Believe In Yourself Retreat

Last year I went to this retreat in Blowing Rock NC. It is a small retreat, only 50 creative souls allowed, that caters to my kind of tribe members.
It was the first such venue that I had gone to and was totally blown away. I found 50 other people, all in one place, that were just like me! well, close anyway! My husband was shuddering over that little comment...lol...
You should check it out here.
Here are some pictures from last year...look at that awesome project! The first years project was/is being shown in a special article in one of the popular mixed media art magazines..I'll post a link when it comes out. And I am sure that every year after that will eventually find it's way into the same type of publication.
Kristi Steiner and Susan Edmondson are the brain children of Believe. I totally love these creative women!
Click on the links, check out their art work and
go here.
Sign up - there is only about 10 spots left! This could be the year that you join our tribe.
Then you'll be like me, signing up year after year to go back and spend 3 awesome days in the mountains of Western NC, surrounded by God's country, good food, fine wine and Your Creative Tribe.

Hi everyone!

I haven't had a blog entry lately but I've been very busy...

sewing origami bags, rust backgrounds and painting awesome backgrounds on canvas and Aqua board.

I am really getting into the background techniques that I am learning from Wyanne.

It's so much fun to expand your creative horizons and give yourself a stretch.

I've also started a new journal,
with the prompting of my buddies Kristi Steiner and Susan Edmonson.

It's a Gratitude sort of journal...

I am taking an accounting of my Creativity each day...listing the creative things that I did, thinking about what activities really sparked my creative spirit...

then at the end of each entry I'll be writing a quick sentence of gratitude for the creativity in my life that day.

Kristi and Susan assure me that this activity will be a POTENT way to, a tangible way to give thanks and empower my creative spirit...

the spirit that each of us have within us.

It's so true that if you simply BELIEVE you can...

then you can.

I have experienced this so many times in my life.

Oh, you have to do The Work, to be sure,

but even The Work becomes so much more enjoyable,

so much easier when you BELIEVE that you can.

Speaking of Inspiration,

of Believing in yourself...

have you all taken a peek at Donna Downey's web site?
WOW!

I saw a link on Jane Powell's web site

or maybe her blog

to Donna's site and went there to look around.

What an awesome artist she is!

And the workshops, the videos, the books...

then there is the Retreat in May.

I sent in my registration this morning and I am SO EXCITED to be going!

Paulette Insall will be teaching...

Kelli Rae Roberts will be speaking...Kelli Rae!

And Paolo Liloc will be there speaking, capturing images from the event.

Susan Edmonson, who happens to be my soul sister...

Everyone told us that before we ever met each other.

When we did meet each other,

it was kinda spooky how much we REALLY had in common!

Jennifer Stewart

Carol Wingert

Cheryl Darrow

Tejae Floyde...

and a BUNCH of other artists that will be offering mini workshops everyday!

This is a "Must Go" event!

But you need to sign up NOW because there are only a few seats left...

Katie Kendrick- Artist Extraordinaire

Do you know Katie? Have you seen her art (http://www.katiekendrick.com/) or read her blog (http://www.joyouslybecoming.typepad.com/)? Have you taken her classes? One very smart lady (http://www.praterposte.blogspot.com/) told me to SELL MY SOUL ( I decided selling my body was just easier) to go to Katie's class... Sooo my husband insisted (Who I am to argue with that man?) that I go, and like a good little wife, I did. And I am so very glad that I did! What an awesome time I had! She is so talented, so generous with herself and the knowledge that she has. I met so many talented women, painted a cool picture of a "delightfully frustrated" lady (we will call her Katie Girl from here on out) and just generally Had A Blast!
I met Kristi Steiner. Ohhh and I believe that I am going to go to her Retreat this September (http://www.kristinsteiner.com/). It's called "Believe in Yourself Retreat" and I hope that my good friend Paula will go with me. I'm in the process of begging her right now.
And even though I had "talked to" (via email) Jane Powell, owner/operator of The Best Shop Around (http://www.randomartsnow.com/) I got to meet her face to face. She is just as cool as I felt that she would be. We actually had quite a few things in common and had a really great talk over lunch. And yes, Cheryl, I gave her a hug from you!
There were 12 people there (including me but not Katie) and they were all awesome. And very talented. Oh, wow and you should have seen what Meg Fowler created...I wanted to take it , and her for that matter, home with me. I will post some pictures. I failed to get everyone's name but there were 2 people there from Alabama, some from Georgia, NC, SC...all to see our beautiful Katie. Does everyone that meets her love her or what? A lot of them were staying for the 2nd class but I had to go back down the mountain. I was just pleased to have one day with all of them.
I love, love, love Random Arts. It is the coolest store around. If they had a quilting corner, it would be The Perfect Shop. Oh, and chocolate...but you can get that fairly quickly outside the shop...so we'll let that pass for now!
Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful men that are Dad's.