Creative Weekend with Teresa Collins

I've had this post started since Monday.... wow the week sure got away from me with all the doctor appointments & my Aunt being released from nursing home rehab Wednesday.  Anyway here it is...

I look forward to this weekend every year. It was 3rd annual Teresa Collins classes that Susan owner of EMI Scrapbooking organizes. It was so wonderful to be around creative women & Teresa is a great teacher.  her kits are very well designed, she shares super techniques that I use over & over becoming immediate favorites, & she is such an authentic, sweet, generous person sharing stories of her life honestly & with such heart.  Thankfully this year the weather was beautiful (no hiding out in the hotel laundry room due to a tornado heading down the street like last year).  During last year's event Teresa already commits to coming back again (yes even with the tornadoes).  So I've been looking forward to this all year.  My health has been dictating my life quite a bit lately which is frustrating.... so with lots of prayer, rest, Dr. injections, & prednesone I was able to attend.

This has been my motto lately.... "BELIEVE IN MIRACLES".  

I made this bracelet inspired by classes I take from Brave Girls Club Melody Ross. 

Words are powerful & I've learned to not beat up on myself with negative words.  With all I had been going thru this last month it took a miracle to get me to the event & to last thru the day & late into the evening.  It was a real blessing that I needed.  Spending time with creative friends.... de-stressing & revitalizing my spirit.

Sunshine streaming in my bedroom window & feeling pretty good started my day

I'm so the person who is never in pictures...... I hate it.

But I've grown to know it's important.  My family needs photos of me.

This is a photo I took of myself (can't believe I did that... that alone is a miracle lol) driving to the event.

I got to the store around 1 pm on Friday so I could help Susan finish up some last minute things.

She put me on making samples for the store above the new Teresa Collins lines in the photo below.  Mylissa brought some great photos of her sons for me to use.  I love the one she did with the hearts & an old photo of one of her sons.  So sweet & the colors in the photo were perfect for the Stationary Noted line.

The Friday night class started at 6 pm at the Holiday Inn Express in Cumming GA

This was the pretty display at the front of the conference room.  Love all the samples & inspiration

I had a spot next to TC & Kristy.

Complete with hot tea to keep me going...

Opened up my Memories kit.... this one is so me LOVE LOVE LOVE.  

See all the goodies inside.  Precut pages & full packs/sheets of goodies.  

That gorgeous bling is HUGE.

After class everyone is free to stay for a crop to finish up kit or work on whatever.....

I tend to gab more than create during that time as I'm starting to get tired.

lol it shows in the photo....

We had a very spacious room to rest

Saturday I was dragging a little.... 

took a shower & while fixing my hair was overcome with thankfulness that it's looking pretty good in spite of medicine that is making it a lot thinner.

So again I forced myself to take a picture so I can scrap it....

notice the products in the bottom propped on the tissue box.

I couldn't get the volume without Selma Hayek Nuance hair products sold at CVS.

Love the skin care products too & she has a great makeup kit for eye brows.

Then downstairs for a quick bite to eat in the breakfast room

(forgot to take a pix so used the one on the hotel site lol... it works)

TC created one of these for each person in the class (filled with some yummy chocolate).

Seriously this girl is super creative & SO thoughtful!

First class of the day was a mini using Far & Away

(Teresa said she named it after the Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman movie... 

I love that one & seem to watch it a couple times a year whenever it's on lol)

I have to say NO ONE does a travel line better than Teresa in my book - love the classic style & generic theme...

Lots of pockets to hold all the ephemera we get on vacation

Showing us page by page how to put together....

Lots of little tricks, tips & techniques

I finished the basics & bound mine so all that is left is pictures and a bit more embellishing

Saturday's class was filled... 

After lunch we worked on a cascading interactive mini using Stationary Noted. 

I love the pops of red in this one.  

This is her sample that starts out small & each page after gets bigger. It's created mostly with the package of file folders.

This one was a bit more involved to put together so we had to pay close attention

Teresa showing us how to use the WRMK Cinch to bind our books

After the 2nd class the store was open so everyone could shop.  Susan/EMI Scrapbooking always carries every line that Teresa releases & is the only company that sells so well with customers buying 4 sheets of each paper & the mini book kits we create for sell the lines even get re-ordered.

Teresa was looking at the sample of a kit I created with her Tell Your Story line

After store we went out to eat

Susan & I split a rita... just enough or I would have fallen asleep lol

Then back for some late night scrapping. 

Teresa is so sweet that she goes around & chats with each person.

After long creative weekend & late night scrapping along with the time change.... 

Spring forward always kicks my butt

Packed up & ready to head home.

I know it looks like I was staying a week but I bring my pillow & need to buy the carry on size of back to match this one.  (Ralph Lauren Chaps - wheels spin 360 - this one was less than $40 at Ross).  And I brought my laptop in case I flared up & ended up in the room early so I would have something to do to keep me from being too depressed about what I was missing out on.... Thankfully that didn't happen!

Now looking forward to the Royal Caribbean cruise in October.  

Teresa shares all about it in a blog post here.

Sail Date- 20 October 2013 from Port Canaveral 

7 Nights Eastern Caribbean

Hope you have a fantastic weekend & get a chance to create some great memories.

I'm Finding the Joy Again....

I am really enjoying creating again.  Projects just for me have brought back that spark.  I look forward to going into my craft room.  I've always been one to mix elements from different companies & lines... you know that "kit club" look.  I can play around with different techniques, splash some paint, & make a page that speaks to the story or feeling I'm trying to capture.  Having a lot of old family photos really speaks to my heart.  I want them to be more than a great looking photo.... telling the stories of family makes the photos come to life for me & future generations of our family.

Don't get me wrong I really like doing the kits but felt like I had gotten into a bit of a rut since I wasn't doing much for myself.  Now I've achieved more of a balance & I feel like a better designer because of it.  So from now on I'm going to try to be a gal who does mini book kits/finished books, scrappy projects of our life & mixed media canvases/art journals.

What do you do when you get into those ruts or lose the joy?

So today I worked on a page inspired by Stephanie's relationship class again "Cousins Together".  I wanted to capture the relationship I have with my cousin.  This is one of the rare photos we have together at our house since they never came to visit us.  My grandparents brought her for the Easter holiday because my sister was making her first communion.  Random note... my mom was into sewing at the time & made my dress - it was flattering style & I loved the color it.

The only time I get to do "girly" pages is when I'm scrapping my childhood. 

This layout has lots of stitching & layers....

The basic journaling is front & center on the page just under the titlework.

I adore the soft blue color, canvas texture, & simple all caps font of this set of Thickers.

Then I have hidden journaling tag behind the photo that 

shares feelings about our relationship over the years & currently.

I am always in awe of people who can create an embellishment cluster

I feel mine is forced... not effortless 

I need to remind myself if you over think it there's no way to be effortless... right?

I really like the entire sheet of poloroid frames in different sizes.

I was able to use a craft knife to cut it out then stitched it to photo.

I  toned down the pink polka dot color by putting a bit of gesso on my finger & smearing it across strip.  I have a little bit of my gesso in a bottle with a fine tip applicator.  It allows me to put it just where I want.  See below where I put it down the side of the washi tape to distress, add interest & draw the eye subtly.  

Adding the dots from the set of Thickers that the word "cousins" came out of was just the perfect 

something for anchoring the photo & that section of the page.

Supplies:  Paper (My Mind's Eye), Letters (Authentique & American Crafts), Punch (Michaels $ spot, Martha Stewart & Stamping Up), Washi Tape (Teresa Collins), Brads (Teresa Collins & My Mind's Eye), Chipboard (My Mind's Eye), Doilies (grocery store misc & Martha Stewart), Tags (Avery & Pink Pailsee HO3), Ribbon (Offray), Thread (Coats & Clarks), Gesso (Liquitex), Staples (Ranger Tim Holtz); Pen (Zig); Adhesive (Ultimate & Scotch ATG), 

misc (gems - wedding unknown)

Well hope you have a fantastic weekend.  

I'm counting down the days to EMI Scrapbooking's  Teresa Collins classes on the 8th up in Cumming.  This is our 3rd annual weekend of classes.  It's a must attend in my book..... Teresa is such a talented woman & her classes are filled with techniques & inspiration and the kits are jam packed with goodies.  All her newest lines are gorgeous so can't wait to see these new mini book projects.  She's also the sweetest person around.  We're hoping no tornadoes this year - last year we spent an hour in the hotel laundry room waiting out the storms.  

Couple of Covers.....

I thought I would share a couple of mini book covers that I've been working on.  I am so going back to the real camera... I love my iphone 5 but in lower light when I stop it from flashing I don't get as sharp an image.

"All You Need is Love"

using last year's Crate Paper valentine line

I love the papers in this collection - nice small prints that are perfect everywhere 

not just for the holiday theme.

Close up of the Unity Stamped image & those fun

"Table Scatter" hearts I found at Dollar Tree

 Basic Grey

"Happy Busy Run & Play Fun Moments in My Day"

A mix of different letters make an eye catching fun cover

I added washi tape & lots of fussy cut images from the paper

Crate Paper

"Love You" 

Mix matched die cuts make an easy yet eye catching cover

A second version of 

"Love You" 

Thanks for stopping by.

Mini Books

I finished a couple of Halloween mini books using Pink Paislee's Hocus Pocus

The will be for sale soon at EMI Scrapbooking online or in store.  These are a completely put together & ready for your photos.  It's created with chipboard covers & lots of patterned paper pages using a collection pack in addition to cardstock photo mats, sticker letters/images & embellishments.  Since they are 1 of a kind it will be first come.  They will come with rings & a bit of ribbon/fabric to tie on.  I was out of rings yet again - I need to get a case of them lol.

I'm just sharing the covers.  Susan will post some of the pages when she puts them on sale.

 "You Are a Treat"

C

close up of the tag title 

The 2nd mini "Hocus Pocus Make it Fun" 

Thanks for stopping by & remember to do something creative today.

Starting off the week with yet another layout.....

I'm on a roll with creating layouts.

I'm a longtime reader of Stephanie Howell's blog.  She shares her life as an army wife & mom to 4 beautiful daughters.  I enjoy reading about the latest escapades of the "chicks" - that Sadie slays me with just a look.  It brings back memories of having little ones in the house & life at that stage.  She's honest with the good & bad in each day while remembering to be thankful in all things.  My heart aches for her when her hubby is deployed in some of the most dangerous places in the world.  She is an amazing strong woman.  Recently she posted that she was doing her first class at Big Picture Classes called Ties That Bind.  It's all about capturing the relationships we have in our lives.  It is a self paced class & you have access to it for 2 years.  If you want more information click here.

The class gave me lots of visual inspiration but more importantly it gave me inspiration to dig deeper into capturing memories & sharing with my family my feelings about them.  Not a superficial who, what, where, when style page.  You had to figure something got me excited about layouts again when this is the 3rd post in a row.  The journaling is more personal (I'm glad I hadn't journaled on the pages I started at the crop).

This page is about my Grami.  I recently received a bunch of old family photos since my Aunt moved in with us.  I adore this photo.  It is a visual of what my grandma tried to teach me all the time since I hated to have my picture taken.  She'd say it's not about how you look that will make it a good picture of you it's how you feel about yourself.... relax & be confident.  This picture shows her doing just that.  She was beautiful inside & out.  I miss her every day.  I was so close to her & feel like everything I like about myself I got from her.  I was even named after her... she's Sue.

One of the best things about living where my grandparents raised their kids was being right across the bridge from an amazing family run historical amusement park that is still going strong today.  They were able to go to Kennywood Park many times during the season.  School & church picnics, an entire Saturday, or a few hours an evening after work.  Every year each family member got their picture taken under the yearly sign.

I like the easy breezy feel of American Crafts Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic (3 different papers front & back - I love how American Crafts does a different pattern on the back of the marketing strip so that gave me 3 more prints).  It's funky & fresh.  It mixed well with some older supplies I had on hand in my stash.

Sorry for the poor quality photo....
I've been lazy & using the iphone instead of bringing out the "big camera" dslr

Inside the pocket gave me plenty of room for journaling. 

I added a My Mind's Eye brad just because :)

The more superficial  who what where when journaling was in the pocket

at the bottom I shared a personal memory of Grami that she taught me.

 The wooden arrow from Pink Paislee reminded me of the arrow in the

Kennywood logo that you will see all over town to point the way to the park.

I made this little pocket by folding up the double sided paper & closing

the sides with Teresa Collins Tell Your Story washi tape.

Making Memories Tiny Types - even though everyone does them now these are still my favorites.

-- take note people don't do shiny stickers --

American Crafts flare is like a button that we wore on our denim jackets.

2 different size doilies from Little Yellow Bicycle & a 

festive pin with a pennant from House of 3 Pink Paislee

cute chipboard embellishments from October Afternoon Sidewalks collection.

of course everything is better with a bit of twine & some machine stitching

Thanks again Stephanie for inspiring me.

Hope you have a fabulous Monday & remember to do something creative