Handmade U Fifth Sponsor!!!

My lovely Creative Friends.

I can not say enough about them. I am so grateful to those wanting to help with my first event. Handmade U is coming up soon, and I had another friends Wanda May Clark reach out to put together goodies for our students bags!!

Follow Wanda's life as an Army wife and mom, and treasure hunter on her blog Rat's Pajama's.

She puts many of her finds on her etsy shop. Check it out! Wanda has been is many swaps with me, she has hosted quite a few, and always adds so many extras into the packages for us.

Thanks again to Wanda for helping out for Handmade U!! Wish you could be here with us Wanda, next time!!

-Rach

Handmade U - Fourth Sponsor!!!

It is such a Brave thing to do to go to your first Art Event or two without knowing a soul. You walk into a room filled with women chattering about, looking for a friendly face and empty seat. It is a little nerve-racking, a little like the first day of school, but if I have learned one thing over the last two-three years of going to Art Retreats it is that you will ALWAYS find a friendly face among Creative Women.

Case in point - Fall 2009. Event- Spark 1. I walked in without knowing anyone. I see an empty seat with a chatty Red-Head sitting next to it, and a bubbly blond sitting next to her. I take a leap and sit next to them. Boy did I luck out! Dana Elkins - the red-head, and I shared a room at the next year's Spark 2 event, and Crystal Farish Beutler was the blond sitting at the table. She is a sweetheart, and we were at the next Spark 2 event again together.

Not only is Crystal a talented artist, loving wife and mother, but now she is a Art Event Hostess too!

R&R - San Diego 2012 Sometimes you just need a Break!

Crystal has been so kind to be a Sponsor for HANDMADE U!!! She will be sending along some gifties for our students!

Check out Crystal's fun blog, her event for next year, and her cute cute etsy shop!! Take a look at the Cherry Soda brooch that she has on her shop! SOOO cute!

Thanks Crystal for being a HANDMADE U SPONSOR!!

- Rach

Handmade U - Third Sponsor!!

Hi Everyone,

I've had the pleasure of knowing Hope Ellington for some time now. Meeting here and there at art events, and passing swaps through the mail we've gotten to know each other. Imagine my excitement that the Indy girls - Hope and our friend Stephanie were going to come to Handmade U!!

Hope is a very generous person as well! She has offered to provide our Handmade U students each with a soldered charm for Handmade U!! It will be a wonderful keepsake, and a special treat to have it handmade by one of our own students!!

Check Hope out on her Blog and say HELLO!!

THOUGHTS OF WHIMSY

Thanks Hope! Looking forward to Handmade U just about a month away!!

There are still spots left to attend classes and enjoy all the food and snacks!! Let me know if you are interested!!

- Rach

HandMade U - Another Project!

Hi All,

I am so excited that Handmade U is just around the corner! Our Lodge spots are full, but we do have spots left to attend the whole days at the lodge and sleep nearby at a hotel, and/or add yourself to a waiting list for the lodge.

I know Michelle has completed two class samples for her class and they are featured on her blog Hold Dear. Check her out over there!!

My main class is shaping up. I love vintage papers, I love fabric, I love quilts, I love painting, I love LOVE MOD PODGE, I love stiching, and so I tried to create a fun project that would incorporate all of those into a beautiful piece of ART.

"QUILT ART WITH SUNDRIES"

We use the word sundries a lot. Sundries can mean a variety of things. Just a mixed media person's favorite thing "sundries". You can use fabric, buttons, glitter, papers, paint, texture pastes and mediums, and anything else your mind can dream up!

I started with a 12x12 canvas, and sketched out four quilt patterns.

Using vintage french papers gathered last month in the South of France, stashed vintage wallpaper, new scrapbook papers that I loved, tissue paper, MODA French General fabrics, paints, and more I began "piecing" this quilt together.

I love the look of tissue paper attached with Mod Podge.

I added some embroidery stiching where I thought some real quilting might show up.

A favorite bit of lace and buttons add a final touch.

Using Kaari Meng's new line of fabric for this block, with gold paint, and a patch I found at a French Flea market added some flair to this block!

I can't wait to see what creations my Handmade U students come up with!! Everyone will have a different take on this project which will be fun to see!!

Hope you can join us at Handmade U!! EMail me for more information!!

Happy Monday -

-Rach