Step inside three unforgettable days of creativity, community, and inspiration at the Vintage Soul Creative Retreat 2025!

From October 2nd–4th, six amazing creatives gathered at the 10th Frame in Appleton, Wisconsin — and together, we created, laughed, and connected through paint, paper, and passion. In this video, I’m taking you behind the scenes for a full recap of every project, every teacher, and every magical moment that made this year’s retreat so special.

Featuring:

Sally from Iron Orchid Designs (IOD) – Paint inlays, molds & stamping magic

Sasha from Sweet Pickin’s Milk Paint – The beauty of unpredictable milk paint

Connie from The Painted Photographer – Painting sunflowers & custom decoupage papers

Tara from The Reclaimed Ranch – Mastering the art of blending

Christina from The Turned Leg – DIY waxes & vintage tree projects

Sonnet from Sonnet’s Garden Blooms (that’s me!) – Gelli pad printing & custom canvas bags

NEW for Next Year!
Tickets are officially available for the 2026 Vintage Soul Creative Retreat, and the early-bird rate is open through May 1st!
I’m beyond excited to announce that Jonathan Mark Mendez from The Painted Love and Susie from Susie on the Farm will be part of the creative lineup — with more names to come soon! Grab your early-bird ticket before prices go up ➡️ 2026 Tickets

PLUS — A New Creative Collaboration!
My Maker’s Creative Community is teaming up for an exciting project inspired by a photo from the 2022 Holiday Edition of Country Sampler Magazine. Each of us is recreating that beautiful chair inspiration in our own unique style — and the videos start rolling out this Sunday!

Join me weekly as I tell my story and start interviewing other creators to hear theirs as well. I hope to give you a well-rounded space for inspiration, encouragement to create, tips on trying new techniques, give you advice, and overall real talk about owning your own business. I'll be uploading a new podcast every Thursday so don't forget to hit that subscribe button and turn on your bell notifications, so you don't miss out on an episode! I hope you've enjoyed Episode 68 of my podcast and see you next week!

I’m giving YOU more ways to experience the magic of the Makers Box—and I’m launching a brand-new creative community too!

Makers Creative Community, where you’ll find:
• Monthly DIY challenges
• Live styling sessions
• Quarterly Zoom projects
• Early access...VIP perks & behind-the-scenes peeks
• A space to connect, create, and grow with fellow makers

You’ll now have three new ways to join in:
• Makers Box: Paper Lovers – for those who adore vintage-inspired decoupage & rice papers
• Makers Box: Paint Lovers – for the DIYers who live for curated paint collections
• Makers Box: Digital Press – for printable lovers who want instant access to my exclusive designs

And for those who want the FULL creative experience—the original Makers Box still delivers it all:
• 2 Exclusive Roycycled decoupage papers
• 2 Exclusive The Painted Photographer rice papers
• 2 DIY Paints
• 2 Fusion Mineral Paints
• 1 Sweet Pickins Milk Paint
• 1 specialty decoupage napkin
• 5 Exclusive printable digital downloads
All curated and coordinated with love.

No matter how you craft, there’s a perfect plac

If you’ve ever felt like a project would be so much easier if you just had the right tools — this episode is for you. Today, I’m opening up my toolbox and sharing the top 10 tools I can’t live without in my DIY and upcycling projects. From my trusty Dewalt sander and brad nailer to the jigsaw that lets me cut creative shapes, these are the workhorses that make every build, flip, and furniture rescue smoother and more enjoyable.

I’m also spilling my secrets on the unsung heroes — like the inexpensive thumb sander, the green scrubbing pads I swear by, and even the humble putty knife — plus a few bonus essentials like Titebond wood glue and the brushes I grab from Walmart.

Whether you’re just starting to build your DIY toolkit or looking to level up your maker space, this episode will inspire you to create with confidence and make every project a little easier (and a lot more fun).

In this episode, you’ll learn:
• The 10 tools I reach for on every project
• Which power tools are worth investing in (and why)
• The inexpensive essentials that make a big difference
• How the right tools can spark more creativity and better results

Join me weekly as I tell my story and start interviewing other creators to hear theirs as well. I hope to give you a well-rounded space for inspiration, encouragement to create, tips on trying new techniques, give you advice, and overall real talk about owning your own business. I'll be uploading a new podcast every Thursday so don't forget to hit that subscribe button and turn on your bell notifications, so you don't miss out on an episode! I hope you've enjoyed Episode 68 of my podcast and see you next week!

I’m giving YOU more ways to experience the magic of the Makers Box—and I’m launching a brand-new creative community too!

Makers Creative Community, where you’ll find:
• Monthly DIY challenges
• Live styling sessions
• Quarterly Zoom projects
• Early access...VIP perks & behind-the-scenes peeks
• A space to connect, create, and grow with fellow makers

You’ll now have three new ways to join in:
• Makers Box: Paper Lovers – for those who adore vintage-inspired decoupage & rice papers
• Makers Box: Paint Lovers – for the DIYers who live for curated paint collections
• Makers Box: Digital Press – for printable lovers who want instant access to my exclusive designs

And for those who want the FULL creative experience—the original Makers Box still delivers it all:
• 2 Exclusive Roycycled decoupage papers
• 2 Exclusive The Painted Photographer rice papers
• 2 DIY Paints
• 2 Fusion Mineral Paints
• 1 Sweet Pickins Milk Paint
• 1 specialty decoupage napkin
• 5 Exclusive printable digital downloads
All curated and coordinated with love.

No matter how you craft, there’s a perfect place for you here...want more details: Makers Studio

You can follow me on all the other socials and find so much more content!!

Join me in all the places:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Sonnet's Garden Blooms

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we start our creative projects — and how sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the making… it’s the getting started. You know that feeling: you’re excited to create, but you get stuck trying to find the perfect paint, the right paper, or the pieces that will all work together. And by the time you’ve pulled it all together, the spark is gone.

If that sounds familiar, then today’s episode is absolutely for you.

Join me weekly as I tell my story and start interviewing other creators to hear theirs as well. I hope to give you a well-rounded space for inspiration, encouragement to create, tips on trying new techniques, give you advice, and overall real talk about owning your own business. I'll be uploading a new podcast every Thursday so don't forget to hit that subscribe button and turn on your bell notifications, so you don't miss out on an episode! I hope you've enjoyed Episode 68 of my podcast and see you next week!

I’m giving YOU more ways to experience the magic of the Makers Box—and I’m launching a brand-new creative community too!

Makers Creative Community, where you’ll find:
• Monthly DIY challenges
• Live styling sessions
• Quarterly Zoom projects
• Early access...VIP perks & behind-the-scenes peeks
• A space to connect, create, and grow with fellow makers

You’ll now have three new ways to join in:
• Makers Box: Paper Lovers – for those who adore vintage-inspired decoupage & rice papers
• Makers Box: Paint Lovers – for the DIYers who live for curated paint collections
• Makers Box: Digital Press – for printable lovers who want instant access to my exclusive designs

And for those who want the FULL creative experience—the original Makers Box still delivers it all:
• 2 Exclusive Roycycled decoupage papers
• 2 Exclusive The Painted Photographer rice papers
• 2 DIY Paints
• 2 Fusion Mineral Paints
• 1 Sweet Pickins Milk Paint
• 1 specialty decoupage napkin
• 5 Exclusive printable digital downloads
All curated and coordinated with love.

No matter how you craft, there’s a perfect place for you here...want more details: Makers Studio

You can follow me on all the other socials and find so much more content!!

Join me in all the places:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Sonnet's Garden Blooms Website
• Makers Box Waitlist