Wednesday, November 17, 2010

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. 


18 comments:

  1. It looks like you had a wonderful time with your art sisters! I can't wait to see what you made!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful time for you, Suz! Loved all the photos of your beautiful friends...such talented women gathered in one place--how fun!

    Thanks for sharing your special memories with us, my friend! Hope your day is just lovely...

    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  3. ooo Suz
    what a wonderful heartwarming and inspiring post ... sounds like you had a most wonderful time and that is really lovely!!!
    oxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm glad you had so much fun! I love "Pinkie". Lucky you to have met her!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Suz;
    It sounds and loooks like you had a fabulous time. I don't know how you do it, I am glad you had your wheel chair to sit in though.
    Many hugs and blessings to you dear one!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Suz....I know that is what draws you to this huge event! All of the those wonderful sisters to lean on and learn from.....to laugh with, AND sometimes cry with! We do need each other don't we? Thanks for sharing this post with us....I really enjoyed reading every word =)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Finding art sisters is truly the very best part!

    Suz, your sachets are ALL stunning!! But then, I knew they would be!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Suz~
    I have been waiting for this post and devoured every word of it. It would be so wonderful to go to Silver Bella some time but for now I will enjoy reading your and other's words about their experiences. The smile on your face in every picture says it all. Your sachets are amazing..I'm sure the recipients were delighted!
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
    xoxo
    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  9. A lovely tribute to sisters of all kinds. Looks like so much fun for everyone. Thank you for sharing your photos and friends. Beautiful day to you...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Suz you are one of a kind! I am truly glad I finally got to meet you. I am just sorry that we didn't have any extra time to really sit down and visit! I know our paths will cross again, so we can just hold on to the memories we all shared from this year. I have more pictures to share and some are of you the night we did the swaps, so check back because I have one of you!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, I love how your wrote this and the camaraderie shared by your sister and the art filled creations! Amazing experience; I am so happy you went~ I hope someday, but thanks for sharing! It is wonderful to read about the experience shared and how the art community is so welcoming~

    ReplyDelete
  12. Suz,
    I'm SO sorry I didn't get to meet you during Silver Bella! I've been following your blog and well with almost 200 women there didn't share any classes with you!

    I agree though about the amazing sisterhood of the event! What a great group of women! I posted about that last night.

    I hope you don't mind, but I didn't take a lot of photos either and the photo I DID take of Amy Powers was too dark to share.......and you are right, Denise IS very unassuming and quiet, although I saw some of her creations in classes together and commented on them, she is SUPER talented! Again, I hope you don't mind, I captured her image as well and will give you credit for the both!

    I'm sad that I didn't get to chat with you or share a class! I had a wonderful time as a new "Bella," I hope to return next year, what an event!

    Hugs and love,
    Shell
    (And if you stop over at my blog you can take any images (ugggh I'm a horrid photographer) from the Event as well!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Suz,
    oooohh!!! It sounds like you had such a great time. And all the women you get to meet-like the who's who in blog land. What a treat! Thanks for sharing the experience for those of us who long to be there!!
    xoxo
    lynn

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Suz, it was so good to finally meet you. You all made the first class that I've given on this scale a big hit because you were such a fabulous group of lovely people. I will never forget it.
    xoxo
    Colette

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very well put dear Suz. It went too fast! I loved hugging on you. You are so gorgeous. I love that Donna as well.

    Ahhh. Sigh...

    ReplyDelete
  16. You write about friendships and my latest post is a friendship card - yes, life is all about friends. Great photos and so enjoyed reading about Silver Bella. We have nothing such as this in Scotland, which is such a pity. Lynne M

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a wonderful group of girls! What did you gals make?
    Amanda
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow girl, you WERE among wonderful friends :)
    I'm so happy to hear it was a blast and your smile surely indicates that you had LOTS of fun :)))))

    ReplyDelete