It's Stampaway Time Again!

It's that time again...packing kits and supplies for my teaching gig in Cincinnati.  Ooh, this is just the most exciting trip of my year, every year.  Seeing old friends, making new ones, pigging out at least once with the gang or even a few friends, eating peanut butter crackers the rest of the time because there's no break for a real meal.

I don't even need to tell you that some drinking was involved in the evening because the evidence is right there on the table, but we were having fun before the drinks arrived.  That's Lori on the left, Gail in the middle and Sharon on the right.  Sharon and I are flying out Wednesday morning and can't wait for the festivities to begin.

You can always tell who your friends are when it's crunch time and they volunteer to help.  Yesterday Sharon came over so we could make our journals for the convention.  Instead she spent hours cutting out images for my Jump Start Journal class, helping me prepare kits, and even playing guinea pig on a couple of techniques with brand new stamp images I bought in Winston Salem last weekend at the convention.  What a trooper!

HRH, if you're reading this post, will you please email me?  I can't find your email address anywhere and I've been trying to reach you.

Bodacious Barbara...can't wait to see your smiling face too!  I could really use another of those long chats like we had a couple of years ago that went late into the night.

My buddy Lori won't be there, and for that I'm beyond sad, just like last year.  Sorta lets the air right outta my little balloon.  (sigh)  But I went back through all my photos taken over the last 19 years at Stampaway and found lots of fabulous photos to add to my journal pages.  Taking you with me Girlie!!!

Come back to see some of my journal pages tomorrow, won't you?

Busy creating art

When you feel the need to be creative do you have a plan?  Do you know where you want to start because you visualize the finished project?  Or do you pull out oodles of supplies and wait for them to inspire you?

I need to be creative this week.  And I have tons of things I need to be making.  So there's been a train wreck of sorts in my head as well as my studio.  I want to make a Stampaway Journal as I've done quite a few times over the last 20 years.  But this is the 20th anniversary, which calls for something truly fabulous, don't you know?

And I also want to make a Jump Start Journal for the 9 year old neighbor who lovingly watered all my plants for the 2 weeks I was away in FL.  And since it will be her first, I want her to be inspired for weeks and months to come.  And that my dear, is the trickiest part of all.  To inspire without intimidating.  Quite the task I've undertaken.
Are you being creative as well?

Fun in Florida

I'm back.  Tropical storm Debby left water standing in yards, ditches, and all along my way, but I drove through sunshine down and back, with only one day of rain in the entire 2 weeks.  Not too bad.

We had a bit of fun in the acrylic album class.  A couple of issues cutting the paper correctly for the chipboard pages, but no alcohol ink issues, thank goodness.

We sprayed flowers with Dylusions sprays, used Ranger's dabbers to stamp on acrylic birds, and applied alcohol ink on acrylic butterflies & dragonflies.  We complained about the heat but no one fainted, so I'd say it was a 2 thumbs up class.

The most fun was the techniques class and I can prove it because I didn't take a single photo.  Which means I was having fun like everyone else.

In the specimen box collage class we were busy from beginning to end.  

Now you know how much I love a creative bunch of women, and this class had a few standouts.

From chaotic color to understated elegance, my gals rocked.

While some went for lots of color and contrast, others went for simpler palettes.  And some had to have a bit of both.  The paper pens & pearl pens were a big hit.  Check out the dimensional dots of yellow on the eaves of the house below.

And here's an example of someone who's not afraid of color.  My kind of gal!

But there was one spectacular surprise in this class.  When I think of all the years I've been teaching my specimen box collages, I'd never thought to stamp the outer box and neither had anyone else.  Until Stampfest 2012.  Just check this out.

Now that's what I call the cat's pajamas.  Kudos!  Oh how I just love a good surprise.

If you missed out on all the fun this year, be sure to plan for 2013.  I know I'll be counting down the days.