1.29.2009

sick...

{get well card from jean francis bean}

so, if you couldn't tell from the title of this post and the picture... i'm sick.  so that explains why i haven't blogged in a while.  i've been pumping myself full of chicken noodle soup, tea, vitamin c, and echinacea, so hopefully i will be back to normal very, very soon!  just wanted to give an update... and now i'm going to crawl back into bed...

xoxo,
lesley

1.26.2009

silhouette masterpiece theater


i think this is just hilarious.  click here to check out the rest of this brilliant series by wilhelm staehle.

xoxo,
lesley

1.23.2009

flickr favorites . . . artist studio group

{photo from linda paints}

i was browsing on flickr yesterday, and i came across this group filled with pictures of artists' studios.  there is something very personal and revealing about the way each person chooses to arrange and photograph their workspace. 

{photo from bruners}

i love getting that little glimpse into an artist's life... some of my favorites are those which show works in progress or include the artist in the frame.

{photo from scott waterman}

maybe one of these days i will share some photographs of my studio/office... as of now, it is still a work in progress...

xoxo,
lesley

1.22.2009

inspiration . . . artist collaborations

i stumbled across some amazing artist collaborations today, and i'm feeling incredibly inspired. i love the idea that small pieces from people all over the world... which may be somewhat unremarkable on their own... can come together to form something large, powerful, and beautiful.

watch this video to understand what i mean:


how can that not make you smile?  the description on youtube says this track was made "by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it travelled the globe."  the song is part of the playing for change movement, which hopes to connect the world and spread peace through music.  i joined the community on their website, and i hope that i can become a small part of this amazing collaboration :)


another collaboration i discovered is this piece called 'teppet 10,000 blomster,' which was exhibited last year at the norwegian knitting museum.  for the piece, german textile artist ursel arndt stitched together thousands of handmade crocheted, knitted, and embroidered flowers to create one huge, gorgeous tapestry.  


i found the description and photos on tiny happy blog.  i translated an article about the exhibit from norwegian to english... it is kind of choppy but you get an idea of what the project is about and how it came together.


i also found a post on the blog uk handmade calling for artists to send in their own flowers for a 'fab flower collaboration' inspired by ursel arndt's piece.  i didn't find any updates on the progress of the project, but i think it is a wonderful idea and i would love to see the final result. 

i would love to be part of something like this in the states!  i would also love to hear about any collaborations you have participated in or read about... if you know of anything that fits the bill, please leave a link in the comments!

xoxo,
lesley

1.21.2009

in search of the perfect sketchbook

one of my new year's resolutions is to explore my passions... since one of my passions happens to be drawing, i've been scouring etsy for the perfect sketchbook.  i've found so many great options and i can't possibly afford to buy them all, so i thought i'd share them with you :)


clockwise from top left:

1.  this clever journal has a hole punched through its center; a rubber band threaded through the hole is attached to the end of a pencil, ensuring you always have something to write or draw with!  $30, from affa

2.  this is one of the prettiest handmade books i've ever seen.  it is made from recycled paper and bits of vintage lace, all tied up with pink satin ribbon.  $30, from nuvonova

3.  these sketchbooks are individually painted with watercolors and hand stitched with bookbinding string.  a work of art to hold your works of art.  $10, from whimsiology

4.  the crafter that made this book says, "this is not the sort of book where you need to start at the beginning, just flick through until you find a page that seems right."  i love the organic approach and the array of different colored papers.  $12.50, from hms design

5.  the girly, lacy pattern on this sketchbook makes me swoon, and the ribbon detail is adorable.  an added bonus: the pages are made from recycled scraps from a paper mill near the artist's house.  and it's on sale!  it doesn't get much better than that.  $7, from oh mandie



the last two lovelies are headed my way, courtesy of space dog studios... i am so excited for them to arrive so i can start filling them with sketches, ideas, and inspiration!

xoxo,
lesley

1.19.2009

stuff i want . . . fabric boxes from picciolo


since i recently moved into a new apartment and i'm still trying to get my studio organized, i am always on the lookout for cute and functional storage.  

the other day i discovered these adorable felt boxes from uk etsy seller picciolo, and i am in love!  they measure just 4" high, perfect for stashing all my crafty bits and pieces... and they come in a bunch of great colors and designs.  i think they would look great in multiples, lined up on top of a book shelf or work table.  

these are definitely on my wish list... and if you're anything like me, they're probably on yours now too!

xoxo,
lesley

1.15.2009

i've been tagged!

i've been tagged... twice!  once by happy place design, who has a super fabulous blog and etsy shop... and again by nancy, who is the lady behind the blog wandering nancy and the adorable etsy shop sugar village.  be sure to check both of them out!

so, as per the rules... here are seven random things about me:

1.  i was in an a cappella group in college (dork!)... and that's how i met my hubby!  we still love singing and making music together.

2.  my best friend and i met on the school bus on the first day of kindergarten... we have now been friends for 20 years :)

3.  i grew up in new jersey, and i always wanted to live in new york city.  i fulfilled that dream when i moved to brooklyn with two friends and went to f.i.t. to study fashion design.  i dropped out a couple months later when i realized it wasn't for me, but it was a really great life experience and i'm glad i did it.

4.  i've worn contacts since i was in eighth grade... i really can't see anything without them, and i can't stand wearing glasses (strangely, though... i am wearing my glasses right now!).

5.  i love cooking, baking, and making my home look pretty... and i secretly (okay, maybe not so secretly) want to be the next martha stewart.

6.  i've never played on an organized sports team in my entire life... that includes elementary school... unless you count dance (which i don't!).

7.  i love tea... i always drink at least one cup every day.  i think coffee is gross.  i wish i was british!

okay... now i'm passing it on!  i am tagging:

here are the rules:
*link to the person who tagged you
*post the rules on your blog
*write seven random things about yourself
*tag seven people at the end of your post and link to them
*let each person know they've been tagged

xoxo,
lesley

p.s. it's snowing right now!  yay!

1.14.2009

motivation

so many people (myself included) make resolutions every year that they don't stick to... so after i made my list of resolutions for 2009, i decided i needed some sort of visual representation of my goals to help keep me on track every day.  here is what i came up with:


i hung it up on a cork board in my studio, and i think it will help provide inspiration for me to keep working toward my goals all year :)  for anyone who has made new year's resolutions of their own this year... i highly recommend making some sort of visual motivator to help you remember what you are trying to do every day!  

mine was really easy and fun to make... i just typed my goals up in some quirky fonts (dafont has tons of great fonts... but please note that most are for personal use only), printed it out on fine art paper, and colored it in with my favorite prismacolor markers.  you could also make a collage of motivational images from magazines that represent your goals... or draw a picture of how you envision yourself by the end of 2009... anything to help you meet your goals this year!

xoxo,
lesley

1.13.2009

new in the shop... personalized monogram cards!


i'm so happy to introduce some brand new notecard designs for the new year!  

i am now offering personalized monogram cards with your choice of initial in the shop and on etsy.

i originally did a set of these as a custom order and i liked them so much i decided to make them available to everyone!  they are printed with archival inks onto 100% recycled notecards and they come in sets of 8 with matching notecards.

these make a perfect personalized gift for any occasion... i hope you like them!  i plan on coming up with even more customizable designs in the near future, so stay tuned!

xoxo,
lesley

1.12.2009

happy {belated} 2009!


happy new year!

sorry i'm so late... i feel like i haven't blogged in ages... i missed you all!

so, 2009 is here... last year brought so many wonderful and exciting things my way, i am excited to see what this year will bring!  i'm not usually one to make new year's resolutions, but this time around i have been thinking hard about what i want to accomplish and how i want to live this year.  now that i'm settled into my new apartment and getting into the swing of things with my new website, i really want to focus on getting the most out of life.  on that note... here are my resolutions!

be more productive.
working from home can be hard... with no one telling me what to do and no set schedule, i often find myself wasting much of the day instead of really getting things done.  this year, i want to focus on getting myself into a daily schedule and eliminating distractions so i can get the most out of every day.

explore my passions.
i am a very creative person, and i like to express that creativity in many different ways.  in the past, however, i have sometimes neglected my creative side.  this year, i want to give myself time to explore all my passions on a regular basis.  whether it is photography, illustration, sewing, or music... i want to make time to do something creative (that is not related to my business!) every day.

have more small adventures.
i love my new apartment, but i spend so much time here that i sometimes feel cooped up.  in 2009 i want to make a priority of getting out of the house, trying new things, and exploring the world around me.  it could be as simple as trying out a new ethnic restaurant in town, or as elaborate as planning a weekend getaway to a place i've never been.  anything that stretches my boundaries and helps me discover new things!

spend more time outdoors.
maintaining an active lifestyle is important to me... i started working out more last year, but much of it was confined to the indoors.  this year, i want to ditch the gym membership and get outside as often as possible.  i really enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, snowboarding... even just walking around the neighborhood discovering new places.  nature has always inspired me and made me feel more alive, and i need to find more opportunities to go out and be a part of it.

be more green.
i started working on being more earth-friendly last year by switching everything in my bath and beauty regimen to natural and/or organic products.  this year, i want to focus on switching my household and cleaning products to eco-friendly alternatives.  i also want to buy as much organic and local food as i can find (and afford).  i am lucky to have a great farmer's market just steps away from my apartment, and my husband and i are also considering buying a csa share at a local farm so we can have access to all the fresh, local, seasonal, organic produce we can eat!

de-clutter and simplify.
i would love for my life to be more simple and more organized.  i am a fairly organized person, but i sometimes have a hard time staying on top of clutter... especially in my studio/home office.  i want to come up with an effective organization system and get into a regular routine of cleaning and maintenance to keep my home a neat and relaxing environment.  i would also like to try to de-clutter my mind and body... which means limiting television and internet time, eating less junk and take-out, and just trying to get back to basics.

relax and take it all in.
i tend to worry... a lot.  i sometimes feel anxious and nervous for no good reason.  this year, i really want to try to let go of my worries and fears and live more freely and openly.  i want to eliminate negativity and be able to enjoy everything more.  i think if i can do this it will help me accomplish all of my other goals!

so, there are my resolutions - out there for everyone to see!  hopefully that will serve as motiviation for me to really accomplish my goals this year.  i hope you all have big hopes and dreams for this year as well!

xoxo,
lesley