Michaels Makers Summit & You

I have been so excited to recap the Michaels Makers Summit with you I can hardly stand it. In case you are unfamiliar with Michaels Makers, it is a group of 50 bloggers that works in partnership with Michaels. Our main goal is to inspire others to be makers, too. To create and make things with the hands is so rewarding. And you know me well enough to know that I keep things simple when I create. Michaels wanted to kick off the partnership with a way for all of us to meet. I hope you’ll be inspired by this recap. I’ve included “reader takeaway tips” and be sure to stay tuned below for an exciting opportunity.

The event was held at The Ranch Above in Sonoma, California. I really don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful spot. Ironically, the two girls that were the closest (myself and Barbara from Chase the Star) took the longest to arrive. Between a four hour delay in our flight and crazy San Francisco traffic we were a tad late to the party. But the long day of travel was well worth it. And I had the best time with Barbara. What a sweetheart.

The #MichaelsMakers hashtag floating in the pool was pretty amazing. I did some digging and found out how they did it in case you wanted to make a huge impact for a party in your own pool. I will live vicariously through you as we do not have a pool!

Takeaway Tip: So they used a foam cutter on the styrofoam sheets (the kind with the silver backing). After cutting each letter, they sprayed them yellow and attached them to one another with wooden dowels. They stayed put in the pool with fishing line attached to weighted mason jars. Genius. Just such a statement.

The first evening was spent at Farmstead. It was a jaw dropping setting. It truly was a farm to table meal that was cooked on an open fire right near us. The food was fantastic and the night wrapped up with coffee and s’mores. This was a great evening for us to all meet one another and get acquainted. It was wonderful to see Lucy from Craftberry Bush again. She is gorgeous on the inside and outside and is beyond talented. If only I could have 2% of her talent.

I am a detail oriented girl, so the flatware, glasses, hand-dipped table runners . . . non of it was lost on me. Really, really beautiful.

Takeaway Tip: Slip a pretty menu into the napkin when entertaining special guests. You could hand write a menu or use something like PicMonkey to create one. Also serve your guests family style. A platter of salmon, vegetables, and meat were all set down and we passed them around. It felt cozy and casual.

We were greeted by this gorgeous entrance.

Takeaway Tip: I was thinking that we could all recreate this in a doorway or French door entrance.  The ribbons, pom trims and paper flowers looked so bright and colorful. You could even do this over your front door if you were hosting something special.

I truly was blown away by the attention to detail at every turn. And I think every single blogger genuinely took it all in and was beyond appreciative. I love being able to share things you can recreate at home. As you know setting a pretty table and entertaining are high on my list.

Takeaway Tip: These tables were kept simple with pretty votive candles and beautiful florals. I love how the color comes just from the flowers. Two mixed bouquet arrangements from Trader Joes placed in mercury glass hurricanes would do the trick.

I thought this setup out by our image transfer class was so clever.

Takeaway Tip: You could recreate this anytime you have a girls’ craft night or if the kiddos have a creative playdate or party. “Creative Juices” was written beautifully in calligraphy and framed next to the lemonade station. Simple and beautiful.

One of the classes we took was weaving. I must admit I was new to weaving and it wasn’t my strong suit. Let’s just say it was an exercise in laughing at myself. At least in the beginning. But Annabel Wrigley was a fantastic teacher. She is so patient and mellow. And I could listen to her Australian accent all day long! The whole experience was actually quite relaxing and almost therapeutic. And this yarn setup was just too adorable.

This is where I felt most at home. Not talent wise, mind you. These ladies at the Summit were crazy crazy talented. Holy cow. So I steered clear of the comparison game and just enjoyed the class with Yao Cheng immensely. I have always loved painting but had never had a single class. I am hooked. In such a short time I learned best practices on blending and other basic watercolor tips. I had no idea that the paper and pigment were so important. I can’t wait to have my daughter use this paint and paper. She is a natural artist (unlike her mama) and will love the difference they make. I also plan to have her watch the video class.

Like I said, I am not watercolor artist. But the way in which these colors blended and faded into one another made me giddy. I think I have been bit by the watercolor bug and will continue to learn more.

How beautiful is this menu that was posted at our Farm to Table dinner. The calligraphy by Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls is just beautiful.

Takeaway Tip: Use a roll of brown paper to create an oversized menu at your next even. A white paint pen or chalk pen is all you need. You can post it on an outdoor fence or near the dining area. Keeping a roll at both the top and the bottom gives it that extra touch.

So a random fact about me is that when I was in Junior High, we had to learn one skill each year and create a presentation on that new skill. It was all done on our own at home. The first year I learned how to sew (and fell in love with it) and the second year I learned the calligraphy. I have always been intrigued by the beauty of it and was so excited to receive the

For me, the most important thing that came out of this whole experience was being inspired to create again. It’s been years since I practiced calligraphy and I am so inspired to not only pick it up again but incorporate it into my decor and projects. Have you ever tried your hand at it? You can find a beginning’s course to calligraphy with Maybelle here. 

Now It’s Your Turn!

In all, we took four inspiring classes (weaving, watercolor, paper flowers and image transfer) – all taught by Michaels education partner, Creativebug. Creative Bug will blow your mind. I had no idea the wealth of knowledge that was offered in these gorgeous online videos from some of the most talented artists in the world. The exciting part is that they wanted you to be a part of this, too. Each of the classes are available online for FREE on Michaels.com until 8/22 (you can re-create one or all of our summit projects)! I truly can’t say enough about both Michaels and Creative Bug. They are both so focused on allowing creative spirits to create. It was so good for the soul to be around such inspiring bloggers and to create with my hands in such a beautiful setting. I hope you’ll dive in and enjoy the classes, too.

Meet the #MichaelsMakers

In case you haven’t met all 50 of this year’s Makers, check out each of our blogs and bios here! Follow along throughout the year and feel free to create projects with us by sharing on Instagram using #MadeWithMichaels. You can also so more of a recap of this event by searching #MichaelsMakersSummit on Instagram.

And last but certainly not least, a favorite part of this whole experience was meeting these two women! Casey and Bridget are as nice as they come. We had the best time together and I am blown away by not only their kind spirits, but their talent. Be sure to check them out over at DIY Playbook. Their blog is fantastic and I know we will be lifelong friends.

I hope you enjoyed the recap as well as the tips. Please let me know if you take any of the video courses. I promise you’ll be inspired. And I will keep you posted on how my calligraphy and watercolor classes go. Enjoy our day, all!

Learn how to make the crafts from the Summit here.  To see more of my Michaels Makers projects, you can snoop around here.