What do you get when you mix stunning landscapes, a generous host, terrific food, great people, and a class taught by Michelle Ward?  Answer – a perfect weekend.  This was my first trip to Valley Ridge for a class.  I doubt it will be my last.  The views from the classroom were amazing especially since the foliage was just starting to turn into those beautiful reds and yellows.  I have enjoyed Michelle Ward’s art and her blog for quite a while  and now I know why.  She is amazing.  She is encouraging to all and generous with her ideas and art.  Plus if you put a  can of spray paint in her hand she turns ordinary things into extraordinary.   Soon I’ll post the photos of the art I created there – it still needs a few touches before it’s finished.

When I’m painting chipboard, ribbons, die cuts, really anything small, I like to use a journal page, or in this case, a piece of cloth.  Then when I am finished with the intended project, I just use up any leftover paint from my palette to fill in any blank spots.   A bit of white paint and one of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s stencils create a fun pattern on top. I used a dry brush in areas to show the texture of the fabric. I used the fabric to make a “spinal reinforcement” for a booklet for an upcoming project.  I was so pleased with the results I used the rest of the fabric to make more!