Let the Fun Begin!!

IT'S HERE!! IT'S HERE!! At long last, my Artfest confirmation package has arrived!! Man I can only imagine the scenic route it took to get here, especially since my friend Penn got hers a whole week ago!! The ironic part is that because I am Canadian, I am one of the first people to get to send mine in and here I am probably the last one to get confirmation. I point a finger squarely at the postal service!!

Anyway, regardless of how or when it got here, I am just happy it did. I am also really jazzed that I got all my first choices of classes!! Here's what I am taking:

Thursday: LK Ludwig's Mixed Media Naturalist.
I am excited about this because I love going on photo shoots with my son and I think it will be really cool to learn how to use some of those photos in my art. I am going to use a mix of my photos and his-it will be a cool thing to have a book made with both our work in it. His photos are amazing.

Friday: Nina Bagley's Pocket Book of Parlour Questions.
This one got my vote because well...it's Nina, one of the most gentle, sweet spirited people I have ever met and it's a book. Love books! Any shape, any size. MMMM Books!! Now I just have to get some cool cab cards to use in the book. That should prove interesting.

Saturday: Kristen Steiner's Tool Box of Creativity.
I have learned that on the last day of any retreat, your brain is pretty much fried from seeing and experiencing so much and from a distinct lack of sleep so it's always best to take something that is within your comfort zone. (Well at least for me personally.) Kristen's class looks like so much fun-like some little secret present for yourself. I love the idea of making a special box full of goodies, to be taken out and savoured at a later date. I think this is the perfect way to wrap up all the goodness that is Artfest and take it home with me for inspiration on those days when the creative well feels like it's running dry. I can just go into the little box and find the magic all over again. How great is that?

I also see in the info packet Teesha sent that on Thursday night there are parties listed in the evening. Plural. With an "S"! More than one! How will I decide which one to go to?!?! I wonder if you can party hop? *grin*

Last year I went to the Journal Bonfire Party down on the beach. There is this big beachhouse down there and there was music playing and people were sitting around making art in each other's journals. You just plunked yourself down, introduced yourself to everyone and then people would ask if you wanted to make art in their journals. I loved that! It was a great way to meet people in a bit of a quieter atmosphere than the dining hall. Also there were drinks and the makings for S'mores and hot dogs. There was a nice bonfire going outside on the beach so you could roast your marshmallows or weiners. I actually ate a hotdog-something I have not done in years (They usually make me ill.) and it was *SO* yummy! I also got to work in journal 172 of the 1000 Journals while I was there, which was cool. TIP: If you click on the header that says "Production Blog" and then click on the archive for March (on the left handed column), you can read about the film crew's experience at Artfest. The crew is making a film about the journal project and followed two of the journals to Artfest. Perhaps I will be in there somewhere, ever so briefly, if I don't end up on the cutting room floor!

Anyway, the countdown to AF can now officially begin for me. You know one of the things I love best about AF? 361 days of the year I am someone's wife and someone's mother and don't get me wrong, I love that I am both of those things. but for four magical days of the year, I am just ME. The purest part of who I am. Artist, creative, authentic me. It's so freeing to be able to take that time away from my daily life, all the responsibility I shoulder and just do something to feed my soul for the pure joy of it. That is why I go. Okay that and to meet all the other great creative spirits that "get it".

It's about 6 months away and I know that time is going to fly by! ONE HUNDRED, SEVENTY EIGHT DAYS AND COUNTING!!