Hi Everyone,
It has been over a month since I have blogged and shared my world with you! Its been a long month since Art Opera, with closing out Art Opera 2010, meeting artwork deadlines, sponsoring other events, website/shoppe orders, customs, 2 surgeries, workshops and a new store all within one month, its enough to make your head spin.

But now we are in the month of June and I'm ready for much happiness and enjoying a year of positive bliss. During this time I was able to reflex and find exactly who I am and what I am capable of, it has been my love of art that has saved me through the weeks and time after my surgeries, along with my faith in God and all your wonderful emails, posts, comments and most of all support, it has been much appreciated.

Now What does June mean? It means the start of Summer, the half way point of the year, summer vacations and holidays, graduations, ballooning festivals, the boardwalk, warm weather, seaside adventures, flea markets, walks in the park, outside dining and cafe's, bonfires and marshmallows, lakes, boats, lobster, and sunny evenings past 5pm.

To me it means closure, happiness, new products, new adventures, new workshops, and a new store, that's right a live store located in Historic Lafayette, NJ, located about 45 minutes outside NYC, 25 minutes from NY State, and PA, a store filled with all the magic and whimsy that I can create, filled w/vintage items and ephemera, old dolls and doll parts, books, artful magazines, vintage, modern, handmade jewelry, tiaras, septors, 1950's kitchy chic, 1920's storybook, Alice in Wonderland meets steampunk princesss meets Paris and Europe with a touch of oddity, a place for the curious seeker, that place is called: Piddlestixs, Purveyors of Curiosity opening July 2010.

Piddlestixs will have an everyday art party, where you can come in a create one of the weeks 5 or 10 projects, see guest artists works, shop and treasure hunt in the store and neighboring stores.

During this process, I have found who I am, and what I am capable of, I have begun new projects and seeing new ones come to life. Starting tomorrow I would like to invite you to visit the Creative Connection Blog and see my guest post on their site. Visit their blog to not only see my post, but to learn about the many other artists who make up the Creative Connection, the artists who contribute to them, the artists teaching at the Creative Connection and just how amazing this group is and how they can inspire you, like they inspire me.

See me, read my story and the many other fabulous artists featured artists on the site! www.thecreativeconnectionblog.com
You will leave inspired and filled with magic!

Stay tuned this week for pictures from the prom book workshop, birdcage workshop and the latest finds!

Have a wonderful night and see you tomorrow at the Creative Connection Blog!

xoxo

Its Summer, Try Something Different: a new art form, food and more!Its Officially Summer, Is there something you wanted to try last summer or in general, perhaps a new art form or technique, a new recipe or food. Did you want to color your hair or try a new clothing style, then try it now, you have a whole summer to embark on a new adventure of ideas and inspiration.

Some idea's to ponder:
1. Try a nice refreshing old fashioned Rootbeer Float, a cherry soda float straight from the soda fountain w/cherry syrup and soda fizz.

2. Do you always wear darker colors, try on some brighter and cheerful summer colors, or add some sparkle and glam with a bevy of rhinestone jewelry or some of your own handmade artful jewelry and make a cool statement.
3. How about learning to knit, crochet or tatt, perhaps take that course you have been wanting to take on the art form of your choice.

4. What about reading a new novel while at the beach drinking a pina colada and soaking in the warm summer sun.

5. Maybe you always wanted to try fishing or camping, now is the time to do it, bring a seafood recipe and camping cookbook with you or turn your camping excursion into an exploration, bring a tent, a safari hat, some linens, moroccan anterns, a carpet and have a whole new experience of the outdoors.6. Try a new food or prepare a recipe you always wanted to make. What about lemon lavender cupcakes, an edible flower salad, baked figs w/cheese, Tandoori Chicken, Thai Green Curry Chicken or Peanut Butter and Garlic Spareribs, these are something cool to try.

7. Ever go searching for sea shells after a storm or renting a metal detector and combing the beach, Geo Tracking Devices can start you on a treasure hunting experience!

8. Is there a historic place you always wanted to visit or a museum you have been wanting to explore, then do it.

9. Perhaps for a few years you have been wanting to re-vamp your garden, add a trellis, roses and a garden ornament, maybe re-configure your yard, wait for some sun and start that project.

10. Been wanting to try your hand at attending a garage or yard sale, don't wait for someone to go with you, just go and find those vintage finds, but grab a cup of coffee and some single dollars before you go.

11. What about taking the leap of faith and painting a spare room a bold color, branching out of your color comfort zone, bringing to life those ideas whirling around in your head.

12. Volunteer somewhere for the day, and feel good about helping others, help out at a funraiser or take a walk to help in the fight against the many diseases out there, or just show support for a friend, loved one or stranger who might need your help.

13. Love amusement parks? Want to feel like a kid again, head out to one, eat kettle corn, cotton candy, funnel cakes or ice cream, ride the carousel, roller coaster and ferris wheel, feel the excitement
14. Hate bathing suits, but love the beach? Just grab that long sarang or maxi dress, pack a bag with a towel, a book, sun block, snacks and just do it, grab a friend go to the beach early during the week and relax reading a book, searching for shells, followed by a trip to the boardwalk for some fun, you don't need a bathing suit to do that.
15. Go to the library and walk to your favorite section, close your eyes and let your heart pick a book, open your eyes up and choose that book, read it and enjoy, try something new.

By trying something new you are fueling your craving for adventure, an exhilarating feeling, a surge of energy, an awakening, a challenge to get out of your comfort zone, trying something new will open your mind to new things, leading to new ideas, a belief in yourself, to conquer your goals and over come your fears.


These are just a few ideas to get you going on your new journey! I hope you enjoy the photographs I took from my travels which I added some more color and magic too, they are altered a bit from the originals to show the variation and different interpretations, I hope you enjoy them and get energized to try something new this summer.

My Artful Idol: Mary Engelbreit!

This picture was taken about 9years ago when I was much younger, early twenties, at Fao Schwartz, NYC, for her new doll line w/Robert Tonner.

The story begins, one day I was walking through an enchanting book store in Montclair, I was around age 8 or 9 years old, and I stumbled upon this greeting card, with a tall skinny, colorful mime style clown, I instantly loved it, I asked my Mom, if she would by it for me, and she did. I placed it in my room and began trying to draw that figure in this card. I had always loved drawing and coloring in my coloring books (which I still have), but this picture grabbed me, my final result, well, I was 8 or 9. But not bad for that age..As time grew on, I began to see more of this artist works on greeting cards, collecting them as I went, never writing in them, but framing them, the stickers which I put in my sticker album with Lisa Frank stickers, then a print here and there, boom, she was everywhere and I was so excited. by age 20 I had her toy dolls from Toys-R-Us, figurines, ornaments, teapots, cups, vases, my whole room was filled with Fairies, Mermaids, and this artist.

When I needed inspiration I turned to my collection of greeting cards and now her books, which filled me with so much joy, I knew then I had a passion for everything art. But didn't think I'd be able to make a living from it, so I changed my major in college from art to Political Science, with the hopes of being an FBI agent dealing in antiquities and foregin affairs, but after a major and semi cribbling accident in April of 1999, I knew that would never be, so I turned back to my art, while working in what I though was a new career in Banking/Mortgage.

When I heard this artist who I will now reveal as Mary Engelbreit was going to be at FAO Scwartz in NYC, I had to go. After one failed attempt, when I was 12years old, I ended up having ear drum surgery, so I couldn't go to her signing, I new it was over ten years and I had to go. Well I get there and a security guard decided to cut the line right on me, I was in tears, drove all this way and boom not to even meet her... Well I kept my faith and a person saw my tears ( I was still composed) and she led me to the end of the line on the other side, and led me through the red ropes, and guess what I met her, she signed my doll, and snow queen book, this picture above is the result. She was super sweet and nice, I couldn't even speak, I made her some drawing rolled them up and gave them to her, then I went on my way, happy as a fairy could be.

Now its almost another ten years later and I now have published a children's book: Star and The Milky Way Cafe, a artful set of Zines: Faerie Zine and Piddlestixs, A new about to be released art book entitled: Altered Art Circus by Quarry Books, Several online groups which promote other artists, I teach Workshops at Museums, Stores and Conventions, Invloved in Charities and working on my new product line and licensing works, within this time frame, and guess what she is still one of my idols, I have incorporated some more to my top ten,LOL, but she was my first inspiration. Now on Nov.15,2008 on MY BIRTHDAY weekend I will be vending w/goodies and a pay/play at Silver Bella in Omaha, NE, and as you guessed it Miss Mary will be the speaker at the luncheon on Nov.15, what a present that would be to once again meet the artist who set the tone of inspiration for me, all these years later, now that I'm a professional artist, we will see, I leave that to chance to my Birthday Fairy who hopefully will make that come true..I mean, on my birthday, now that is a one in a million chance, don't you agree. I get this excited over the releases of the Harry Potter Movies on my birthday and birthday week too, my fave modern day novels..I met JK Rowling, at a signing, I'll save that for another post.

Magic and Joy!

Lisa! (P.s. some people have idols like the Beatles, Elvis, Monet, Hannah Montana, mine are art idols who inspire me everyday, as are the amazing art friends I have met and know)