Seaside Sessions 2025: A Look Behind the Scenes, (pt.2)

As we put the finishing touches on our preparations for next spring, we wanted to give you a chance to see what we have going on in regard to all the fun to be had. This week’s “sneak peeks” include more from our sample pieces for The Canvas of Curiosities, and some examples of what we think of as our signature offering; the magic that happens when creative souls gather.

To jumpstart your creativity, or to expand beyond your comfort zone, have you ever thought about new uses for old favorite supplies or techniques? We’ve been discovering some cool ways to do that: working with a brand new (to us) type of paper in familiar and sometimes surprising ways; substituting one medium for another in an age-old technique and getting great results; featuring a technique previously used in jewelry-making on canvas: using kindergarten-era art supplies in astounding and very successful ways—all of these experiences and more await you in our haven by the sea, March 19—23!

We cherish the fact that Your Creative Connection does not curate “follow the teacher” events. Our Creative Explorers do not come away from their time with us with work looking exactly like the samples we present. Rather, each woman creates, according to her own vision, interests, and desires, which means that even though we all begin with the same materials and instructions, the resulting work is always unique to its creator. This magical phenomenon happens every time we gather, from our first Seaside Sessions event in 2020 (that idyllic time just before the world shut down due to the pandemic):

Unique concertina 2020 books, created using all of the same materials.

to the beautiful book boxes created during Seaside Sessions 2023:

to our fabulous flag books and peace flags last March:

Flag book fabulousness on display!

Just a few of the peace flags created in March 2024.

Have we gotten your creative wheels turning? Have we enticed you to join us in March? Or, do you need more information before you decide? If you’re ready now, please head over to our Seaside Sessions 2025 page to begin the journey.
If you’d like more information or have a question, leave us a comment on this post, or better yet, join us for our first ever Facebook LIVE question and answer event on Monday, January 13th. Full details on that event to come soon, so watch this space!

Until next time,

Michelle

Seaside Sessions 2025: A Look Behind the Scenes (pt. 1)

As we put the finishing touches on our preparations for next spring, we wanted to give you a chance to see what we have going on in regard to all the fun to be had. So, this week and next, we are offering some “sneak peeks” as well as some additional information about the concept for our next gathering.

As previously reported, Seaside Sessions 2024 was The Year of the Monoprint - everything from our opening night Arty Party through two full days of Creative Sessions was all about gel printing. Next year, we are ushering in The Canvas of Curiosities. I can almost hear the head scratching and a chorus of “…but what does it mean!?”

Domenico Remps, Cabinet of Curiosities (c. 1690) from an excellent article on the subject at Sotheby’s Institute of Art (https://www.sothebysinstitute.com/news-and-events/news/cabinets-of-curiosities-and-the-origin-of-collecting)

In much the same way cabinets of curiosity (also known as wunderkammern or “wonder-rooms”) were used throughout 16th century Europe, we will gear our time together toward the creation of an entirely-unique-to-you canvas wall hanging that will incorporate a host of mixed media techniques shared throughout the course of the retreat. Think of it as a way to visually compile everything that you learn and/or encounter during your creative explorations by the sea!

Just as cabinets of curiosity were products of an era of exploration and discovery, our works will encapsulate the combined offerings of our Creative Sessions in a visual feast of mixed media methodology. In addition to serving as a virtual catalog of techniques, they will also allow us to include natural elements from our ocean front surroundings to more fully document your experience: seashells, feathers, sea glass, smooth stones, and more.

We will work with paper, fabric, fibers, inks, paints, and more as we create in view of the sea. Above are a few glimpses of the preparations under way for Seaside Sessions 2025. Want to see more? Mark your calendar and plan now to join us on January 13th for our 1st ever Facebook LIVE presentation. We’ll have The Big Reveal and answer your questions! (Time to be announced after our poll closes). If you’ve been curious about Seaside Sessions and the offerings of Your Creative Connection, this is your chance!

Has this Sneak Peek piqued your interest? There are still a few open seats for our magical, mixed-media gathering! Join us by registering today. Meet us back here for another look behind the curtain next week with Michelle.

Until then, stay creative!
~ Penny & Michelle

Seaside Sessions 2024: Another Great Time Had by All! (pt. 3)

On our second full day of Studio Sessions, we discovered even more techniques to add to our toolbox as we further explored the wonders of gelatin printing (this was the Year of the Gel Print, after all!) with Michelle. Everyone was amazed about being able to use black Magnum Sharpie markers to create patterns directly on the plate, letting it dry, then adding a layer of paint. There were amazed exclamations, and shocked, excited faces when the resulting prints were pulled. Everyone was eager to try her hand at it, and also combined marker with stencils and stamping on the gel plate with beautiful results.

Gel printing can cause you to lose track of time—many minutes (or hours!) can go by as you create gorgeous, textured, patterned papers which are uniquely yours (just one more! just one more!). We pulled ourselves away to enjoy a hearty lunch, then went right back to it. During the afternoon session, we turned our attention to what we’d use our papers to create: large wooden letters mounted on or inside frames. And as always, the results were spectacular: each initial reflected its artist’s preferred color palette and her design sensibilities. It was great to see how they came together, and how the seemingly disparate prints could be used in a cohesive and colorful final product.

Michelle’s and Penny’s sample gel printed and collaged initials hung below the YCC initials created for our first Seaside Sessions retreat in 2020.

Evening open studio time saw us still pulling prints, deciding how they’d be used on the wooden initials, painting frames, completing flag books, and working on book covers. The creative exchange (a favorite Seaside Sessions tradition) resulted in gifts of photographic greeting card sets, haiku photo prints, fabrics, quilted mug mats, custom designed bookmarks, buttons, fabric dyes, and markers—a veritable bounty of artful goodies!
One more full day remained, and we looked forward to what wonders it would bring….

Seaside Sessions 2024: Another Great Time Was Had by All! (pt. 2)

On our 1st full day, we rose shortly after the sun to enjoy coffee and breakfast together before spending the day with Penny and the wonders of gel plate mono-printing toward the goal of creating Flag Books. In addition to the desired beautiful weather, it would appear that the dolphins got the memo, too - treating us to a show as they too enjoyed breakfast & frolicking to begin the day.

After a glorious morning and afternoon of creating with wild abandon, our Creative Explorers then assembled their various prints and tags into a colorful and kinetic Flag Book - a veritable (Mini) Encyclopedia of Gel Printing Techniques. Revelatory exclamations ensued. Our good times continued through the evening with a delicious dinner and Open Studio time into the night. Music and laughter filled our lovely (albeit temporary) home by the sea….

A Circle of Happy Makers and Their Creations

Join us again tomorrow for a look back at Day 3 and our 2nd full day of Studio Session fun with Michelle as our self proclaimed “Year of the Gel Plate” continues!

Seaside Sessions 2024: Another Great Time Was Had by All! (pt. 1)

It’s hard to believe that 8 months have passed since we welcomed our Creative Explorers to Seaside Sessions last March! As we’ve done in years past, in this series of blog posts we’ll share many of our favorite moments from our time together, featuring that special magic which occurs when creative women come together in an idyllic setting. We marveled at the display of amazing creativity, bonding moments, great bursts of joyful laughter, and the many lasting connections made. That’s the beauty of Your Creative Connection events—each year is different, but the results are the same; renewal, relaxation, and the revelation of self that comes from sharing something you love.

As usual, Penny and I planned to arrive at our favorite oceanfront house in Surf City, NC a few days ahead of our Creative Explorers to get everything ready for their arrival. We packed our vehicles, and amazingly, had room to spare (had we forgotten anything? Impossible! We have lists!),

Having learned the hard way from 2023, we did NOT spend 17 hours in the kitchen on the first day there (Penny’s genius idea of assembling and freezing the ingredients for Crock Pot meals reduced our on site food prep time immeasurably). To prepare for our guests’ arrival, we made beds, unpacked art supplies, moved furniture, assembled gifts and goodies, all while appreciating the ocean’s beauty. We were pleased to learn that the weather forecast for the week was sunny with mild temperatures—just what we’d ordered!

That view!

Wednesday: Check-In
Again this year, our Creative Explorers hailed from South Carolina, Minnesota, California, Virginia, and other parts of North Carolina; while some were alumnae, others were new to the Seaside Sessions experience. Everyone was eager to discover what the next 5 days would bring. Upon their arrival, the once-quiet house rang with exclamations of delight and many excited voices….and we were underway! After finding their rooms with doors festooned with personalized bookmarks created by Penny, and the 2024 gift of a Your Creative Connection tote bag, everyone assembled for the Welcome Arty Party, with our traditional menu of pizza and crudité.

Our first creative activity involved making peace flags using acrylic paint, stencils, stamps, and markers. After viewing the samples Penny and I had made, everyone set to work, and creative ideas flowed like the tides. It’s endlessly amazing to see the results of projects like this; where everyone is given the same materials, and no two finished projects are ever alike! Yes, more Your Creative Connection magic!

The creative magic and merriment continued into evening Open Studio time, after which, we hung the completed peace flags across the top of the windows, framing that spectacular view we all love so much. We wished everyone a good night’s rest, took one last look out at the gorgeous, moonlit sea, and dreamed of the full day of creativity to come….

Seaside Sessions 2023: Oh, What a Time We Had! (pt. 4)

…and just like that (insert fingers snapping here), it was our final day together. We started our day a little later, enjoyed a hot breakfast, and set our sights on learning more about The Business Side of Art.

The Saturday Salon
We were quite excited to extend the length of our retreat by one day to add both an opportunity for more depth to our offerings as well as ensure that folks who wanted time to enjoy the town of Surf City (and/or the beach) had a chance to do so before we all headed our separate ways on Sunday.
Michelle opened our first ever Saturday Salon with a look at establishing an online presence. She highlighted the services of Squarespace for web-site hosting, providing our guests with an in depth look at the various ways to illuminate one’s work online and offering tips and tricks for taking photos of finished work.
Integrating an online presence with an online sales portal can dramatically increase one’s reach. Michelle shared her experiences with Square (not affiliated with Squarespace) as both an ideal payment portal (for in person/festival sales and online payments) as well as a means to add direct sales to a website. With a Square account, one can set up a free online store page through their service.
After a healthy round of Q&A, Penny offered some insight on sourcing goods and materials for keeping creativity going. Guests were provided with a handy reference guide that featured all of the suppliers that we used in gearing up for our Studio Sessions at this event.
Note: because TECHNOLOGY, and we were all a bit tired from too many late nights, and (perhaps) the wee-est bit distracted by our surroundings - or, at the very least, a little “all of the above,” we managed to conduct our very first Saturday Salon without taking a single photo (insert face-palm emoji here). In lieu of that, we have included some favorites from our most lovely time by the sea.

Wrapping Up & Looking Ahead
Before we called the business of the day complete, we took a moment to look ahead to next year. While there are a few variables that remain unknown, we know that we are committed to providing this respite from the everyday again. The Class of 2023 has already signed on to be the majority of The Class of 2024! When we announce the final details of Seaside Sessions 2024, we will only have 4 spaces available. We will, of course, offer a waiting list. The most important thing is this: we will continue to offer creative experiences curated for women by women, and we revel in the thought of a full year to prepare just the right combination of mixed media magic for our new class of Creative Explorers to discover. Following a lovely and free afternoon, we feasted on lovingly handmade lasagna as our farewell dinner.

Greetings from The Class of 2023!

That’s all for now! We’ll be posting the Studio Sessions for Seaside Sessions 2024 soon. As always: be kind, live out loud, and never miss the chance to add a bit of beauty to the world with your art!
Until next time,
~ Penny & Michelle

Seaside Sessions 2023 Oh, What a Time We Had! (pt. 1)

It’s hard to believe that a month has passed since we welcomed our Creative Explorers to Seaside Sessions 2023. In this next series of blog posts, we’ll share some of our favorite moments from our time together which included boundless creativity, uproarious laughter, lovely bonding moments, and numerous examples of the absolute magic which occurs when creative women gather in a gorgeous setting.

Penny and I traveled to our lovely Surf City NC oceanfront venue a few days in advance of the Creative Explorers to ensure that everything was ready for their arrival. We were ever so thankful for the existence of the elevator, as we made numerous trips from vehicles to the third floor, bringing in equipment, art supplies, food, and special gifts. During this prep time, we made beds (10), spent hours in the kitchen (17 in one day!), prepared delectable dishes for the week (with intervals of singing Motown hits, and a bit of dancing), and transformed the living area into a workspace for all of the creative activities to come. As we worked, we gazed at the wondrous ocean and sky right outside the wall of windows, knowing that everyone would be as entranced as we were at the sight (we even spotted pods of dolphins, and we hoped they’d reappear during the week so everyone could see them too. They did.).

The sky was an amazing lavender here; which was among the many moods of the ocean we witnessed during our incredible time by the sea!

Gifts galore!

Your Creative Connection embroidered tote bags were the first of many gifts our Creative Explorers received during Seaside Sessions 2023. We love our colorful, satiny butterfly ribbon!

Wednesday: Check-In
As each woman arrived, the level of excitement and anticipation increased. Our Creative Explorers came from as far away as California and Minnesota, with others hailing from South Carolina, Virginia, and other parts of North Carolina, ranging in age from 17 to 77!
Once everyone was settled in, we gathered for the Welcome Arty Party.
After dining on pizza and crudité, Penny and I officially welcomed our guests, and shared our excitement and gratitude that the time had finally come for us all to be together. I began our nightly Creative Exchanges by gifting everyone her very own stencil, courtesy of our fabulous sponsor: StencilGirl Products. Here they are, in the hands of their beaming new owners!

Thanks to StencilGirl Products, we have new stencils to try!

Our first evening’s creative activity centered on designing bookmarks using watercolors and markers supplied by another one of our generous sponsors: Royal Talens. Penny and I showed the bookmarks we made by following the instructions provided, and others we created in our own ways which produced even more interesting effects. Then, ideas sparking, and supplies at the ready, everyone set to work.

Working on bookmark designs with watercolors, stamps, and markers from Royal Talens.

The finished bookmarks were spectacular! We’re always amazed at the variety of results when a group is given the same materials and instructions—each artist’s work reflected her artistic vision and her approach to the use of materials supplied—a hint of the creative magic to come was revealed on just the first night. Several hours of open studio time rounded out the evening, and we had to encourage several Creative Explorers to leave the work area so that we could mount the surprise Penny had in store for the next morning….

It's March: Time for the Great Reveal!

Happy March! The countdown to Seaside Sessions 2023 is at three weeks, it’s time to show you the results of the planning, experiments, missteps and successes on the road to creating the finished product for my Studio Session on Wednesday, March 22: An Embellished Hinged Wooden Book Box.
The box measures approximately 7 1/2” x 9 1/2”. I’ve used paints and inks as the background colors (more on my initial error doing this below), with adhered paste papers and marbled papers to the front, inside, and back.

Front cover of colorful wood book box

Front of book box with paste paper and marbled paper design

Designing

To showcase the variety of paste papers and marbled papers I’d made, I decided to use geometric shapes which ‘spoke to’ each other. After figuring out the design on paper, I chose my favorite papers to use for each shape. As you can see, I made some changes to the front design (at right). To ensure a proper fit, I traced the shapes before cutting the papers, and adjusted sizes as necessary.

Once the papers were cut and dry fitted on the box, I removed them, and painted the front and back cover background colors. I learned the hard way that using heavy body acrylic paint was NOT a good idea, because it prevented the box from closing properly! In my Studio Session, we’ll use thinned acrylic or inks. Valuable lesson learned (which is why I always ‘test drive’ a project before presenting it). I also painted the hinges with alcohol inks to lessen their shine which was distractingly prominent. After all painted surfaces were dry, I used matte medium to adhere the shapes to each cover. The inside is a full sheet of paste paper which I love because it’s blue paste paint on black paper (we’ll do this in our session too!).

I chose the book box as a vessel which can be used as a keepsake of our time together, and as an added bonus, it can house the project Penny has planned! We can’t wait to see how Our Creative Explorers will personalize their book boxes with their own designs, and after the retreat, we’ll share their work here on the blog.

Until next time,
Michelle

Prepping, and Planning, and Paper, Oh My (Also Too)!

One of my favorite things about hosting creative events (demos, Make & Takes, individual workshops, retreats….) is that regardless the venue, number of people, or time constraints their comes a moment where it all just ‘clicks’ - I imagine this is what is referred to as “flow” or being “in the zone” - whatever one calls it, that is where we find ourselves at present. It is indeed a lovely place to be! Seaside Sessions 2023 promises to be a most magical adventure by the sea and my heart SO is happy for all that awaits.

As Michelle mentioned in her last post, we have been having all sorts of fun preparing to welcome our Creative Explorers to Seaside Sessions 2023 next month. If I am honest, I have allowed myself to become a wee bit distracted by the techniques she will be using in her Creative Session. (hee, hee! ) …mainly because of how beautifully those discoveries will serve our intrepid Explorers the following day, in my own ;)

At which time we will explore surface design as a means of setting the tone or theme for other projects — more on that later. I have had entirely too much fun (and generated more ideas than I can pursue in the moment) creating these lovely backdrops.

What do you think? I guess I was feeling a strong Mid-Century Modern vibe - ha! All I know is that I find this almost addictive…. It’s such a fun blend: doodles, color, highlights, and BAM! I am more than a little excited about all of the possibilities, and can hardly wait to see the abundance of expression from our Creative Explorers! I never fail to be amazed by the divergent results when we all begin with the same materials. #artisticjoy In this case, those materials will include: tempera paint sticks, acrylic paint markers, India ink in conjunction with dip pens, permanent markers, and a variety of stamping inks.

Next time I’m up, I’ll give you a peek at what we will be doing with all this background bounty! If you think you would like to join in the fun, Fate has intervened in the plans of 2 would-be travelers. We will miss them, and that means that we can welcome you! You can find all the details on our website.
Please reach out if this is for you.
Until next time,
~ Penny