Sunday 23 August 2015

Unforgettable Summer: across North America and back!

Hi there my dear friends, I'm glad to say I'm back home, safe and sound!
It was a long, intense but very adventurous and rewarding Summer: I've traveled for many weeks to meet wonderful groups of people in all corners of North America and I'm very happy to say I've used my time the best I could. I LOVE teaching: giving people inspiration, encouragement, self-confidence and making them believe they are good enough to create is the best reward you can imagine... and I have to say my students are always wonderful, talented and open hearted people. I keep learning new things from them every time I am in the classroom just simply watching them create, spreading their wings. I simply love my job.

I'd like to send huge thanks to all the wonderful people who made this experience possible and all the great shops I was able to visit: Scrap Addicts - Edmonton, Alberta, and Love is in the Details - Manitoba, Canada, Cafe Crop - Merillville, Indiana, Scrappy Chic - Livonia, Michigan, Donna Downey Studios - Huntersville - North Carolina, Scrapbooking Forever - Westlake Village, California, Artsy Stamps and Papercrafts - Loveland, Colorado, The Paper Butique - Springfield, Illinois, Whim So Doodle - St. Petersburg, Florida and Palette and Paper - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Each of this places was unique, but all of them were so warm and welcoming. Thank you so much for hosting me - time with you is just unforgettable!

I'm not going to overflow this post with all the photos I took on my way - you can see the all here on my Instagram account, but I'd like to share some of the highlights of the trip, just to give you a taste of what was going on... here we go!










































I can't believe I did it... It still seems to be a one big dream, but hey, our life is built of dreams, right?
I hope those of you I was lucky to meet on my way had a good time... and I managed to inspire you a bit!
I'm trying to get back on the usual track again now, focusing on relaxing, thinking about new tasks to tick off from my "to do" list - including creating something new, something exciting, something I was planning to do for a long time :)

Keep your fingers crossed and see you soon on the blog!


18 comments:

Helen said...

looks like a very busy summer - think you deserve a holiday yourself now!

Unknown said...

Please, will you come to Dallas, TX ???

Toni said...

Wonderful pics... and congrats on all your success... Thank you for your continued inspiration !

IndyCinD said...

We so enjoyed your stay at Palette and Paper, Indianapolis!.
Thanks for your instruction, your enthusiasm, and your friendship! Looking forward to next time!

Jane said...

What wonderful photos and what lucky ladies. What a fabulous journey you have enjoyed and left so much inspiration along the way. Enjoy the rest and I really hope to come to a class in the future if you are ever teaching in South East England :0)xx

jezebel said...

Awesome!! Wish you were in a place closer to my home so I could have been an attendee, but maybe next time you are in the USA.

Caroline D. said...

Wow, what a whirlwind of a summer!! So many happy times and I'm thankful I got to play when you were at Donna Downey's! All of the projects are gorgeous and everyone looks like they had such a good time learning from you. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us all!

Cathy Y said...

Dear, dear Finn - we are still thrilled that you came to us at Palette and Paper near Indianapolis. I have been taking classes at scrapbook stores for 20 years, but my friends and I agree that your classes are absolutely number one on our list of best classes we have ever attended! Thank you for your generosity with supplies for our stunning projects, and for sharing your wonderful talent! We wish you the best. :-)

smokeysmom said...

Welcome home Anna! The Finnabair rave is obvious with all of your products currently "out of stock" at every shop I have visited! Hopefully, next year you will visit Oregon so I can take your live classes, which I have heard so much about. Your sweet disposition and teaching skills are outspoken! I am patiently waiting for your new mica powders to arrive in the online stores, as well as your Soft Matte Medium (sold out everywhere). You have outdone yourself, my dear. Now, take a rest and enjoy some time at home with your wonderful husband. And, CONGRATULATIONS on your US, Australia and Nz teaching tours!! Hugs, Maggie

Unknown said...

I was so thrilled to be one little part of your summer tour and take a class at Scrapbooking Forever. See you again at CHA!

Kathy Bradley said...

Based on my own awesome experience with your classes in Springfield, IL - I can only hope you are in the area - somewhere close to me that I can travel - so I can take more classes. I learned so many things - clustering, colors, proportion - and on and on. You are a most wonderful and amazing teacher - and a very down to earth and kind lady!!

Unknown said...

You inspired me Anna in so many ways!!! Thanks for sharing your time with all of us. :)

Anna Wolleben said...

Czesc Anno,
bardzo sie ciesze, ze mialam szanse jeszcze raz byc na Twoim workshopie w Edmonton, AB. Duze przezycie dla mnie!

Thanks for all your inspiration, you rock!

Anna z Alberty

Sanderijn de Bruin said...

Such a great journey, this one AND your creative life you're living...I really can imagine this is a dream coming true, all of it...but you deserve it!! And thank YOU for sharing all your skills and ideas with us!

Sue Lelli said...

Taking ALL of the classes you offered at Whim So Doodle in St. Pete, FL was the BEST experience EVER! I learned so much and was totally inspired! Can't wait to take your class at the Prima Artventure in Anaheim in 2016! Thanks!

Lee-Anne said...

What a whirlwind tour, Anna! Hope you can get some much-needed rest! I was honored and thrilled to take part in four of your classes at Scrap Addicts in Edmonton. You are a fabulous instructor and I thank you for sharing your talents in such a fun way!

Crafty Loops said...

Hello sweet Anna. I am so sorry I haven't visited your blog is such a long time. You probably don't even remember me, but I'm a fellow Irish blogger who dabbles in crafting too. Nowhere near your talent, but I have a good go, teehee. I have been a terrible blogger lately. I am so delighted to see you had such a lovely Summer packed full of fun, life just gets in the wat. I hope you enjoyed the weather when you were away off on your travels because now you are back in soggy old Ireland, lol. Although, I think the South has had a better Summer than we've had in Northern Ireland. It has been atrocious up here. Can you believe that at the end of June, in the early hours of the wee morning we hit a record breaking all time low of 0.6 degrees C!! Can you just imagine, going out to your car early in the morning to go to work, on what is meant to be a beautiful Summers day and having to scrape ice off your car......in June! I think I would have just crawled back to bed, teehee. I think I got to put on Sun cream only 1 day this Summer! It's been awful. Anyway, I will try to be a better blogger this year. I've been such a disaster these last couple of years really. Glad to see everything is going so well for you. I'm off to catch up on your blog. Lee aka Crafty Loops xx

~Lori~ said...

It was truly an honor to have you at our store. I so enjoyed each and every minute. Everyone is still talking about you and your amazing talent.

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