Nancy Wethington

I'm here to tell ya . . .

Missy Jaycox http://www.missyjaycox.blogspot.com/  is one of the most talented people I know.  Really.  It's an honor just to see her work.  She thinks up the most wonderful things and we all just look and think "how did she think of this".

Besides all that she's quiet (sometimes), fun (always) and unassuming with a ton of personality.

Here's the gifts we got from her this morning at breakfast.  The "crew" from For Keeps Sake enjoyed breakfast at the famous "Blue Owl" restaurant in Kimmswick, MO.  Delicious!

  Isn't he the cutest?  And yes, he's already on my tree!

If you're ever in the neighborhood,

check out the Blue Owl

http://www.theblueowl.com/

and definitely save room for dessert!

Kathy O

Each year one of our good customers and students generously gives us an ornament - that she painted!  She is a fabulous painter - her attention to detail is amazing.  Here's this year's ornament:

Isn't this fab? He's only 4" tall x 2" wide and such detail painting!

Thank you Kathy!

Today . . .

is my last day of full time work @ For Keeps Sake.  I started as a part-time clerk when I was still in the travel industry.  Then decided this was my passion and it was time to follow my dream.  So moved from part-time to full-time to instructor to manager.

Although I'll still remain at For Keeps Sake as an instructor . . .

it's time to follow another dream

of traveling with Bill . . .

enjoying the scenery . . .

and finding interesting places and treasures.

Hope to see you soon in one of my upcoming classes

@

For Keeps Sake Scrapbook

Reliving the weekend . . .

as I unpack and put away all the great gifts and projects from Holiday Hideaway.  Margaret and Phyllis gave us this adorable set of ribbon.  I love their packaging and the tiny charm attached to the top of each one.  Before you run off to the hardware store and pocket all their paint strips, I think they probably got these from Club Scrap - only because the names are so cute and the back of each strip is printed with gorgeous papers:

 

What a darling way to stuff a stocking for your scrap buddy!

Presents from Tim

I know Tim's knickname is Santa Claus.  I've personally witnessed this.  And Aleeta was our table elf.  Everytime the song "These are a few of my favorite things" started playing.  Elf Aleeta would have to spring up from her chair, find Santa Tim, grab 6 gifts for our table and give them out to us.

Here's one of them:

Tim's 2008 stamps - miniaturized

and produced just for us!

Notice the title of this set - Holiday Hideaway 2008.

Santa Tim is unbelievable!

Charm Swap

We traded charms at Holiday Hideaway (all 42 of us!).  I decided to put them on a book binding.  Although these will be totally redone and spread out more, here's a look-see:

Still unpacking

gifts and goodies from Holiday Hideaway.  Here's two more projects we did with Tim.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig . . .

Totally doing the happy dance as I'm unpacking projects from Holiday Hideaway 2008.  What an incredible experience.  When invited to something like this, there are just no words to describe this ultimate art-ful experience.

As promised, here's a few of the projects we did at HH 08:

(This is a photo of Tim's doors. 

Mine crashed and burned in the hallway, so must start over with this project.)

 

 

Bookbinding with Ten Seconds Studio Tin

 

Missy's - Sue's - Mine

Altered Birds!

 

12x12 Altered Word Canvas.

Most letters are grungeboard.

So, the pies de resistance of the entire weekend - Tim invited us over to his house.  We got an entire tour including his studio!  OMG am I really sitting in the same chair that Tim Holtz sits in when he creates.  Can't be happening.  But it was and we had a fabulous weekend of unimagainable projects.

Thank you Tim.

Thank you Mario for all your deliciously prepared home cooking.

Thank you Michelle for all you do to keep things running smoothly

(even if you are behind the scene until Sunday night!)

Thank you Karen (aka Keychain) & Sharon & Kim & Auntie Pearl 

for helping put everything together.

You will never know how inspiring all of you are to me.

Yesterday . . .

Another day with Tim and his unbelievable techniques and imagination. 

• bookbinding - a totally different technique from the day prior and equally fascinating and gorgeous

• triptych with 3 canvases put together to create 3 Christmas doors.  Wait until you see this one!

A shop-til-you-drop gift exchange involving your favorite thing from your favorite store in Prescott.

Today . . . shopping with Tim in Jerome!

You just can't even imagine . . .

the projects we have made so far at Holiday Hideaway.

Tim outdid himself - again!

Yesterday we created 3 different altered art projects:

• learned a new book-binding technique (watch for this soon @ For Keeps Sake)
• an altered 12x12 canvas with word play!
• and my fave so far: an altered bird

Now these may not sound so very exciting right now.  But just wait until I post the photos when I get home!

Tonight, one more altered project - think 3 doors with your very own address on it!

This is awesome.