Art Classes In Omaha Nebraska - Handmade U...the Inspiration

As Handmade U, our sure to be amazing art retreat (based on the most creative ladies coming) quickly approaches I am reminded of the first Art Retreat I ever attended.

I was living in Colorado at the time, and needed to come back to Omaha, Nebraska for a work meeting.  I was reading a Country Living magazine and saw an article on Silver Bella.  It was going to be the weekend after my meeting and I figured I would enjoy spending a few extra days in Nebraska visiting my family.  I did take some time to decide...the pictures and projects looked amazing, I loved creating things, but hadn't really made the time to work on projects.  

I did not know a soul that was going, or really anyone that was into that kind of CRAFTY stuff.  It was not cheap either so I thought and thought about it....I realized that I couldn't put it out of my mind and if I didn't do it I would be disappointed and regretful for not making the time for something I'd enjoy and really be inspired by.  So I signed up!  I figured the classes would be fun and hopefully I would meet a few people that had the same interests as I did.... And did I EVER!

I was excited and didn't know what to expect!  I showed up and it was wonderful.  I met a few gals from Kansas City that took me under their glittered wings and I had the BEST time.  Thanks to Kara, Sheila and Ali!

One of my first instructors was Charlotte Lyons, she is so very talented!  As you will see in upcoming pics, I seemingly stalked her at each event I went to!  I actually always just loved the projects that she was teaching, and she has a fun laid back style that I love.

After my first event I went crazy...Here is a walk down memory art retreat lane!

I attended Spark 1 in Salt Lake City, UT, again knowing no one!

Silver Bella 2009, Yes that is Charlotte again, we are wearing our felted hats that I learned to make in her class!

The Kansas City girls and I wearing our fun aprons!

I learned of Brave Girl Camp from a few gals and decided again to go without knowing anyone.  The fun thing is I ended up knowing a couple girls from the Spark event.  Best of all I met my sweet friend Lisa who has become a lifelong friend....a crafty partner in crime!

Melody Ross and her sister Kathy Wilkins have turned their Brave Girl Camp into an AMAZING beyond inspiring retreat.  Here are Melody and I at BGC in Idaho.

My friend Kara came up from KC to take an all day class with the cute and fun Claudine Hellmuth in Lincoln, NE.

My friend Jen and I decided to attend a retreat in Savannah, GA!  We had never been and wanted to see the sights and meet some fun ladies!  We met Shelly Overholt, in the middle between us in the pic below.  Yes we were suppose to be in Southern Belle Garb!  Shelley did I better than us!  Shelley will be back for Handmade U 3, her 3rd time!!  So fun!

Mary Engelbreit had a fun art retreat weekend in St Louis, yes that is her in the middle of us below.   My friends Lisa, Kara and I decided to head there together!  What a fun weekend.  Plus we got to see Claudine again!

Another class with Charlotte - YES PLEASE!

Kaari Meng of French General hosts the most incredible week in the South of France!  I've been blessed to be able to go twice.  Once in 2010 and in 2011.  This was my 2010 trip.  Met incredible ladies there as well!

Jo Packham of Where Women Create hosted Creative Connection in Minneapolis.  It was a huge convention of ladies in crafting businesses as well as just those of us wanting to learn new things!  My friend Lisa and I met there.  We were thrilled to run into Melody Ross and Margie Romney Aslett, our Brave Girl Sisters!

The Second Spark in Utah I was ready to head out with Lisa yet again, but she had a family emergency.  I was lucky enough to find out my friend Dana that I had met at Spark 1 was going again. We were able to share a ride and room and had a blast!!

Silver Bella yet again,  I hosted a fun swap and was excited to meet all the ladies that joined in!

Sheila, Kara and I at the vendor night!

This was the year at Silver Bella that I met Michelle Geller!  I didn't know at the time that we were destined to lots of collaboration in the future!!  At the time I joined a journal page swap that turned me onto vintage ephemera and woke me up to needing to UP MY Game in regards to embellishing!! :)

Great to see Jenny Doh, another Brave Girls Sister, and once again Charlotte Lyons at Silver Bella.

Brave Girls Camp 2011 - Lisa and I at it again.  We met another wonderful lady - Michelle!

Lisa and I at BCG with Camille - the leather whisperer!  (amazing artist)

I attended Moulin Rouge in Southern California, May 2011.  I knew of people going but wasn't close enough with anyone at the time to bunk up!  So I asked the lovely hostess Kim Caldwell and she gave me Denise Hahn's name.  Lucky me!!  Denise is as sweet as she is talented!  She picked me up and we shopped the garment district along with Michelle Geller and Valita Baxley!  What a fun day!!

This is where Michelle and I turned ideas into actions and I roped her into being the first instructor at the very first of hopefully many HANDMADE U's!!  (yes the wine may have had something to do with it!!)

Swap exchanges....one of the fun perks at some Art Retreats, exchanging goodies, ephemera, artworks with other crafty artsy ladies!!  I can't wait to see what the Handmade U gals come up with this fall!!

As an added bonus we went to visit Kaari Meng at French General and took a class with the talented Mother Daughter duo of Debbie Murray and Shea Frangosea.

May 2012 was also Birdsong at the talented Karla Nathan's home studio.  Lisa and I met in the middle! (Lisa coming from OK and me from NE)

The talented Carol Spinski was one of our instructors!  Fun tree class!

Then it was time for the First Semester of Handmade U!  Fall 2011  With the help and support of my husband Jim and my parents Gerry and Sara we really had a great weekend!

Michelle and I, HU's first instructors!

Fall 2011 Graduating Class (DeeAnn not pictured)

Mollie, Stephanie, Michelle, Rachel, Sara, Lindy, Lisa, Michelle, Shelley, Hope, Pam and Nora!

Brave Girl 2013...what a great group of girls!  My pal Amber!  Love her, so funny!

The best roomies!  Gina, Johanna and I

Melody and I

Don't even think about touching our Mod Podge!!  Camille, Me, Megan, and Johanna.  The Craft Pack.

Michelle and I kicking off Handmade U Spring 2012

Handmade U Graduating Class Spring 2012

Rachel, Shelley, Jodie, Paige, Michelle, Hope, Pam, Michelle, Leslie, Laurel, Mollie and Stephanie.

Handmade U - Staff.  Sara, Jim, Rachel, Gerry, Michelle and Pam.  THANKS!

Fast forward 4 years and after 13+ art retreats I have now hosted two of my own, moving onto Semester 3 of Handmade U!

I am most giddy when I have ladies email me about never attending an art retreat before and this will be their FIRST!  It makes me a little nervous that I am sure they enjoy Handmade U SO MUCH, it makes me work harder to prepare an AMAZING weekend.

I have at least 2 ladies coming this time that have never been to a retreat, they don't know a soul. I hope they can look back in a year or two and are thankful they were BRAVE and made their first step into Artsy Retreats!!

We have a few spaces left for Handmade U - Fall Semester.  The weekend details are HERE.  September 20-22 in Omaha NE.  Our instructors have COOL, AMAZING, WONDERFUL projects planned!  Hope Wallace Karney and Liesel Lund, so AWESOME!

Handmade U - Coming down from the HIGH!

Wow.

I don't even know how to begin to talk about the amazing weekend I just experienced. I knew most of the ladies coming to Handmade U's First Semester, and I knew we'd have an amazing time hanging out. I just didn't know HOW AMAZING it would be.

The weekend really began Wednesday afternoon when my parents came up to help pack up their car with as much as we could fit in, as well as mine. We also did our grocery store runs to load up on food. You just never know how much food you will need to keep this many ladies energized for a weekend of heavy crafting!! I erred on the side of LOTS of food!

In the evening Michelle Geller flew in. We stopped to get her a snack, and lo and behold, we just happened to be right next to Dick Blick's, so of course we had to stop.

Then a nice mexican dinner with Michelle and my fiance Jim helped get us psyched for the next day and to work on the few last touches late into the night.

Thursday morning came early as we packed up the few last things and headed to Minglewood Lodge. After getting the keys we brought everything in and started getting organized.

We set up the tables for the ladies! My Mom made these cute totes with the fabrics I found for each of the girls. She even embroidered each name on the bags! And the file folders I fell in love with...Anthropologie of course! The name badges were painted with chalkboard paint and written on with Chalkboard pens which are fun! I brought a bunch of candies too to share with the girls throughout the weekend. A bit' o honey treat in a glassine bag was put on each bed the first night. My fiance Jim helped package all of those up prior to the weekend. Thanks Jim!

Each tote held the wonderful giveaways from all our sponsors and I added a fun wooden ruler, and packets of these Handmade U pencils!!

We added some special touches to the lodge, which was already gorgeously decorated.

I added some fun crayons, papers, and ribbons on this wreath.

I had name plates on each bed to show where everyone was staying. We put their Handmade U t-shirts on their beds along with a little treat.

I've been loving these typewriters for so long!! Well Handmade U was a great excuse to buy one for everyone to use!

We worked til lunchtime and grabbed a Subway. My Dad was off to make the first airport run to gather up Pam, Hope and Stephanie. When they arrived we were all ready to welcome them to Handmade U! We chatted and anxiously awaited all the other Freshmen students. The lodge was filled with smells of Smoked Chicken that my Dad made, and my Mom's AMAZING Baked Beans. YUM...I think a few girls talked about sneaking more beans for breakfast!

When everyone arrived we had the most delicious meal, topped off with pieces of Chocolate Cake the size of your head!

The evening activity was creating small SLAM BOOKS as an ice-breaker get to know you project. It was more fun than I expected. The fun part was coming up with all the questions to go on each page with everyone, then filling in your own. After that we started passing each book around so everyone could put their answers in each person's book.

Throughout the weekend we filled each book in, we each decorated the books in our own unique styles, and had a little treasure to go home with!

We did take a break for what we all love to do at Art Retreats - SHOPPING! I brought all my fun French finds which I was excited to share with everyone. I will hopefully be able to add items into my etsy shop sometime soon!!

Michelle brought her ephemera goodies, double-sided tapes, and of course the very popular WASHI TAPE!!

Friday morning began by making tasty breakfast sandwiches for each woman as they came downstairs. I'm not a morning person, we probably only had a couple in the group (we love you Hope and Shelley!) but it was nice to leisurely get up and eat breakfast, with class starting at 10am. No rushing at Handmade U! No packing up and going from here to there, just come down, relax as if you were at Home.

Michelle started her Handmade Inspiration Journal class once we were all done with Breakfast. Can I just say, I knew Michelle was uber talented, I have loved all her journals that I've seen on Hold Dear and in person, but she went ALL OUT. This was her first major teaching event, an all day class, and she WAS AWESOME! The kits she laid out on each person's table were OVER THE TOP!! I think I could have just looked at all the goodies, papers, ephemera all day long and been happy not even creating the journal. However I did work on my journal, and wow it was FUN.

Michelle broke down the class into really manageable steps so no one got overwhelmed. We each created a fun cover, then varnished it!!

OK I think I have probably said before I LOVE MOD PODGE....and I do, but I hope Mod Podge doesn't get jealous when I say I LOVE LOVE LOVE VARNISH!! I may just start varnishing everything. It puts such a fun shiny gloss on everything. I think there is room in my heart for both Mod Podge and varnish, that's just the kind of crafter I am.

After creating the covers we sewed on the binding and threaded the sari ribbons that would be our way to attach our pages.

Then onto our pages. This was so much fun. Michelle had given us so much to choose from it took some time to plan out what each page would look like.

Friday night was PIZZA night, which was a nice and easy meal so we could get back to our pages and working on the journals! We did find time for a little piece of Carrot Cake, yum.

Here are all the journals nearly done!

Saturday we woke, had muffins, yogurt and fruit and prepared for Quilt Art with Sundries. Each person received a 12x12 art canvas and I had an industrial size bottle of mod podge to share!

I put together a pack of ephemera using papers from my recent France trips. Also my 6th Sponsor was MODA Fabrics!

They sent small charm packs of Kaari Meng's new French General line of fabric. Many of the ladies used those in their designs along with papers from our journaling kit too.

I had lot so paints to choose from and tons of embroidery flosses to add the stitching to the canvases.

I was so proud of all the girls' canvases! You really could look at each one and know who designed and created it, each was so personal. I taught some basic quilt pattern designs, mod podge techniques, and some painting ideas, and away they went.

Michelle Early did a cool block based on the Gee's Bend Quilts.

Pam created this beauty using the quilt block featured on my Mom's business card for Acorn Ridge Quilting. The red polka dots are from one of our napkins! She also showed us a little preview of here "doodling" skillz. We are hoping she shared more at Handmade U Second Semester in the Spring! If you want to see more of what she has to offer, hurry over here to purchase her doodling sets for digital download!

Here is Lisa working on her beautiful canvas!

We decided to put all the "quilt blocks" together into one Quilt Art!

During Saturday afternoon some of the girls were needing a little pick-me-up. The Minglewood Mocha was born. Coffee with a little hot chocolate made these girls very happy!

Happy Michelle!

As some of the girls were wrapping up their Art Quilts, I introduced another new technique to them. I handed out a hard-bound 9x12 journal to everyone and we decorated the covers with different tissue papers,

Well...this I just don't know how I can explain it....

Dinner Saturday night was a special treat. More on this later!