What's new?

May 22

I realized three days before it was time to leave for the Mary Engelbreit gig that a) I hadn't lost that extra 20 pounds that I'd meant to (really? Nine months notice wasn't enough??) and b) I had NOTHING to wear. I felt the need to state that up front for the validation of other shut-in chubsters and to explain things for those of you that are still young and skinny. So anyway. I made the desperate Target/Kohls/Costco run (yes, that is IT here. AND it's 55 degrees year round. So you'd probably be pudgy by now, too.) I got the bases (my arms and butt) covered for four days, but also grabbed this khaki jacket at Costco 'cause you just never know about the weather in late April. It was a good label (Jones New York) but had THEE crappiest buttons you ever saw. Trying to look silver but you could just tell that if you scraped hard enough that silver paint would come right off and expose the clear plastic that they really were. Without even thinking I took out a razor and sliced off all 11 buttons as soon as I got home. Then the hard part came; what to replace them with? Brown? Boring! I ended up leaving town sans jacket (and it was sunny and fine). Last week I picked up some random Marie Claire Idees mag here and seemingly the first page I flipped to was this jacket that just shouted out to me in big ol' exclamation points. So today I finished mine.

 

If I wasn't so old and lazy (kidding!) I'd get up and find the mag and the page that I got the inspiration from. I just now flicked through three pages of flickr using *Marie Claire Idees* as my search words. Didn't find the jacket picture but my head almost exploded with the creativity.... The important thing is that I did it. And I blogged about doing it. 

:-)

 

May 20

Those of you that haven't given up on me yet (I know; right?) may recall I did a local craft fair right before I went to the ME gig. I spent WEEKS making stuff for it. The whole week leading up to the event I had the mock booth set up in the garage. Which actually was a good idea...can't imagine just showing up there and figuring things out. Here's a pic of my booth at the event.

 
 As soon as the gals in charge sent a floor sketch of where I'd be placed I knew I wanted to do something like this (it was the first thing you saw as you entered the second room). The space allowed was a tiny 5 x 8.feet. Some people simply set up a 6 foot buffet table. I knew those plastic sheets of lattice came in 4x8, so I had the idea and John made it work. I got lots of good feedback and nice compliments on my stuff, especially that calendar, but hardly made enough to cover the booth rental fee. Am still running into other vendors today who report the same results. Oh well. I now have plenty to stock my etsy shop with! Go on over and have a look. There might just be a perfect thing for that next baby shower you're going to ;-)

Here's a couple things I don't think I showed in the previous post

I adore this old wallpaper, and only have enough to do a few of these personalized wall hangings..

  I made lots of cards in several styles. Most using vintage wallpaper.

And a new batch of Happy Birthday banners.

 

Well poo. I just saw a few things I forgot to list today! Oh well... maybe tomorrow.

May 3 part two

Here's the report on my terrific getaway.

I expected to miss the Welcome Reception, as my flight arrived after it started and Lord only knew how long it'd take me to get there. It was scheduled from 6 to 8 and because my day went without a hitch I walked in at 6:45. I was really suprised there were so many people. Only 41 had joined our Yahoo group yet there was well over 100 at the party. I was surveying the room when I got off the elevator and the nearest person I recognized was Mary herself. I walked up to her extending my hand and said something like, "Well hello Mary Engelbreit! I'm so happy to be here!" Then Peggy, who was our yahoo group moderator and also organized our tag swap, steps out of the crowd and says, "Mary, this is Jen Duncan." Recognition crosses her face and Mary goes, "Jen Duncan?! I read your blog all the time!" (hi Mary! :-D) It was pretty cool. Here's our pic taken a few minutes later.

 
am I talking out the side of my mouth? Have I had a stroke lately and just didn't know it?  

We look like we're having a gift exchange, don't we? haha. As I was sidling up to her for the pose I said, "I totally meant to have lost 20 pounds by now!" and she replied, "Me, too!" Gah...we women do waste a lot of time worrying about stuff like that.

Would you believe that's the only pic I have of the event within the hotel? I only had my cell phone as a camera, and really; after that little episode what more could I want?

I am not a veteran of these events, but I have taken a few classes in the past, and it was SUCH a happy surprise to me that of the four classes I took, I walked away with four finished projects that I liked!! I'm sure many of you know what I mean. We rarely finish and often don't like what we've done. I think my experience is a result of the instructors Mary invited and the thought they put into what novices to experienced crafters could satisfactorily create in a 3 hour period. Bravo!

First I took a papercutting class with Linda Solovic. I liked her and her art a LOT. So happy and whimsical. I made this: 

Then I took an afternoon class with Charlotte Lyons, who I was SO GLAD to finally meet. She is a wonderfully kind and sharing woman. We had big fun making Cuckoo clocks. Here's mine;

The following morning I got to spend time with the very talented Kaari Meng and a bunch of other nice women. We made fabric flowers. I directly pinned mine on the bag I was carrying and I think I'm leaving it there!

It was fun to make. I think I'll make smaller ones to add to little girl outfits that I make in the future.

For my fourth and final class I made a folding travel tray, again; with Charlotte.

The idea is that it folds flat for travel, and then you can pull up the sides with the pretty ribbons and use it to hold your jewelry and what-nots when you're away from home. A clever idea, and fun to make.

I can see making smaller square ones to fill with macarons when taking a hostess gift to someone.

Again; KUDOS to all the instructors for coming up with perfect project ideas for us all.

On the second of two full days we had a wonderful lunch. I heard there were around 130 of us. I hope that if  (when!) they do it again they don't try to grow it much bigger than it was. It really did feel perfect. Several people brought the projects they had made so far and shared on two tables:

It's always so fun to see other people's take on the same pattern or idea.

 There were plenty of purchasing opportunities, but the only thing I bought was a poster for Mary and my 3 instructors to sign.

Aside from a few previous online Scrabble games my roommate Pam and I were total strangers. Happily we liked each other and got along really well. Two of the three nights we went to Drunken Fish for sushi and martinis. I think I could do that every night!  And after filling ourselves full each time, we then went and treated ourselves at The Cupcakery.   I gained 3 pounds in as many days. Seriously.

On Sunday morning I went for my scheduled ME studio tour. Mine was the largest group that had gone through, so between the bodies and the low quality of my cellphone camera I did not get the best pics. I've put them in a slideshow.

If the pictures are moving too slow for you, just click within a photo and it'll skip to the next one. EVERY square inch of their offices and workspaces was just pure inspiration. I just wanted to create something! It was so gracious of Mary and her assistants to top off all that work with letting over a hundred women tromp through their intimate space. I thank them sincerely for that.

My return flight did not leave til 7 Sunday night so my blog friend Tina picked me up, took me to lunch, drove me around the city for a wonderful tour

  (i think I want to move now!), sat and chatted over coffee for a couple hours, then dropped me off at the airport. A terrific ending to a terrific three days. THANK YOU TINA!

I think that about sums it up. :-) OH. Make sure and check out Mary's blog, too. There was a post today and should be more. Be back soon.

jen
 
 

 

May 3, 2010

Hello! I'm back from the AWESOME first (hopefully annual) trip to St Louis MO to hang out and be crafty with Mary Engelbreit herself and a host of other fabulous women. Every moment was perfect and I feel so glad that I got to go. You can see on my computer screen that I have about a hundred blog posts to catch up on out there, and I probably have about that many photos to tweak and edit, at which time I'll create a slide show and share. Just wanted to check in and say 'hey!'. I'm home, safe and feeling like a lucky lucky woman. :-)

 
 (thank you again to my terrific roomie Pam for this mug and all the other goodies you so thoughtfully brought for me.)