I can not even begin to tell you how thrilled I am...

 I have been bursting at the seams for a little over a week, so excited to share my news with you all!!

Yup, that's me in the lower left of the photo! 

Gwen Lafleur actually asked me to be in her Creative Artist Tribe!!!!! 

 This has ME at a loss for words! LOL

okay, maybe I have a few words left...

 Yes indeed,I get to create beside these other 

wonderful creatively talented artists!

 If you are not familiar with Gwen, you need to be! I have been following Gwen and her art, stalking her from afar, ever since she joined the Stencil Girl Design Team. Gwen has always made the coolest pieces and designed with such flair and her use of color- OH MY!!!

And now, Gwen even has her own stencil designs at StencilGirl and are they ever gorgeous!!

Here is Gwen's link to her portfolio- go have a look at her astonishing artwork, I am sure you will not be disappointed!!

Gwen Lafleur

 

 Today, I received my first package of items and products from Gwen's store to create with- OMGOSH!!!! Will you just look at these photos!

 I am so honored to be part of this TRIBE!!

Beautiful wrapping as well!!

all this goodness in one package!

 look at these colors!

 Gwen's stencil Art Deco Flower Medallion Stencil

 Gwen's stencil Decorative 6-Petal Flower Screen Stencil

 Washi!!

 and Gwen sent a journal!!!!

 textiles from heaven!!

  and this final photo is me pinching myself! teeheehee

  I actually had some tears of joy escape my eyes while opening up my treasures!! 

Thank you Gwen! 

I can not wait to make my first design piece!

Be sure to sign up for Gwen's Newsletter and receive a  "special offer" for newsletter subscribers. It will be 10% off your purchase at the store as a celebration of the new team! 

And now without further ado...

Meet the Artist Tribe at Gwen Lafleur Studios!

Jill McDowellDuring the day Jill is a full time community college administrator who frequently shows up at meetings with paint under her nails. Most nights and weekends you’ll find her stowed away in her craft room making art into the wee hours. Jill is an art journaler and a mixed media artist who loves to explore different art genres, experiment with new techniques, and transform what she’s learned into her own style. Jill and her husband live in eastern Connecticut with their two lovable dogs.

---

Sandee Setliff Sandee is a daydreamer and a night thinker. She sees an opportunity in every problem she faces. Her curious mind is stretched by all the experiences life throws her way and what she makes out of them. She is sunshine mixed with rain, creating a beautiful rainbow. She knows that with the right attitude, anything is possible.  Her style is an ever-changing art form: breaking rules and following her heart, meandering through life with paint and paper, anticipating and participating as much as one person can. Her favorite things are using quotes and art journaling for herself, although she does make art for sale in the town she lives in. When not 'arting,' she is walking through the woods in North Carolina looking for fairies and gathering moss. Sandee is also a current creative team member / blogger for StencilGirl, ColourArte, and Deco Art.

---

Linda Edkins Wyatt I am a mixed media artist living and working in the heart of New York City—a place that inspires me daily with its architecture, energy, colors, textures and people. By day, I work in one of the busiest healthcare systems in the country; my evenings, weekends and lunch hours are my cherished art time. I started out as a schoolteacher, and hold a degree from SUNY Oneonta, then changed career paths and earned a degree in Textile/Surface Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. I worked for many years as a print stylist in NYC’s Garment Center, winning an industry “Tommy Award” in the children’s wear category.    I love many art mediums, but fabrics, trims, beads and buttons are close to my heart, and I am a

fabric designer at my core. I have been sewing since I was old enough to hold a needle, and love to incorporate stitch and fiber in my artwork.

I discovered the world of art quilting and mixed media about 11 years ago, and have been immersed in it since then. My artwork and writing have appeared in many books, magazines and juried shows, including a series of seven self-portraits in Cate Prato’s book Mixed Media Self Portraits, “Painting Out the Panic” in Cloth Paper Scissors, and my art quilts have been part of the Sacred Threads show. I am also a former member of the Artistcellar Design Team. My art quilt “Eye of Panic” will be in the book Quilts and Health, due to be released in Fall 2017.

---

Lynda Shoup Lynda Shoup is a mixed media artist who makes art journals, collage, handmade books, and printing. Her work often uses recycled materials and focuses on how disparate materials and ideas can be combined to create harmony. Lynda studied art at the Munson Williams Proctor School of Fine and Performing Arts and Utica College for a year before transferring to Western Connecticut State University. After earning her B.A. in Communications she lived in Tokyo, Japan where she taught English Language and worked as a copy editor for Japan Publications Trading Company in the Japanese traditional crafts division. She translated three books The Joy of Flower Arranging, Rice Bowl Recipes and  The Joy of Antique Beading. Her free time was spent learning the traditional arts of Japanese dance, flower arranging, kimono, and cooking. She later earned her Master of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University and worked as an elementary school librarian for more than ten years. Lynda currently lives in Massachusetts with her family.

---

Jackie P. Neal A crafter since childhood, I have now evolved into a mixed media artist where I am constantly experimenting, learning, and growing. I am a collector of​ "​things.​"I like pretty things: old books, vintage jewelry, bits and bobs, fabric remnants, laces and trims, junk mail, and other ephemera. I look for the beauty in the ordinary and in nature, often collecting bird feathers, twigs, stones, animal bones, and rusty pieces of whatever - anything that catches my eye, sort of like the Magpie! My creative enthusiasm travels across many mediums with emphasis on texture, layering, color, organic, textiles, assemblage, and grungy / weathered. I also love stenciling, stamping, collage, art journaling, and making tags and ATCs. Did I leave anything out? Using mixed media techniques, my imagination takes on a life of its own to design and create altered art pieces from things that other people discard. I guess I could refer to my artwork as tactile or creative recycling.

When creating, the messier I am the more excitable I become with the piece I'm working on. I mean, the process of creating is just as important as the actual finished piece, right? There's nothing like having my hands covered in paint, ink, glue, etc... and having my creative space shrink down to a 5"x5" square on my table - I'm sure we've all been there! I believe sharing is an important part of art as well, and this is why whenever possible I photograph and share my steps on my blog. Hopefully this gives others the courage to step out of their comfort zones and fuel their artistic sides! I absolutely love to create alongside other art sisters & like minded souls; each of us sharing our passion and love for art. This is why I hold an annual "Art Sisters Retreat" during the summer at my home in upstate New York. It's an opportunity for us to have fun, learn from one another and challenge ourselves. Having started teaching, I hope to expand this avenue at my home and online in the near future. I have been fortunate enough to have been chosen for several Design Teams in the past and I'm a current member of the DecoArt Blogger Outreach Program; I've been an active blogger since 2014. Over these past years of internet usage, I have found and gained much inspiration from our worldwide family of artists and for this I am grateful.

Make sure to pop over to the teams InstaGram accounts and or blogs to check them out~such Fabulous artwork!!!

here are the links:

Linda Edkins Wyatt~
Lindaedkinswyatt.blogspot.com 
LindaEdkinsWyatt  ~ IG
(Linda and I go back to my very first days of art via the internet, my first paperdoll making in fact was with Linda! Glad to be creating together again! ) 

Lynda Shoup~
Lynda Shoup~Mixed Media Artist
Lynda_Shoup ~ IG

Sandee Setliff~
In The Hills of North Carolina
Sandeeartfulwordsnc ~ IG

Jill McDowell~
Infinite Possibilities
itsjustjillmcd ~ IG

Gwen Lafleur ~ IG ~ gwenaval

Jackie P Neal ~ IG ~ pnjackie

Thank you so much for your support and visits and especially your comments- they mean the world to me! 

Hugs,Jackie