Spark 2011 Blogging Panel

of C. Jane Run

C. Jane Kendrick writes, blogs and vlogs at cjanerun.com since 2005. Currently she is a weekly columnist for the Deseret News, co-producer of Provo's Downtown Rooftop Concert Series and spokesperson for several projects, including Basa Body--a company helping women in Kenya. Most of her time is spent with her two children (soon to be three) and actor/producer husband Christopher E. Kendrick. She likes coming up with nicknames for people she likes, dancing in public and staying spontaneous against the tide of scheduling. She's either free-spirited or has no idea what she's doing. Or both. Probably both.

of Sweet Life in the Valley

Hi! I'm April Atwater. I'm a mother, photographer, recycler and yummy treat maker. I love classic jazz. I love to create, everything from sewing a denim picnic quilt to photography, creativity is in my blood. I grew up all over the U.S. It gave me the love of travel and exploring. I love fine chocolate. Have you tried Amano's Chuao? It's divine. Good food is a must! Alice Waters and Julia Child are my demigods in the world of food. They both have passion for life, food and the art of living. Motherhood is the greatest thing in life. It is a honor. It is joy. I would have life no other way.

I stumbled upon social media and have become pretty good at it. I teach social media, speak at blogging and social media conferences, co-founded the Social Media Club of Utah Valley and the Utah Bloggers Meetup. In 2010 I started my own magazine, Simply the Sweet Life-simple little things to make life sweet! . You can read it at SimplytheSweetlife.com We are the first home & garden magazine on the Kindle & Kindle app. I'm in the processes of creating my first cookbook with two very talented women for Simply the Sweet Life. I've blogged at SweetLifeinTheValley.blogspot.com since 2007.

I'm social here:
on  twitter @sweetlifeinthe  
on Facebook SimplytheSweetLife 

on Youtube SImplytheSweetLife

of Petit Elefant

Hi.  I’m Allison Czarnecki the founder and editor of Petit Elefant which has been around since 2007.  I live in Utah with my amazing husband and two kids, a daughter age 10 and a son age 5.  They’re adorable and always messy, which is why I’ve posted their photos, so I have photographic evidence of them sans mud.  My Polish {totally relevant to the story} husband and I met in college and have been married for 12 years.  We love to travel, camp, swim in the ocean, and eat at great restaurants when we’re not slinging a sledgehammer in one home improvement project or another.

 of One Charming Party

As a young child I always loved throwing little parties for my friends and dolls. My favorites were always the tea parties--with sugar loaded herbal tea, mini sandwiches and cookies. My mom was a great example, she was always hosting awesome parties at our house. I would sneak down at the end of each party and bask in the glow that lingered. When I got older my mother started a small catering business. Because of her company I had many opportunities to help at big events and see behind the scenes. When I became a mother I continued the tradition of party planning and found great joy in planning fun parties for my husband and four children. 

About 3 years ago I started a local party planning business in Utah and began blogging in a small way. But I really got into blogging when I started my website called One Charming Party. As I focused my blogging on one subject, children's events, I started to connect with others who were also interested in this topic. After a few years I shifted my party planning business to online sales and took on a business partner (Sara Westbrook, who's amazing ideas have since charmed our readers almost daily). Our business continues to grow, thanks to blogging. 

*************************************

And then there's little ol' me. April of Secondsister Suaviloquy.  I'll be the moderator, a job I've always wanted for the power it wields.  I am currently working on my Larry King voice and curt question asking skills.


As you can see, we have a major power panel. These women have so much combined blogging expertise I think they could take over the blogging world tomorrow. Okay well maybe not take over, but at least beautify it.  Each panelist specializes in something a little different from the rest. I am confident we will be able to answer all of your blogging questions


Please don't be shy. Email me with your questions.  Oh and make sure you link up on last Monday's blog post!


Email questions to: secondsisterjewelry@yahoo.com

Mady Sunshine

Ladies, ladies, ladies. I've got to introduce you to one of the artisans that will be at the Spark Handmade Market this year!


Her work is amazing and creative and just plain adorable.  

Hey everyone!  My name is Marci Welcker and I am so excited to be a part of the Spark adventure this year.  I live in a small town in Utah right under the big beautiful mountain that you will all see when you come to Spark.  I have lived here my whole life and have decided that it is where I am meant to be. 


My 3 beautiful girls keep me busy and bring so much spunk and wonderment to my life. I am married to my best friend, who also is my craft show cohort.  We started a little business, Mady Sunshine Stitcheries & Such 10 yrs ago.  My oldest daughter, Mady, and I have stitched our little hearts out while my husband has made wood frames, painted, and put together many a picture. 


We have done shows as far away as The Farm Chicks in Spokane, Washington,which was a dream of mine, and spent time together doing shows in Bear Lake, Utah as well as St. George, Utah at the Dickens Festival.  He recently retired from the craft show circuit and told me he would be happy, however, to help me do one at our little farm, Fallow Field Farm.  So we have had two marketplaces at our house and that has been awesome! 

I recently added some new products to my line-up and am trying my hand at selling a few old things here and there.  I drive a big yellow school bus part-time as a substitute and love to work in my garden.  Plants are my passion....as well as fabric, art journaling, Christy Tomlinson's online courses, scrapbook paper, ephemera, all things old and rusty...the list goes on and on.  I love my life, it's a great one!


I am easily sparked!  I find my creativity mostly shows itself when I am just laying down to go to bed.:D  I am inspired by fabric, blogs, the sky, anything old, wood, color, books, magazines, paper...it comes at the oddest of times and the weirdest things can trigger it.  All I know is I love to use my talents to create things that make people smile.

Marci is giving away a $50 gift certificate to her shop, MadySunshine.com.

MadySunshine.com

MadySunshine.blogspot.com

FallowFieldFarm.blogspot.com

FallowFieldFarm.etsy.com

Please leave a comment on this post and a winner will be picked at random and announced next Friday.

Happy weekend girls! Do something creative!

making magic

When planning for Spark begins, one the first things that is decided is the look and feel that we want for the event.

A big part of this is the color scheme. Oh how we love a good color scheme!  This year, we sent a "style file" over to Alisa. This file contains a large collection of pictures that as a whole make up the overall feel we are trying to create.  She worked off the elements and colors found in those images and created graphics that gave us the definitive look of Spark No. 3.

We are so excited to see how the event comes together. Every year, it's like magic.

Tell Your Story

The Spark partners all use our blogs as a creative outlet. It is a place to share the creative work we do. Composing posts exercises our "writer minds". We love, love, love to search out inspiration from other blogs.

Blogging is a relatively new creative venture for many people. It has opened up a whole new world for artisans and crafters.  Inspiration can be found world wide.

This year we decided that blogging needs to be a part of Spark.  So many of us connect though this medium. We are happy to announce that we will be having a blogging panel at Spark 2011! This part of Spark will be called "Tell Your Story". We want to help you develop the kind of blog you have always wanted.

We have some simply amazing bloggers that are excited to be participating.  Our panel will be announced next week so make sure to come by and check it out.

In the meantime, we want to hear what you want to know!  Bring on the blogging questions!  We want to cover a wide variety of topics so don't be shy.  Please send your questions to April at secondsisterjewelry (at) yahoo.com.

And we want to see your blogs!!!  Link up girls!  Let's get to know the Sparksters!

I finally did it!

So I finally made my wreath! I'm so happy with it and it's a good thing because they aren't cheap to make if you have to buy the plants.  I guess I could have made a smaller one, but come on, if you are gunna do it, you might as well do it up big!

Here's a challenge for you this fine weekend:

Get inspired. Find a spark!

Get a project going!

Lots of love,

April

Friday Giveaway Winner!

Hey Yall Spark Girls (and guys) out there!
We need to pick a winner from our Fabulous Friday Giveaway for the She Art Online Workshop!

I loved reading all about what everyone's favorite memories were! thanks for sharing.. our winner for the

Workshop spot is...

Veronica! (who posted May 6th at 4:03 PM)

Congrats sweets!
email me with your name, email info and I will get you into the workshop!!
Hope you all have a wonderful day :)

Christy

Warms my heart Wednesday...

Hey Spark Sisters...

as i thought about my post today so many things popped into my mind that i thought i would want to share with you today...

as we are planning the event, brainstorming ideas for classes, decor, creative partners and yes even the  food i am amazed at all the details there are in putting together an event like Spark...

we want it to be perfect...

we think about and plan and design every little detail...

yesterday April and i spent a couple of hours on video chat brainstorming...

i LOVE these sessions...

i love catching up...

i love the back and forth of sharing ideas...

feeling so inspired...

we want to use this sight to inspire you as much before the event as when you get here...

in my everyday life i feel like there is so much beautiful inspiration out there in this creative world that to not share it is a waste...

it's HUGE sharing what you are inspired by...

what you create...

it's such a waste to not share creativity...

Spark is that...

at least that is what we want it to be...

we want to Spark creativity...

last night as April and i were sharing ideas, Sparks were flying...

i am so excited about what we are planning...

about the teachers that are planning amazing workshops...

in the coming weeks we will be sharing more...

we want you to share with us too...

so today on this rainy, grey, cold supposed to be Spring day i want to share some sunshine...

{i live for sunshine by the way}

if there isn't sunshine today outside i am going t create it inside...

i pulled this from MY pintrest...

it makes me happy...

if you are not pinning you should be...

warning:

a little like creative crack...

i can spend hours on Pintrest...

pinning...

and re-pinning...

makes me happy...

when i am feeling a lull in my creativity i look at all the amazing things out there...

it's a great way to share ideas, creativity and what inspires...

so today i will face this grey, rainy, cold supposed to be Spring day with Creative Sunshine...

i hope today you make time to do something creative...

kiss kiss

m.

More Market Stuff

Hi there.

It's Monday.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing in your world?

One thing that can be said about Monday is that is full of possibilities.  That's a fact.

So on this fine Monday morning, we want to share some fun facts about the artisan market.

This year we are going to have a very diverse market.  We are searching high and wide for people who are passionate about what they make.

We are bringing in artisans that will "spark" your creativity and also build a super fun place to buy one-of-a-kind items.

Many of the categories are already full.  We are still open to people who crochet/knit and sew.  We would love to see some quilters apply.

Also, we wanted to let people know that you can sell supplies.  If you have some vintage items like ribbon, buttons or ephemera you would like to sell, please fill out a form.

And girls, let's not forget to set some money aside to spend at the market.  I've started a little fund in an envelope tucked away next to my knickers where it is safe and sound.

Here's a printable envelope for you to do the same.

Click on the graphic to print it out full size.

What sparks you?

This succulent planted in a book was my spark this past weekend.  It reminded me how much I love succulents and that I really have been wanting to make a succulent wreath for, like, a million years now. And why don't I do it already?

So I am.  This week I will gather up my supplies and go to work.

I'm wondering. What has sparked you lately?

Do tell.

-April

Happy Mothers Day and Friday Giveaway!

Hey yall! It's me Christy! I know it's not officially Mother's Day.. but I wanted to wish you all wonderful Spark women out there.. Happy Mother's Day from me! I hope this weekend is Fabulous for you all :)

Today is Friday and that means a fun giveaway!

If you love online classes.. you are going to LOVE this! Today we are giving away a spot into my current online Mixed Media Workshop! The SHe Art Workshop! This is a such a fun workshop and you learn so many great techniques for creating backgrounds and textures on Canvas! plus learn how to make my "She Art Girls"!  Perfect for celebrating us as women! 

To get entered to win.. simply post on todays blog post and tell me what IS your favorite mother's day memory!? it can be about your mom, yourself, a friend.. grandma.. sister..

Can't wait to hear your stories!
Let's celebrate this awesome holiday weekend!

Happy Friday and Happy Mother's Day!

Hugs!
Christy

The Teachers

Gooooood morning girls! It's a new week.  Breath deep! The possibilities are endless!

Let's kick it off by announcing the teachers for Spark 2011!

Christy Tomlinson will be teaching a She Art inspired collage class.

Amy Tan will be teaching a fun clothing alteration class.

Emily Falconbridge will be back by popular demand to teach a new technique using felt.

Jen Jensen, the desert rose, will be teaching a uber creative paper craft class.

April Meeker will be teaching one of her favorite past times, stamp carving.

Alisa Holland will be sharing her unique aesthetic with Spark Inspiration!

And...

Mindy Gledhill will be joining us to lead a creativity workshop and share her gift of song!

Margie is our official cruise director. She will be milling around, cracking jokes and making sure that all our guests have everything they need.

We are so excited about our teacher line-up this year.  There will be a little something for everyone. Each class will be unique and unlike the others.

There is one more "mystery" teacher that will be announced once we nail down the details of that special class.

We will be featuring each teacher and the specifics of the class they will be teaching in the weeks to come.  

Make sure you subscribe to the blog so you know when those features are posted.

Now go find a *Spark* of creativity in your day!

The winner of Rhonna's Friday giveaway was picked at random and is #26

Robyn W said:

"right now...the weekend does...."he" is finishing off the painting in "my" room....and i am sure my "spark" is in there...cannot wait to move back in and find it !! have a great weekend"

Yeah Robyn! Please send Rhonna your email info!