Mini MOO Cards Are Here !!

What fun I had ordering my new mini MOO cards. And even more fun when they arrived. It really is quite a deal that you can order 1 design or 100 and pay the same price. I think I stopped at about 13 different images...but given the time, I probably could have gone on and on. I took advantage of the Etsy discount code and received 50% off my second hundred...so now I have enough MOO cards to last a lifetime!

"Mix It Up with Melange" Challenge ~ DANCE

This week at the Melange Team blog the challenge prompt is DANCE and this is the quote that popped into my mind. I'm sure we'd all like to be free of the self-consciousness that so often binds us. So here's hoping we can all find the freedom to dance with reckless abandon.

Please stop by the Melange Team blog and join in on the "Mix it Up" challenge....we'd love to see what inspires you.

Collage available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Cracked

Betty has just CRACKED open a bottle of champagne...won't you join her?

And please do visit Illustration Friday and see the wonderful works of art inspired by this week's prompt.

Collage available in my Etsy shop. **SOLD**

© Nancy Lefko

"Mix It Up with Melange" Challenge ~ INSPIRATION

With the prompt INSPIRATION there was but one image that came to mind and that was of an artist. As artists we are always in search of our next inspiration and for me I don't often need to look any farther than my own life.....what I value, what makes me laugh, what makes me wonder...all INSPIRATIONS for my creative muse.

Please stop by the Melange Team blog and join in on the "Mix it Up" challenge....we'd love to see what inspires you.

Collage available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Thank You, Pam

Imagine my delight when I found this beautiful gift from my dear friend Pam Carriker in yesterday's mail. And there couldn't be more perfect words printed on this card than, "SHARE ART." That is precisely what Pam does so well and with her whole heart. Pam has shared with countless artists her skills, techniques and passion for her art. If you have been fortunate, as I have, you've been a student in one (or more) of her workshops, either online or at an art convention. If you have not yet had this opportunity, dash over to Creative Workshops where Pam's classes are the most popular and sought after...and once you've taken a class with Pam, you'll know why.

Image © Pam Carriker

"Mix It Up with Melange" Challenge ~ LACE

The challenge word this week over at the Melange Team Blog is LACE and of course that meant one of my little vixens would get center stage. So, here she is in all her glory; happy to show off some lace.

Please visit the Melange blog and join in on our weekly challenges. You do not need to be a member of our team to join in the fun.

Collage available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous moms! I hope you all have a lovely day and get a well-deserved rest.

Since I began keeping an art journal, many of my entries relate to the feelings connected with motherhood...this journal page expresses how bittersweet it can be watching children "leave the nest."

One of my favorite quotes about motherhood..."Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone

Have a wonderful day :)

© Nancy Lefko

Mind Wide Open Challenge ~ Paris in Spring

Each month Gail Schmidt gives us a wonderful image for inspiration and use in the Mind Wide Open Challenge. This month I decided to use the image as a background for my collage, "ooo la la."

Please check out the wonderful entries in this month's challenge and, if you feel so inclined, you may vote for your favorite as well.

ACEO available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

"Mix It Up with Melange" Challenge ~ MOTHER

In honor of Mother's Day this Sunday, the challenge at the Melange Team blog this week is MOTHER. My mixed media collage is a reminder to do what you should do often, not just on Mother's Day. Now go ahead, make that call!

Collage available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Mixed Media Monday ~ Inspirational Words

Much of what I have achieved in the art world was merely a dream not too long ago. I suppose if one holds fast to a dream and works hard, what once seemed impossible can be created. It is this thought that inspired this mixed media collage for the Mixed Media Monday challenge, INSPIRATIONAL WORDS. I encourage you to visit their blog and see all of the wonderful submissions for this theme.

Collage available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Workshop Sneak Peek

Here's a little "tease" of my upcoming workshop....showing what you'll need and what you can create. Scroll down to the earlier post to read all about my PAINTED FABRIC COLLAGE WORKSHOP or visit Creative Workshops to register today.

Illustration Friday ~ Hierarchy

For this week's Illustration Friday prompt, I decided to go with the definition "celestial HIERARCHY"...the collective body of angels. Therefore I offer this collage entitled, "3 Angels."

Available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

New Workshop ~ Starting Soon!

Spring is here and so is a new collage workshop I am offering at Creative Workshops. It's the time of year to use beautiful springtime fabrics and luscious paint colors in a PAINTED FABRIC COLLAGE WORKSHOP. Registration is now open for this three session class that will commence on May 25, 2009. For those of you unfamiliar with the classes at Creative Workshops, they are designed for you to participate in at your own pace...which is wonderfully convenient. I am a student at Creative Workshops, as well as a teacher, and I enjoy the ability to "attend" class when it fits MY schedule. If you are like me in that respect, pop on over to Creative Workshops and take a look at the wonderful classes that are offered.

Below I have included specific information about my new workshop. Come on over and play!

Workshop Description:
Do you share my love of patchwork, paint and collage? If so, you are in the right place. In this three session workshop we will combine techniques and materials to create pieces of art suitable for framing or fashioning into wall-hangings.

This class will be a combination of images, written instructions, printable pdf's and video.

Supply List:
* 1/2 yard fabric (for background and backing)
* 1/4 yard total of 3 or 4 coordinating fabrics
* scraps of muslin fabric
* 1/2 yard Heat Bond®
* 1/2 yard fusible interfacing (mid-weight)
* clear gesso
* fluid acrylic paints
* FABRIC paintbrushes, variety of sizes (I use Loew Cornell, sold in pkg. of 4 at JoAnn's)
* foam brush
* charcoal pencil (medium hardness)
* white gel pen
* blending stump
* small alphabet stamps
* Staz-On® ink (black)
* sewing machine and black thread (optional) or black embroidery floss
and sewing needle
* 2B (regular) pencil
* brayer
* bubble wrap®
* grosgrain ribbon (optional)
* buttons (optional)
* iron
* ironing board

Workshop begins May 25, 2009
Fee: $38.00

© Nancy Lefko