my friends make cool books [and take a class with me]

oooh. sparkly rainbow necklaces. if you come take my embroidered necklace class with me at SewLa - this SATURDAY - February 22 from 2-5pm - you can pick one of these to use for your own necklace ! there are a few spots left - sign up here [all materials are included in the class fee!] 

can i mention that i'm excited to see the TURRELL show ?? and see my LA friends. yay. 

have i mentioned lately how über talented my friends are? in case i haven't - here's proof. in the form of gorgeous books. 

 

first up - 3D art lab for kids by susan schwake. so susan is an amazing artist in her own right. she also runs artstream studios - a gallery and school and all around creative spot in new hampshire. 

she just released 3D art lab for kids and it's so full of awesome ideas. [having a child makes you realize how much you want to make art with them, but how intimidating it can be. all the supplies. the clean up... but susan makes it easy - diving projects in to categories, giving you prompts. there's things for all ages in here]. 

i'm honored that she used a piece of mine for inspiration for a project - and what she wrote about me makes me blush. thanks lady. 

buy a copy here [or from amazon, powells, etc].

 

there is no way you don't already know blair. but in case you haven't already heard - her GORGEOUS [did i mention it's gorgeous] book WISECRAFT is out now. 

seriously. i'm always amazed at how on point blair is - everything she makes is magical. [and i can say this because i own things she's made - here's the quilt she made me. swoon]. so much care and thought - but what always amazes me the most is how she manages to make things executable. her projects are easy enough for beginners, interesting enough for well seasoned crafters and completely contemporary, modern, and approachable. that is no easy feat. [trust me]. 

the photography is so good. and so are the illustrations [by my pal lisa congdon].

sigh. run, don't walk to get your copy. amazon >> powells

i'm in the throws of teaching - getting over being sick and my studio is still remodel storage central. [ARRRGGGGGHHHH]. but i've been sketching a bit. if you look through my sketchbooks - they are always line drawings. flowers and pets rule the pages. seriously. page after page of it. you'd think my "real" artwork would be about flowers and pets... [they work their way in occasionally, but]. 

that is the beauty of the sketchbook, right? and observational drawing. it's just there. in front of you. a way to pass the time, to move your hand, to look closely. it's not serious. if you hate it you turn the page.