Classes and More from The Creative Connection

This has been a busy week, unwinding and getting back in the flow after attending the amazing Creative Connection Event held in St. Paul. Days 2 and 3 were devoted to classes, various panels, and other speakers and panels at breakfast and lunch.  (My prior blog post detailed the first day with exciting BlogHer panel discussions.) I chose to take 4 classes on these 2 days although there were several panel sessions I would have loved to attend.

Its always fun to have some arts and crafts play time and to work in different techniques than I’m used to.  There were many  classes to choose from but I chose to take all 4 of Traci Bautista’s classes with different focuses of art journaling.

There are so many surfaces you can journal on and, as shown by Traci, fabric is one of the surfaces that can be used.

Traci Bautista showing art journaling on fabric

Our table early during first class with our basic journal pages in process.

Art journaling class with Traci Bautista

Karen Embry and Brenda Pinnick are very intent on their journal pages.

Karen Embry and Brenda Pinnick in art journaling classIn another of Traci’s classes, she is explaining different page techniques and the binding of journals.

Traci Bautista talking about putting a journal togetherOur table in another class – lots more more product and lots of swapping between tables.

Art journaling class with paints and pens

A journal page I was working on during one of the classes.

Phyllis Dobbs  art Journal page

Art journaling can get messy so its best to cover up both surfaces and clothes.  Its amazing that I didn’t get any paint on the shirt I brought to protect my clothes. If I had been in my studio, I would have had paint in my hair, on my face and all the way to my feet.  But it was impossible to keep my hands clean!

Phyllis Dobbs' hands covered with paint

On Friday evening, the event had a cocktail party with book signing by the authors in attendance.  I didn’t pass up a chance to have my picture taken with several of the authors.

Jo Packham, although the same height as me, is a giant.  She is not only the editor for Where Women Create and Where Women Cook, she is the co-founder of The Creative Connection Event. I know TCC event took a tremendous amount of planning, but Jo pulled it off to perfection.

Jo Packham and Phyllis Dobbs

Holly Becker is the author of the popular decorating blog Decor8 and her book Decorate is an international best seller. Holly is a tremendous speaker and was the dinner keynote speaker Thursday night along with Christina Ferrare.

Holly Becker and Phyllis Dobbs

Kelly Rae Roberts, author of Taking Flight, was also part of a very informative breakfast panel of speakers.

Kelly Rae Roberts and Phyllis Dobbs

And I love this group photo at Crafty Chica’s (Kathy Cano-Murillo) signing, left to right – Eileen Hull, myself, Ann Butler, Kathy – Crafty Chica, Karen Embry, and Brenda Pinnick.

Crafty Chica at author signing at The Creative Connection

I remain inspired from this event and am already looking forward to next year’s. If you are thinking of attending, you won’t be disappointed!

Have a inspiring day!

Phyllis

Back from The Creative Connection Event – Inspired and Amazed!

Back from The Creative Connection event held in St. Paul last week, I returned home inspired and amazed (plus exhausted!). Not wanting to miss a minute of it, I attended everything from early morning until late at night and then met friends to talk even later (meeting in our PJ’s with a glass of wine in hand). Everyone I spoke with was just as thrilled with the events. Women attended from all 50 states plus 6 countries. I talked with a talented artist from Slovakia and a woman from Melbourne Australia. Both visited the US just to attend TCC.

After checking in, I was delighted to see the view from my window of  the Mississippi River across the street. I meant to walk over to it, but there wasn’t a spare minute to leave the hotel.

Mississippi River view from my hotel in St. Paul

The 3 days of the event were filled with panels, speakers, classes, and social activities.  I have so much to write about, I am going to present my coverage in two parts – BlogHer with technology and then the creative part with classes and much more.

The first day of TCC was sponsored by BlogHer Handmade and was focused on technology for blogging and social media. I learned so much from the panels. I thought I had already learned a ton from past conferences/seminars that I have attended, but so much more was presented by BlogHer panels. Please check out the links to the blogs for these talented women.

BlogHer Panel presenters

The panelists from the first panel I attended are from left to right Marie LeBaron (Makes and Takes), Mena Trot (Sew Weekly),  Corinne Leigh (previously on ThreadBanger) and Megan Jordan (Velveteen Mind).

It was tricky taking pictures with all the various lighting types in the hotel so the photo for another panel did not turn out. The presenters were fabulous – Alicia DiRago (Dismount Creative), Anne Kuo Lukito (Crafty Diversions), Megan Auman (CraftMBA) and Tara Gentile.

BlogHer founders in panel discussion

Two of the 3 founders of BlogHer were the panel for the Keynote luncheon Friday. Elisa Camahort Page (right) and Jory Des Jardins (center) told of founding BlogHer.  Nancy Soriano (left) led the panel discussion. The third founder, Lisa Stone, was unable to attend.

It was interesting to hear each of these women tell of how they started their businesses as well as the technology they presented.

A group of fiends at a panel discussion

Here I am with friends at a table during one of the panel discussions Karen Embry, myself, Brenda Pinnick and Eileen Hull.

The Creative Connection event was co-founded by Jo Packham, editor of Where Women Create and Where Women Cook and Nancy Soriano.  I extend a huge thanks to them for their starting this event!

Check back for part 2 of The Creative Connection of classes, author signings and more. The classes were fun – I love to work in a new direction or medium than I am accustomed to.

Phyllis

Log Cabin Bed Runner Quilt in a New Book!

I love getting new books, especially quilt books and especially if it contains one of my quilt designs.  I just received a copy of Log Cabins Today by House of White Birches. I designed this scrappy bed runner quilt for the book using the beautiful fabrics by Brenda Pinnick from herColour Vie fabric collection for Henry Glass & Co Fabrics. I love the way the fabrics worked up in this quilt. Log cabin blocks are easy to make and are so versatile since they can be made in a variety of combinations.

 

Log Cabin Bed Runner Quilt Phyllis Dobbs

 

 

Log Cabins Today is a fresh take on the popular log cabin design, with fresh, modern, contemporary, wonky and traditional designs all included. Instructions are included to make all of the beautiful quilts.

Log Cabins Today by House of White Birches

I hope you will watch for this book! Happy quilting!

Phyllis

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 6 – Blooms Greeting Card

Greeting card made with Sizzix dieSend a warm message in a special greeting card you make! This week for the Sizzix blog hop, I created a colorful and fun card with Brenda Pinnick’s Album die from Sizzix, the featured die in this week’s hop. I also used fabric from Brenda’s Couleur Vie fabric collection from Henry Glass.

All you need is these few materials:

Album, Brackets, Bigz XL Die #656053 by Brenda Pinnick from Sizzix

Card stock, felt and fabric for the dies

Card or card stock

Felt (Felt in project from National Nonwovens)

Turquoise colored rhinestone brads

Glue (Beacon Zip Dry)

Fusible Web (Steam a Seam 2 from The Warm Company)

Instructions:

Cut each layer from the dies, alternating with cardstock, fabric and felt. The fabric was fused to the layer below with fusible web and the cardstock and felt were adhered with glue.  Punch holes in the corners and add rhinestone brads.  Glue the die layer stack to the front of a card and add your message.

For an alternative use for the die stack, add it to a present instead of a bow for a really unique look.

Be sure to hop to the other blogs to see all the fabulous projects.  Just click forward or back in the Sizzix button in the sidebar.

Wishing you a warm day – its cold here!

Phyllis

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Week 3- Floral Gift Box

Giftbox decorated with flowers and paintThis week, we used Brenda Pinnick’s Flower, Beauty Bloom Sizzix dies for our Blog Hop project. I really love flowers so I enjoyed using flowers to decorate a gift box – a great way to add a special touch to gift giving.

Gift box painted and decorated with flowers

The materials used were:

Sixxiz die #655455 by Brenda Pinnick

Card stock

Spray paint – aqua and green by Krylon

Green acrylic paint

Gift box

Brads – round and floral designs

Hole punch

Glue – Beacon Zip Dry for paper

Instructions:

I spray painted the box with green paint and all the flower pieces with aqua paint.  2 petal sections were painted a darker green to use as leaves.

After the paint dried, I punched holes in the center of the flower pieces.  2 flowers were created by assembling 3 large flower pieces for each flower and putting a round brad through holes.  I turned up the petals of the top 2 pieces. After punching holes in the box top I attached the flowers with the brads.

Flower shaped brads were ued to attach the large flat flowers to the sides of the box and glue was used to attach the small flowers.

Be sure to hop to the other blogs in the blog hop by clicking on the links in the Sizzix badge in my sidebar!  There are some amazing designs.

All I need to do now is add the gift!

Happy Crafting!

Phyllis

The Gift of a Special Mermaid!

When I was on a work-cation at the beach a few weeks ago with my husband who was vacationing, my talented friend Brenda Pinnick visited (see my prior blog post on one of the craft projects resulting from our craft brainstorming). After we talked crafts, bought some craft supplies and then crafted a while, Brenda asked if she could paint something on one of my walls. Of course, I said yes immediately (Brenda is a well known artist and an expert at painting murals).

Brenda selected a wall, made a quick sketch and started painting. A gorgeous mermaid emerged from her paint brush. I have always loved mermaids as they are so romantic and whimsical, so I was more than thrilled to have one on my wall, especially since it was painted by a wonderful friend.

Here’s a closeup of her face,  isn’t she beautiful!

Now, is there such a thing as a MerMAN?

Phyllis

An unexpected treasure – a wonderful metal dress form.

Sometimes the unexpected happens – you find something that you didn’t know you were looking for until you see it! Look at this fabulous dress form I found in, of all places, Tuesday Morning.  I was shopping with my friend Brenda Pinnick for unique items to craft with when I spotted this dress form.  Its perfect for displaying aprons (I have several patterns mentally designed so I could “justify” buying it!)

A few months ago, I scoured the internet looking for the perfect dress form to display aprons and found a wicker one that I liked.  Now my wicker gal has a little sister joining her in my studio.

The only downside is that I was at the beach and had to convince my husband that I could pack around it for our trip home – not an easy task with either the convincing or the packing! I know its not the typical beach purchase, but a treasure is a treasure!

Please check back for a Halloween apron that I’m working on as well as for some other special arts and crafts that were created while beaching.

Phyllis

Color, Couleur, Colore, Kleur – Whatever the language, Color rules!

Wow, just imagine – no color!  Think of fall without the oranges, golds, and yellows of falling leaves, spring without the pinks, purples, oranges and yellows of flowers, and summer without the green grass and leaves. What would the sky be without blue or the seas without the turquoises and greens?

I am a color junkie with all of my art and fabrics created with vibrant colors.  I love color and will buy something I really don’t need, just because I love the color. I paint rooms too frequently because its exciting to change colors (some of my rooms have enough layers of paint for it to qualify as insulation).

My close friend Brenda Pinnick has a passion for color and has founded Brenda Pinnick Color U in which she teaches workshops on color as well as offering color consulting. Brenda Pinnick

Its available for everyone from an individual who wants to know more about color and palettes (such as a quilter, sewer, crafter or decorator) or manufacturers who wants to give their product lines a “wow” with color. Also, retail business can have Brenda’s workshops conducted in their stores as well as learn how to use color in their businesses to increase sales.

Since its almost autumn, I want to show you one of Brenda’s palettes that she created for autumn  Isn’t it absolutely the most fantastic combination of colors!

Brenda is definitely qualified as a color expert as an award-winning graduate of the prestigious portfolio school, Creative Circus.  There she studied in-depth color theory as well as continuing to work and study color since. So if you want any advise on color or the psychology of color, then Brenda is the go-to person!

Have a wonderful colorful day! (I’m not trying to brain-wash you, just color-wash you!)

Phyllis

Christmas in January – with Mary Engelbreit

Its always fun to meet someone who you really admire.  At the Atlanta Gift Market last month, I had the good fortune to meet Mary Engelbreit in the showroom of Katherine’s Collections.  Mary was there for a personal appearance.  I have always been a fan of Mary’s as well as appreciate her as a trail-blazer for art licensing.

The past couple of months have been the most hectic of all.  Preparing for two major trade show events in January required hours and hours of work.  Attending the shows, Atlanta Gift Market and CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) were almost like vacations because while they were technically work, I could lay down my paint brush and ignore my computer for a few days.  Plus, its always such fun to meet up with friends.

The day before the CHA show in Anaheim, Brenda Pinnick and I went to Laguna Beach for some much deserved R&R.  We shopped and had a great lunch while watching the Laguna Beach surf (which was very high due to the recent rains).


 

 

Although the shows are over, work continues with work from the shows as well as the work that was still in progress before the shows.

And, I am happy to say that I just finished a new fabric collection and am really excited about it.

I hope you are all staying warm in all this cold and snowy weather.

Phyllis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog Hop with Artists – and Win!

I’m inviting you to join our Blog Hop with the Artists. Each artist will post a  Christmas project, craft, idea or fun project. Play, post and win – a prize will be given by each artist from the comments made on her blog!

How it works –

1.  Between now and November 22, visit each artist blog below on the date listed to Play, Post and Win.  Each artist will have some fun projects, free patterns or crafts or How-to’s for Christmas.

2. Just post a comment on each of our blogs when you visit, and you will be entered for a random drawing of a prize by each artist from the comments made on her blog.

So you can see, its fun and easy and you may win!  Regardless, you will be a winner from the free projects offered by each artists.

This is my first blog hop and I’m excited to be a part it with such talented artists. Each artist licenses her art for products such as gift items, fabrics, table ware, stationery and much more.  Check out their blogs for a chance to win and learn more about each very creative woman.

Today starts with Terri Conrad, so please visit her blog and be sure to leave a comment.

Nov 14 – Terri Conrad

Nov 15 – Brenda Pinnick

Nov 16 – Tori Higa

Nov 17 – Joyce Shelton

Nov 18 – Me!  Phyllis Dobbs

Nov 19 – Cherish Fleider

Nov 20 – Joy Hall

Nov 21 – Barbara Johansen Newman

Nov 22- Sharyn Sowell