SPARK~ day 2

Day 2 was great. How could a day possibly go wrong when you start it with candy, buttons, and ribbon!?! i got 3 spools of ribbon. i have a ribbon fetish. <>

the day started with a wonderfully inspiring, spunky, fun artist, cassandra barney. i loved her presentation.

what spoke to me:

*the picture of her girls and herself in her art studio, creating and letting loose together. i really liked how she opened her studio to them and let them free in the 'candy store' of sorts. they look like angels in this picture. it made me all misty eyed just looking @ it.

*make time to play, create.

*don't take yourself or your art too seriously.

1. REMEMBER (art journal class) with rhonna and liz.

this was amazing. i was overwhelmed when i walked into the class. tables were cleared for us to create on. the front table was loaded with 8x8 canvas journals tied with pink tulle, pink pastry boxes, and a window bag FILLED with goodies. tongue can't tell, hand cannot write how wonderful they were. side tables held paints, glitters, buttons, presses, and all manner of beautiful things~ just waiting in cute containers. loved it.

i had to put the camera down and actually start the book. we learned many cool techniques. i want to pass them on to bailey girl. especially transferring a printed image with cheap hairspray! cool.

it was so perfect being with rhonna and liz. they truly put their hearts into the class (each teacher did!) and it was very apparent! i got misty eyed in this class, for just a second.

anna and i were late to lunch because we were enjoying ourselves too much. it was beautifully boxed lunches from the delicious dear lizzie! we grabbed our boxes and headed outside in search of a picnic-esque vibe. we happened upon a table for two in the shade. the weather was perfect. it was so much fun! did i mention i just met anna the day before?! what a soul sister! she is rhonna's sweet friend and is so down to earth, fun, and hilarious! the laughter was definitely therapeutic.

2. CAPTURE (photography) with jefra wynona and collin.

this class was amazing.

her slide show showed how she took really neat pictures, even with a cell phone! the slideshow was really inspiring. yes, i got all misty for a minute just watching it. it was that good.

*we all look at things differently

*take the situation as it is, and FIND the beauty in it. capture it.

*walk all the way around a subject, snapping away as you go.

*hold the camera up, or over to the side, and snap. (jefra's always looked good. i just got sky...)

i loved using the lens baby. it kinda makes you dizzy looking at these pictures, but it creates a cool effect.

then sol and his dad walked up and we got to use them as subjects while jefra taught us. what a nice surprise!

then the light just got beautiful before sunset so i took advantage.

i have no pictures of

3. FEEL with kelly mcCaleb. she is amazing. she makes beautiful quilts and all manner of delights with fabric. she shared with us a picture and poem of sorts about the work of art she made for her daughter. it was an exquisite quilt. she said that most people think she is loony for letting her daughter use it up. but she says that when you are gone, your children will not cherish the one that sat untouched, as a trophy on the stand. they will want the one that they loved and used.

so she has a picnic on it.

she uses it in the stroller.

in the crib, and to wipe drool.

her daughter loves that quilt.

we had a 'project runway moment' where she let us loose and we all crowded the fabric tables and laid hold to what we desired. we even got to CUT strips of the vintage table cloths on the tables we were sitting at. nothing was off limits! how fun!! we made fabric flowers and adorned a plain t-shirt we brought. i decided mine lent itself to an apron instead. so mine awaits an apron. i love it.

what a GREAT class!! she was the perfect person to teach about feeling.

4. GATHER with margie and april meeker.

we gathered inspiration, bits of ourselves, and made a fabulous necklace with bobbles and trinkets.

it was so much fun creating there.

margie is such a kick! i could just listen to her all day and laugh my head off. what fun! april has skills that defy all description. she is the queen of jewelry making! i think she strung a pearl and added a tear dropped jewel for me in 2.3 seconds.

after dinner was a raffle and auction to benefit 2 breast cancer survivors that were spark attendees. it was wonderful. i scored a couple of cool things. lots of talented ladies donated great things.

the night ended around the campfire with sparklers and hot chocolate. it was the perfect end to the perfect event.

i'm still not sure how they did it, but these girls managed to touch each person who attended spark. the entire event spoke to my soul. it was more than a craft fair, or a scrapbook weekend, as some people called it. i felt at several different times during the event that what i was hearing or doing was just what I NEEDED. it rang true. and that i need to remember to make time to CREATE in everyday life.

and this quote inspired the whole event:

The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. no matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities we each hae an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. EVERYONE can create. What you create doesn't have to be perfect. Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you~ whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside. D. F Uchtdorf

it was so fun to be there with charisse and rhonna. it made it that much better.