It is hard to believe that a little over a week ago, this was just a faint sparkle in several eyes. I know I had been mulling it over for a year, the teacher's had also pondered it but what made it a reality was you, our customers, students and blog followers. So thank you for being the catalyst that made one of our dreams a come true !
On behalf of myself, Bobbie, Holly, Jackie and Medeah, I'm ...
The inaugural Paper Crown retreat will be held the first weekend in April on Friday, April 4th and Saturday, April 5th.The weekend retreat will be a celebration of all the jewels we have right here in our hometown, Oklahoma City. The classes will be held at Paper Crown, the instructors are all our "peeps", and the excursions all in our backyard. But don't worry, I promise we are pulling out all the stops and sprinkling it all with glitter making it an amazing weekend. Dorothy said it best " there is no place like home."
Retreat agenda
Thursday, April 3rd- Welcome Dinner
This dinner is optional and although not an official part of the retreat, we thought it would be a great way to start off and an opportunity for all the ladies to meet. We will choose a restaurant, hopefully with a room to ourselves, a little closer to the retreat date. Each guest will be responsible for their own dinner.
Friday, April 4th
We will begin the day by meeting at Paper Crown at 9:30 am. After a lite breakfast, coffee and tea, we will start our first class around 10. Each of the four classes offered at the retreat will be approximately 3 hours. Some might take a tad longer and other a bit shorter, we are artists you know, but that will be our general guideline. At 1 pm we will enjoy a delicious catered lunch that will leave you with plenty of energy for the afternoon's activities.
We hope you will want to participate in a swap or two so the first swap exchange will follow lunch. Whether or not you participant in one, both, or just sit out the swaps is totally up to you. Please do as much or as little as you want.
Girls can't live by glitter alone so we thought we could caravan to one or two of our favorite vintage/antique stores. You might discover a new favorite or find that perfect treasure for a new project. No afternoon would be complete without a snack and then it's back to Paper Crown for our second class of the day. Around 7pm we will wrap it up and head to a restaurant for dinner. All of Friday's activities, except for any purchases made while shopping and dinner, will be included in the retreat cost.
Saturday, April 5th
At 10am we will meet at Paper Crown for a quick breakfast, our caffeine fix and begin the first class around 10:30 am. After a morning of creating, we will break for a delicious catered lunch around 1:30 pm. Our second swap will take place after lunch. Even if you choose not to participate in a swap, it is an ideal time to be inspired. I guarantee you will go home with your mind swimming with ideas for new projects. The final class of the day will begin around 3pm and we should be done around 6:30pm. We will end the retreat with a final good bye dinner at a restaurant. All of Saturday's activities, except dinner, are included in the retreat cost.
* this is a proposed timetable and may change a bit, we are still in the planning stages
Our Artists and Projects
Bobbie Sanders
Bobbie has taught at Paper Crown for several years and has carved out a spot for herself as the "Queen of the Soirees." Bobbie's over the top holiday Soirees are loved by all and make us wish there was a holiday every month. When Bobbie isn't creating the next great project for a soiree, she is having fun being "poppy" to her adorable grand daughter and will be welcoming a new grand baby this summer. Visit Bobbie at http://mycreativelifediary-bobbie.blogspot.com/.
Jackie Peters
Where do I begin to describe Miss Jackie? She has taught at Paper Crown since the beginning and her touch is on everything at the store. Not only is she incredibly talented but such a great cook: her classes are not only creative but very tasty. I am so very glad she entered the crown contest almost 9 years ago because it changed the course of the store. You will never be disappointed in a "Jackie" class! Visit Jackie at
http://goodgriefgirdie.typepad.com/blog/.
Jackie's project is a vintage inspired wall hanging with a fun " secret" mini book.
* This photo was not approved by Holly but I love it and miss this stage of life- hope it was ok Holly
Holly Abston
The only thing we don't like about Holly is we just don't see her enough! Holly is an incredibly talented artist but more important, a great wife and mother to backseat full of smallish kiddos. There are shouts of joy when she can get away to teach a class. Holly's talents are many and it is always fun to see what she is going to teach. Visit Holly at http://hollyabston.com/.
These frames are made with vintage wallpaper so they will all be different.
Holly will bring a beautiful selection so you can choose your favorite.
Medeah Kitsmiller
Medeah is our mixed media guru. You can tell she used to be an elementary school art teacher because her classes are just fun. Medeah's projects are all about the process and you never leave a class without learning a new technique. You also will never leave her class without a good conversation. It's like taking a class from a close artsy friend. Visit Medeah at http://medeah.blogspot.com/.
Medeah's piece is this bird themed encaustic piece on a cradled wood panel.
Swaps and a Contest
What art retreat would be complete without a swap or two? We would love to have two swaps but have decided to leave the theme up to our guests. I know many of you have done these in the past so we are hoping two of you will step up to the plate and take charge. We will jump in and help wherever needed but we know you are a creative group and would love to see your ideas!
We do love a good contest so we have decided to have a name tag contest. We ask each participant to create a name tag that tells us something about themselves. After spending a few days together, we will decide on the winner Saturday. Name tag winner will be awarded a $50 gift certificate to Paper Crown.
Accommodations
We are hoping our retreat will not only draw from the OKC area but also some of you who have been following us through our blogs and facebook. We have a variety of hotels close to the store and would be happy to give you recommendations. We are also currently talking to a few about getting special rates for the weekend. Unfortunately these aren't finalized but should be next week. If you are coming from out of town please call the store, we want to make sure and give you a special Oklahoma welcome.
Registration
Registration for the spring 2014 Paper Crown Glittered Retreat begins today, February 1st. Space is limited and only those paid in full will be able to register. Cost of the retreat is $400 but we are offering an early bird special of $350 for those who register before March 1st. After March 1st, the price will be $400. Payment can be made through Paypal, calling the store with a credit card or just stopping by. All sales are final. If you are unable to attend any or part of the retreat, your kit/kits will be available after the 5th.
Your Retreat Fee includes:
4 classes and all supplies, excluding basic kit
4 class favors- one from each teacher
Glittered Retreat welcome bag & goodies
4 class drawings
8 giveaways
breakfast Friday & Saturday
catered lunch Friday & Saturday
Snacks and beverages throughout Friday & Saturday
many other surprises both large and small- we have only been planning this for a week- I know there are some things we haven't thought of!
We are excited to share this weekend with you!
Let the creative adventure begin!
