Still here

Well lets just say my kids & I have been spending a lot of 'Mommy' time together.

Imagine, I thought kindergarten was going to free up my days!

Yeah, right.

Besides running a mini hospital, I've had a few other irons in the fire!

My latest collaboration with Mary Green,

Artful Pages

4Artists/4Ways

began yesterday!

Mary's gluebook is the first project up & luckily I had the supplies needed already in my stash.

In fact the kids sat at the table & made their own little gluebooks while I worked on mine.

Mary gives very detailed information, lots of downloads & examples.

Next week is Hope's lesson, I am crazy about her journals & cannot wait to learn her methods & style.

I'm steadily working on my contribution to the class.

It's not easy writing up these lessons. I tend to use a lot of techniques & elements in my work.

Here is a sneak peak from my class

 'Altered Fabric Book's'.

If you haven't signed up check it out here!  I think it's a fantastic online class, chock full of everything we love!

Have you heard??

I'm so excited & honored to be invited back for my 2nd PC weekend!

 A peek at my project.

Cindy assembled 13 amazing women this year, including my friends Karla, AD, Lesley, Jennifer & Sandra. 

Lisa Pace author of Delight in the Details is our guest speaker/artist.

I love her book & can't wait to hear her speak.

I wish I could show you all the class projects,

but I only have a few more minutes before the

Tylenol/Benadryl cocktail I gave the kids wears off!

But please go check out the Paper Cowgirl blog, registration begins today!!!!

After stalking Barnes & Noble for the past 2 weeks I finally got my hands on this............

 My beautiful friend Ann's home featured in the new
Flea Market Style magazine!

Y'all know how I feel about Ann.

She's an angel & I love her to pieces.

I'm so proud for her success!

I hope your having an easier week than me, I promise I'll post again soon. I have more to share with you!

~ Lisa

details

Want to see what I've been doing in my spare time?

Well, when I'm not playing nursemaid to my ailing family

(the flu has invaded our home)

I've been gluing, sewing & creating art books!

While putting together pages for my books I begin to understand the relationship, or marriage of the elements. I can spend obscene amounts of time picking & sorting to find just the right words, images & findings that when combined will tell my story. 

I am inspired by details.

These pages are part of my contribution to Mary's newest collaboration

Artful Pages

4 Artists 4 Ways

I always say I'd like to challenge myself by placing a strict time limit on my design & hopefully come up with a more spontaneous piece.

 Try as I might I just can't do it.

I'll be sharing my process & tricks in Artful Pages & can't wait to learn some new techniques from the diverse group Mary's gathered.

I hope you'll check out the link & see the amazing pages Hope, Mary & Lenna have created.

There was a sweet surprise in my mailbox last week.

Donna from Brynwood Needleworks sent me such a wonderful & unexpected gift. 

 She calls them Mug Mats & is hosting a swap on her blog.

    Donna's workmanship is outstanding & again, it's the details!

I treasure your friendship Donna!

Pretty pictures for a grey day

The weather since Christmas has been cold, grey & rainy.
Perfect weather for hanging out inside & recharging my creative energy.

Yesterday I spent a great deal of couch time in front of the fire looking at some winter white eye candy. 

Love my European publications.

 This makes me want to just rip out my carpet & paint the floors white.

 Somehow I don't think my concrete sub-floors would look at cool!

And speaking of creative inspiration. 

Remember I hinted at a new project??

I'm so excited to be involved with Miss Mary Green's latest collaboration!

4 different artists, sharing 4 different books.

Hope Wallace Karney, Lenna Andrews, Mary & I each have our own style & approach to creating wonderful art books.

Here's a peak at part of mine. 

Go visit Mary to find out more & see the beautiful pages she's gathered.

One last thing......

did you hear?!!!

I am so happy & proud for Dawn!

I cannot wait to see her amazing art in the pages of Pam Carriker's book Art at the Speed of Life.

I ordered mine here!

A Challenge & A Story

Last week my friend Mary at Green Paper invited everyone to an art challenge.

The rules were very simple, use all or part of a collage sheet she provided & share by today!

So here is my story of Miss Mary Hayes.

Miss Mary Hayes was secretly in love with a boy who wrote beautiful letters of the heart.

He was very romantic.

Once a week after he was paid, he would pick up a small bouquet of her favorite flowers from the corner shop. 

On their 1st anniversary he surprised her by having a charm made from one of the blooms.

She wore it around her neck until the day she died.

Miss Mary kept every trinket he ever gave her.

Little hearts, ribbons that once tied up a pretty package.

And a button that came from the last gown he saw her in.

Their relationship was very complex & veiled in secrecy.

It all came to an end when he left to fight the great war.  The last letter Mary received was on July 18, 1919.

Mary never gave up hope that her true love would return one day.

She died alone, with only her memories & some tokens of a love story.

~Lisa

Little Dreams

 Lily & I took a break from those smelly boys last week.

A young girls right of passage, her first time to American Girl!!

To say she was overwhelmed would be an understatement.

We shopped,

we ate,

made wish lists,

best of all we got a new hairdo for her doll 'CeCe'. 

Look at the poor thing, 

she had big 'issues'.

(this was the before)

And after!

Ta da!

No more Don King hair!

When we got home there was a package waiting at the door.

Return address, Karla's Cottage!!

Karla was so sweet to include the kids with some awesome summer reading &.........

Horns!

*&^^%$^*

Thanks a lot Karla!

(they loved them)

But lets get to the really good stuff. 

I had heard there might be a 'Kansas hat' headed my way.

And what a hat it is!

The most beautiful taupe & cream color. Busting with buds, pods, & velvet.

I just LOVE it!

But there was more!

This box was too pretty to open.

 But I forced myself anyway.

Inside a beautiful soldered charm in the prettiest velvet lined box.

Vintage eyelet trim, a cameo, yummy buttons, & more flowers!

(so that I don't have to pilfer from the new one)

 I LOVE the doorknob painted with one of Karla's signature roses. 

Thank you my friend, you made 3 kids & their Mommy very happy!

Have you seen Mary's newest Green Paper challenge?

You've still got a couple of days play!

I'm hope to finish mine today.

Here's a little peak at something I'm working on for a swap I'm doing with my very good friend Diane Knotts.  My project is inspired by the wonderful quilts Diane & her daughter Holly do.

Well, I'm off to see what you've been up to!