Leanne Shawler, Artist

I haven't heard if my partner received hers yet, but I sent it over a week ago, so I think its safe to share what I made for her here. My swap partner told me she liked to repurpose. So I did. I took this expandable file... And made it into this: The pretty shell image came from the ever amazing Graphics Fairy , which was perfect because my partner wanted the colors of a sunset over the water, and here I found this perfect image. Below is a close up of the buttons. Some new, some old. I cut up the folders to create pages. A cut on every other folder so that each page is also a pocket, which is tied shut with ribbon, seam binding, cheese-cloth, fabric strips. A couple of pages. The goal was to provide space to put in photos, journal, and I also added some goodies into the front pocket to further embellish. This page has one side covered in sheer fabric and a Green Paper image (I think), with a repeat of the shell image. The other side has old ledger paper to write on. I also se...

Heather of Speckled Egg posted about unfinished projects last week. It got me to thinking, and I'm fairly certain I don't have the following on this blog yet to pull this off, but -- what if we all picked an unfinished project and, well, finished it? I know you probably have a list of projects partially done, or on your "to do" list. I know I do. Introducing: So here's how it will work: pick an unfinished project, one that's been waiting for you for a while post a comment here telling me what the project is and about when you first started it. (optional) post to your blog that you're participating in "Undone" and/or add the little button to your side bar. on the deadline day, I'll post again -- share a link to a picture of your now-finished project in a comment, and .... To three random people who complete this challenge I'll give away a copy of my Regency romance from 2005. "Touched By Time". Autographed and personalized i...

So I thought I would do something called "Faith Fridays". For the first few, I'm going to use some things that leapt out of my during my devotional readings during my 25 Days of Birthday. (Hmm, I'm sure I could have written that more succinctly.) It's called "Woman of God: Moments of Grace, 25 Devotions" by Diane Graham and Julie Norris. Psalm 23. "The Lord is my Shepherd...." It's a favorite at funerals. It's a psalm of comfort. So it surprised me when the authors used it to encourage the reader to find peace and quiet despite mountainous to-do lists. He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul -Psalm 23:3 The Benedictines teach balance and so this reminded me (yet again) to take time to rest. That every minute doesn't need to be filled with doing. And the best part? A resting time is a good time to listen. If you'd like to join in with Faith Fridays (and I'm assuming somebody else hasn't already come up w...

It's now my office space for at least a week, if not more. I'm not sure how I am going to get any crafting done, except I do have needlework and I can journal... My work office is being remodeled. Not just a new carpet or a paint/patch job, but all the built in cabinets, filing and storage, and my desk is being torn out too. So I brought everything home. So here is where I'm situated for the time being until the new office furniture arrives. At least I have fresh flowers to keep me company. (Although they turn out to be dyed flowers as they're turning the water purple). A set of bookshelves were going too, so we've had to do a bit of a purge and there were books that needed throwing out. Seriously, throw out these? Yeah, I thought so too! I've enjoyed looking at them at work, so I got to bring them home. They aren't worth anything. But for an artist..... So stay tuned until Monday and I'll share plans for at least one of these books. I have to figure ...

Here for the Where Bloggers Create Party? Scroll down to Friday's post. (Although these are in my creative space.) Well, the craft room window :) Here are more details of my hanky curtains. With any luck, they'll be completely sewn up by the time the next Where Bloggers Create party comes around. I like the butterfly detail of this one... Some of the hankies have scalloped edges, others have crochet on them. Here's a detail of the fabric that forms the loops and top piece. I have left over loops I need to figure out what to do with. And that's my craft room curtain!

Here for the Where Bloggers Create Party? Scroll down to Friday's post. (Although this an addendum to that.) I didn't read the instructions well enough and while you caught glimpses of my artwork in my craft room , I didn't share what I do. I'm, um, actually a published romance author, so I know dreams are achievable after a lot of hard work, but that's when "fun" became "work" and so I needed a new "fun". Enter scrapbooking. I redid my wedding album, worked on a career album and a few other things. Altered books intrigued me but I didn't think I could stand cutting one up. So I started going 3D ... shadow boxes, bird houses, canvases, ... And after a long, long time of not doing any sewing beyond restoring buttons to their rightful place, I started sewing again (I made cuffs for the gals who joined in the Young Victoria Altered Book Collaborative). I even ventured into jewelry briefly. So in no particular order or chronology: ...

I am finally up to the 's' in the Where Bloggers Create Party (see sidebar for link, see post below for my creative space) and I've come across this really cool giveaway that I thought I would share. I have to be honest, I've never been inside an Anthropologie store but I understand they are pretty cool (and I think there is one in the mall near me).... I think I said I was going to be doing some posting today, but I'm holding off for another day while I: a) get my act together b) give people a chance to find my space quickly. If it's taken me this long to get to the S's .....

I'm excited to be joining the Where Bloggers Create Party for the first time. I discovered it last year, ages after it happened and I literally spent the day looking through them all! I hope you enjoy my space. The sign on my door. I made it as a make-and-take a couple of years ago. Here's an overall view of my room. You can't tell because of the lighting but the walls are not pink. They're pale lavender. The bookcase I bought from Target a year or two ago. It's "Shabby Chic". The bottom drawer holds my German scrap and the "transparent" stuff. The bookcase from Target that used to be under the window is now vertical. The addition to the top of pink chest of drawers is a library card file that was gonna be tossed from church until I rescued it. It holds rolls of seam binding and millinery. I might paint it next year.... Next to it is a tiered holder of mostly lace, but some feathers and flowers. The chest of drawers holds glue, large photos, fa...