There's nothing quite as special as receiving a gift that was made from a friend. I met Diane Foster at the Julie Arkell workshop in France. She lives in Manchester, England. Diane knows how to make just about everything. She takes workshops of all kinds whenever she gets a chance.She calls the … [Read more...]

I noticed Samantha Bryan's mixed media sculpture when I was looking at an exhibit that included Julie's Arkell paper mache figures. Samantha also lives in West Yorkshire, England. I immediately fell in love with her fairies. My family got this fairy for me for my birthday. This piece is titled, … [Read more...]

Mabel celebrated her first birthday in style on Monday. She had her very own cake which she ate too quickly... … [Read more...]

One of the most exciting times in the process of making a book is when the advance copy arrives in the mail. It's always a big surprise for me because I'm not expecting it and I'm usually immersed in another project. Today Miles To Go was in my mailbox. The illustrations were done in a completely … [Read more...]

I just got back from a fabulous workshop led by Julie Arkell, a contemporary folk artist who works in papier mache and mixed media.Julie Arkell lives in London, but she taught this class at Les Soeurs Anglaises (LSA) in South West France. LSA runs an eclectic mix of short courses in textiles, … [Read more...]

Too many distractions have kept me from getting a lot of work done. At the end of the year, my girls have a lot going on: exams, special projects, concerts, plays, softball playoffs (I even got to play in one). I've spent more time in the kitchen baking for school events than I have at my drawing … [Read more...]