Silver Bella...Finding Your Art Sisters

I have been back from Silver Bella for several days and I am still exhausted! It is a magical time and so much is crammed into a few days. You will see many beautiful pictures of Silver Bella on the internet. Mine are probably not among those! I was so busy that I only had time to grab my camera or quickly hand it to the next person to take a picture. 

To me, the greatest thing about Silver Bella is the people. Our thursday night project was titled "Art Sisters." Finding those sisters is what is all about. Often it is someone with whom I have shared a "blog friendship" and can now meet in person. I was delighted to meet many people that I had communicated with during this year. Laura Kaufman of 52 Flea is one of them. She is charming and kind. I instantly liked her...just like I do on her blog! I wish I had taken a picture of Laura. Robin Thomas of A Nest With a View and I got to see each other again after becoming even better friends through our blog friendship. Robin is very real and hysterically funny. I treasure our friendship. 

Sometimes the friend is someone who 

has done a special favor. Pat May of The Whyte Paper is one of them. She created Moo-like cards for me before Silver Bella (Moo Cards are tiny little business cards that people trade). At the time of getting ready, I had simply spent too much money to consider ordering the real thing! I wrote to Pat on her Etsy site and asked her if she would create cards from a picture I had. She did...for free...and with a wonderful sense of generosity. I was delighted to meet her and her equally lovely daughter and look forward to continued friendship with her. 

Sometimes it is a friend from the year before. Denise Nelson of Pink Pomegranate, also known as Pinkie because she loves pink so much, is a friend that I met last year. She is incredibly talented and equally unassuming. You must go to her blog to see what she makes. I am now lucky enough to own one of her paper shoes and will share that soon. I hope that someday I can visit her store in California. 

Sometimes the friend is someone who just wrote one the the best on-line books you have ever seen. Do go read Amy's book if you haven't already. It is beautiful and charming, just like Amy Powers of Inspire Co. Amy has been kind and welcoming to me since I attended Silver Bella last year.

Sometimes it is a new friend who shares her knowledge, her materials and her talents openly. Peggy Lucas (Peg 'O My Heart) ended up in almost all of my classes. Many people take beautiful pictures at Silver Bella. Peggy offered her pictures to anyone who wanted to use them on their blog. To those of us who were totally overwhelmed and didn't take every picture they wished to take, that is a huge gift.

Sometimes it is a friend who you met the first time when you were only twelve! Jane Paulson went to Camp Tepeetonka with me when we were just youngsters. She looks just the same! She really does! The beautiful woman on the right is her daughter, Emily, who is uproariously funny and quite the artist, just like her mom.

Sometimes the friend is the head honcho herself, Teresa MacFayden. Teresa has been more than gracious and welcoming to me (and others). She puts together an amazing conference and still has the air of a good old "Midwestern girl." 

Sometimes the friends include a whole table. This group worked so beautifully together, sharing ideas and materials so effortlessly. It was the best of Silver Bella.

Then there is the friend at the left. That one is Donna Robinson. A true sister in every way. I do not have a picture of her alone, or a picture of Donna and I, because she was so busy pushing my wheelchair and being the "Nazi" who told me to stop when I was playing too hard. She was the one that made sure I ate well and went to bed on time. Because of her, I got through the weekend in one piece. She is a dear, dear friend and someone who is always there for me. 

Silver Bella. To me it is all about friends, finding your Art Sisters.