Craft Sanity

Life happens - it can get crazy.  Sometimes I can't even believe some things are happening in our family.  But it does and we deal with it.  While I choose not to get into personal drama on my blog I can say that everyone is now okay.  I prefer to live my life with little or no drama if possible.  I make sure that I balance myself with creativity and you will hear me say that over and over again.  Getting lost in art is so healing and relaxing to me - it is what keeps me sane. 

After the most recent round of family issues I had the privilege of going out to join Teesha and Tracy Moore on one of their Art Romps.  I wasn't sure that I was going to go, and plans were not rock solid until I got on that plane.  With everything under control on the home front I was able relax in the best way for me. Turns out that all of us gathering together during those 3 days needed and deserved this getaway.

I slept on the plane and woke in time to see the mountains surrounding Seattle.  The land is so very different from Florida and is so breathtaking.  Majestic peaks rising above the clouds.  We landed a few minutes early and my bag came out first.  The hotel was clean and welcoming and I was able to get in touch with a fellow art romper for dinner.  All good things meant the start of a wonderful trip.  Kathy and I had a terrific Chinese dinner (Asian food is tops out here) and visited Starbucks after.  Starbucks here are huge - some serve beer and wine, have live music and fire places and most have a machine called a Clover that makes the coffee BETTER.  More on this later.

We arrived at the studio and were shown to our own work spots, complete with all the tools and pens one needs to get started on a creative journey.  We were shown lots of projects and possibilities and then left to choose (NOT an easy feat).  We also made it a priority to get some collage in our journals so we could take them with us in our evening out.  

 I took some photos of projects and the amazing environment where we worked.  Art heaven!  I loved seeing all of the art that Teesha and Tracy surround themselves with - both their own and other artist friends.  

I ended up on the tool bench having Tracy teach me to use drills and torches to construct a metal and leather journal!

I loved how it came out and cherish my new journal!  I enjoyed making it so much I decided I just had to make another.  So I did.

This time I made it mini and added a bail and chain for a journal to wear as a pendant.  And I got to play with the wood burning tool to texture the leather.  

There was an amazing selection of fabrics under the watchful eye of this owl, including custom printed fabrics made from Teesha's journal pages.  I found it dutiful to do a bit of sewing and fiber arts, so I created a felt and fabric 'thingy' with some of the custom journal fabric.  Perhaps I will sew it on to a bag.

I could fill this blog with lots of goodness from my trip but I won't overstay my welcome in your attention span.  Suffice it to say that it was the picture of a perfect weekend!