Have any of you heard of the BlissDom conference before? If you haven’t, let me quickly fill you in, because it’s awesome! BlissDom is a conference that’s all about empowering women bloggers. It’s in its fifth year and has grown to include more than 750 people from all over the country. This past weekend Kirsten, the editor of AllFreeSewing and I (representing AllFreeHolidayCrafts) had the opportunity to experience BlissDom and we were amazed by all the inspiring people we met. We got to network with a bunch of amazingly cool craft and food bloggers, learn from successful entrepreneurs like author Jon Acuff and social media guru Melanie Nelson, and have some fun in Nashville!
Since I love pictures, and I know you do too, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek inside our experience at the conference. First up, the location!
We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, which is a city unto itself. Seriously, this hotel had jungle-like plant life, waterfalls and even a boat that floated through the main lobby area:
After getting over the initial shock that this jungle paradise would be our home for the next two days, Kirsten and I started attending sessions where we learned about everything from Facebook to blogging to how to live creatively and believe in yourself. If it sounds very “Oprah,” it was — and in the best way possible. There’s no way you could have left BlissDom without feeling empowered to make positive changes in your life, whether personal or professional or both.
Interspersed with our seminars, we had time to chat with a bunch of other conference attendees. Everyone was so nice and friendly and I was amazed by the amount of creativity and passion packed into one place! We especially enjoyed making new connections with a few bloggers in particular. Pop over to these sites if you get a minute – I promise you’ll be glad you did!
- Maggie from Gussy Sews – A wonderful resource for sewists and anyone who likes cute things!
- Jennifer from Threaded Together – A blog run by two sisters, their mom, sister-in-law and some friends. They have great craft ideas and tutorials!
- Allison from House of Hepworths – A great resource for home decor and DIY tutorials; I especially love her Dollar Store section!
- Angela from Unexpected Elegance – A really cool blog with ideas for upcycled and thrifty home decor.
- Meggie from Hoosier Farm Babe – A fun blog with delicious recipes inspired by life on the farm.
There were so many amazing women at this conference, I’m just sad we weren’t able to meet all 750 of them!
We did make one more special friend while attending BlissDom. Are you ready for this? We met…
The Lorax! With the upcoming release of the Dr. Seuss inspired movie, this orange mustachioed guy was roaming the halls of the conference, taking pictures with eager fans and we were lucky enough to get to pose with him! Isn’t he cute?
Stay tuned for more snapshots of our time at BlissDom (trust me, there’s some other special stuff we want to share with you!), but for now I’ll leave you with this: We’re having a special giveaway just for you, our loyal readers!
One lucky reader (chosen at random) will win a swag bag full of fun items we picked up while at BlissDom:
This awesome swag bag includes:
- A Blooming Expressions flower from Hallmark
- A “People Like Me” Facebook t-shirt
- A recipe organizer
- A fashionable wristlet
- Shampoo and conditioner from VO5
- An official “BlissDom” silver necklace
- A cute breakfast bowl
- An airplane neck pillow
- A Blissdom canvas tote bag
- Coupons
- And so much more!
How to Enter the Giveaway:
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling us where you get your craft inspiration from. It could be a person you know, a blog you read, magazines, your kids… anything really!
The Details:
1. Contest ends on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.
2. Open to anyone 18+ in US and Canada only.
3. Only one entry per person please.
4. Winner will be announced right here on the blog on Friday, March 2, 2012.
Good luck!
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I get my inspiration at the most random times! Usually it’s when I’m throwing out recyclables … I think, no I can’t throw that out I can make ___ (insert crafty idea here)! LOL. Other inspiration comes from my best friend Pinterest! I also love All Free Sewing & Made by Marzipan! =)
I get my ideas everywhere from blogs, magazines, pinterest, craft shows, and everyday life. Love trying new things.
I get a lot of my inspiration from magazines in general. Pintrest has become a new source. But I love all craft magazines.
My initial inspiration to craft was instilled in me as a child by my grandmother, my mother, and my older sisters. Now I use blogs and websites like pinterest and your site to inspire me and help me plan projects and keep crafting. What a cool thing to do with your swag giveaway.
I get most of my inspiration from bloggers who have been pinned on Pinterest! It’s amazing how many creative people are out there….
Thanks for the chance at some swag!
I get my inspiration from lots of places. I find that Facebook actually gives me lots. Not Facebook itself but the bloggers and crafters on there. They post their pics and tutorials. It’s so great to see what others are making. I’ve never checked out Pintrest but since so many have mentioned it, I think I need to check it out. Thank you!!!
Much of my inspiration comes from nature, or at least the colors when i am creating a jewelry piece. Also get lots of inspiration from magazines, blogs, facebook postings, etc.
Thank you for your inspiration!
I get my ideas from past and the present.
I have two left feet when it comes to crafting i pray a lot and my gift for crafting comes from Jesus He is my inspiration!
I get my crafting inspiration from the various blogs that I follow including this one. Thank you for the giveaway!!
My main inspiration is blogs! I can get lost and spend hours seeing great ideas and saving them. The internet and these wonderful women bloggers have changed crafting is a way I never imagined!
I get my inspiration from browsing the internet and reading magazines.
Wonderful giveaway. I get my inspiration from pinterest posts, from interacting with my children and also from discovering new crafts to learn.
I get my inspiration from all over – TV, movies, magazines, blogs, websites, and so on. However my daughter and granddaughters have a way of inspiring me to combine ideas and try things out of my comfort zone. They are just amazing.
My inspiration comes from my need to feel like I am a calm and artistic Mom, MomMom, wife and daughter. I’m always doing for others and when I craft I just feel complete.
my inspiration comes from searching online and on pinterest
I get great ideas from various online blogs and websites like allfreecrochet.com Love that they send it right to my inbox!
My inspiration comes from ravelry and pinterest.
I get all of my inspiration from all the fabulous blogs on the internet. Thank you for giving me more blogs to check out.
I love to craft and knit and make beautiful things.
Pinterest and my own head!
i’ve just joined pinterest and its making my head spin. So much cool stuff to create! my 11 year old granddaughter is also my partner in crime.
My inspiration comes from the Work Of God…my children, and my surrounds, those who have a need. Look out the the window and what do you see…little inspirations for you and me! Remember to always pay good deeds forward for that becomes the Blessing tenfold!
I browse craft blogs and get excited and inspired. I’ve learned up cycling crafts and traditional crafts mix just fine. I carry bags in my car for things I collect while out (bottle caps, colored bottles, corks, etc.) in hopes of using them all soon.
Surfing the web. I get so many cool ideas.
My inspiration comes movies and cartoons,and other crafters. Oooo, and from nature!
I get most of my creative ‘inklings’ from different blogs, Pinterest and magazines. I guess you could almost say from eveywhere!! 😉 Great giveaway!!!
I wish I could say nature, mother earth or something cool, but mine is one blog after another. I can go to pininterest and spend hours looking at blogs and ideas.. I love ETSY and all my fav craft and sewing blogs.. Now I need to go to Nashville too.,
Wow, Blissdom must have been an amazing experience! I would have loved to have been part of the networking process!
Thanks for sharing your story and for the chance to win a Swag Bag! How awesome for you to have been able to attend and for me to have a chance to win!
I get mine from the Crafty Chica 😉
I’m inspired by what I read, by what I see and by what I feel!
I get inspiration from all over. It could be something I see, read, hear. Sometimes it’s magazines but I hardly ever follow patterns exactly, usually make my own changes somewhere along the line. I can be sitting reading a book and get inspiration from something there. I just never know when something will hit me or where it might come from!
Great Giveaway! I am inspired from a lot of stuff. I like textures, colors, stacks of fabrics, found objects, toys. Now I know why my mom (RIP) loved to go to the fabric store, yard sales, stacks of magazines, and visit friends to see what they have been doing, to get ideas because she did not have the internet back then.
My inspiration comes from browsing craft magazines, pinterest and internet pictures. Love the free online sites that share patterns.
This was a great article. I had never heard of this conference but it sounded like it was fantastic! I am originally from Nashville and have been to that hotel many times. Their “jungle” is quite the attraction. I get my inspiration for the different crafts from the materials themselves and from different articles and websites I read and visit.
I am inspired by much of what I see on the internet.
That sounds like so much fun! I get inspired by projects that I see in magazines, books, bloggers, and definitely nature. I never tire of thinking of ways to take something simple and unusable and turning it into something pretty and useful!
I usually get my isnpiration from magazines showing high end items that look simple..and they usually are! After I say to myself” I can do that, and I think I can do it better” I set out trying to make it better, less expensive, and with love!
I get my inspiration from all over; the web is exciting for me, crafting blogs I read often lead me to new ones; I seem to collect craft books which help as well. Then there is also my children, grandchildren, other young at heart relatives-the list could be endless! Thanks for the opportunity for the swag bag!
Literally everything inspires me. It’s like seeing a great painting and hearing music in my head that gives me a tangent to another visual that can be used in my flamework, painting, drawing, sewing or crocheting. We are all so connected on many levels so when I watch a travel show it inspires me, as do my dreams and when others share their thoughts with me. I have been very blessed. I’d like to be able to capture what I see better via photo’s, so that part of me is still very much a work in progress.
For knitting and crochet, I get most of my inspiration from ravelry and magazines, but for general crafting a lot of it just comes from random things I see that other people have done. When I like something I’ll find a way to make it my own.
I get my inspiration from my friends and family the always have things in their homes with beautiful textures and colors.
My creativity started from necessity. Doll clothes? Make them. Rainy? Mud pies! Can’t find a “just right” gift? Paint one! But, then it became a way of life! My friends call me the “make-do Queen.” Looking at sites like favcrafts.com and DeviantArt.com fuels the fire and inspires me to try new things!
I actually get my inspiration from other people this website. I love to see what people do when they share their ideas. I get inspiration and try to make the projects with my own spin. I always know that this website will have a fantastic ideas! Thank you one and all for being my inspiration!
I get my ideas from internet and magazines. It used to be tv but not anymore.
I get craft inspiration from things I see-an ornament on someone’s tree; from pictures in magazines and the internet; and some inspiration is “need driven.” I needed a gift card holder and I made one.
I get inspiration from seeing what other people do and telling myself, “I can do that too.” Most of the time it works out well. I like to make Christmas ornaments, so I have a lot of creativity there as well. Anything can be an ornament with enought glue and glitter! I knit, scrapbook, and craft in general.
My crafting inspiration comes from Magazines and blogs and pinterest. I LOVE Pinterest. I can find anything and everything and put in one place!
My inspirations come from one of my niece’s and my precious grand-daughter.
Love sewing and craft blogs, finding and using great ideas. Fave Crafts is one of the best.
I get inspiration from a good friend, Nancy 🙂