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Welcome! I’m Carolyn Dube – This colorful journey is all about the freedom of play!

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Dancing With Your Muse Retreat

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What if you could call upon your creativity any time you wanted?  The Dancing with Your Muse retreat is all about play, how to let go and get back in touch with the creativity that flowed effortlessly from you as a child.

What will we be creating? A mixed media sculpture that symbolizes your muse and a shrine to showcase her.

Join me for a weekend of playing with abandon, letting go of expectations and pure silliness that only a group of wonderful women can have at an art retreat. Well, it’s more than an art retreat but I’ll get to that momentarily.

When you know how to do that, you are dancing with your muse.  This retreat is dedicated to giving you the tools, techniques and strategies so you can dance with her and always keep your own creativity flowing.

During our weekend together, the techniques and strategies I share will guide you as you lovingly give shape to the symbol of your muse using mixed media techniques in sculpture and surface design. This involves layering and I’ll be sharing the decision making process for when to layer what and most importantly why so you can apply it to any of your mixed media play.

This is a zero must, zero should zone so that means you can use the materials and techniques in whatever way calls to you.  Your muse can be a doll or a butterfly or any symbol of your choosing.  You have the freedom to make it your way.

Our weekend together is more than an art retreat, it’s creative immersion. From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, we are together making, playing, talking, connecting with each other and getting to know our muses. We are taking over the entire building August 23- August 26, 2019, so we can paint and play in our pj’s all day long.

The supplies provided for your play include StencilGirl stencils, paints, leafing, rigid wrap, Gel Press gel plates, wire, stamps, Marabu proudcts -Art Crayons, Mousse & Art Spray and so many more goodies for you to incorporate into your shrine. I’m bringing a carload of supplies so your supply list is an itty bitty one!

In your goodie bag, along with an exclusive StencilGirl stencil, that I designed for Dancing with Your Muse, is a creativity and play kit. This kit is filled with treasures that are like catnip to your muse, if your muse was a cat.

All the techniques, tricks, tips, and ways to use the supplies are meant to guide you and allow you the freedom to do it just the way that fits you. This weekend is all about creative freedom.

No experience necessary.  Well, there is one prerequisite – to have been a kid at some point in your life. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you were once a kid, so you’ve got all you need to play and create!

What about the evenings? The evenings will be filled with frivolities that bring laughter and silliness as you get to know your fellow creatives.

  • Friday night is interactive Painting Bingo, not your usual type of bingo.
  • Saturday brings out the mirror ball for our Saturday Night Fever Disco Party. We’ll be getting our John Travolta moves on with the help of a very patient and fun professional disco dancing instructor. If you can’t dance, don’t worry, neither can I!
  • Sunday night it’s Pop Goes the Paint Brush, and it really will go pop!
    ALL of this fun is included in your registration.

All of this is included:

  • Your room with ensuite bathroom (private and doubles available)
  • All meals and snacks from Friday dinner to Monday breakfast
  • Art workshops Friday night, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday- zero experience needed for this mixed media play
  • Exclusive StencilGirl stencil designed by me just for this event
  • A goodie bag of take home supplies that will keep the playing going for you long after you leave
  • Supplies for your shrine to your muse including form making supplies, fibers, dresdenized metal, letters, stacks of vintage photos, Art Spray, Mousse and Art Crayons from Marabu, a huge selection of StencilGirl stencils, Gel Press monoprinting plates, glaze, leafing, specialty glues, and more!
  • Friday night’s interactive Paint Bingo
  • Saturday Night Fever Disco party
  • Sunday night’s Pop Goes the Paintbrush

Itty Bitty Supply List for you to bring with you

  • 6-8 colors of acrylic paint you love plus white and black paint
  • black Sharpie marker
  • craft knife and cutting mat
  • double-sided tape
  • 6-8 paint brushes in a variety of sizes
  • scissors
  • needle nose pliers and a wire cutter
  • apron

Your registration price includes the weekend of workshops, a take home goodie bag of play, mountains of supplies including an exclusive StencilGirl stencil for you, your room, meals, snacks, and evening frivolities.

 

Early Bird saves $95 off of registration but it’s only available until May 31st.

Regular Price $795 single/$755 double   Early bird price $700 single room, $655 for a double room

Friday, August 23-Monday, August 26th, 2019

Check in Friday between 3-5pm EST, check out by 11am EST on Monday at St. Mary’s Transfiguration Center 495 Albion Court, Cincinnati, Ohio

Join me for Dancing with your muse, a weekend of play where the stress of the world fades away as you explore, experiment and create.

FAQ

If I’m flying how do I get my muse home? Her shrine doubles as a safe way for her travel. I’ll have bubble wrap to get her tucked in safely for the journey home.

Who is our host? Glenda Miles, the most heart-centered person I have ever met is our event coordinator extraordinaire!

Where is St. Mary’s? It’s in Cincinnati, OH, in the Tri-County area at 495 Albion Court, Cincinnati, Ohio 45666

What is St. Mary’s? St. Mary’s Transfiguration Center is a quiet but active place of peace. It’s spiritual in the soul nurturing way with the most wonderful grounds to wander.

What’s the nearest airport? CVG airport, 36 miles away – ground transportation options

Is this only for women? Yes, it is only for women.

What if I’m new to mixed media? No experience necessary. Truly.  Each technique will be broken down in easy to understand steps and I’ll be right there with you to answer any questions that arise.

Can I bring food or drink? Yes, you are welcome to bring any food or beverages you like, including wine. They have 2 full size fridges for us to use, so you can keep your drinks of choice chilled and easily accessible. They’ll have water, tea, and coffee for us but if you’d like other drinks, like sodas, feel free to bring them with you.

I have food allergies – will they be able to work around that? Yes, when you register there will be a place there for you to list any food restrictions. They work very hard to provide tasty, home cooked food for everyone.

What if I’m an introvert and need some quiet time? No problem! St. Mary’s has the most tranquil vibe and lots of places for some quiet time, like curling up with a book in the library. I highly recommend walking the labyrinth or around the beautiful grounds.

I won’t have a car, will that be okay? Once the fun begins on Friday afternoon, you won’t need to leave for a thing until check out Monday morning. If you need transportation from the airport, here are some options.

What do I need to bring? It’s an itty bitty supply list for you! 6-8 colors of acrylic paint you love plus white paint and black, 6-8 paint brushes in a variety of sizes, black Sharpie marker,craft knife and cutting mat, scissors, double sided tape, and needle nose pliers, wire cutter, and an apron.

Can I come by myself? Absolutely, many do! The benefit of such a small group is that we all may come in the door by ourselves, but always leave with friends. This is my dream grown up summer camp full of play and laughter, but with a clean room, good food, and lots of art supplies.

What are we doing in the evenings? We’ve got events for each night, like Painting Bingo, Saturday Night Fever Disco party, and Pop Goes the Paint Brush.

When does it start? Friday, August 23, 2019 check in is from 3-5 and check out is by 11am on Monday, August 26, 2019.

What is the refund policy? There are no refunds for this event due to all the planning, supply purchasing, and logistics that goes into making this an amazing weekend for you. What if you can’t come after you’re registered? If there is a waiting list, Glenda will gladly put you in contact with the first person on the list to coordinate possible arrangements for the sale of your ticket. If a transaction is mutually agreed upon and completed, your spot in the event will be transferred to the other person.

What if I have another question? No problem! Just ask and I’ll get you an answer. You can find my contact info here.

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The Danger of Art Journaling

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There are dangers to beware of when art journaling. You’re not in danger, actually the opposite because art play is soul nourishment and a way to release stress.

But it can rather hazardous to certain art supplies. One art supply isn’t gonna make it out of this play alive- see what happens in the video.

I’m playing in a giant 150 year old ledger I call MoJo.

The first layer is just one stencil, Speckles and Spots, and Art Spray. The stencil has 3 different sizes of circles so it looks like I used all sorts of stencils here, but it was really just one.

Why use Art Spray for an early layer? Because it won’t bleed through the layers or reactivate when once it’s dry. That means I can put paint on top and it won’t come through.

The journal I’m working in is a 150 year ledger- you can see more about it here- so the Art Spray is taking a while to dry. There are parts that are still wet but that won’t matter with colored pencils.

What happened when I used a colored pencil in a wet area? Nothing. It didn’t hurt the pencil and the pencil just didn’t write in that area. So it’s not the pencils that were in danger…

How did I choose this exact brush and why? If I’m doing a small area, I’m going to grab a small brush and if I’m doing a large area, I’m going to grab a bigger brush. There’s something even more important though than the big brush/little brush factor… which brush is clean.

All my other larger brushes were in the yucky paint water, and since I was about to use white, I needed a clean one. So, whichever brush was about the right size is the perfect one.

The white paint wasn’t dry and if your Spidey sense is tingling that there is danger nearby, you’re right! Not only is fully dry paint hard on felt-tipped pens, but it is hard on any pen when it’s still wet…

The brave and valiant Sharpie hung in there for a while, but the wet paint was just too much for it. So, that’s why I grabbed the really jumbo one. Guess you know why I buy my Sharpies in multi packs now.

Along with all the paint and Art Spray, oil pastels were added in some spots. Yes, oil pastels on top of acrylic paint.

When adding a fluid something on top of oil pastels, it beads up and creates a different look. I love that and do it on purpose. As I brushed on some of the Art Spray over the oil pastel, you can see how it beaded up.

You’re not supposed to do that but I do it anyway. After all, this is play and not brain surgery. It’s about having fun using art supplies!

If you want to feel that freedom of play then I encourage you to check out my free online workshop called Permission to Play. In there I’ve got downloadable goodies for you and specific strategies, things that you can do to let loose to really get into the play and just have fun making and creating.

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep the free tutorials coming!


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What I Learned Painting My Stairs

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At long last, this year, I finally updated my painted stairs. These are the stairs I walk on every day to get to the studio and now that they’re colorful, I wonder why it took me so long to make time to do this! What I learned and the OOPS or two along the way are all in the video.

Use a floor paint. Stairs get a lot of wear and tear and need a very durable paint to look good over the long haul. I used Valspar Porch, Floor, and Patio paint.

To save myself some brush cleaning, I wrapped the brushes in plastic wrap so I could skip cleaning them at the end of the day. The whole process took 2- 3 days and it was a real time saver to not have to wash so many brushes out after each coat.

It’s wise to prime the stairs. I was painting over a faux brick pattern and was too impatient to prime it. I wish I had taken that time early on to save me the extra coats it took to cover it up.

If there are gaps between your boards you can fill them in with a flexible caulk. Be sure that it is a caulk for indoor use and it’s paintable. There were plenty of gaps on these stairs since I think these were originally intended to be carpeted.

Start, even if you don’t have a clear or exact plan. Just get paint in colors you love and start. It’s only paint, so if you change your mind you can paint right over it.

There wasn’t a clear plan for me when I started. I wanted a quote and color and once I got started, then the idea of the scallops came to me. But that only happened because I got started.

You might not be able to see the entire quote or pattern from the bottom. When you get to the bottom of my stairs, you have to take a quick turn. So there isn’t much room to stand back which means I couldn’t read the first line of the quote at all if I started on the top step.

You can see the ghost of the Let Go that I started up on the red step. After I stenciled I went to the bottom of the stairs, and totally couldn’t see it. A baby wipe removed 95% of the paint but you could still see it.

Was that a mistake? Nope. It’s An O.O.P.S., an Outstanding Opportunity Presenting Suddenly. It’s a bonus reminder to let go of trying to make something perfect.

Embrace who you are. If you’re an engineer who likes things mathematically straight, then do that. If your lines are never straight or even no matter what you do, then don’t line anything up! Bet you can guess which one I am.

To make it easy to stencil the words, I cut apart the Vintage Typewriter Alphabet Jumbo stencils (A-P & Q-Z) that I designed for StencilGirl. Then I taped them on with painters tape.

The risers won’t be walked on so use whatever you have on there. I didn’t buy black floor paint so what could I do? I used what I had, which was black acrylic paint that I use in my mixed media art. The finishing touches on the scallops were so much easier to do with ink than paint. Nobody will be walking on the black so it isn’t a big deal.

Make it safe to walk on. Fancy patterns can look cool but can be an adventure to walk on. I’m no spring kitten so I chose to avoid optical illusions that make it hard to see where I’m stepping.

Solid areas of light colors show dirt faster than a darker color or a pattern.

Have an escape plan if you paint the entire staircase at once, otherwise, you’re stuck there until the stairs dry. If you don’t have another way out of the room or area, then paint every other stair so you can step over any wet paint.

Choose a quote that is meaningful to you. Every time you go up the stairs, you’ll be seeing these words. Even if you don’t read them aloud, your subconscious will noticing them.

Let go of who you think you are supposed to be embrace who you are- Brené Brown

I chose this quote because it is about accepting who you are, not worrying about all the shoulds and musts that come as part of the baggage of growing up.

Whenever I get my art supplies out, when I am creating, I feel like the true me. So when I leave my art studio I now have a reminder to bring that feeling with me and keep me grounded in who I truly am.

Want that

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