You Look Mahvelous Mirror

ShaDeeLa held it's "YOU LOOK MAHVELOUS MIRROR" workshop in early May. Participants received a wooden framed mirror, which soon became individual masterpieces! After transferring original designs to the frame, students painted, glittered and glued down items that gave dimension and interest. The final touch was using a wood burning tool to outline designs to create a "pop" effect. With the final pieces in hand, students walked out of class with a smile on their faces and a reminder that... "YOU LOOK MAHVELOUS!"

Road Trip!

Sharon, Dee and Deb usually take the month of August off. Vacations, preparations for the holiday trunk show (details coming soon!) and project development normally has the month filled. This year, however, an unexpected phone call had the ladies of ShaDeeLa heading north to Philadelphia. The project -- working with a group of girlfriends; The agenda -- finishing up partially completed projects. Sharon, Dee and Deb gave the friends new ideas and modernized a few old techniques. So much fun! This could be come an annual event.

"This was such a great Saturday with the girls - and productive too! Sharon, Dee and Deb were great instructors and really gave us all some wonderful ideas. I hope they have workshops in our area soon!"- Kris L.

Creative Sparks Incubation Box

This workshop was developed specifically to spark that creative ember that glows within all of us and to keep that flame alive and burning bright!

Whether you are a writer, musician or an artist, your most creative ideas always seem to arise while in the shower, in a traffic jam or when tossing sleeplessly at night. Noting your ideas when they arise is crucial to the creative cycle. These boxes were designed to establish a holding place for written or sketched thoughts for future attention when one’s artist cycle is in its full moon.

While openly sharing their best known discovery (or aha) moments, students learned the technique of carving their own handmade rubber stamp using a linoleum cutter and a rubber blank. The circular boxes were adorned with paint, rubber stamping, burnt matchsticks and finalized with wood-burned accent.

Miniature Garden Delights

To honor the coming of Spring, ShaDeeLa’s guest instructor, Auralea Krieger from Nature’s Soul Miniatures led the “Miniature Garden Delights” workshop. Kits were distributed with everything we needed to create our own potted Hydrangea plants. They contained pre-cut tissue petals, hydrangea stalks, pre-cooked polymer clay heads, leaves and even a clay pot for the flower! Auralea shared her special techniques, inspiration and guidance and some of us cultivated our own. All participants left with their own miniature piece of art to cherish or give as a gift and most of all we left with a newly learned craft and a blossoming of our creative soul.

Faux Real Painting

Techniques on Canvas

Students did not need to have drawing or painting experience to learn easy decorative faux techniques and finishes in March’s workshop taught by instructor Deborah Rolig.
Exploring the very useful step-by-step instructions on surface prep, paints, glazes, washes, crackle, transfer and texture techniques, students were able to achieve unique and stylish, distressed masterpieces. Everyone went home with a finished piece of original art that was ready to hang!

Soul Collage

ShaDeeLa student’s had been asking us for ages to come up with a class that they could use all of their left over scraps of paper and ephemera. Out of their request, Soul Collage was born. The focus was to dig deep into their spirit and find images that had personal meaning and significance. Using a 5X7 canvas, some students incorporated words and text, while others used color and texture. Of course, glitter made it into almost everyone’s canvas. The finished product was easy to pop into “ready made” frames with mats that will make a wonderful gift!

Keepsake Pouches

ShaDeeLa’s February workshop was Keepsake Pouches, a class that guided students in creating unique pouches intended to store the most precious of treasures.

Instructors Sharon, Dee and Deb demonstrated how to turn a felt swatch into a keepsake. Students learned simple embroidery stitches, custom appliqué techniques and were encouraged to add personal touches such as buttons, beads and tassels. Simply hung up for display or given as gifts, students walked away from this workshop with a stunning and personalized present to be treasured for generations to come.