illusions. I'm pretty sure it is an IKEA mirror. It fits me to a T - I am dying to make one. How much fun to spend the day learning all those technics. Will he do something similar at CE? Who knows! I am so on the fence about taking his class at Ten Seconds Studio in June... I would just love to do it (bonus is hanging with Cheryl!) but first I have to make it through May, which is going to be brutal. Not for me, but the hubs, who isn't thrilled when I travel.

Texas Shopping

I have seven minutes before I have to get ready for work. It was a gorgeous Texas weekend full of all good things but best of all, Texas Junk. And once you've had junk, you don't want anything else. I learned that this weekend. We made it to Warrenton on Friday and parked at the first entry way in. Silly us, we didn't realize it went on for MILES and MILES. We shopped and got SO MUCH COOL STUFF. This was a favorite find - this little pink elephant that I got at Uncommon Objects in Austin. I got to spend as long as I wanted there and it was fantastic. I didn't realize it is many different owners - the display is fantastic. Every nook is done so well. Okay, but back to W... We parked and our first booth was a tin man with gorgeous tins from a church in Comanche with fleur de lis. How lucky is that, oh and at $2 each. I will use it as a cover plate for a 6 x 6 book! What should I do with the other 9? These pillow cases are perfect, purple and cross stitched with Mr. and Mrs. We also hit a resale shop in Austin and I found a mirror for my printers blocks - for $6.50 and two boxes of envelopes (80 lb) for $1 each. I want to try this trick with them... Well, I can't find the tutorial on SCS but you slice off the top and use it as a gift card holder... I'm 8 minutes after 7 so I have to run. I still have LOTS to show and we're going back for the day next weekend. On our way back from Fredericksburg, we stopped in again from Round Top this time and laughed at how much there was... This is living!

I is Important

I smile when I ride the two elevators at work with our sales guys. With each trip down they whip out their Blackberry, scrolling, reading emails, Oh so important. And I smile because I’m getting the same emails. They’re going to clean the carpet on Thursday night. Or pest control is coming on Wednesday. C’mon. Please. You’re not that important. Now when my husband is looking at his iphone while we're out or at a meal, he'll quietly say, Thursday. They're cleaning the carpet on Thursday.

I learned the Important lesson in 1984 when I was a pup, working a frenetic pace, (before Blackberrys) working late and weekends and thinking what I was doing was Oh so important. Please. It's insurance. It's not that important. I got sick and missed several weeks from work and that lesson got propped up right in my face, so I would get it. If you’re working in corporate America today, you are not that important. They will step over you if you think you need to lay down your life for the job.

I started going to scrapbook events around the country in 2006 and it has moved to a frenetic pace lately. I’ve added vintage and glitter and sewing to the party with events like Silver Bella. And I learned that I love it and its introduced me to a whole different group of gals, who are like me. Who get it. And I love seeing their art.

In the past week I’ve been inundated with some really mind-boggling messages – probably, because I read too many blogs. ha. But I am flabbergasted at how the cost for these events have gone through the proverbial roof. It is unfrigging-believable. I’ve attended Creative Escape for all 3 years and I hope to make it a fourth. They increased their price to $749 for a 3 day event. Locally for NSD, Heidi Swapp is teaching 2 days for $200, Junkie is having a two day event without a teacher for $100. In the vintage word, I found a whole schedule of weekend classes in 2009 for $500 or $750 – that’s a weekend with one teacher. Yes, they are AMAZING artists but damn. That’s a lot of smackeroos. I think there are some people that are confused about their importance.

I’m just shaking my head right now because I am one of the fortunate ones. Both my husband and I have great six figure jobs. And for the most part our chickies are out of the nest and on their own. Its all about us right now and if he wants to add to his gun collection, he does. If I want to attend an out of state workshop, I do. We’re one of the lucky ones... I just wonder though about all those gals trying to raise families or living on a tight budget. I just want to ask myself - who ARE these people that are paying these prices? Is it just another rung up the ladder, another tier up of society. But I also think that at some point, its will hit the wall, stop and come crashing down. It can’t sustain this frenetic pace. It will be burnout and then we’ll come back to a softer side of sharing art. For fun. For the art that we love. And those character figures with dollar sign eyes will disappear.

I look at it like the box stores. For a while its all about big stores and bagging your own stuff and pretty soon people will get tired of the vastness and then it will be all about ”personal service” and smaller stores and enjoying the experience. I get it - it’s a cycle. What comes around goes around. (okay, that's not the right metaphor but it sort of applies). Right now I’m just watching it swirl into its frenzy. While I wait to go to Scrap St. Louis and Inspired. And for the CE lottery ticket and the Silver Bella sign up to be announced. I still WANT to go but part of me is just shaking my head and saying, Wait. Slow down. Don't burn out. Enough is enough already.