INSPIRED much?

"If you listen to the clouds, you can hear the music"
- Mackenzie, age 4

can you hear it?
do you hear ever those whispers Kelly Rae Roberts speaks of?

they were screaming at me when I was considering attending

Donna Downey's Inspired. Artist Workshop

.... and I am SOoooo glad I listened .....

THURSDAY 12 noon - 1 pm: The Glitz Girls' Acrylic Album
My 1st mini-workshop of the weekend was with these lovely, lovely ladies -- and they are every bit as gorgeous on the inside as they are on the outside. They Inspire me with their creativity, business sense & ability to juggle home & family life (12 children between the 3 of them, people!)

One of the 1st people I met at Inspired was this lady, Donna Gotsch.
She & her friend, Debbie are a freakin RIOT & really set the tone for me for the rest of the weekend -- I CANNOT believe you were EVER shy & quiet, Donna!

... I took Donna's "Beadles" workshop on Thursday afternoon ... ... and so, of COURSE I had to buy & drag one of those 10 lb UTEE pots home in my suitcase!

THURSDAY, 1 - 3 pm: Lance Anderson's YOU ROCK Album

Unfortunately Lance was stuck in Utah due to weather, so the workshop was cancelled .... but at least this forced me to have lunch, which I had forgot to schedule in for myself (though I was soooooo tempted to jump in on another workshop)

Here's Lance once he DID arrive at Inspired -- is he excited or what?!

Okay, now THIS is the REAL Lance:

He's just pretending to look gruff for the camera -- he was kindly trimming all my paper for the album, whilst teaching his other workshop -- so it's ready to put together whenever I DO get around to it
THURSDAY, 4 - 5 pm - Christy Tomlinson's "Beautiful Life" Hanging Album

Christy (mother of 6) is the owner of ScarletLime & spoiled us rotten with product galore.

THURSDAY, 5 - 6 pm: "It's a Wonderful Life" Framed Layout
Shere Jamison is a real sweetheart & a fantastic teacher .... can't wait to finish this one

THURSDAY, 8 - 9 pm Rebecca Gawryl's "No Place Like Home" Wallhanging

I freakin LOVED this project from the moment I saw it posted.

By this time of night, some of us were getting pretty darn giddy. I don't know why, but those teeny tiny birdies with their squished heads & bent beaks were just crackin me & another girl up --- too funny.

Suffice to say, I didn't get much done on this project that night either,
but just look at how much FUN we're havin!

THURSDAY, 9 - 10 pm: Teresa Collins' Clearly Transparent Album

Teresa, mother of 5, & her son, Zach, showed us how to use that scary bind-it-all machine I've always been afraid to try. Luv, love, LOVE all her creations, so was nice to meet her in person.

Some of her sample pages -- hopefully my album will soon look like this, too.

THURSDAY, 10 p.m. til MIDNITE, people!!!!
okay, since I'd ONLY signed up for 10 extra mini-workshops, and had ONLY been "artin" since noon, I mean WHY NOT sign up for ANOTHER workshop at 10 o'clock at night?!
I spotted Debbie still sitting at the table after Teresa's class, happily getting ready for Shere's 2nd class of the day; so I thought what the hell; if Debbie's keen, then so am I; Debbie's fun & I'm too keyed up to sleep anyways.

It turned out to be one of the few workshops in which I actually finished the project

These really are MY ALBUM pages you're looking at:

It's one gorgeous little album, ready to put photos in - LOVE IT!
.... so after an entire 5 hours of sleep it's now:

FRIDAY, 8:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.: Metal Embossing with CHERYL freakin DARROW!!!!!, owner of TENseconds studio in Texas

Now SHE is HYSTERICAL!!!!!!

I always enjoy meeting someone even more sarcastic than me!

OOOoooh, the possibilities with embossed metals ......

Thank goodness I happened to sit beside THIS lady. Karen works at Cheryl's studio & was very helpful when I was so clueless about all this metal embossing stuff --- now I'm hooked!!!

FRIDAY, 12 - 3 pm: PORTRAIT PAINTING?!!! with Paulette Insall
I was really looking forward to this class, I think because it just seemed so out of my realm; and I was hoping to learn enough to be able to attempt Paulette's on-line classes in the future.

MY painting -- so far
(she's not finished yet, of course)

On the first day of Inspired, I was by myself, getting breakfast, scouting around for some dear soul who might take pity on me & allow me to sit with them; I spot some girl sitting by herself, so I invite myself & plop down. We start talking - it was PAULETTE!!!!

It was the perfect start to a perfect weekend.

FRIDAY, 3:30 - 6:30 pm: Can you believe it?! ~~ I'm freakin SEWIN'!

OOoooh, I wish I'd thought to get someone to take a photo of me doing THAT!

Susan Edmonson taught a wonderful Fabric Album class - very free form which was GREAT for me, because I had been a bit worried - had even brought the Fabri-tac along & had seriously planned to just glue stuff down ... 'til Susan said, "oh no you won't!!!" ... so then I decided I was gonna get 3 pages done, no matter what they looked like ... and I did!!!

Here's the first page I made ...

(does my hair even look a bit more crazed after this class?)

I was soooo pleased with the results.
Had NO plan when I started; tried some of Susan's cool stamps & then just started sewing. LOVE this idea of sewing with no patterns or rules or even a plan

Karen made this gorgeous wallhanging - the photo really doesn't do it justice.

Just a few of the many, MANY wonderful women I met throughout the weekend ....Karen, Dove, moi, Sherry & Fannie, in front. Lovely, very TALENTED ladies.

(Visit their blogs to see beautiful photos of their finished projects)
Well, so far, it had been a very FULL day, both mentally stimulating AND exhausting ... and we were ready for HAPPY HOUR! Sooo MUCH FUN with new friends: Debra from Wpg, Dawn from Saskatoon, Angie from Edmonton - had forgotten how much I miss talking to Westerners - people from where I'm from, who know where that actually is & just speak my language; hard to explain but there's something about talking to people from where you grew up -- too much fun!

We never did get a picture of all 4 of us -- too busy running off to more workshops -- however, this is Debra & I in Toronto airport after a very full weekend of artfulness & very little sleep.

.... and then it was back to more workshops .....

FRIDAY, 8-10 pm: "Little Pieces of Life" Wallboard
I was really looking forward to TENA SPRENGER's class - but by the end of this long day, I had lost all concentration .... this is Tena with her sample .... I finished mine at home & will post my version later .......

... after a quick 4 hours or so of sleep, it's already:

SATURDAY, 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Polymer Clay with Tejae Floyde
Rather early in the morning to be "arting", after just a few hours of sleep, so was grateful for a very relaxed and therapeutic class of just playing with clay.

LOVE my chunky watch bracelet - and YES! I finished it right then & there!

My favourite photo:

Paulo taking a photo of ME taking a photo of HIM!

SATURDAY, 12:00-3:00 pm: Jennifer Stewart's Kicked Up Canvas Collage
must.keep.going.must.keep.painting .....

I'm so glad someone took a shot of me actually doing something!
Another project I couldn't wait to make .... love all the vintage schtuff on it!

SATURDAY, 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Carol Wingert's Travel Folio Album
LOVE this lady's "Creatologie" kits.

Look at us, all sassy in matching black, co-ordinating with Carol's album! MY front cover:
so halfway thru class, guess who comes strollin in, servin' up snacks!
Thank you, Donna, for your creativity ... your passion ... your energy ... You INSPIRE me!

on the flight home, as I watched the sun slowly sink over Lake Ontario,

I wasn't thinking this was the end of another journey ....

... it's merely the beginning .....