Spark! The Event

Gateway to Sparks the Event

and, "What an Event!" But wait, it was more than scrapbooking. We sewed. We did jewelry. We learned new techniques. ect. etc. etc. It was amazing.It was put on by Liz Kartchner, Margie-Romney-Aslett, Rhonna Farrer and Jefra Linn.

Elena and me

Elena and Sally flew to Salt Lake City together on Thursday, Nov. 5. Elena was going as the Canon representative, demo-ing the Selphy printer, plus, Scrapbook Royalty, her non-profit charity was organizing and running the raffle and silent auction. We stayed at the Marriott University Park which was about 2 miles from the event and provided everyone with a shuttle back and forth.

Liz, Margie, Jefra and Rhonna

The creative force and our leaders at Spark

This Is The Place had been decorated from head to toe very shabby chic and using the least amount of dinero and the most amount of man power to create this village for us to roam and play.












On Friday at high noon, registration and shopping began. This was all located at a place nestled in the mountains above Salt Lake City proper called - ready? This Is The Place. . . For some reason (those who know me well won't be surprised) but I had trouble remembering the name - it was just to obvious for this Pollack, I guess.

The rest of the day was spent in different houses at an event called "Artisan Show & Tell." Demonstrations from several artisans and hands-on mini class demos were so much fun. The person with the longest wait period to sit down and learn from was Melissa Blackburn. It was sewing and using some of her collection of antique pearls. See the sample below.

Elena, me and Melissa

What I made with Melissa Blackburn's instructions

Elena setting up

There were so many hands-on demos including learning to crochet and paper folding to make a book out of velum. Theses teachers all had so much patience. Especially those who taught intricate techniques.

Where we got together

That night in Smoot Hall we all came back together for dinner, games and train trip around This Is The Place. They had a photo booth set up with props. Four of us squeezed into the booth, but Elena has the photos that the booth actually took. Here is one from outside the booth.

Stephenie, Elena, me and Karla
almost in the booth

I met so many new people that I only knew by name but now we are friends forever.

April, me, Margie in Karla's lap and Rhonna

Then there was this large wood piece that had 3 picture frames with the inside of the frames cut out. We could have our photos taken inside one of the frames or all of the frames. Very cute idea. Then back to our hotel for us out-of-towner's.

Me in one of the frames

The following day, Saturday, it all started early at 9 a.m. with the key note speaker and painter/artist Cassandra Barney. She was so inspiring - which was exactly the point! One of her larger pieces was later silent auctioned to benefit the Suan B. Komen foundation. She also had canases there to purchase.

Bad photo of darling Canssandra Barney
and her work on metal and canvas that was for sale

Then we were on to our 4 classes. I went first to Pine Valley where Margie and April Meeker lead us in making a necklace. I purchased one of April's necklaces at the shopping spree made of fabric and jewels. I was so happy to learn that she is local - Carlsbad. We had much to talk about since I am adopted and she has adopted a child and is in the process of adopting another. She also has a "natural" child and helped me understand how a mother does not love one more than another. They ARE her children - biological or not! Thank you April.

Then after lunch which was provided by the Boutique & Bistro extraordinaire - "dear lizzie" my group went to Rhonna and Liz's class at Social Hall. I also learned that I can now purchase Rhonna's PhotoShop brushes at www.houseof3.com. I have been a big fan of her brushes and images for a long time and used some of her brushes on my moo cards!

Next was Jafra's camera class. This was a hands on class where first she
showed us on a screen, photos she had taken including with her cell phone. She made the point that good photos have so much more to do with the person taking the photo than with the camera you are using. She then took us outside where we taught us a few tricks to do with our camera and how to trick our camera. Then we broke up into people with complicated cameras with BIG lenses and another group with the point and shoot cameras. She had helper bees, the event photographer and husband of Liz - Colin, who was so helpful to all of us and was such an addition to the entire Spark event. There was also a young girl who is a photographer extraordinaire. She went around outside with our groups to make suggestions. What I mainly learned was how to look at my scenes with new eyes - to really focus on the composition. I ended up taking so
many great shots to use as backgrounds in photo shop.

View of Salt Lake City from the even
with my little Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T90
It fits in the front pocket of my jeans!

What I made in Kelly McCaleb's class

Finally we finished up at the Hospital where we learned to make wonderful fabric flowers with no sewing. (They will be glued to my t-shirt shortly). Kelly is the most layed back (which lay am I to use here?) teacher. It was the only class where I actually finished my flowers and loved them! Every other project is still a work in progress. . . I promise and can't wait to complete them all!

Alisa Burke's purses that I won

After dinner back in Smoot Hall we had two inspiring women stand up and tell their story regarding their bouts with cancer. What amazing women and what a great lead in since all the money from the raffle and silent auction went to the Susan B. Komen Foundation. So after they spoke we all went back up to the Social Hall to learn if we won any of the 125 donated items in the raffle. I got there a little late and was told my new friend Karla la la la, that I had already won 2 items. In all, I won 5 items! Boy was I lucky. Plus, guess who 3 of the prizes were from, my online teacher and local artist, Alisa Burke. I won all 3 of her canvas purses. Elena immediately informed me that her birthday was coming in Dec. and that she had really wanted the black and white purse. We'll see. . .

I also won the rhinestone front and back license plates from my new friend Laurie along with a pkg of scrapbook goodies.

Lastly, I won one of the most desireable raffle items, the chandelier pendant and necklace - that everyone wanted including Elena - Note Elena, you're not getting this!

When we got back to the hotel, the Marriot at University Park, I helped Elena count all the tickets in all the bags and then she put all the info into Excel.

Elena inputting data at event

Elena worked so hard all day on the silent auction and the raffle to benefit the Susan B. Komen foundation. I never realize how much work this entails. You need to give each item a name and number. Make bags for the raffle tickets to go into. Sell raffle tickets. Have all the items cataloged and displaced in a safe place but one where everyone can view the items closely. Since she was in a room that was being used for classes, she could do some of this until the last minute! Plus, items kept arriving up until the last minute.

I went to all the classes and colletcted her kits so that at some point she will be able to sit down and see exactly what she missed!

Stephenie, me and Karla
they are both 6 feet tall. . .

New friends, Erin Bassett, Lori Shrout and me

Margie leading campfire in foreground

We finished the day around a campfire where we were handed sparklers to light and share the SPARK of new friendships that we gather at this event.

Regrets? Yes! I hung around with two of Elena's great friends, Stephanie of Fiskars and Karla, from up in Pittsburg, CA. I have no photos of them. I would have loved to have taken a photo standing between the two of them since I am 5'2" tall. Stephanie is 6' tall and Karl la la la, is at least 2 or 3 inches taller than that - 6'3" . Next time. . .

Margie, Liz, Rhonna and Jafra are not sure right now if this is going to be an annual event. But, I am so glad I was able to go and participate. It was worth it for so many reasons! I now have the Spark and will continue to pass it along.