We’re all abuzz in the Lark office about this week’s big party in St. Paul, Minnesota: The Creative Connection Event.
Haven’t you heard? This exciting, annual conference brings together hundreds of women with a shared passion for well-crafted handmade goods, soul-enriching food, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the networking potential of social media into three jam-packed days. This year’s event draws on the rich experience of over 100 industry experts, entrepreneurs, and authors. Hands-on workshops in cooking, sewing, jewelry making, creative writing, paper crafts, photography, book publishing, painting, cooking, and more will be joined with social networking and business panels that focus on the practical details of setting up, running, and marketing a business and leveraging its impact through blogging and other social media. Now in its second year, the event has joined forces with BlogHer as its official media partner and Mary Janes Farm for a fabulous day of food-centric fun.
We’re thrilled that our parent company, Sterling Publishing, is a main sponsor of this year’s event. As a publisher that celebrates content and authors that entertain, enrich, and educate, sponsoring The Creative Connection event feels like a perfect meeting of the minds (and heart).
I was fortunate enough to attend last year’s inaugural event … and was I ever impressed with the beautiful convergence of creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and active sense of collaboration! It’s a sincere joy to be part of the event again this year with a contingent of Lark authors in attendance: Ashley English (Homemade Living Series), Mary Hettmansperger (Fabulous Woven Jewelry; Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet; Mixed Metal Jewelry Workshop), Brenda Schweder (Steel Wire Jewelry), Kaari Meng (The French-Inspired Home; French-Inspired Jewelry), Todd Porter & Diane Cu (photographers/stylists for Sweet Confections), and, of course, event co-founder, Jo Packham (Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration; Where Women Cook: Celebrate!).
Not only will these authors and contributors be there to mix and mingle with the rest of us, but they’re teaching classes that you, too, could attend:
Ashley English: Jam Session: Make Your Own Homemade Jam
Mary Hettmansperger: Looped Jewelry and Woven Copper Jewelry
Brenda Schweder: Wrangled Bangles and Cage Contender: Whimsically Edged Pendant
Todd Porter & Diane Cu: Photography to Boost Your Creative Voice and Edible Images: Food Photography & Styling
Kaari Meng (with Wendy Addison): Bibelot Charme Workshop and Boite de Bijoux Workshop
And for further inspiration and fun, you can shop the Market Place, featuring feature over 70 craft and handmade vendors. There will be plenty of mini-events happening in the Market Place: blogger parties, book launches, craft demos, and workshops. Sterling and Lark Crafts will be sharing a booth with the Creative Connection folks. We’ll be hosting some fabulous raffles for books, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, artfully canned treats made by Homemade Living author Ashley English, and more.
The above mentioned authors and contributors, combined with select staff from Sterling and Lark Crafts, sincerely look forward to meeting you in person at the event. Won’t you join us? The event takes place September 15-17 at the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul, Minnesota. You can register for a full Weekender Pass to catch all the fun or a single Day Pass. Or, if you’re local and just want to catch the peripheral buzz, stop by to browse and shop the Market Place.
All of us will undoubtedly leave The Creative Connection Event feeling energized, inspired … and looking forward to next year’s event.
Be sure to keep an eye on the Lark Crafts blog (www.larkcrafts.com), and follow us on Twitter @LarkCrafts for posts on the event!
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