Lizzy

There are a couple things certain about SPARK!! There will be over-the-top outrageous decor and such treasured details that make this event stand out above others. There will also be so many creative teachers and other influential ladies that will knock your socks off... so bring an extra pair. 

And the one aspect that always blows me away are the brilliant ladies that attend. Yes, you! Each year the students are what make the event what it is. Everyone brings there own glowing spark and by the end it is a full blown firework show with how much our friendship grows, how much creativity is shared & how much fun was had! Whether you come alone or with your girlfriends by the end you'll have new Spark sisters!

The first year we hung up all the students pictures on each side of our gathering room. For the second event we had everyones' photos in a jar on one of the days and each time seeing all our Sparkette's smiles really moves us! 

I am so excited to see your glowing faces this Fall!!

Number three is going to be brilliant!! Margie and her amazing team are orchestrating each moment to be magical!

Can't wait! You don't want to miss it!

xo, Lizzy

Lizzy was one of the founders of Spark along with Rhonna Farrer , Jefra Starr Linn and Margie Romney! Right now she is a blogger over at Dear Lizzy. She has a craft line with American Crafts "Dear Lizzy." She also recently launched Something Splendid: inspiring online workshops ranging from Felt Cupcakes to creative mini albums. She also loves chocolate, in case you were wondering.

paper coterie

One of major sponsors for Spark #3 is Paper Coterie. If you haven't checked them out before, stop reading this and click over. Right now.

Paper Coterie is a company that I believe in whole heartedly. They are doing things the right way. Their products are the best quality on the market. I've toured the building where they make their products and I've seen how much of the work is still done by hand because they are unwilling to compromise quality. 

Paper Coterie is in the business of helping people save memories, and celebrate friends and family. 

And they have a passion for creativity. 

So.

They want to sponsor someone who needs a little "spark" of creativity in their life to come and be part of Spark this year.  

This person could be you. Is it?

Here's what you need to do:

Create a one minute video telling us why you really need to spark your creative spirit.

Upload it to YouTube and send the link to me. 

(secondsisterjewelry@yahoo.com)

We will be posting the top videos and picking a winner on September 5th. 

Entries are due by August 31st.

*Paper Coterie will sponsor the registration fee for the winning entry. Please note that travel expenses will not be included.

Start filming! We want to hear from you!!!

April

remembering last year

Look at this adorable video Nancy Wyatt put together! Nancy is helping us out so much this year! We love her!


Spark the Event 2010 from Nancy Wyatt on Vimeo.

welcome cathe!

Sometimes serendipity works it's magic in such a way that you can only stand back and scratch your head. 

This is what happened:

We unexpectedly had one last class to fill and we were a little worried and stressed. I had been emailing creative women to ask them to write a post for us on what sparks your creativity. I have been following Cathe Holden's work, like, forever, but I didn't know her personally.  So I sent her an email through Flickr asking if she would be interested in doing a blog post.  She answered that, yes she would be happy do the the post but she was hoping that I had contacted her to teach at Spark because she loves what we are all about.

And there you have it. Serendipity. Cathe is a dream teacher. She can do just about anything. I mean, have you seen her blog? Really? It's amazing.

And she's a delight to work with. We are over the moon excited to have her as part of our team.

After successful careers as an agency art director, design firm owner, graphic artist & illustrator, Cathe gravitated toward creative blogging and all sorts of crafting with an emphasis on repurposing and a passion for vintage style. Inspiring others through her blog, JustSomethingIMade.com, she has had projects featured in and is a regular collaborator with Country Living magazine. Her blog was recognized as Flea Market Style magazine’s Best Vintage Artist’s blog to follow. She is a weekly creative blogger for SC Johnson’s Family Economics since 2008. She lives in beautiful Petaluma, California among the dairies and vineyards with her husband, Jeff, and three teenage children.

Stay tuned because we will be introducing Cathe's and Donna's classes in the next couple of weeks and, belive me, they are super fun!

Cathe is taking Alisa's spot as one of our teachers. Alisa has some health issues going on in her family right now and she needs to focus on being there for the people she loves. We hope she will still be able to come to Spark and meet everyone and most of all we hope and pray for good health for her family.

Don't forget, we just offered split payments, so register today!

April

Okay girls! We have a little somethin' somethin' to help you out. Check this out.

We want to help those of you who would like to come to Spark but are having a hard time parting with the complete registration fee all at once. We don't want money to keep anyone from coming! SO- we decided to offer a split payment program.

You can make three payments of $120 due on the 9th of August, September and October.

Please contact Megan if you want to take advantage of this offer.

meg.sparktheevent@gmail.com

We love Dear Lizzie!

Here's a little glance into the Spark Soiree we had last Saturday night at Dear Lizzie.

Spark the Event No. 3 Soiree from Spark The Event on Vimeo.

If you were there, thanks so much for coming! We loved getting to know you just a little more before the event.

If you missed it, connect with us through our Spark Facebook Page.  We want to hear from you!

Mindy, Margie, April

Mindy's baby boy is due in just a couple weeks. Isn't she just adorbes?

Photos and video shot by Megan Aslett.

Dear Lizzie Soiree

We are getting so excited for Spark this year! We decided to have a Soiree at Dear Lizzie like we did last year. Everyone is invited. Please come. Mingle. Laugh. Eat a cupcake and start the sparking!

hear ye hear ye!

A call has gone out to all the land from our dear sweet Rhonna Farrer for talented people, like you Spark girls, to join her design team!

Rhonna will be launching her new website in just a little while and she is really ready to get her designers in place.  You can read all the specifics on her blog.

Also, make sure that you click on over to her Facebook page and like Rhonna Designs.

We love our little sass pipe. Here's hoping some Sparksters can become her designers!

What sparks You? Katy Dill

There have probably been a handful of times when I have fallen asleep before Ryan in our 11 years of marriage.  Post-surgery and post delivering a baby are among those times.  Those few minutes that I truly have to myself, when I know our 5 girls are asleep and Ryan has just dozed off are packed.  That's when the blueprints for my projects are initially created--in my mind.  I imagine sewing details, how I'm going to construct something, what colors I envision it, the details right down to the buttons and handwork.  

ruffled bloomer tutorial

Once I have a clear vision of what I'd like to produce, it's hard to keep my mind (or hands!) on anything else.  If my hands aren't doing something, I fell unproductive.  Even sitting down to read a book, I'll think, If I could just listen to an audio book I could enjoy literature and be productive!  I've always been that way.  I used to crochet during recess in elementary school (that and play tether ball).

ruffled cLOVEr dress tutorial

Of course, not everything I conjure in my mind during those quiet moments at night come to fruition.  I have had my share of "failures".  Recently I started making myself a Maxi dress.  It was in white linen, and I could imagine myself and my 8 month pregnant belly in it, with photos on the beach and how I would cherish having those photos.  The further into it I got, the more I knew it wasn't going to work out...for me.

all in the details sundress tutorial

And it was disappointing, like seeing a beautifully photographed cake and attempting to recreate it, only to end up with a crumbly, bland mess.  So, I altered my plans and it turned out to be a darling summer dress for my oldest.  I think that's part of the creative process that gets overlooked sometimes.  We see other people's creations, the finished and polished projects and assume the road there was a straight and smooth one.  Creativity, like anything else worth doing in life, takes work, perseverance, and sometimes alternate thinking.

a biased skirt tutorial

I don't think I'll ever outgrow the need to create.  Once my five girls (and whomever I am carrying right now) are grown and gone...I'll have grand children that will need me to sew for them, right?

hand pieced and dyed lace skirt

Ryan and I are the parents of 5 girls with another little one on the way.  I don't have any formal training in clothing design, just trial and error and a couple of high school sewing classes.  When my hands aren't busy sewing or taking care of my family, I enjoy baking and playing the harp.  We hope to sell everything we own (except the harp and sewing machine) and move abroad one day with our baby Dills.

Katy Dill is the amazing blogger/mom/seamstress behind the successful blog No Big Dill. She is one of those women that inspires on so many different levels you just wish you lived next door to her so that you can suck up some of her creativity through osmosis.

Class preview: Stamp Carving

Just in case I haven't screamed it loud enough, I'M TEACHING AT SPARK!!!!

Finally, I get to teach stamp carving. I've wanted to teach it the last couple of years and it just hasn't worked out for one reason or another.

So this year, as a creative partner, I said, "By damn, I'm teaching stamp carving." And Margie said, "So let it be done."

I'm a wee bit passionate about stamp carving. It's so relaxing and rewarding.  It's easy enough to do with your kids. You can take it along on trips because the supplies are small. It isn't expensive.

So, if you are still sitting on the fence about coming to Spark, this is me, yelling for everyone to hear, Come! Please come! We are going to rock the cazbah. We are going to laugh and create and commune. 

You need this. Really. You do.

And I want to teach you to create your own custom stamps. 

Also, everyone needs to hop on over to Margie's blog today. She has big news. She needs some Sparky love. Let's smoother her.