THE CREATIVE CONNECTION is all about being inspired on every level. We believe that every class, every panel, every meal should be creative and inspirational. To that end, TCC is featuring designers and their work at each of our event meals.

Read below to learn whose creative touches will delight you as you enter the Nicolette Ballroom for your Keynote Dinner, your Boxed Lunch with Entrepreneurs, your Editorial Panel Breakfast, or The Cupcake Farewell.

We are all about the finishing touches …

AMY BUTLER

Our Welcome Keynote Dinner will be a literal garden of color as you find your seat at tables COVERED in cloths created from Amy’s newest fabric. You will be LOST in Amy’s world of BRIGHT, BOLD, BEAUTIFUL colors.

Amy Butler is a creative designer known for her sophisticated yet relaxed modern approach to printed fabrics and products for home, fashion, and craft. With spirited color and confident combinations, her fresh point of view is apparent in all of the products she creates.As a sewing pattern designer, Amy has brought modern styling to the sewing arts and inspired a new generation of young women to “find their own style.” With millions of hits a month on her Web site and numerous editorial appearances, Amy’s growing brand has become synonymous with creativity, sustainability, quality, and great style. Amy works from her studio in Central Ohio with her husband, cats, and a small staff of amazing friends. Her fabrics, patterns, handbags, design and project books, and home decor products are sold worldwide. Please visitwww.amybutlerdesign.com to find out more.

All That Glitters

Holly Baublitz and Becky Ellis are two working moms from Spokane, Washington who formed a friendship and realized they had much in common. They revel in the freedom of eclectic art. They get a rush from dumpster diving to rummaging through vintage finds. Together they have formed “All That Glitter” a shop that opens once a week to sell their finds and creations. They also participate in some of the area’s vintage shows. They love to bounce ideas off each other, allowing them to feed their creativity. For lack of a better word they say, “We are letting out our squirrels!” But most of all, they have fun.

LISA LEONARD

If you look closely when you are seated for dinner, you will find gift boxes FILLED with the SURPRISE of an exclusively designed, elegantly handcrafted, Lisa Leonard piece of jewelry for each of our CREATIVE CONNECTION attendees.

Lisa has been making jewelry since high school but decided to get serious after her first son, David, was born.  She wanted to start a small business that would enable her to quit her job and stay home with her boys. At the time, she had never taken any formal classes or received special training in jewelry making. She just went for it!   She’s kind of the ‘jump in and learn as you go’ type.  Creating jewelry not only allowed her to work from home, but has connected her with so many amazing women along the way.Her jewelry has been featured in magazines such as Glamour, In-style, Victoria, Parenting and Pregnancy. Celebrites also love her pieces, including, Josie Bissett, Naomi (Jason Preistly’s wife), Carnie Wilson and Jenny Garth.Each piece they create is a work of art—hand cut, hammered, polished, drilled and assembled with care. Lisa is inspired by other artists–painters, scrapbookers, clothing designers and poets.  She also loves to soak up nature-the sky, the sea, the green hills.  She lets all these ideas and images swirl around in her mind and then she creates.  When an idea hits her, she sketches it out and plays with it until the perfect design comes together. Visit her at www.lisaleonardonline.com.

KAARI MENG

Kaari is the design inspiration behind the French Country flavor of our BOXED LUNCH with ENTREPRENEURS. The tables resemble a picnic with brown boxes sealed in Kaari’s stickers and embroidered French table runners sitting underneath your fruited iced tea served in ball jars wrapped in twine.

Kaari Meng has been designing vintage glass jewelry for more than 20 years. After moving to New York City in 1988, Kaari began exhibiting at trade shows and designing for specialty shops, including Anthropologie. Armed with experience in all facets of jewelry manufacturing, she began teaching jewelry making out of her shop, French General. In 2003, French General moved to Los Angeles, where it continues to offer workshops and creative kits to people who enjoy working with vintage materials.

Kaari is the author of several books, including French-Inspired Jewelry: Creating with Vintage Beads, Buttons & Baubles (Lark/Sterling, 2007) and Treasured Notions (Chronicle Books, 2010). To find out more about Kaari and French General, visitwww.frenchgeneral.com.

SUZANNE MACCRONE

Our Italian Girl in Georgia is all handmade, crisp country whites and natural cotton home goods. When you enter the all white Shabby Chic decor of our EDITORIAL PANEL BREAKFAST you will discover Suzanne’s gift to you: her handmade Millinery Flower Pins . . . Perfect for your summer T-shirts or lapels.

While an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, Suzanne enrolled in art history and architecture classes in Florence, Italy.  After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in architecture at UC Berkeley, Suzanne pursued graduate studies in art history, architecture, and interior design in Cortona, Italy with the University of Georgia. While at UGA as a graduate assistant and working toward her Master of Fine arts degree in interior design, Suzanne taught furniture design; colour and materials; and architectural graphics.   Special studies included fabric and furniture design, papermaking, bookbinding, and the history of Twentieth Century photography. Suzanne’s interior design work, which began with designer showcase homes now includes restaurants; retail spaces; medical, law, and executive offices; continuing care facilities; and conference centers.  Her art, design, and photography have been licensed on a wide range of products including home goods, fine art prints, and stationery.  Suzanne’s photography includes commercial, portrait, group,  and fine art work.  Her photography has been exhibited nationally and is published regularly in Somerset Life magazine. She currently lives in Georgia with her husband and delightful rascal of a little boy ~ both who keep her inspired to be the best that she can be. You may learn more about Suzanne and her work by visiting her blog, www.ItalianGirlinGeorgia.blogspot.comwhere which she writes about architecture, design, fine art, furniture, garden, illustration, interiors, and photography. Suzanne’s original photography, art, and design is available in her Etsy shop at www.ItalianGlrlinGeorgia.etsy.com.

EVENT POSTERS

Leigh Standley

Leigh Standley is the artist, writer and owner of Curly Girl Design, Inc. In it’s seven years, Curly Girl Designand Leigh’s  line of clever and colorful greeting cards and gift items have taken the industry by delightful storm. Focused on the magic of the small moments, her product peeks into the corners of life and taps into the hearts of all.Founded in 2003, the company began with just 12 greeting cards and grew steadily. Now with seven amazing full-time employees, it sells to more than 2300 shops nationwide and distributes to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. In 2008 Leigh began the process of licensing her art. Carefully choosing some of the most renowned and artist-driven companies to work with, her brand has expanded to include calendars, napkins, larger giftware items and a full line of holiday decor.
In 2005, Leigh was the recipient of her first LOUIE award for greeting card excellence and is nominated for 3 more in 2010. Her work and studio have been featured in creative publications like Where Women Create, Stationery Trends, Boho Magazine

Leigh believes firmly in the power of a creative community and the power of that community to unlock our truest selves. She is proudly “Living imperfectly with great delight.”

For more about Leigh and Curly Girl Design visit www.curlygirldesign.com

Holly Baublitz and Becky Ellis are two working moms from Spokane, Washington who formed a friendship and realized they had much in common. They revel in the freedom of eclectic art. They get a rush from dumpster diving to rummaging through vintage finds. Together they have formed “All That Glitter” a shop that opens once a week to sell their finds and creations. They also participate in some of the area’s vintage shows. They love to bounce ideas off each other, allowing them to feed their creativity. For lack of a better word they say, “We are letting out our squirrels!” But most of all, they have fun.