Embossing powders, seriously?

Apparently, they're back. No way!?

Some of the jars of embossing powder on my shelf must be 15 years old, because a) I'm thrifty and b) how can magical melty stuff not be worth keeping, right?

What I remember liking about them back then is that they melt (!), they make a stamped image easier to colour in, and they can give a sharp and finished look.

What I'm liking about embossing powder these days is how I can play around to get faux finishes. These are tags I produced in the Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry classes. They make me think of leather, old metal, and pottery. I'm having fun, and I hate to tell you, but I've even bought some new embossing powder - shhh!

The Call of the Classroom

We are so fortunate to live in these times with so much access to fantastic teachers. It can be so tempting to take every gorgeous online class. I know I'm not alone in overdoing it sometimes and finding myself out of touch with all of them.

I also fear that, in my case, the urge to take classes seems to escalate when I am either too busy or not feeling inspired. I suspect that I hope to absorb all the inspiration through my skin and it will pour out of me, all without any conscious effort or time commitment on my part!

I have been focusing on technique classes lately, to flex my creative muscles, get my hands dirty and play with some of my less familiar supplies. I caught up with Claudine Hellmuth's Technique Toolbox and I'm now elbow deep in Tim Holtz's Creative Chemistry 101 and 102. My goal isn't to make art that looks like theirs, but to extend what I am able to do with what I have.

In fact, it is always my fear that my work will end up with a certain look. Back in the day, I didn't want my choice of fabric in quilting to lead people to say "Oh, don't you just love Debbie Mumm?" or scrapbook pages that scream Basic Grey. I want to take those materials and use them as elements in a unique work. I think Tim Holtz products worry me that way, but happily I have been getting some very Kelly results so far, and I am finding the Distress Range far more versatile than I expected.

Are you looking at any classes this season?

I have my eye on:

Silhouette (cutting machine) Classes from Kerri Bradford

Blogging from the Heart with Susannah Conway

The always tempting (but I've never succumbed yet) Lifebook with Tamara Laporte

Diane Culhane's Table Top at Carla Sonheim's site

and Carla's own Gelli Plate printing class.

I hate the feeling that I might be missing out, but I clearly can't do all of them! And I still have 3 months left in a couple of year long projects, that I would like to finish off properly. I think online classes have their uses, but I think that it is easy to get sidetracked. I think I may just need to show up at the blank page for a while and get some of my own work out.

Retreat Re-entry

re·treat  (r-trt)

n. 
A place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security.
A period of seclusion, retirement, or solitude.
A period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, or study: a religious retreat.
- selected definitions from The Free Dictionary

The instinct to withdraw, for a time, from everyday life to rest and reflect is an old one and a particularly common one amongst seekers of all kinds. Many churches seem to honour this, by providing space and opportunity for retreat during the year. Outside of such structure though, there seems to be a growing recognition for this human need.

I have just returned from the magical Red Fox Retreats' first magical offering... Unravel Your Story. Brace yourself for the cliches. It was wonderful. I am not the same person I was when I arrived there. I will never be the same. I carry everyone there in my heart. Cliches maybe, but so so true. The amazing women hosting us, Sas, Susannah and Meghan, held the word "nourish" at the heart of all their planning and created a magical, safe and healing space. 

Today is a day of reflecting on that experience and gentle re-entry into the world. I hope that I will have more to say about it all, here and in my journals. I will certainly have photos going up later today.

I would love to hear about your retreat experiences, whether spiritual, creative, personal, individually or in a group.