I feel like all of my favorite blogs have decided to never update anymore, boo. But then I realized I am not updating much either. So, here I am, deciding to be the change I want to see in the blogosphere and updating my own blog.
This week is Poppytalk’s Fall Colors Week for 2013. Monday was “Golden” and while I was at work I had this idea to use gold paint on leaves. Instead of picking gold leaves, I chose red to make the gold pop. I had to rush home after work and put it all together before the sun went down. The picture did pretty well (for me at least) on instagram and was even featured on Poppytalk’s post for Monday colors. Weeeeeeee!
Here is an out take where you can see the metallic paint better.
Today’s (Tuesday) color is Red. We will see if an idea pops into my head today. Join in on the fun, you can do one day or all days, no pressure.
Two weekends ago I went to the annual All Day Craftextravaganza (the third year), only this year they asked if I would be interested in teaching a class! I was very flattered and of course jumped at the chance. It took me a bit to think of what kind of things I could teach, but then I actually came up with a whole list of options and let them decide. They went with Make Your Own Notebook. Naturally, as the event got closer, I started to get more and more stressed and worried. I wanted to make sure that everyone was able to make something they really loved. I prepared goodie bags, a class information sheet, and each student could make a perpetual calendar (that I designed above) as well as a notebook of their own design using an assortment of paper I provided (similar to the travel journal above). After the fact I realized that a lot of the stress that I caused myself was because I waited too late to prepare AND I wanted to make sure everyone was happy and they had options. If I had it to do over again, I would have everything ready way ahead of time (ha) and there would be only one option. I also think that some ease would come from the past experience, so if I were to teach the same class again I wouldn’t be so worked up because I would have already done it once before. Everyone that signed up to take the class was really sweet. There were 10 students in all. One person already had a notebook binder but had never taken it out of the box. Another person was so excited that she already scored her own binder by the end of the day and planned on making all of her Christmas presents using it. So, I would say the class was a success!
I ADORE your painted leaves. Congratulations on the class and all the learning/inspiration that occurred in the midst of it!
I am completely smitten with your wreath/photo – so whimsical and so autumn! No wonder it was featured on Poppytalk. Love love love!
Every teaching experience I’ve had is as you described. It’s always so so hard because you want everything to be so so right. The thing is, like you said, each experience builds on itself and you’ll be ready for the next class (although I’ve never been able to do all the prep far ahead of time – cramming is just how I seem to roll). Now if only you would teach classes in, oh, Virginia! ;)
Yes, I love those leaves! I didn’t realize you’d used gold paint, and now I love them even more! It also took me a while to catch on that This is fall colors week. I maybe cheated and posted a photo I took a couple days ago of some mushrooms, but it dawned on me yesterday at about 11pm that fall colors week was happening (I’d been thinking about it over the past couple weeks, wondering if/when it was going to start!) so I’m glad I got something up. This is actually my first time participating in any “colors” week, so I’m excited! Will be fun to see what you come up with. Also wish I could have taken your notebook class!
Love this project! And it could come in handy here in Phoenix where the leaves don’t usually change in the fall. I may just have to paint some fall colors!
I hadn’t heard about Poppytalk’s Fall Colors challenge – I’ll have to check that out. (And get creative about what I post, since leaves aren’t changing here. :)
PS I totally get that being ready way ahead of time is way harder than it sounds.