Smile And Wave

Weave Your First Wall Hanging on Skillshare

Weave Your First Woven Wall Hanging

An Online Skillshare Class by Rachel Denbow

I'm so thrilled to share my first video eCourse through Skillshare!

I've partnered with them to create a 45 minute video that thoroughly covers the fundamental techniques you need to know to make your first woven wall hanging. It's designed for beginners and gives instructions on how to make your own wooden loom if you don't already own one! Learn my favorite technique for choosing colors, how to warp your loom, plain weave, soumak, rya knots, and how to get everything finished and off the loom so you can enjoy your wall art. This design is exclusive to this course and hasn't been shared elsewhere. 

Skillshare hosts an incredible range of courses for those wanting to learn how to do almost anything. I first stumbled upon them when I was trying to figure out how to use SEO correctly! Their free plan gives you access to a number of helpful classes but the premium plan gives you access to every class in their site. It's such a valuable resource for those that are visual learners.

I'm celebrating the launch of my first course with a giveaway! The first 50 people that use this link get free access to my course with no obligation.  It's my way of saying thanks for all of your support on this weaving journey!

http://skl.sh/2bdcO1c

I can't wait to see what you think but head over and sign up today before all the free spots are taken! 

There's more exciting weaving news this month and if you've already pre-ordered my book, DIY Woven Art, you know it's headed to your house a little sooner than planned! Woohoo!!!

I hope your end of summer days are treating you well, friends! I'm not ready for autumn to get here just yet. I have a few more warm weather adventures to take!

-Rachel

 

Overgramming eCourse is Here!

My latest e-course turns its attention toward our IG obsession! Overgramming is designed to help you get those photos off your phone and into albums that you can save for years and years to come.

If you're anything like me, you have more everyday memories recorded on your phone via your Instagram feed than taken with your DSLR! Maybe those moments feel blog-worthy but it feels overwhelming to organize them. Maybe you don't blog anymore but you don't want your Instagram moments to get buried and forgotten as you continue to add more. Or maybe you want to record more of your regular, everyday moments like what you wore or what you ate because you want an accurate portrayal of what life was like this year to show your family five years from now. These specific and everyday moments are what make up our stories! Let's get these moments printed out so we can enjoy them over and over again.

In this eCourse, I share tips and tricks to easily print out lots and lots of photos from your phone as well as some great supply sources to look to for creating photo albums that feature square images. I then take you through seven different "trends" that many already utilize on IG to help us take note of all the little but important details that make up our lives. I share tips for getting photos surrounding these, and share layout ideas and challenges for using these images in a cohesive album that you can display and save for years to come.

You can read even more details about Overgramming and everything that is taught here. 

What do I get and how much does it cost? 

Early birds get the worm, err...discount, right? So for the first two weeks, you can get this course for just $24. After August 25th, the course will go back to its regular price of $34. 

With your purchase, you get immediate access to all 8 sessions as well as my full albums, access to the course's private Q&A board, a PDF of the entire course (in case you want access even when you're offline), and a bonus download of four different course printable page inserts you can use throughout your albums. 

Check out more images and information about Overgramming and be sure to sign up during the next two weeks to get that $10 off discount. 

Let us know if you have any questions, and be sure to share your layouts with us from the course!

-Rachel and the ABM team

Cultivate Your Creativity eCourse Launch Day!

Cultivate Your Creativity is my newest eCourse. I've designed it as a resource guide to aid you in exploring and developing your creativity and share insights from my own creative journey. It's full of encouragement and advice but also offers plenty of structured steps to show you how to develop your own creativity no matter what season of life you're currently in. 

Who is is it for?

This eCourse is written for anyone who used to paint but hasn't made time for it since their new job or once spent all of their free time sewing but hasn't made it a priority since they had a baby. If your creative spirit has been been set aside while you deal with regular life this course shows you why you're selling yourself short. If you've been feeling the urge to create but get overwhelmed with where to start this course offers steps to make things feel manageable. If you're in the middle of a creative dry spell this course is ready to help you find your way back to fresh inspiration. 

Why should I buy it?

I walk you through all of the reasons your creativity should be valued so there's no excuses for setting it aside any longer. I'll show you the importance of setting up a creative space no matter what resources you have available, walk you through my creative process and the checklists I run through when I'm narrowing down design ideas, point you in a few different directions to continue your creative growth, talk about the value of creative community, discuss ways to avoid and overcome burnout, and share exercises I use for project development. It's also full of encouragement to remind you how important that creative spirit inside of you is and plenty of high fives as you work through the course material!

What do I get?

You get a big push in the right direction in the introduction and can follow along as I share how my creativity has served me since I was a kid and especially how it's seen me through some challenging times as an adult. Then I share five chapters on how to set yourself up for a successful creative journey with posts covering creative space, the creative process, creative growth, creative community, and burnout. Each chapter has reflective homework questions to help you get specific about your own journey. Don't worry, this is the good kind of homework. 

You also get six interviews with creative women that share how their creativity has served them, their families, and in a lot of cases, their budgets. They share how they stay inspired and affirm that YES YOU CAN BE CREATIVE no matter what season of life you're in. On top of that you get 3 free hand-lettered art printables designed by the lovely Jenny Highsmith to hang in your creative space as reminders to make time to make things. Add to that a list of resources gathered to guide you as you grow and creative affirmations I use on a regular basis to keep my thoughts in a good place when insecurities arise. 

Contributors include: Alison Faulkner of The Alison Show, Jahje Ives of BabyJives, Amanda Rydell of Be Crafty, Sarah Rhodes of Arrow and Apple, Jenny Highsmith of Maiedae, and Erin Hisaw of Tweet Potato Pie.

This eCourse is a self-paced course with no start or end date. Work through the material at your own pace and come back to it as often as you need. It never expires. Upon purchase you'll be sent an e-mail automatically with your log-in information to access the private eCourse blog. 

Cultivate Your Creativity will be offered at the price of $42 USD but is currently for sale at the launch price of $32 until June 12th. Yay for sale prices!

Purchase Course Here

Offered at $42/USD 

Launch Sale $32/USD

 

 

I'm so excited to finally share this with you all. I've written over a dozen eCourses in the last five years but this is the first course that aims at the heart of creatives and encourages you as you develop your own specific talents and gifts. It not only gives you permission to make a mess, it reminds you how refreshing and satisfying it is to your spirit to get your hands a little dirty. It is an investment of time and energy that will return to you tenfold. 

Below is an excerpt from the chapter on Creative Process:

The reason I think it's important to finish those projects is because they take up space in our minds and in our homes. It's creative clutter and just like the piles of mail that can become both an eyesore and a forgotten energy sucker, creative projects left unfinished leave us feeling a little undone. If it's something sentimental like a baby quilt made from all of the outfits worn in your little one's first year, that might fit into its own category. However, if it's something you thought you were into but it's been sitting half-finished for six months, either make time to finish it soon or make the hard choice to either reuse the supplies or find it another home. Clearing out crafting clutter feels as good as clearing out your closets and makes space for the fresh ideas to come rolling in. 

I am so thankful for all of the lessons I've learned in making my creativity a priority even more so because I'm a mom. I get to share those lessons with my kids and in turn they remind me what it looks like to take such pleasure in using their imaginations to make something just for fun. Those kids know things! 

I hope you enjoy this course as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Thank you ever so much for your role here as readers and for all the ways you've added meaning to this space and my creative ventures with your support and encouragement along the way. Thanks for being a part of my creative community! 

-Rachel

Purchase Course Here

Offered at $42/USD 

Launch Sale $32/USD

 

 

 Photo Credits: Janae Hardy and Rachel Denbow

Smile and Weave

I've been working on my May collection of weavings in between writing and scheduling eCourses for the next few weeks and it's been such a great way to experiment with colors and designs. I've always got a loom warped and waiting in my dining room so that I can make a little progress here and there throughout the day as I chase Smith around and pick up kids from school. Summer has officially begun as the big kids are officially out of school. I can't believe I now have a 4th grader and Kindergartener!

Life has been full but in some really great ways. I'm feeling so thankful for the opportunities that have been presenting themselves this year and for the ways I'm growing and stretching my creative edges. Family always comes first but one of the best ways I've been able to take care of them is by spending time focusing on these creative avenues. I feel like I'm learning to apply so many small business attitudes that I casually leaned on in the last few years while we were in Colorado with the Army. I'm so much more motivated to set goals and go after them with every intent to see them come to fruition instead of just doing it for something to blog about.

Unfortunately, I've been so busy working on the behind the scenes that I've not scheduled in as much time to share in this space but I'm hoping that shifts this summer as things settle into another rhythm at home and we have more time to get out and enjoy life while the kids are out of school. 

One of my first goals this month was to finish working on an eCourse I've been letting simmer in my mind all year. It's a little bit different than the eCourses I've written for the last five years as it's not project based but I feel like it's valuable in a different way. I have been able to collaborate with a few different creative friends, both online and in real life, and I can't wait to share more this week!

Another goal I set was to finish another collection of weavings but to include some smaller wall hangings to help with price variations. I've got a few regular sized weavings similar to the ones in last month's group but I'll also have a handful of smaller weavings hung on copper piping that will be priced accordingly.

We've got one week until my family makes their way in shifts to spend some time together in Branson so I'm staying laser focused on my task list to churn out as much as I need to in order to launch this next eCourse and then shift my focus onto riding go carts, swimming, and exploring Branson. I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day if you're in the US and a happy Monday if you're elsewhere.

All the best,

Rachel

P.S. You can always keep up with our day-to-day through @smileandwave on Instagram. 

 

My Newest eCourse: Scrapbook In A Week

In Scrapbook in a Week, Elsie Larson and I share our step-by-step guide to finishing an entire scrapbook in just seven days! If you've ever felt overwhelmed about making an entire album, or if you've started multiple scrapbooks but have a hard time finishing anything, this is the course for you. I will guide you through manageably-sized tasks each day and share examples from my album of Smith's first year, and Elsie will share her wedding album. Each of our albums were created in under a week, and we will share our secrets for starting (and finishing!) a scrapbook you will love for years to come. This is a great course to use over and over again as you work through many albums over the years.

You can read more about the course and everything you will learn here. Not only do you get all the course materials, but if you act fast, you will also receive an exclusive 3x4 stamp with your purchase (only while supplies last!). 

Whether you've never made a photo album before or you feel like a seasoned scrapbooker who needs a little extra push to finish projects, this is the perfect course for you. This course costs $34 USD. Shipping for the exclusive course stamp is included. Click here to learn more. 

Also, I must add, I've never finished a whole album so quickly before (and been happy with it) so I'm really thrilled with how this one turned out. I'm also incredibly motivated to make one for poor Ruby who never got any scrapbook pages made for her at all. Poor Ruby.

I hope you love it, too!

-Rachel