Post Vacation Adjustments

Coming home from vacation is always an adjustment.  For me, getting back from Seattle means adjusting back to Eastern Standard Time (that 3 hour time change does make a difference!), going back to work (being at the office 9 to 5 is not nearly as exciting as making art all day!) and coping with the difference in weather (from spring-like conditions back to winter).

I saw my first robin of 2013 last week in Seattle and it did my heart glad.

Just one of several I spotted last week!

Luckily the robins haven't arrived back in Ontario just yet, as they would have been shivering in the snow this week.  We've had 36 hours of snow in the past 48.  The first 24 hours was heavy and wet, more rain than snow in my neighbourhood which meant heavy, messy and slushy.  Last night's snow was light and powdery, which meant we woke up to some very pretty wintry scenes.

 

Check out those snowbanks!

 

I love how the lamplight glows golden in the corner of this photo:

They put this sign up outside my office building today but it was too late.

After all, the snow had already been falling for two days!

Just a little snow in the parking lot! :)

March arrives tomorrow and I'll be counting the days until spring officially arrives on Wednesday the 20th.  And until I see that first robin here at home.



Catherine's Car

One of the ladies I met at Art Romp last week was named Catherine. She drove down to Seattle from Vancouver, which is about a 2.5 hour drive.  She drove this car:

Isn't it just the coolest?

It is absolutely covered with stuff.

Hey Wilma!

She told me she has no trouble getting through Customs, as they're usually too interested in her car to bother asking her any questions about what she might be trying to bring over the border. :)

I think it's great that Catherine has such a large, mobile advertisement for her artistic talents, don't you?

She really is an amazing woman. 

Unpacking

I didn't unpack more than I had to when I got home from Seattle on Sunday night because it was so late and I was too tired.  I cuddled cats, watched a bit of the Oscars and just did what I absolutely had to before falling into bed.

I didn't unpack when I got home from work and grocery shopping last night because I wanted to wait until my cleaning lady came for her bi-weekly visit today before I made the place look like an explosion of art supplies and dirty clothes.

Now that my apartment is all clean and tidy, I'll probably wait until tomorrow night to empty my suitcase.

In the meantime, Maggie is making herself comfortable.

A Whole Lot of Awesome

On the last day of our Art Romp workshop, we all sat around the dining room table in the late afternoon under this delightful chandelier

and had a show and tell to wrap up our week.  We each took a turn showing what we had made. 

There were Teresa's metal journals (4 of them! Each one more amazing than the one before)

 

 

She stamped the Desiderata poem on
the cover of this book, one letter at a time!

and this luscious one made by Lisa.

Catherine's fabric journal cover

and little fabric pillows

Journal pages from Colleen

Sandie

and Cathy.

Speaking of Sandie, she has just posted a great summary of our week, including lots of photos (some of yours truly) on her blog - click here to check it out!

Besides my little metal journal, I started a journal page

and sewed a fabric cover for a journal that is yet to be made.

I finished this a mere 5 minutes before the
show and tell began!

Let me tell you, there was a whole lot of awesome around that table!  The creativity was flowing strong this past week and I have no doubt it will continue to do so for all of us.  Stay tuned!

Heading Home

Alas, our Art Romp experience has come to an end and it is time to pack up and fly home.

The hardest part of an art workshop is packing up your stuff to go home - did I buy too much, is my suitcase over the weight limit, how did I ever fit all of this stuff in my bag in the first place?? 

The saddest part is saying goodbye to this awesome group of people I have come to know and love over this past week.  What an amazingly talented bunch of women! Thanks everyone for such a special time and especially to Teesha and Tracy for making this workshop so awesome!

Catherine, Sandie, Teresa, Tracy and Colleen

Norma, Cathy and Lisa

Lisa, me and Teesha

My Little Journal

I've spent the past two days making this little metal journal at the feet of the master, Tracy Vaughn Moore. 

Front cover

Spine

Back cover

Inside back cover

Was just about to finish it today, only needed about 10 more minutes to attach the other end of the clasp, when the power went out in the neighbourhood!  Luckily we were just about to leave for dinner so no harm done but my little book will have to wait until tomorrow to be complete.

Can't believe tomorrow is our last day, I will be very sad to have this wonderful Art Romp come to an end.

Wednesday in Seattle

Diner breakfast = pancakes the size of dinner plates, which we had ordered to share and still couldn't finish!

A photo by the water in the chilly morning, especially for the ladies from L.A. and Florida on the right!

Checked out the novelty items at Archie McPhees.

Visited the Freemont troll.

Browsed the Freemont vintage mall (alas, no treasures found).

Suzette made some new friends.

Had a peek at the Space Needle.

Drove by the Pike Place Market.

Had lunch and made a little art at the Annex, T 'n T's studio in downtown Seattle.

Catherine, Cathy and Teesha

 

Norma and Lisa

 

A stroll along 1st Avenue, checking out the intriguing shop windows.

Watched people feeding french fries to the seagulls outside Ivar's Fish and Chips.

A visit to Carla Sonheim's studio.

The results of the blob-hunting drawing exercise she shared with us.

A Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant for dinner - more sharing of delicious food.

Another full and very enjoyable day!