Retreat

2 weeks ago I had the awesome pleasure of going to Creative Inspirations Retreat organized by Trizzy(Teresa Crouch) and Vickie Deans in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. As I was still on workers comp with this silly sore shoulder I kept the trip short but I still managed to have an awesome time. There is something special about being in a room with like minded creating types and believe me it was a room filled to the brim with 66 of us in total. Having said that we all had a whole tressle table to ourselves which was awesome. As I was flying in from little ole Humpty Doo I couldn't bring too many supplies and it was kind of fun having very limited stuff to use in the end. Also I wasn't sure my arm would tolerate too much use but my right arm did most of the work and there was no strain or stress put thru my sore arm at all phew.
Knowing some of my new found friends Jinny, Joan and Sharon were coming from New Zealand and QLD was exciting too. Trizzy and I had tried to surprise them by not letting them know I was going too but we suck at secrets and failed big time LOL. Of course also getting to see Trizzy again as well :o) was a bonus too but the clincher for me was being able to do some classes with the likes of Joy Bathie..I had wanted to meet and do classes with Joy for years...and the glitzy mist whiz Linda Baldock. from the word go there were no dramas and Triz and Vickie had everything thought of and organized to a tee.The accommodation was awesome and the meals were divine....just ask my scales when I got back home LOL. There were organized activities and competitions and just freedom to zone out of the stresses of life and connect with art and other people many of whom I knew on line or had even met before.
My first day was a class with Joy. She is so elegant, patient. and a "joy". Her work looks so layered yet seamless and ethereal. Joy had loads of hints and advice as step by step we(15 of us) built up layer upon layer to make a cover for a journal. Of course we all tried anything Joy told us about so we ended up with textured wonders rather the ethereal ones LOL but it was so fun and I adore the end result anyway. Here is the journal finished. I used the image of my Mum at 16 again. I had no glue that would glue the rusty ring down so I sewed it on. I used paints, papers, lace, decorative trim, skeleton leaves, aluminium foil, dressing gauze and much more...it started off blue as well!! Ill add a title under Mum's picture yet and send this too her.

This is the back. 

Here we all are in Joy's class. Joy is in the strpped shirt at the back next to Trizzy and Vickie :o)





Every one's journal turned out amazing and different and we all loved what we made. I only wish I had taken a photo of each persons end result. If you ever get to do a class with Joy go for it.
In the evening I made two cards for two challenges. one was a sketch challenge. I had never followed sketches before as I never plan what I will make LOL. Joan gave me some gorgeous hand dyed material and I used that as the base. As i said I didn't have much with me but it still turned out Ok I think.

and another that was a pink challenge...I'm not into pink that much so changed mine to grungy pink LOL.

Too my amazement both cards won some prizes.Then on the second day it was classes with Linda. What a pocket rocket she is. We decorated a pizza box for this one and played with glimmer mists, killed some chip board and generally got inky.

Trizzy even made everyone a small arty plaque!

My last night in Syn\dney some of us went to dinner and it was one of the funniest nights I have had in a long time.My jaw was aching with laughter. from left to right is Danielle, Vickie, Jinny, Stella, Pauline, John(Joan's hubby), Joan, trizzy and Trizzy's hubby Bruce.

 and atken from the other end you can see me and Sharon on the end.

In an instant it seemed I was back on the plane and home but I have some awesome memories of a fun filled well organized , inky fingered week end. Thankyou so much Trizzy and Vickie :o) for holding such a wonderful well organized retreat.
hugs

Annette In Oz