It Begins...Finally!

Well finally it has happened!  You see I have this marvelous space in my basement that I had always hoped to utilize for more then my own use - and - it is beginning to happen.

Last week I had my first group and taught my first class here in my wonderful workspace.  I already have ideas to expand just a little bit to accomodate more people.  How lucky I am to have this opportunity.

I would like to share the experience of the evening here with this post.

Seven lovely ladies participated in some journal making with me that night.  Of the seven, I would say four of them had experience with mixed media and paper arts and three were "crafty" ladies, but much of what was shared, was very new to them.  The most important part of the entire evening was that they all enjoyed themselves, maybe learned or at least tried something new and left with a journal made by them.

Besides the journal making project I was lucky enough to have my very dear friend Rebekah Meier there to show her wonderful mixed media work and walk them through some of the great features of her line of products with Thermoweb.

Kits were put together for each person with all the materials needed to complete their journals.  Of course one of the main features of this session was to use Eileen Hull's Journal die from Sizzix.  Some of the participants have never seen or used a die or die-cutting machine.  After a quick demonstration on how the Sizzix Big Shot works, each were able to crank away on one to cut the covers for their journals after learning how to cover them with different materials.  The use of Rebekah's Mixed Media Adhesive sheets made this process easy for them.

Instructions continued on how to construct the journal and how to lace the elastic through the spine to hold the signatures for the inside of the journals.

Once the covers were together, with the use of Super Tape by Thermoweb, and the elastic was threaded through the spine and a second piece was added for the journal's closure.  Now the fun could begin - Embellishing!  Also a quick explanation and demonstration was given on how to create the signatures for the journals.  Three different signature covers were shown plus information on what can be used for covers and pages.  All were left to just have some fun and enjoy the process!

So  the evening ended with everyone completing a journal, plus trying some new things like tools, products, techniques, materials and ideas!  What more could I ask for?  Maybe more time!

I thank the class participants, Rebekah Meier and Eileen Hull for designing wonderful products to teach and share with others!

Happy Creating & Crafting!

Rebekah Meier Designs
Eileen Hull Designs
ThermoWeb
Sizzix