Telluride and back....

Want to know a place more magical than Disney World, it's Telluride/Mountain Village Colorado!!!

A BIG thank you to the Cherry Creeks Arts Festival for taking such great care of us and putting on an amazing event!!! Another BIG thank you to the Town of Mountain Village, you guys were so helpful and amazing!!!

We need to back up a bit....we started our 15 hour drive to Telluride by stopping by one of the most talented jewelry artist studio, Todd Reed in Boulder....he was unfortunately not there but we still had a blast looking around the studio, checking out the tools, work and environment...ahhhmazing...

Then it was off to Edwards to stay with CVO's good friends Jey and Lori....thanks guys for the great dinners and for letting us hang with you cool cats!!!!
 In the morning we had crepes (gluten free YEAH) at the Bookworm, gotta check them out when you are in Edwards, super tasty and great books to boot!!!

 With our bellies full and ampted up on caffeine we hit the road to Telluride....errr Mountain Village....one in almost the same....

 
 View from Hotel room which does not do any justice...this place is so beautiful but just doesn't look as cool in photos, good thing I make jewelry for a living....We stayed at the Peeks Resort and Spa...that's right...Spa....I took total advantage of the Roman mineral bath....oooohhhhmmmmm....

Casey Sheppard Designs is ready and open for business....the festival was friday night, saturday and sunday....was a great turn out and had such a great time, we will be back for sure next year....Got to hang out with new friends and old....we road bikes in the mountains (at 11,000 feet)...went downhilling....got to see fantastic art....ate really great food....road in a gondola many times (it was free)....saw the first leg of the Cycle Pro Challenge (my first pro race, pretty rad)....and had one of the best weeks of my life...thanks again Telluride and Mountain Village and thanks CVO for all your help....

Gondola going up!!!

 Chop (me) coming down!! First time downhilling and I'm in my chucks..yeah that's right!!!

Finish Line in Telluride for the Cycle Pro Challenge!!!

Drunk Cyclist John (I really think that is your name, I really hope so, you and Andy and Tom were really rad for letting us hang with you and at prime seats, too) getting down with the cheerleader....I really need those beer socks!!!

Getting ready for a ride at 11,000 feet with CVO and Dirty!!! First full suspension ride too!!!

Jey and CVO battling it out with origami light sabers...

 Now that I am back home I've been doing some sketching....getting back to the basics and getting some great ideas brewing....my sketches look rad on my handmade journal made by my friend Teresa Merriman at Mind's Eye Journal, thanks lady....

I'm also getting ready to present at the Arts Festival Conference 2012 
http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1106955
in Chicago, I will be speaking on Tech Trends and Tools to Benefit You, get to see my good friend Tereasa again and meet some hopefully cool peeps as well, really excited to go, think I will learn a lot...got my powerpoint bout nailed down now I just need to pack cause I leave next Tuesday am but before that.....

Grab your panties ladies and gents cause we are hitting some single track...

That's right, the Dakota 50!!! Us crazy bikers and Nebraskans signed up for this race at about 5am in January and have been waiting 8 months for this race...think it may be the last MTB race of the season....but it's looking like Nebraska is gonna represent this year we make up, what? 10% of the race and many more are tagging alone....gonna make for a bit of a hairy flight Tuesday.....

Hope everyone is doing great and having fun....til the next time....GET RAD!!! or at least go get some ice cream!!!

oh and I got to take in the Zombie Walk too, check it out Mona Lisa Zombie and it's life size....aaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Never enough time

So it's Monday morningish and I'm sitting here at my computer, drinking coffee, listening to Mercy Rule and trying to sum up my week...damn I fit a lot into a week and still have tons more to do...Where to start....

Well one of my dreams came true a few weeks ago when I was published in American Craft Magazine but I finally got my hands on a copy thanks to American Craft themselves who sent me a copy...still kind of thinking it's not real but it's way cool...thanks again American Craft, super awesome of you....

The Cover (really awesome stories in the issue too)

 

I'm photos pretty cool but look at those lamps, they rock....

 

With this press my website has blown up, I ended the week with 1382 hits, damn!!!! I installed google analytics to further track the peeps checking out my site....I've gone international, I had hits from Portugal...so cool...

 

I was also posted to a blog thanks to the article as well, it's pretty cool, check out the link if you get a chance....

 

http://ornamentalelements.com/2012/08/01/a-traveling-soul/  

 

 

I am also brushing up on my technology skills since I will be a presenter at this years Arts Festival Conference in Chicago...I really look forward to this trip, I get to learn more about art festivals, spread my name a bit and chill in Chicago which I have never done, only driven/flown through....should be a blast....Here's the website to check out the other presenters, the weekend and other info, the conference is put on by Zapplication (most festivals you apply to uses this website to host applications through).

 

http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1106955 

Telluride Arts Festival

 

I'm also getting ready for Telluride Arts Festival, which we leave in a week and a half...oh crap I got to get to work....I'm excited to check out this place since everyone is raving about how amazing it is...we are bringing the bikes and just found out that I can get botox done at the spa we are staying at....awesome, I've been told I look like Meg Ryan now I will for sure....(I'm making puckering sounds as I type, pucker, pucker....)

Here's the website for the list of 50 artists (yes only 50, pretty stoked that I got invited, thank you TAF) and other events such as the killer food...check it out...

http://www.telluridefest.com/ 

 

 

 

Speaking of airbrushing, I spent loads of time photoshoping this week for submissions, it's a never ending process of trying to get your name out there, I'm applying for books, shows, exhibits all over the world, just trying to get my food in the door, there is never enough time to do all that needs to be done....

 

But I have found time for the bike, it's been so damn hot (mercy rule I hate the summer cause it's HOT HOT HOT) that we have been waking up at the crack of dawn or before to go riding...In training for the Dakota 50, I've been riding the hell out of Platte, we are bonding....

 

 

I rode Platte for the first time in October last year, it kicked my ass!!! I had no clue even how to tackle it, actually was really terrified of it, didn't really want to go back, well on the bike....CVO was talking bout his night rides there and I was like "you are f****ing nuts" no damn way can you do that and why would you want to....well I did my first night ride Sunday we woke up at 2:30am, picked up Jen at 3am and were on singletrack at 4ish am...rode a lap and a half in the dark, it was SOOOO RADDDD....I finished out 3 laps, was really weak cause who can eat at 230 am except when you are shit faced coming home from the bars with your bag full of Amigos.....I'm in love with Platte now, I have so much to still learn but now I know why y'all love it so much...thanks CVO.....

 We are also getting ready for Gravel Worlds....check out the PCL blog for further details...too bad we won't be here but will be a blast for sure...

http://piratecyclingleague.blogspot.com/

Now that I've taken the time to update you all on my life and happenings, well part of it anyways...I have to get to work....I have projects to finish and projects to start...I'll keep ya posted on it all...Happy Monday all....