Viva la Verve & Copic Class Pics

I needed a "card fix" today after being gone 2 days. This is for Laurie's Viva la Verve sketch for week #3...a fun layout to use lots of coordinating DP! I broke into my new MME "Be Happy" pad in the Follow Your Heart collection...some gorgeous pastels I tell ya! I added faux stitching at the top of the flag banner and touched some Frost White pigment ink on the crimped heart...easy peasy card!  This was also my first time to ink up Verve's Plain Jane - love this verse from Jeremiah 33:3.

So...a bit about my trip to Richmond with my good stampy friend, Teresa Kline.  Thursday was a dismal weather day...rainy but not terribly cold and I was just thankful it wasn't the white stuff!  We spent most of our time at Hobby Lobby and Charming Charlie - my first time at this ladies' accessory store.  Oh. My. Word.  We spent an hour and 5 minutes (yep, Teresa timed us - lol) in that store!  Prices are so reasonable and they have an endless selection of jewelry, bags, some shoes, scarves, you name the accessory...they have it!  Between those 2 stores, we had a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Short Pump Town Center...with our dessert in a to go bag. :-)  Following our bling fest at CC, we headed to the Marriott hotel to check in. 

On Friday, we had our long awaited Standard Copic Certification class with THE coloring guru, Debbie Olson!  Michelle Boyer was a fabulous assistant and has some rockin' coloring skills as well!  We were scoping out the large class (about 40 in all) when who should we see but my Dirty Dozen sister (Audrey) and her friend, Pam (known as Pam124 on SCS)!  We had no idea they would be there, so it was wonderful to sit with them and have lunch together!  I just love when you can meet someone for the first time and feel so comfortable and at ease...like long lost sisters!

Let me just say that the Copic class was super and I learned a wealth of information!  Now, it's up to me to practice, practice, practice what I learned. Afterward, we were fortunate enough to spend some time with some of the Color Throwdown gals...Lori Tecler, Bar Anders, & Broni Holcomb!

It was great to meet Lori and Broni for the first time!  If you're wondering who our photographer might have been, I'll clue you in with this final picture - lol!

I have a feeling that Broni's husband is quite the character!  He couldn't resist this self-photo after he took several group shots!
Have a great w/e everyone!