Melissa Frances was MY assistant!!!

In April, I went to Terri Brush’s Art Camp. LOVED IT!!!



Super long post…. limited photos because my camera is broken so I didn’t get a chance to photo-record this fantabulous adventure. I’ve included  photos of the jewelry and mini album that I made at camp. One of my new-found friends, Kathy, did a great job of photographing the experience, check out it out here.

Where do I start describing it? The first evening was a time to gather and meet each other. Lots of laughter, some wine, and hors d’oeurves. Campers came from all over! Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, California, and Canada… and lots of locals from Washington and Oregon. A fabulous blend of women.



I met several really great friends that I hope to keep in touch with. They are wonderful, wonderful women.

Experience levels ranged from none, to beginner, intermediate, to advanced and professional. We learned new techniques from each other and as the creativity flowed we bounced ideas back and forth. It was really cool to see all the different creations. These women are amazing!!!



Terri brought a group of five women (love you!), one of whom has been featured in Where Women Cook magazine, to cook and care for us. The meals were full of great comfort food with lots of salads, bowls of fruit, and cheeses on the side. The chicken salad was my absolute FAVORITE!!!!

On Friday and Saturday we had jewelry classes. Terri taught Molten Lava (same class that I took with her mid-March) and Amy Hanna taught us beading and wire wrapping. It was so cool to see everyone start with the same basic kits and come up with such different pieces. Many campers worked into the night making additional pieces or experimenting. Most people brought a collection of beads, vintage jewelry, findings, and such to create with. I didn’t, but I will next time!!!



Terri Brush and Amy Hanna are very genuine and down-to-earth women. Super creative and very open to sharing their gifts and knowledge. It was a pleasure learning from them.



Jenny Doh, Crescendoh, was our speaker. For me, the message was that our lives are beautiful even with (or maybe because of) the imperfections. At first I though Jenny was aloof, but later when I had a chance to converse with her in a small group I realized that she is very well spoken, intense, has a great laugh, is very focused, and strong, inside and out. I hope that our paths cross again.



On Sunday, Carolyn Peeler taught a mini album class. Carolyn is the Senior Creative Director for Melissa Frances. Again, we started with the same kit but each book was so different. Each cover was a masterpiece! I made my book for Charlotte.



Carolyn is a great teacher and will be teaching the same class, among others, in Italy and other parts near and far. Lucky girl! She is really a lovely person. Her work is gorgeous and filled with vintage and vintage-inspired lusciousness. Delightful!!!



So after the class on Sunday, I was sitting around and Melissa Frances came to sit at my table. It was pretty cleared up and the table she had been at was cluttered. She was working on making some samples for an upcoming episode of MyCraftChannel. Well, since I had nothing left to work on, I offered to help. Melissa was under the gun to get samples done and was having a super busy week ahead with not a lot of studio time built in and still need to pack for a 3 a.m. departure. At this point it was about 8:30 p.m. Her creativity mojo was not working in her favor so she said she was happy to do the grunt work, pasting and cutting, while I and another camper did the creating. What a blast that was!!! To work with she gave us a heaping pile of ribbon and embellishments, and paper from her new product line, soon to be released!

Watch the episode here: www.mycraftchannel.com/Shows/Melissa-Frances/Melissa-Frances-A-Treat-for-You/



That was a fabulous end to an amazing weekend. The next morning I was off. I drove up the coast from Lincoln City to Canon Beach.

Thank you for letting me share this fantastic experience with you! I’d love to hear about art retreats or workshops that you’ve been to, please share!

Desiree