Hello there

Hi everyone...back home from New Zealand where I was teaching classes at Spring Edition, a event run by Nic Howard and Lucy Vanderloos.  Nic asked me to teach at her event last year so this has been a long time in coming and now I can't believe it is over.  I will warn you this post has a ton of pictures, mostly because the event had the lovely Andrea, a professional photographer to take the photos.  I loved this idea, since most times I am too busy in class to even remember.  So my thanks goes to Andrea for her great work. 

I arrived on Tuesday morning and was able to spend the day with Nic and her family before we left on Wednesday for the resort.   We drove out to Karioitahi Beach on the western coast of New Zealand to have dinner at Agave at the Castaways Resort that sits perched on a hillside overlooking the ocean.  These pictures looks unreal but I just snapped them with my iPhone as the sun was starting to set.

 These are the bungalows you can rent that over look the beach.  Stunning views.

 Nic's absolutely darling daughter, the effervescent Abby, before dinner.

 Not a bad view from my seat at dinner, eh?

 Time to leave for Wairakei Resort...but just a couple stops.  For those of us Amazing Race fans, we stopped to watch...Zorbing!  Do remember this from a few seasons back?  You get into the big plastic ball, they fill it with some water, then you roll down the hill.  I wish I could say we were brave enough to do it but none of us were prepared to get soaking wet so we just watched from below as some kids rolled on down.

Then on to Rotorua, Te Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, and the National Carving and Weaving Schools.
As you drive through Rotorua there is geothermal steam rising up out of the ground in many places.  I admit, it was kind of unnerving seeing the steam coming up in someone's yard.  Apparently, there are five main geothermal areas in which a variety of geysers, hot springs, boiling mud pools and hissing craters can be experienced up close.  We drove to Te Puia where we saw one of the larger geysers (seen below).

Also at Te Puia, we visited the Māori meeting house, the carving and weaving school.
At the carving school, apprentices study for 3 years learning traditional carving techniques.  The school only accecpts 5 apprentices a year.
I was sorry after I left that I did not take a picture of all the wood shavings on the floor.  Way more than it shows in this picture.

This is two massive logs that were being carved for each side of a stage for an event taking place in Feb 2013.

 Part of the cultural show at Te Puia

We left Te Puia, drove into Taupo and decided to go to a little rise to overlook the city and the HUGE lake.

 As we arrived a huge rainbow appeared over the city.  I quickly snapped this photo as we reached the car park.  Just a few minutes later the rainbow was gone.  magical.

 

The next day we were also able to visit Huka Falls that we decided was the color of Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  We walked along the river, crossed the bridge to the other side...a light rain started and another rainbow appeared at the bottom of the falls.

After our morning trip to Huka Falls we went back to the resort to get everything set up.

After a late night of set up...it's off to bed!
(good thing I have a wristwatch)

Woodland Trees make and take...

pick a color, is it spun sugar, fired brick, tumbled glass, peeled paint, vintage photo, or even wild honey? 

 

 Lianne make these wonderful tree samples to show what you could do with the Woodland trees.

 mixing up the water and reinker color in a mini mister

 here is how Lianne kept all the spray color at bay...a shoe box paint station.

4 x 6 tray class

 a little freestyle painting

 Distress Ink ready to go...

 

Tissue tape in the folio class

Making Distress Stain Crinkle ribbon

Distress Stain Buttons drying on the back table.

Just some of the 100 lovely ladies...
Liz, Jo and Kathy (aka: here comes trouble)

 

Beverley, Raewyn, Janine, and Wendy

 Suzz, June, Fiona

 Andrea (the fabulous photographer), Robyn, Sue and Jan

 

Jackie, Lyn, Trish, Joy, Donna

 

Kirsty, Kim and Lesley

 

Just a quick note today to say thanks to my friends Nic Howard and Lucy Vanderloose for inviting me to teach in New Zealand at Spring Edition.  I had a great time catching up with girls Deb and I met in New Zealand in 2007...Lilli, Tracey, Kirsty, Lesley and Lyn as well as meeting many new faces - June, Liz, Donna, Moana, Joy, Karen, Debbie, Kathy and Sam just to name a few.  Just so many nice people all so willing to play along in class.  I loved every minute of it!

Thanks to all the fabulous class tutors that helped me run my many technique tables...Rachel, Lianne, Kate, Tania... as well as Lynda (shop girl).  As well as the sponsors of my classes,

 7gypsies

Tim Holtz Idea-ology

Ranger

Darkroom Door

Studio Calico

Collections Elements

Lianne, Kate, Tania, Nic, Natalie, Trevor (Natalie's husband), Lucy, me, Lynda, and dear Rachel.

just a bunch of goofballs.

and a special shout out to Sande for blogging for me while I was gone...you are one in a million.
cheers everyone!
paula