I have returned!

Wow, i feel liked i haven't blogged in forever! it was a busy few months for me, but now i am home for awhile. I've just returned from Connecticut where i was teaching at the art retreat, Art-is-You. I say this every year, but boy did we have a blast! It is a very low key, but enthusiastic, creative art retreat. Dear friends and new friends have been made here. Each year gets better and better. Yes, I am busy, busy, teaching, vending and participating in activities, but I wouldn't have it any other way. This year Jo Packham, of Where women create, took my soldering class and gave a lovely talk during our Sunday night dinner. I even took a day off from teaching to take a painting class with Laurie Meseroll.

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Thursday morning I planned on getting my booth set up for vendor night, but instead ended up taking a FUN class with Sue Langley Pelletier, where we made super cute snowmen. I'm glad i took a break and participated. I made a darling little snowbirdie. You must take a class with her, it is simple pure freedom to play and create with very few rules.

here's Colleen in the perfect snowman glitzing stance

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On Thursday night, we had a little evening activity called "Art Crawl", where a few of us decided to dress for the retreats theme of "The Wizard of Oz". I dressed up like Glinda and Jane dressed up like Dorothy.

after "Art Crawl", some of us ended up having a little too much fun at the bar and ended up participating in the now famous 2am flamingo races:

(don't even ask what i am wearing, i don't know myself!)

Scott and i; he ended up wearing my Glinda wig and i ended up sporting my top hat
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This years charity, Little Baby Face Foundation, raised over $5000. Next year's charity was picked and its our very own Marlene's, Honey Comb Cottage. (she was VERY surprised!)

the girls themselves, Ellen and Sallianne

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Andrew and I. He's looking dapper!

Jo working hard at her soldering

my soldering class hard at work. All 15 of them finished their necklaces (14 in class and one finished in her room later!)

Jo and i model our necklaces

Lucy proudly models my crown and necklace (she's a bit of a celebrity, so she has to wear her shades) btw, the crown is a class i will be teaching at Art-is-You 2011.

good friends (taryn, jane and di)

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after our bus trip to Elephant Trunk flea market - it was fun!

a day of painting: my friend, Pam and her daughter, Kasey, drove up from NYC for the day to take Laurie Meseroll's class with me. we sat in the back and had a grand time!

our table at dinner for Jo Packham's speech

Miss Queen Bee herself, Marlene!

the last night of the retreat (at the bar). we totally adopted our bartender, toni; what a great sport she was to deal with all of us. hopefully she'll be taking some classes with us next year.

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also, if you haven't been keeping up, i'm having a blog hop - you can read all about it here!