Fall Handmade U - Day One Class with Stephanie Ackerman

After the fun of our Nosh dinner and eating cupcakes while shopping Vendor night, we woke up ready for DAY 1!!

We decided as a group we wanted to wear our Handmade U T-Shirts on Friday.  I love being comfy when working on projects, so the tees are just the thing!  Each year I try to pick a different color to go along with the vintage feedsack print that I use in the new logo.

The Art Room:

The gals looking through the VERY generous class kit that Stephanie Ackerman provided.  WOW.

 (from l to r, Shelly, Mollie, Michelle and Debi)

I made mini pumpkin with each student's name on them instead of place cards.  The mason jars inspired by Candy Corn were great to hold all our pens, markers, and scissors.

The Handmade U Totes that my mom made!  So cute!

Stephanie taught us how to do some stamp carving.  So much fun!

 

This is my first carving, we started by using erasers.

 Next we did some doodling and saw how to use black pen, markers, and stitching can make three similar looks in different mediums. So cool.  These are Stephanie's samples...she is SO TALENTED!

Just a few markers Stephanie brought for us to try......love them.

Stephanie showing us how she doodled on a heavy piece of canvas and filled in the colors with her markers.  So cool.

 

Stephanie's class kit included a white pen.  She had us address kraft envelopes to ourselves and use our white pens to create fun doodles.  I will say a white pen on kraft paper makes any doodling look great!

This is Mollie's handiwork on a navy cardstock.  Everyone had a very fun style!  We took breaks to walk around and see what everyone was up to.  Provided a lot of inspiration seeing different ideas.

We took a lunch break to #1 Trade our Swaps!  So much fun...will share later....  #2.  Ate Chicken Caesar Salads..  #3.  Went to Mangelsen's Craft Store!!  Lots of good stuff to find there!

When we came back it was time for more doodling, stitching, stamp carving, a little of it all!

Oh and SNACKS!  We had pumpkin bread and our candied apples.  YUM!

 


Thanks for such a wonderful class Stephanie!!

Stephanie has such a generous spirit about her.  She is so talented, and easily shares tips and tricks that make creating - fun and stress-free!

I hope to have Stephanie back for more at Handmade U in future semesters!

Up tomorrow is a fun class with Lexi Grenzer!

After our class we headed to a private dining room downtown in the Old Market to enjoy Roja Fajitas and chips and Guacamole!!  So tasty.  Thanks to my husband for all his support of Handmade U!  I was happy he could join us for dinner.



Stay tuned for the Swaps, Day 2 and Class Photos ;)

-Rach

A Recap of Handmade U - Fall 2013 The Prep and Vendor Night!

Hi Friends,

I am so missing the magical weekend we had in Omaha at Handmade U - Fifth Semester!  This Fall we had two amazing teachers that truly blessed us with not only their talents but their kind and generous hearts.

The class of students were also a wonderful bunch of ladies!!  Every semester it just gets better and better!

The days leading up to the event I had a blast putting together some handmade goodies for the ladies.  I always enlist the expertise of my Mom, Sara Velder of AcornRidge Quilting for a fun giveaway for each lady.  We like to personalize them for each student so they can take a piece of the weekend home with them and use it forever!  I would say my Mom outdid herself this year!  These fall inspired totes had each ladies' name embroidered in the middle block....you'll see mine in upcoming pics!

As I was unveiling my new line of Handmade U beaded bracelets (found on etsy HERE more bracelets to be added soon!), I needed some cute packaging...that's half the fun of buying Handmade isn't it??  I purchased a very cool stamp of my Handmade U logo from the super sweet owner of etsy store Brown Pigeon.

I thought it looked so cute on these little bags!

Fall makes me think of warm fabrics, oranges, blacks, fun textures, etc.  I started to work on a fun Handmade U Banner out of Burlap and this cool Chevron fabric!!  Wait to see the results!  I loved getting my sewing machine warmed back up!

After lots of inspiration from surfing Pinterest I decided to make all the afternoon snacks myself! (Follow me HERE) Using a Hotel is handy for space and lodging, but the food is just OK....so we had only lunches at the hotel, but dinners we went out on the town, and snacks I brought in myself!

And please check out this cute little bear my Dad carved for me....our little Handmade U Mascot!

Who doesn't love rice krispy bars?!?  How about ones that look like candy corn?!

Now these Pumpkin Molasses cookies were a HUGE Hit...They were nice and soft and so tasty!  Oh the smell was so FALL!  Recipe was found in the Matthew Mead Halloween Edition!  Thanks Matthew!

After baking and creating all the snacks on Thursday Morning, I headed downtown to the hotel to set up the Art Room!

Thanks to Mollie for coming down to hang out and help put goodies together with me.  Also to all the other students that wandered in to say hi and ended up making tissue flowers to hang ;)

We started the night at the Nosh wine bar across the street from the hotel.  We shared Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Brushetta, Flatbreads and fun!

After getting to know everyone and we went back over to the hotel and had our Vendor Night and Dessert!  

I rolled out my new Handmade U line of beaded bracelets!  All were one of a kind, except the Fall Only Handmade U bracelet that was pre-order only!  It is hard not to want to keep them all!  

Shop for your own Handmade U Beaded Bracelet! Shop open and more bracelets to be added soon HERE!  Bracelets will be added continuously!

Mollie brought her amazing ephemera loot that she collects and finds at antique fairs, and shops! Love her cute apron!

Stephanie Ackerman (one of our teachers!) brought one of a kind pieces of artwork, little art cards, bookmarks, notebooks, hand-carved stamps and more!  I picked up a few pieces!  I'll share what I am doing with my items soon!

Jennifer rolled out her new The Turquoise Tomato Leather Cuffs!  They are so cute, I love my JOY cuff and my HAPPY one!  Check her out HERE.  

Michelle had another amazing selection of all her goodies from Hold Dear.  Michelle is an amazing ephemera MAGNET!  Find her on Instagram to watch for her amazing finds!  Did you catch that I think she is Amazing?!  She is.

Lexi Grenzer , our second super talented artist teacher had an amazingly cute table of lots of beautiful necklaces and cuffs.  I was so overwhelmed with wanting them all I lost focus and didn't take a picture of the table!!!  I did however go home with these two pretties!  One gifted to me by the generous artist, and one purchased!

Love them!

Nothing like shopping and eating a cute cupcake for Dessert!  I believe this is another Matthew Mead idea!  Aren't these cute little clementines I found?? Adorable!  Chocolate Ganache topping, chocolate cookie crumbles, and parsley on top!

Stephanie served up seconds!!

Great start to our weekend of FUN!!!!

Stop by again to see Day 1 with Stephanie Ackerman, and Day 2 with Lexi Grenzer!

Hugs,
Rach

And the WINNER of the Brave Girl's Club Online Course Is.....

The winner is Sheila Rumney!  Congratulations Sheila!  

Thank you to all of you that entered the contest, your comments and stories touched me and others I'm sure.

I hope you all are able to take the course and find some comfort.  If you can't, try and spend time art journaling on your own.  Art can heal and can be such a release!  Spend some time on YOU!

Sheila RumneySeptember 17, 2013 at 6:19 AM

When I hear the Soul Comfort, I feel like coming home... coming home to relax, enjoy and truly nurturing myself. These past few weeks have been extremely hard with some very difficult news on my dad's health. So need some soul comforting.... Thanks for the chance to win this ecourse!

In Other News.....stayed tuned for another Giveaway and Opening of my new Etsy Store coming SOON!!

Hugs to all of you,

Rachel

A Brave Girls Giveaway! Soul Comfort Online!

If you follow my blog you know I love Brave Girls Club and all the people involved in it.  The Camps and Classes that I've been to and taken online have been wonderful, and meaningful.

I'm so excited that Melody and Kathy have asked me to give away a spot in their new online class. "Soul Comfort" to one of my blog readers!  

You know I love a fun women's retreat, I find as much joy in hosting Handmade U as I do attending Brave Girls each year.  Since I can't attend all the events I'd like it is a treat to feel a part of an online community when taking a course such as this! 

For more info visit bravegirlsclub.com/soul-comfort

If you'd like to enter the drawing please leave a comment on this blog post.  Please answer one of the following:

Option 1: What is it about 'Soul Comfort' that makes you want to take this Brave Girl class?

Option 2: What do you think of when you hear the words "Soul Comfort"?

Option 3: Why do you think women have a hard time with self care? And how do you think this Brave Girl class might help you get through the holiday season?

I will draw the winner Thursday September 19th!  Class starts the 26th so enter now and share with friends that are your Brave Sisters!!

I look forward to connecting with you all through this class!!'  Also see some of my Brave Sisters at Handmade U Oct 3-5!!  Spots still available!!  Www.handmadeu.com

Good luck!!
Rach

Handmade U 5th Semester Oct 3-5

It's already September so we are under a month away until my 5th Semester of Handmade U!  I am so excited for the line-up this fall.

We will have a fun night of food, friends and shopping Thursday evening!  Dinner out downtown Omaha!

Friday morning begins the Day long class with Stephanie Ackerman who is coming in from California.

We'll be carving and stamping onto fabric, doing some stitching and doodling... all kinds of fun stuff!!


We'll take a break and have lunch at the hotel, which provides a little time if you want to sneak out for a walk in our Old Market downtown Omaha.



Friday evening we'll be heading out on the town once again for a fun dinner.

Saturday will be a wonderful opportunity to really learn how to solder!  If you already know you will have fun creating a necklace with Lexi's techniques.  If you don't know how to do it well, like me, you will have tons of table space and hands on help from the Master Lexi!!  I'm super psyched for this opportunity!






















Saturday lunch will be at the hotel and there will be an optional dinner out of the town once we've concluded our artsy weekend!

I have spent lots of pinterest time to come up with some tasty and fun snacks for our afternoons....can't wait to share those with you :)

If you don't know anyone coming and are nervous to join us, please don't be!!  You'll be welcomed by friends who love artsyness and crafting just as much as you!!  Please join us in Omaha in October for a wonderful weekend!

Visit www.handmadeu.com to register soon!

See you soon!

Hugs,
Rach