Creative University Day 3 Highlights

Saturday at CU is the jam-packed with Creative Classes from breakfast until dinner. The students are kept busy with their scheduled activities all day, with a variety of techniques and projects.

Altered Clipboard class by Denise Anderson Turley.

Corner Bookmark card class by Jenn Royal.

Sewing techniques for Scrapbookers class by Christie Dunham.

The students were arranged in “sororities” to attend classes. This helped them move through their schedule without too much confusion about where to go and when to be there. The sorority names were Megha Inki, Lota Croppa, Alpha Stampa and Sighma Scrapha. Cute, right?

The professors at Creative University are hand-picked by me. Being a teacher at CU is a huge undertaking, and I’m a demanding boss. (hee hee!) The pay is lousy and the hours are long, but the fame and adulation from legions of CU students is totally worth it. (hee hee again). My professors receive hand-made thank you gifts, a small token of my appreciation. This year’s aprons were oh-so-sexy. At least I think so. And handy for crafting, with all the pockets. And showing off your fanny.

Teachers also received a humongous flower pin, that could be worn in their hair or attached to their clothing. Many layers of glitzy prom-dress fabric went into each flower, and each one was different. Want to make one? See my how-to here. I hope that my professors will get much more use out of their flower pin than they would from a prom dress.

Photo credits: Clipboard from Denise Anderson Turley, Fabric Flower from Erin Grotegut.

Creative University Day 2 Highlights

The first day of Creative University is an optional add-on, for relaxing and doing your own thing. Over half of the students choose this option, to arrive on Thursday and get to know each other, craft on their own time and settle into the camp. The next day, they’re ready for some action!  As the remainder of the students arrive on Friday, the camp starts buzzing with activity.

First up for scheduled activities, and new this year, the Card Boutique.

Students visited at their leisure, assembling an assortment of cards designed by professors Donna Smith and Sheila Bennett.

The Boutique was open for 6 hours, and it was busy all day! Lots of happy students creating lots of beautiful cards.

Creative card crafting and fresh mountain air can work up a hearty appetite. Luckily, the food at camp is as fabulous as the artwork.

I created birdhouse centerpieces for each of our dining hall tables. Each birdhouse was different, and they blended so well with the gorgeous dining hall with huge peeled wood timbers and massive stone fireplace, some of the students may not have realized that the birdhouses weren’t a permanent fixture at camp.

At the end of the last evening meal on Saturday, we played a little game and the winners on each table received the birdhouse centerpiece as their prize.

After dinner on Friday, the students attended their first Creative Classes of the event.

Charming Jewelry class by Professor Erin Grotegut. Thanks to Erin’s creative teaching techniques, every student was able to complete this gorgeous necklace, those with no prior jewelry making skills!

Scrapbook layout with pleated ribbon flower by Professor Nona Davenport. Along with looking cute as a button in her faux-hawk, one of Nona’s talents: she can create stunning pages that come together quickly and easily, with the perfect amount of embellishment, like this fabulous flower!

Coming next, Saturday activities!

Creative University, Day 1 Highlights

Three words…. Best. Year. Ever.

I can’t begin to describe how awesome this year’s group was. The size of my annual mixed media art retreat has grown each year, but this year I made a huge leap and committed to almost double the size of attendance from the previous year. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I was worried that the group would be too large, that the intimate nature of the event would disappear. I was worried for nothing… the attendees mixed and mingled, created and enjoyed.

How could you not enjoy yourself in this beautiful place?

 

Upon arrival, students picked up their welcome bags. I sew these myself, and they have become an annual CU tradition, although every year I threaten that it will be the last. Sewing almost 60 bags this year almost did me in. But I love giving everyone a special hand-made gift the minute they check into the event.

It takes many helping hands to bring together such a special event. I had lots of helpers, from website store set-up to welcome committee. All my volunteers received a special flower pin for recognition.

I created the flowers from the same fabric as the bags, so everything was very matchy-matchy.

Speaking of matching, the logowear for this year turned out amazing. I had a variety of offerings, a little of something for everyone. In fact, you could outfit yourself pretty much head to toe in CU apparel.

Denise Anderson Turley and myself. We’re twins!

Donna Smith, me, Nona Davenport. I am sporting the ever-popular military cap, the v-neck tee and my one-of-a-kind fur collared jacket (it’s good to be the queen). Nona is modeling the pullover hoodie and lounge pants. Look at those gams!

Coming next, day 2….

(photo credits: Melody Pugh, Nichole Lewno, Tresa Black)

Back to Broadcasting!

The Fabulously Artsy LIVE show on Ustream will return to regularly scheduled Wednesday night programs after taking an extended break to prep for Creative University. Tune in on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 7 pm pacific time. This week’s show: Coffee Filter Flowers.

Go to the Fabulously Artsy TV channel

Two Days!

Today is Tuesday. It’s also two days… left to prep for Creative University. Will I make it? Yes! There is always enough time to do everything you need to do. (I’m going to keep reminding myself that over the next 48 hours).

This is why I do it…..

Lindy’s Stamp Gang Contest!

Pssst! Do you love Lindy’s Stamp Gang Products? Show off your work for the chance to win some goodies!

Visit the NEW Lindy’s Stamp Gang blog to enter. The contest closes on Feb. 20. Visit the blog on Feb. 21 to cast your vote for the winners!

Buried in Black and Red

Here’s why I have not been able to hold classes or broadcast live shows from my studio. I am up to my eyeballs in Creative University projects, and I don’t know if I’ll ever see my worktables again!

Can you guess the color scheme this year? Hmmm.. when I see it all laid out like this, it's beginning to look a bit like a Twilight party.

Create U, my annual retreat, is less than two weeks away, the clock is ticking! This is the fourth year that I have hosted this event, and it is the biggest year ever. 

Check it out: My good friend Chrissy, who is also one of the teachers for Creative University, has a fabulous (and hilarious) recount of last year’s Create U.

Lovin’ Lindy’s Hop Giveaway Winner!

I am blown away with the amount of viewers and comments on my blog during the Lovin’ Lindy Hop. You folks  your Lindys!
I hope you had a chance to view all the amazing artwork on the other design team member’s blogs. Fabulous!

I’m sure everyone is excited to hear the final winner of the drawing for my personal mini-collection of fave colors, Cotton Candy Pink, Hottie Patottie Pink and Dark Chocolate Truffle.

Using random.org, the winner is #37, scrappinchic. Congratulations!

scrappinchic said... Love the cute pink box! So sweet for a young lady on Valentine's Day.