Oh my word… Austin was so much fun! The multi-talented artist/designer Alyson Fox. Twelve amazing women. Delicious food. And, this crazy beautiful house…

Gah! Alyson’s home is amazing, and we were so lucky that she offered to host GIRL CRUSH right there in her stunning glass living room. And yes, there is an outdoor shower… not that any of us used it… but we totally could have! We spent the morning getting down to the nitty gritty of our creative souls – things we love, things we want, things that scare the $#&% out of us. Side note: I cannot even tell you how shocked and amazed I always am by the caliber of women that attend GIRL CRUSH. This was the sixth one I’ve done and, as usual, my mouth dropped open as they introduced themselves: writers, photographers, teachers, painters, designers, “financial advisors” who may or may not be on the run from the FBI, and the list goes on.

As the girls were working on a few inner-critic assignments, Alyson, myself and Kelly {my invaluable helper for the weekend who happens to be the woman behind the fabulous blog, Design Crush} set up for lunch:

Best napkin bowl ever, right?! Well, it’s not really a napkin bowl, but we put napkins in it just so we could leave it out on the counter! Now, all of that talkin’ really works up an appetite, and so we feasted on an amazing lunch that included chick pea stew, roasted potatoes, smoked salmon, salad, and home made roasted-red pepper dip  … all of which was prepared by Alyson. Geesh, between her house, her artistic talent, and her cooking… my girl crush on Alyson just tripled!

So, after lunch we’re supposed to move on to making collages for the afternoon, but the conversation was SO GOOD, that we just kept on talking… but, of course, we took a mid-afternoon break for these bad boys:

YUM! Peanut Butter Cup (cake), French Toast with bacon, something that seemed like double chocolate with chocolate goo inside… oh my word, these were so good! The lovely ladies of Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop generously supplied these sweet treats for our afternoon tea party… and then, just like that, there were none left. Mmm. And as if a ton of sugar isn’t sweet enough, we also got a surprise visitor part way through the cupcake binge:

What?! Magda Seyag?! Yep, another of my favorite artists, who happens to be from Austin, heard that GIRL CRUSH was happening and asked if she could pop by. Um?… YES!! I have loved Magda’s knit-bombing work for years, so I was so excited to meet her. She didn’t miss a beat – she arrived, grabbed a cupcake, and dove right into her own stories of her creative journey – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It was a fantastic day… a really really really full day. I schedule these events to be from 9am – 5pm… but in Austin, the last person said good-bye at 8:30pm, and it could have kept on going as far as I was concerned! To all of the women who were there – I am so happy to have met all of you, and cannot wait to see where your creative path leads you.

And Alyson. Oh my gosh… Alyson. Thank you for everything. All of your help in planning, hosting at your beautiful home, that crazy delicious lunch, all of the absolutely beautiful things {ink dish mug,“shade of red” book, baggu bag!} that you put into the gift bags, and all of the hilarious conversation before, during, and after the workshop. You’re amazing xo

And finally, thank you so much to Kathleen Shannon, and Kari Crowe who were not only fabulous attendees, but also really great photographers who took enough photos during the day to make this recap post possible! xoxo

{ps. A few of the women have written their own recaps, so if you’d like to see their take on the day, you can go here, here, or here!}

Hi again! Ok, quick, before I hop on the plane to Austin, how about a give-away to make ALL of you feel like you’re at Alyson Fox’s tea party too? Ok, great! The lovely people at Ink Dish are giving away one set of side plates {4 plates in total} from Alyson’s White Noise collection! Gah! I love this collection oh so much! If you do too, just leave a comment here, and I’ll draw one lucky name when I get back on Monday morning.  Good luck!

Ah, this is where it all began… a joke that I made on sfgirlbybay about hosting a tea party using gorgeous dishware designed by artist Alyson Fox. Five GIRL CRUSH art workshop + tea parties later, and I’m on my way to Austin {at the airport as we speak} to co-host GIRL CRUSH Austin with Alyson!

Now, it turns out that she is not only an insanely talented artist/designer {see everything above? yep.}, but also an amazing cook … so she’s making our fancy lunch herself! All of the sweet treats for the afternoon tea party are being generously baked and donated by Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop {who just happen to be recent winners on Cupcake Wars!}. Now, if all of that wasn’t fantastic enough, guess who my “helper” is for the day? Kelly from Design Crush is making her way down from Oklahoma City to help me with all of the tiny details that go into making GIRL CRUSH happen. Yep, this is gonna be GOOD.

Alyson’s beautiful home studio. Amazing women sharing their creative struggles & triumphs. Sugar. A truck load of art supplies.

See you on the other side.

I’m not even sure where to begin. I had a girl crush on Shauna Alterio before I got to Philly last Thursday night… but then I met her {and her wonderful husband Stephen!}, and well, I am in complete awe of both of them. They literally are creative geniuses, and their home… my word, it’s like waking up in an artsy heaven! Have a look:

Yeah, I know! We spent Friday setting up for Saturday {and we may have found some time to go out for brunch, and then a delicious dinner in downtown Philly!}. I fell asleep in this gorgeous loft, and woke up bright and early – ready for another GIRL CRUSH to get underway! An amazing group of women arrived {along with a whole bunch of much-needed coffee and plates full of yummy pastries}, and then, the even more amazing conversation got started:

This is GIRL CRUSH No.5, and I am always still so moved by the conversation that springs up during our morning of creative block bashing exercises. There are definite themes that have come up at each event, but the most consistent thing is the open, honest, heart-felt words that each person openly shares. Without getting too mushy on you, it truly does warm my heart.

Ok, so after about five pots of coffee {thank you Stephen!}, it was time for a delicious catered lunch… and then, of course, onto the art!!! Oh. So. Many. Supplies!

Collages on found book covers! Love, love, love! What else do I love while making art? Yes… whoopie pies!

Sugar. An essential part of the art-making process. They were graciously donated by Coco Love {thank you!}… oh, and speaking of graciously donated things, the gift bags were so heavy, I could barely pick them up!!!

Thank you soooo much to our lovely sponsors:

decor : bhldn // gift bag : green market / girls can tell / made by hank / giant dwarf / seed house

Yes. It was an amazing event! My crush on Shauna has definitely grown, but she might have a little competition, living right under her very own roof:

{photo credit: all photos were taken by women at the event. The last two in the post were from Lisa, anything with a little ‘L’ in the bottom right corner was taken by Leslie, and everything else was shot by Shauna & Stephen. Thank you all!}

Whoa. It was a crazy week after getting home last Sunday, but the recap from GIRL CRUSH Minneapolis is finally ready!

Oh my word. I loved every second of my weekend in Minnesota, with American painter Jennifer Davis. Amazing conversations, delicious food, and lots of art! {psst… see that little birdie? That’s a Jen Davis original, that she raffled off first thing in the morning… no, I didn’t win. Damn.}

Our workshop/tea party was generously hosted by Soo Visual Arts Center – it’s a beautiful space, and we were lucky enough to be submerged, I mean surrounded, by the work of New York artist Samantha French. Gorgeous! After  filling up with coffee and breakfast pastries donated by Common Roots Cafe, we spent the morning getting to know each other, talking insecurities, motivation, and while we were at it, we tried to figure out why blank sketchbooks are so scary {still working on it, but at least now we’ve got a plan!} Oh, and then Jen pulled out a bunch of her original paintings, and passed them around so we could hold them in our hot little hands!

Yes. We got to hold these {and a whole bunch more!}. They are stunning in person. Stunning! {ps. that little black cat is a portrait of Jennifer’s cat, Nudge… I’m not sure who that little dog is though!}

Ok, so after a morning of artist-block bashing exercises, it was time to eat! Again. Lunch was donated by Chow Girls Killer Catering {thank you!!!}. It was oh so delicious, and oh so nutritious… which was good, because then we ate these:

Gah! So good! Honestly, I lost count of how many of these bad boys I ate! {Amy, from Chow Girls, picked these treats up for us from Sweets Bakeshop ~ thanks Amy!}. Now, everyone knows that once you’re full of sugar, you need a latte! So that’s what we did… we walked over to the back room at Common Roots Cafe, grabbed a fancy coffee, and got out the art supplies:

Fun!!! Paint, glue, bits n’ pieces of vintage paper, and of course Plywerk panels. The folks at Plywerk rocked my world when they donated another batch of panels for this workshop! They had just finished sponsoring GIRL CRUSH Portland two weeks earlier, and then they swooped in to help with Minneapolis. Amazing, yes!? Oh, and speaking of amazing, check this out:

1. A vintage image that Jen found in a pile of stuff  2. The sketch she did during the workshop … and then five days later, from that inspiration / sketch, she finished this final painting:

Yep. That’s why I have a girl crush on her! I think it’s also safe to say, that I might just have a girl crush on everyone that attended – here’s a peek at the work that came out of our afternoon:

Fantastic – You all make me jealous! xo

YAY! So, that was the last GIRL CRUSH workshop for the summer… Philly, with Shauna Alterio is sold out, and coming up in October. If you’re in Austin, there are still a few spots for GIRL CRUSH Austin with Alyson Fox in April 2013! It’s going to be amazing… you should come!

{…more thanks… photography: Katie Parr, and Carolyn Payne (exec director at SooVAC!) // gift bags goodies: Vandalia Street Press, Paper Darts, Hang It, The People’s Jewelry, Urbanimal, Walker Shop at Walker Art Center – thank you all so much! xo}

I ♥ Portland! Wow… what a lovely city. Tree-lined streets, beautiful old homes, and the location of the latest GIRL CRUSH workshop & tea party!

Sigh ~ we had such an amazing day in the gorgeous home of painter Lisa Golightly. It was literally the perfect setting for an artsy tea party. Our group was made up of all kinds of people… artists, a poet, an actress, an art/design student, an advertising art director, and a couple of “crafty mamas” {… but that’s a story for another day}. After a few scrumptious breakfast pastries, delivered by Elephants Deli, and more than a couple of cups filled with Stumptown coffee, we spent the morning talking uplifting inspirations, crushing insecurities, and everything in between.

… and after all of that talking, listening, laughing, and cursing {yes, it’s true… the occasional bit of non-teaparty-esque language may have been dropped when referring to our always annoying inner critics}, we needed a little sustenance to help us make it through the artsy afternoon that lay ahead:

YUM! After an insanely delicious lunch from Elephants {note: fig & goat cheese tartlets might just be the best thing ever invented}, we moved on to these! Chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cupcakes decorated with tiny sugar-coated rose petals & mint leaves! Thanks so much to Cupcake Jones for delivering these little bites of heaven to our doorstep!

Ok… sugar? Check. More coffee? Check. Time to head downstairs and make stuff:

I have seen so much of Lisa’s work, but never in person. Let me tell you… it’s fantastic! What an inspiring space to roll up our sleeves and get creative:

So much fun! The folks at Plywerk donated a whole box of gorgeous bamboo panels for us to use for our collages. Paint, bits of found paper, and a few gold animals… ahh, now that’s an afternoon well spent!

I could have worked on these forever! But alas, somehow this lovely day in Portland had come to an end. Thanks so much to everyone that came {Melissa, Laura, Jessica, Autumn, Monica, and Cait}, and thanks so much to Lisa for hosting… I loved every second of this amazing day! xo

{photos: Jessica and Autumn somehow managed to snap all of these photos during our very full day – thanks for sending them my way, girls!}

Happy weekend! I just wanted to pop in to say a few things about the GIRL CRUSH workshops… that you may not know:

1. You do not have to be an artist to come! I didn’t realize that a bunch of people thought that… nope, you don’t have to be an artist to attend. You just have to be someone who is creative, wants to be creative, wants to recharge those creative batteries, has occasional doubts about creativity, and wants to reach out & meet some other amazing women in your city who are feeling exactly the same way!

2. I make a pretty big deal about the cupcakes, pastries, striped straws and fancy sandwiches… all lovely Pinterest-worthy perks, of course, but not the reason for coming to GIRL CRUSH. Even the afternoon of art making {which again, is a lovely/fun/creative perk} is not the main goal of this day. Granted, I wasn’t even sure what to expect going in, but after seeing and hearing what happened in San Francisco {with Lisa Congdon}, and Seattle {with Tif Fussell}, even I’ve realized it really is so much more than cupcakes and art. The conversations we’ve had, the transparency, the willingness to open up and share doubts and insecurities is beyond moving. That’s what I had hoped it would be about – creative breakthroughs, support from like-minded people, and a new group of creative friends to share success {and fears} with… and I can’t believe it’s really happening. It’s a dream come true to be perfectly honest. I am in awe of the first two groups, and cannot wait to see who arrives in doorways of the other artists’ studios over the coming months!

3. Every penny is used to run the event {we have to pay for those cupcakes and striped straws, right!} I don’t see GIRL CRUSH as a revenue stream for myself, I see these workshops as an amazing opportunity to meet interesting, creative people all over the world… and hopefully be a catalyst to a new perspective, for all of us. I have been working on getting more corporate sponsors so that I can bring the fee down even further… stay tuned! {or if you know of anyone I should talk to, please let me know!}

Ok, I think that’s all. If you have any questions, let me know! There are still a few spaces left in the 2012 workshops:

Portland with Lisa Golightly – June 9th

Minneapolis with Jennifer Davis – June 23rd [SOLD OUT]

Austin with Alyson Fox – September 29th

Philly with Shauna Alterio – October 13th [SOLD OUT]

{Boston, Chicago, Chattanooga, Toronto, LA, Vancouver… and hopefully Hawaii… are tentatively on the schedule for 2013}

Photos above by: Melanie Biehle and Taylor Rae; Hand-lettering artwork found in Lisa Congdon’s studio by Mary Kate McDevitt

Yes, that is exactly how you start talking after you’ve spent a lovely, inspiring, creative day with Tif Fussell {aka Dottie Angel}

Sigh. What an amazing day we had at GIRL CRUSH Seattle this past Saturday, and it all started right here:

I had never been to Assemble Gallery in Seattle before this weekend, and I absolutely loved it! Emily and Andie, the lovely ladies behind Assemble, were amazing and made sure that everything was just right! It was beyond perfect for an art workshop & tea party… so airy, so pretty, and filled with artwork, design objects, & stacks of gorgeous books… including Uppercase Magazine! Thank you so much to Janine from Uppercase for giving each of us the latest issue… so peachy {as Tif would say!} Once we had everything in just the right spot, it was time to say hello…

What an amazing group of women. Lots of locals, and a few that weren’t so local. People came from LA, Boston, and Vancouver! We spent the morning talking… and talking, and talking. I was completely in awe of the transparency, and willingness to share. Tif’s story of her creative journey was so inspiring, and I was totally caught up in the reasons each of the women gave for being there. Painters, photographers, writers, performers, knitters. What we had in common was a passion to create… not to mention a few niggly doubts about what/how we create that have been slowing us down… well, no more!

I have a set of artist block crushing exercises that we spend the morning working through, and I am quite sure that all of us came away from them slightly changed. {There are already a few posts out there if you’d like to see what I mean… Here, here, and here.} We laughed, we cried, and so of course, by mid-afternoon we all desperately needed this:

So good! We had a lovely lunch catered by Macrina Bakery, followed by an afternoon of Dottie Angel inspired deer-adorned treats by Trophy Cupcakes… and our vintage teacups were constantly filled by the generous folks next door at Caffe Vita! Again, I am totally overwhelmed by the generosity that went into making this event happen.

So, after I finished my insanely delicious cupcake, it was time to lick the butter-cream icing off of Bambi’s hooves, and get to work!

Oh my word – I could have snipped, and glued, and painted until midnight! After a morning filled with amazing conversation, things went very quiet, very quickly. We listened to La Vie en Rose, and collaged like there was no tomorrow. It was heaven… and just like that it was over. I have to say, I felt a little sad to say goodbye to all of the beautiful women who I now call “friend”… oh well, at least we have Twitter!

Thank you so much to everyone involved in GIRL CRUSH Seattle… and to my lovely friend Tif ~ you truly are peachy, spiffy, and not at all ‘pants’ xo

ps. GIRL CRUSH Portland is only a few weeks away… if you’d like to come and spend a creative Saturday with me and Lisa Golightly {aka Kiki & Polly} you can sign up right here! If you’re thinking about it, please do come… we can’t make these events happen without you!

*Pants: adjective; British slang. Not good; total crap; nonsense; rubbish; bad; used quite a bit by the lovely Tif Fussell!

………………………………………..

These photographs were all taken by the ladies at the event… what talent! Thanks to Andie, Sandra, and Melanie xo

Boy oh boy… so many amazing people are helping me all over the US! Portland based artist Lisa Golightly {who was featured in Martha Stewart Living last year, AND was invited to have a booth at the Martha Stewart 2011 Holiday show!} and I are so excited that we’re able to drop the price of GIRL CRUSH Portland from $275, to $175! Elephants Deli is helping us with some of the food, and the lovely crew at Plywerk has kindly donated a whole bunch of their gorgeous panels for us to get creative on! I’ll announce our sweet treat sponsors as we get closer to our June 9th workshop! I sure hope you can come… it’s going to be a lovely day at Lisa’s Portland studio to talk artist blocks & inspirations, have an amazing lunch & tea party, followed by an afternoon of making art. We’ll get motivated, we’ll paint, we’ll collage, we’ll eat cupcakes. Really, does it get better than that? Nope. Spots are filling fast, so sign up soon... see you in Portland!

Thanks to some amazing people, we were able to lower the price from $275 to $175… and the workshop is now sold out!

First of all, Jennifer Davis is not only an insanely talented artist, she’s also unbelievably generous. She has donated so many fantastic things for the gift bags… art supplies {for our afternoon art project!}, one of her zines, a set of mini prints, a giclee print… and the list goes on. Not only that, but she’s going to raffle off an original piece to one very lucky tea party attendee {I’m secretly hoping it’s me, although I’m sure that wouldn’t be seen as ethical}. The generosity doesn’t end there though – Carolyn Payne, the executive director at sooVAC has offered her space to us, and is working like a mad woman to get us a few sponsors… sponsors like Common Roots Catering who will be providing breakfast treats {along with much needed coffee & tea!}, and Chowgirls Killer Catering who will be donating lunch… and all of it looks DELICIOUS! We’d also like to thank Hang It, for giving coupons to all of the attendees… so that you can frame those lovely prints donated by Jennifer! And, thank you to Vandalia Street Press who will popping a few pretty printed things into our gift bags as well! We’ll be announcing the sponsor for our tea party sweets very soon. See? So much love in Minneapolis! Can. Not. Wait.