I was away the end of last week, in Phoenix at our Spellbinders design team training and what fun we had! Jeff & Stacey Caron, Spellbinders owners, were the most gracious hosts and the most fabulous people you'd ever want to meet! My deepest thanks to them, once again, for inviting me into their family, for all they've done for the team so far and what I know is yet to come . . . hang on to your seats, folks, because Spellbinders is going to be rocking the papercrafting industry this year!
It so much fun to get to know all the other designers and staff members and I wanted to share a few photos. First, my roommates for the trip:
L-R: Fabulous scrapbooker, Sally Lynn MacDonald * My Paper Salon & Paper Crafts stamping idol, Jennifer Ellefson * Fellow Splitcoast Dirty Girl Alumni, Linda Duke <== Click on their names to visit their blogs.
Me and Stacey Caron:
What a pleasure it was to meet Stacy (and Jeff!) -- It was amazing to see how similar our styles are, not only in stamping & papercrafting, but also in wardrobe and home decorating!
An amazing bonus to our Spellbinders training was a training session by Marianne Walker from Copic (yes, as in those fabulous markers we all know and love!). Marianne is a wonderful graphic artist and product specialist for Copic and she shared a lot of interesting techniques and color theories . . . I can't wait to try them out and show all of you some great tips I learned:
Above, Marianne was teaching us all how to use the Copic Airbrushing System and here I am giving it my best first shot:
I'll have to show you all later, what I came up with! On top of getting to play with all of our new toys, we are all Copic Certified Designers now!! It will be a fun year ahead, combining these wonderful tools together (Spellbinders & Copic) and I hope you all will join me in the journey!
Here's a group shot of all of us our last night together in Phoenix:
L-R: Stacey & Jeff Caron, Me, Sally Lynn MacDonald, Michelle Klomp, Jennifer Ellefson. Standing tall in back: Holly Craft & Jeni Calkins. Kim Hupke (design team coordinator in blue). Top right: Linda Duke & Cathy Chlebana (senior designer). Middle right: Wendy Weixler, Heidi Blankenship & Donya Schroeder. Bottom right: Beth Pingry (senior designer) & Eli Harlan (media relations editor). (<== Again, click on the highlighted names to visit these additional blogs)
As soon as my box of goodies arrives at my house tomorrow, I'll share a photo of all the loot we got from Spellbinders and our preferred product providers . . . it will blow your mind!! Also join us tomorrow morning for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. Until then . . .
Gosh...how exciting! I'm glad you got to go.
I can't wait to see all you have to teach us :)
Posted by: Pat S. | January 17, 2008 at 07:29 PM
I'm thinking the same thing Pat S. just wrote. Sounds like you had an exciting trip and I cant wait to see what you learned.
Posted by: Lynn | January 17, 2008 at 09:36 PM
How very special for you, Sharon. And how wonderful for all of us that you will share so that we increase our skills using these fabulous products. Can hardly wait!
Posted by: Sue B | January 18, 2008 at 05:01 AM
Oh wow, how exciting and it's always so much fun to meet fellow stampers and artists, we are so glad you go to go and have such fun but couldn't you have sent some warm weather up to the NW Illinois?
Thanks for sharing
Karen in very cold IL
Posted by: Karen Wallace | January 18, 2008 at 01:53 PM
Wow that looks like you had lot of good educational fun and wonderful people to be with. I would be really interested in an airbrush refresher as I just can't get it to work consistently for me and it seems more hassle than fun to start it.
Posted by: Etha | January 18, 2008 at 01:54 PM
oh, you are so lucky to be on that team! Of all the teams that is the one I would love to be on most--maybe next year I will make the cut, so to speak! Thanks for giving us the insiders view!
Posted by: liannallama | January 18, 2008 at 02:15 PM
Looks like you had a blast, Sharon! Welcome to the two teams!! :D
Posted by: trudee | January 18, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Oh my heavens! I'm friends with a Copic Certified Designer????? You need to stay a couple of extra days in CA to give me private lessons girlfriend!!!!
Posted by: Jami | January 19, 2008 at 12:24 AM
Wow! How exciting for you to be a part of the Spellbinders Design Team. Your training retreat looks like it was tons of fun. I can't wait for you to show us the cool things you've learned.
Posted by: | January 26, 2008 at 07:15 AM