I stopped over at the CREATE with Cloth Paper Scissors Mixed Media Retreat on the 27th, and it was amazing! The first annual mixed-media weekend, hosted by Cloth Paper Scissors, featured arts and crafts workshops by renowned artists and crafters. People came from across the country (and even overseas!) to attend the retreat and learn a new craft technique or two.

There were all kinds of amazing mixed media workshops going on when I visited the event at the Hilton in Rosemont, IL. Room after room, there were crafters making jewelry, bags, journals, and other things using paint, paper, fabric, and recycled objects. All of the classes were essentially working with the same materials, and it was so cool to see how each instructor put his or her own spin on mixed media crafting.

I met the inspiring duo behind Dinner at Eight Artists, Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison, who were teaching a class called “Dreaming in Canvas: A Painted Quilt.”

Here’s a sample of Jamie’s style:

There was also a really cool class called “Gyotaku Collage,” which taught the Japanese technique of fish printing, and “The Trashy Clutch,” on how to make a clutch purse out of, well, trash! My favorite class was called “Jewelry Alchemy,” taught by Barbe Saint John. Hear my thoughts below:

The CREATE Retreat really is a retreat. Many attendees look at this weekend of workshops as a relaxing getaway. Instead of going to spas or girly bars, women can go to a crafting event and get the same therapeutic benefits of a facial through creating art. This event, and others like it, bring together people with common interests who can talk, socialize, and create together, which makes a nice break from the daily grind. Check in with Cloth Paper Scissors to find out about future events, which are held all over the country.

Here are some CREATE instructors’ blogs. Read their event recaps!
Alisa Burke
Jamie Fingal
Leslie Tucker Jenison
Barbe Saint John

If you’ve never tried mixed media art before, you should give it a try! It’s the perfect blend of art and craft, and it covers everything from altered art and collages to crafting with found objects and the ever-popular artist trading cards.

Have you ever made any mixed media art? Have you ever been to a crafting retreat?