Creative Escape 2011

You guys. I just had one of the most fun weekends of my crafting life!!! I had the amazing opprotunity to attend Creative Escape 2011 with one of my BFFF's Hillary! If you don't know what Creative Escape is, it's a conference where you are able to attend different classes everyday, and make awesome scrapbook projects! It's idea was pitched 6 years ago to Doug Jones the owner of Bazzill Basics Paper, by scrapbooker Heidi Swapp. (Just wanna say that I personally know Heidi... used to babysit her kids and everything.) Anyway, my mother has attended Creative Escape a few times and I always wondered why she was gone for 3 days, and then came back with crap loads of scrapbooking stuff. Well now I know... because it's freaking AMAZING!

 

You would not believe how many smart and talented women attend and teach for this thing, and I was lucky enough to MEET them! Women fly in from all over the world to let their creative juices flow and be able to partake of the inspiration Creative Escape gives. The theme of this year's Escape was "Create to Remember." When Heidi gave the keynote speech last night, she explained that when we create something around a memory, it's far easier to remember. With scrapbooking, you are taking these moments and making them sparkly and decorative... we do this because they are WORTH remembering. It completely made me realize that I need to start scrapbooking A LOT more!

Here are some photos of the greatness:

 

"Welcome" Sign Class -- taught by Heidi Lynn Schreiber

 

Oh... there's Heidi, who is also Hill's sister. We had a good time goofing around in her class... and making hilarious comments.

 

We won this cupcake in a jar in her class, which totally was a dream, and devoured within about 1.5 minutes.

 

She also made this lamp... I was jealous.

 

Memory Book Class -- taught by Amy Totty

 Amy also had these books on display in her class. So talented!

Oh, and she made this lamp too. Obsessed. 

 Gettin' my tan on at the pool

 Amy Totty handed these to Hill and I just before her class started... we had way too much fun.

 Hills and I not taking anything seriously.

And some dessert on the last night (which wasn't that great =/) and a little goody about Heidi Swapp.

Needless to say, I had a blast! It was so fun to be creative and meet those women, but most of all to spend some time with Hillary. We laughed so flippin' hard the whole time, and I want to publicly thank her and her family for inviting me to attend.

On a different note, I'm excited to inform you that I have quite a few new projects coming up. They include: pillows, ombre dying, doileys, and Halloween decor. Get excited.