CKU Chicago.
Thank you Friday Evolution students.
Thank you Saturday Evolution students.
This CKU event had a whole different feel. It was more laid back, more go with the flow, and in the case of my Evolution album track, a bit more emotional.
Introducing a new class is always an interesting experience. After teaching A Week In The Life for the past three years I was ready for something different. On Friday morning as I watched the students pulling out their enlarged photos (many of them from past generations) and getting to work I was feeling that awesome creative high that comes from being a witness to a story coming together. It was the coolest thing.
I also loved seeing all the different ways that students approached the theme of evolution. Stories were told about parents, spouses, children, cousins, grandparents, families, and (often I think most importantly if it has not been done before) stories were told about the person sitting there creating the album. Witnessing someone going through the process of telling their own personal story - their own personal evolution - is such an honor and a privilege.
Check out Tim's great recap on his blog.
Additional thanks from this weekend:
Thanks to Paolo for being one of the best travel partners + creative photographers + for being my friend for all these years.
Thanks to Jenn + Nicole for being the best TA's + knowing what to do without me saying a word. I appreciate you both.
Thanks to Kelly at It Kit Studio for sending along such a great surprise for my students.
Thanks to Windy City Scrapbooking for being a great place to visit + shop on Wednesday night. Susan, you are great.
Thanks to Tim for always knowing where the best food is located. And to Margie for making me laugh so hard that I cry. And to Jessica for being the pioneer. And to the three of you for all the hugs and support after the phone call about Grandma.
Thanks to the CK Events Staff for making everything so smooth and anticipating needs.
Thanks to all the students for embracing + risking + playing + creating + sharing your stories + being open to the possibilities (and for the very thoughtful words + gifts).
And special thanks to the lady in the back of the class on Saturday who brought a very special handmade gift for Simon. I told you he was going to LOVE your gift - he has not stopped playing with the goodies since I got home (she made him a whole collection of food from felt...he is so, so happy).
Sounds like you had a wonderful time in Chicago! Its a great city! What a nice gift Simon got! How cool is that. Great city...great people. :)
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what an amazing gift for simon! sounds like a wonderful turnout in chicago!
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what an amazing gift for simon! sounds like a wonderful turnout in chicago!
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Jenn is such a sweetie! I wish I could have been there for CKU, what an awesome time you must have had... and what a cute cute idea, all that felt food!
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Sounds like such a great time....and even Simon lucked out on it all! I'd love to hear more about your Evolution class on your blog! Erin :)
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Ali, I absolutely LOVED your album class! I can't stop looking at it, (which feels a little narcissistic since it's about me. lol) I already showed it to my parents when I picked up my dog on the way home, and my Mom said, so can I keep this book? :) I said NO!! I am going to finish up some stuff on it this week. I really feel so inspired after this weekend. Tim's class too was just wonderful. I learned so much about the products I own already! I couldn't believe how much free stuff was given out. I had to Fed Ex it all home! :)
I was so sorry also to hear about your grandmother, I loved your story about the tea set, I welled up when you said that you have the pot now and were going to have some tea from it yesterday, I love that. I'll be keeping your family in my thoughts.
My grandmother died a few years ago and I still find myself missing her all the time. She was the person who taught me the most about crafting, she even scrapbooked, before it was "scrapbooking", but she did it all, sewing, knitting, quilting, etc. I always feel like she's with me when I work on the sorts of things she would do. :)
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can I just say...
LOVE THE CARPET
in that conference room!
cool felt food, as well
thanks as always for sharing
your adventures with us all!!
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That set of goodies is fantastic. I would buy them in a heart beat!
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Those felt foodies are too cute! What a great gift for Simon.
I'm very sorry for your loss. :(
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Wow! That felt food is great.
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I love ya girl! Same time next year? I sent you an email too. So glad Simon is having fun with the felt food.
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The felt food is such a thoughtful and beautiful gift! Must be loads of fun to play with, too. ;)
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First off.. wouldn't that carpet (group photo) make great patterned paper?
Secondly..glad CK was fun.
Thirdly... NICE for Simon! COOL nice lady in the back of the class on Saturday ...very cool of YOU!
xo
catherine
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oh, how kind of her to think of simon!!!
I am in love with this delicious felt food...
too bad my little girl's not into the foodthing...
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Ali,
Thanks for a wonderful class on Friday and for sharing your knowledge and insight with all of us. Not only did I get to meet you, but I got to meet some great ladies.
And, I was so sorry to hear about your Grandma. Your ability to still be there for your students during such an emotional time is just one more thing I enjoy about you.
Glad you liked the "unforgetable" frame!
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woah! the felt toys are so cute!
do you mind to do a close up photos of the toys? It looks so yummy!
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How thoughtful was that gift for Simon!!! I have a 16yo who is ADD and Intermittent Explosive Disorder and something like this would have worked wonders with him when he was Simon's age. Developmentally and emotionally, he is more like a 14yo so he has trouble making friends but he wears a cool facade and that seems to make it alright but it admitted to the psychiatrist last week that there is never a time when is happy and not sad. So our battle goes on, as we start to get closer to adulthood. Thanks for listening and hug Simon all he will let you.
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Sounds like it was a great time! Wish I could have been there!
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Wow, what a fun toy for Simon! She did a great job. How sweet.
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girl, you know we love you to pieces...always happy to have a chance to get to spend time with you. (add to that the bonuses of meeting Paolo, spending time with all of those people in your classes and getting lost on our way back from the city...and you've got yourself one heck of a weekend.)
just wish you were closer to us...see you next year my sweets. =)
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Ali, I neglected to say it in my comments from yesterday, but I am thinking over CKU again as I read this post. I was torn between taking your class and taking Jessica's... and, since I was lucky enough to take classes with you at SAVE in January 2007, Jessica's class won out. In the end, I missed you, but was still very glad to be one of Jessica's "pioneers!" :) She's awesome....
But, anyhow, I digress. I wanted to come back and tell you what an AWESOME JOB you did on the keynote speech. I was blown away by you. I don't think the CKU Event Staff could have picked a better person to make us all reflect, think, and get "into the mood" of learning and exploring new skills and techniques. I know you're just a "regular person" but you really do inspire me, Ali. You are just one awesome chick!
And, you can bet that the NEXT time I make it to CKU, your class is the TOPS on my list! Thanks for sharing so much of your soul so freely with all us crazy scrappers! :) It was great to see you again! Tracy
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The felt food is so great!
Is there any link on the internet, how to saw it?
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Glad you enjoyed your change in your teaching. That is always good to do once in a while.
Love Simon's felt food - Michelle made all of us felt goodies for Christimas this year and Brody loved them, especially the dougnuts. What a special lady!!
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Ali,
I had a blast with you in Friday's Evolution's class. This was my very first CKU and I am still on a high from all the fun I had. I love my Evolution album and it is my favorite album I've ever done.
One thing I wanted to say to you is that because of your class, I actually went out of my comfort zone and really "played" during your class. Usually when I scraplift a layout of yours, I have to scraplift every single detail to make it exactly like yours. I will go out of my way to the scrapbook store searching for the exact rubons or paper that you used and scraplift all the little details. That was my plan at CKU - to scraplift everything you did. But with a little nudging from you and my CKU buddy Abby, I actually played a lot and for the first time didn't copy your layouts exactly. I used your layouts as a guideline and trusted my inner artist voice for the first time in my life. It was slow at first and there was one major mistake made (had to end up cutting the circle page to 4 circles instead of the 6 due to a Cropadile malfunction but it was totally ok). I actually felt like I was creating for the fist time. I feel so liberated. So thanks Ali for all the inspiration and for the little push you gave me to take baby steps to help me find my inner artist voice :)
And if you didn't hear me during Sat.'s Commencement because I was crying so much - I won one of the prizes for Best Journaling on a Layout ("Living with Autism"), you totally inspired me to do that layout. You are such a cool person and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me!
xoxo
Jenny
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That carpet is absolutely fabulous! And so are the felt goodies for Simon - they are amazing.
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