My First Time at CHA...Almost!

This week many of my friends traveled to southern California for the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) show. Unable to attend, I looked on at Facebook posts and photos with a bit of envy. I knew that my artwork would be there in the booth of Artistic Designs Group, my licensing agent. Wouldn't it be great to see that?

Well, thanks to my sweet BFF art sister Pam Carriker, I have seen it! She did as promised, sent me a photo of the booth. Although I wish I was standing right there alongside Pam, I am so grateful to see my work on display.

Thanks to Julie Ager & company for all of their hard work on my behalf, and to my gal Pam for hunting down the booth and taking this photo!

Art Is...You 2012

We had a WONDERFUL time at Art Is...You: The East Coast Art Retreat last October. Don't we look happy? And now we have our sights set on Art Is...You 2012 in Stamford, CT.

This retreat is an amazing experience...full of fun, inspiration, friendship, laughter, creativity, heart, energy, motivation, encouragement...and ART. Tons of art. Artful goodness everywhere you look.

Putting Art Is...You on your calendar for 2012 is a must. It will be a gift to yourself that you really deserve and you'll never forget.

Image © Art Is You

Magic Stamps Are Here!

Special thanks to Joan Bess of Gelli Arts for this wonderful giveaway prize!

I can hardly wait to try my hand at creating wonderful stamps to use with my Gelli Arts gel plate. (And won't these be great to share with workshops students.)

Stay tuned for some cool prints!

Thank you, Joan.

New Series

A new series featuring a little bee from past work.

Two completed and two more to go.


Thanks to Jennifer Valentine for the beautiful vintage ledger paper used in these pieces.

© Nancy Lefko

Just Plain Happy

The new year has brought new assignments and new deadlines and finds me creating up a storm. Always a good thing...no self-imposed guilt from creating 'just because'...on the contrary, I have work to get done and ahhhh, what a job it is.

And so I find myself, once again, juggling my two hats...full-time mom and part-time artist. I am happy to do so. Happy to follow my bliss along its numerous pathways. Happy to share my artful journey with students and fellow artists. Happy to be important in the lives of my husband and children.

Just plain happy.

© Nancy Lefko

Vintage Vixens in my Etsy Shop

It's been quite awhile since I've played around with images of the vintage vixens and clever quotes...it seems as if my creative time has been spent elsewhere.


I always enjoy creating mixed media pieces such as these...I hope they bring a smile to your face also.


Featured collages available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Round Robin Art Journal

Many of the folks from Art Is...You Art Retreats are passing art journals around the country...even across the pond...and creating a page or two around the theme, "courage," before sending them on their way.

My group's journal arrived today and, luckily, I had some free time and the ability to "dig right in" and play. My muse was really tuned in today and the art just flowed with ease onto the pages. What fun!


This journal, one of five, will be on its way from New Hampshire to New York on Monday morning. And then on and on...

Collage Play with Crowabout Week #139

Today I happened to peek at the collage sheet for Collage Play with Crowabout and realized it had been FAR too long since I'd enjoyed taking part in this fun challenge. So I grabbed my journal, scissors, glue stick and markers and simply had fun. It felt good to play in my journal with the wonderful collage elements provided.


The wonderful collage elements for this week's challenge were provided by:

Background Paper-littlebrownwren
Ruby Blossom-dodo bird
msbailey-Girl in Checkered Dress
Moon Fairy- Pringle Hill (Personal Use Only)
Flying Bird-Digital Collage Images
The Two Sisters-Autumnsensation (Personal Use Only)
Solar Tip Shoes Ad-gr8plunder
Labels-iHanna
Old Bottle-takeabreak
Wings-frannie60
Checkered Strips-gr8plunder
"good" "see"-katinthecupboard
#3-plaisanter
Red/white Circle-lolaleel002
"Life"-clotho98


If you haven't yet visited the Collage Play with Crowabout Flickr group, you really must do so. There is an abundance of inspiration and fun waiting for you there.

© Nancy Lefko

Still Journaling...and Happy

When I find my head swirling with many thoughts, I reach for my art journal. I don't always find the answers to my questions, but I am definitely relaxed.



© Nancy Lefko

Football & Journaling

Saturday night, the football playoffs, a crackling fire in the fireplace, my boys all gathered around and the wonderful relaxation of playing in my art journal. Yep, I'm happy.

© Nancy Lefko

Journal In the New Year

Around our house the new year is welcomed in quietly, with all of us at home, watching movies by the fire. Before and in between features, I cuddled up with my art journal and played around on pages that had previously been collaged.


Using a technique learned from my friend Pam Carriker, I printed out pages from previous journals to use as collage elements. The twist, however, is the journal pages are printed in black & white only, not even any grays. Then I cut up the pages, reassemble into completely new page arrangements and add watercolors, markers and more. Pam's method for recycling journal pages is great fun.


Tomorrow the boys head back to school and the Christmas vacation is officially over. My lazy days of journaling by the fire will be fewer and farther between now, but I hope in the new year I can make a concerted effort to give myself the gift of time to journal.

© Nancy Lefko

Sketchbook Challenge ~ Get Your Doodle On

What a nice way to start the new year...relaxing with my art journal.

This is my first entry for the Sketchbook Challenge and the theme for January, "Get Your Doodle On," was a perfect way to begin. I find doodling so relaxing, and adding color to the doodles even more so.

Perhaps you need a little push to get yourself creating...then the Sketchbook Challenge is just for you!