one of my fave things I've done this year... meet The Spirited Stitch Workshop Women

One of my very favorite things I have done this year is photograph the SPIRITED STITCH workshop of  Elizabeth Duke & Nicolisa West 
 
 
-- featured in the Where Women Create issue  
celebrating Mindful Studios -- a must read!

My work for Where Women Create varies... but the best part is being a storyteller...being able to step into something and see that what's going on needs to be celebrated widely for its beauty, its gifts to those that partake, and it's inspiration quotient!

These women are inspiring, creative and utterly genuine... I was so grateful to connect with them...

You can read more about them in the current issue...but here are some of my fave chunks of the article...and lots of the captures that did not make the pages

Elizabeth Duke and Nicolisa West of Fairfield, CT will tell you that it was destiny that brought them together when they connected years ago at Nicolisa’s mindfulness meditation session at “Terrain,” her then workplace. It was instant karma for these creative women! A blending of kindred spirits, weaving and connecting in a way that would allow them to form a friendship and then to work together through their Spirited Stitch workshop retreats.  

Nicolisa, a Registered Nurse, and Elizabeth, a long time sewing teacher, make a powerful team, sharing their uniquely matched creative talents to inspire other women to make art as part of their wellness journey. 

We both love how mindfulness, meditation and slow stitching are so portable: you can take them wherever you go!  We often tell our students about the book by Jon Kabat Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are, and how it supports this belief. 

It’s our hope that through the sharing of our talents and skills, we can create stillness and inspiration for other women. We want women to feel inspired and confident to continue their creative and wellness journeys on their own, wherever they are, stitch by stich, breath by breath.

Elizabeth:  While much of my work has been published in trade magazines and has placed in national competitions in garment making and wearable art, it’s the things I stitch for pleasure that hold the joy of all my years of teaching and reflection.

Nicolisa: I want women to Pause.  A Pause can help ease the mind, bring clarity and lead to inspiration for the creative in each of us.

To learn more about The Spirited Stitch …sewing workshop and wellness retreats

edukedesigns.wordpress.com

Facebook Elizabeth Duke

Instagram @sewist44

Facebook Nicolisa West

Instagram @nicolisawest

A huge thanks to Elizabeth and Nicolisa for the honor of being there to 
absorb and celebrate what they do...

xo Jen

CONGRATS TO VAL... I am thrilled

I am totally thrilled to see Val's creative space in print...and 10 pages!!  

A total WOW...

What a treat to see "The Crib" featured in the latest Where Women Create magazine... 

A huge thanks to Jo Packham for the opportunity to celebrate Val's style and share her business story in my column "The Business of the Studio"...

You can read more about the mag and take a bigger peek HERE on the 

Where Women Create site...

And you can see Val's uber cute and totally fab, re-purposed creations HERE....

CONGRATS VAL!  So happy to share this great news of your accomplishment and I am thrilled and honored to have worked on this with you!

xo Jen

 

...a peek at a magcial place...celebrating the atelier of Rosanna De Bellis...

Rosanna De Bellis has her own magic...she knows how to celebrate everyday in the beauty she finds in small moments and in the handmade things she treasures....

I have known and admired her for so many years, it's my honor to call her my friend...but she's really more than that...she's a soul sister who shares so much of my journey with my family and my business...and shares her own...

I am grateful to know her everyday....

Thanks to you Rosanna, for this amazing peek at your craft room and atelier...you are an inspiration!

 

Your style and festive nature bring joy to so many...

Thanks too go to Jo Packham of Where Women Create magazine for the opportunity to include Rosanna in the latest issue of the magazine....

 Rosanna has some very special projects underway... and you'll be hearing more about them soon!

 She's invited Earth Angels artists and friends to her hometown of Mantova, Italy for an event next year --

 that's sure to be a celebration full of artful style!!!

 

And she's working on a very special BOOK featuring artists, personalities and inspiring souls who celebrate everyday...

 Please be sure you are following Rosanna on INSTAGRAM as @rosannadebellis

 

Here is a link to her joyful and lovely feed....CLICK HERE TO SEE IT....

Thanks Rosanna for sharing your style and adding beauty and whimsy to our everyday!

xo Jen

paying the bills with your passion...part III..take note of you're a creativpreneur!

Some of you have been following my column in Where Women Create: BUSINESS

 called...

"Turning Your Passion into Your Paycheck"

If so -- TAKE NOTE -- Part III has just dropped onto the newsstands and it's packed with tips and tools for MARKETING YOUR HANDMADE BUSINESS...

...many of you don't know that my formal training is in Urban Planning -- yep -- even have the Masters and the Professional License (AICP) -- 
but that may not seem to match with what I do everyday with Earth Angels Studios...

But it does! It does!  Why??? 

My specialization in Planning is in small business economic development... that means, I know how to help business grow through garnering sales, how they market and how they position themselves within the economy as makers and manufacturers...

So now -- instead of working with food and fashion liked I used to in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn when I lived in Queens -- I work with handmade and have since I started my dabbling in 1994 as a hobby business...

I went full time into Earth Angels in 2000 when I had my first kiddo and have not looked back.... Soooo it' really nice for me to have the opportunity to come full-circle and share my business development know-how in this four part series called 

"Paying the Bills with Your Passion"

(you can catch the prior columns -- Parts I & II --

 in the July and October issues...)

 
A big thanks to Editor in Chief, Jo Packham, for the opportunity to share my experience and know-how in this column...

It's been a joy for me to work on these articles to encourage artful entrepreneurship.

You can order copies of the magazine HERE

And thanks to all for your support of my work at Earth Angels...

xo Jen

Dolly Treasures! A total wow and congrats to Eileen Lam!!!

The new issue of Where Women Create BUSINESS is out and I am totally thrilled to share the news of talented Eileen Lam's feature...

 Eileen's artistry is noteworthy...she photos her beloved Blythe dolls in the most charming of settings and streetscapes!

She's built a beautiful business -- and published two books -- of her photographs...

I was honored to photo her at work and share her story in a feature I produced...

Thanks to you Eileen, for sharing your style and talent...your work brings me such joy and it was an honor to share it!

And thanks to Jo Packham for the opportunity to celebrate Eileen and her work!

You can read more about Dolly Treasures on her WEBSITE

AND do follow Eileen on Instagram at 

@dollytreasures

or on Facebook!

 

xxoo and enjoy a browse of her images... 

they are a hoot!

Jen

...here's what's cookin'! NEW issue of Where Women Cook

There's something wonderful about seeing a kitchen that you love in print... 

....so many memories and dinners shared....

 and a cook that works hard to celebrate everyday by preparing and serving a meal to her family...

 Congrats to Joanne Graney on seeing her kitchen in the new issue of Where Women Cook...

and thanks to Jo Packham for the opportunity to celebrate Joanne's kitchen and cooking style...

...you can see more in the new issue...but here's a peek at some of my fave photos...it was a fun 

AND TASTY

photo shoot!

 The kicky salsa for her chicken is stellar 

(recipe in the issue!)

 ...drenched with color dining room is bright and happy...

 ...her most treasured object/s...her Blue Willow dishes...they were her grandmother's...

 ...happy collected things...

 ...and a sweet ending!

...thanks again to Jo and Joanne for the opportunity to photo and share this in Where Women Cook...

Current and back issues AVAILABLE HERE

Of you can subscribe at WHERE WOMEN COOK 

xo Jen

...have you encountered Colleen???

If you don't already know the work of Colleen Attara...

I hope you can encounter it soon...

I say this because her art speaks to me in in such a deeply personal way...

...so, it was nothing short of a true honor and unfettered joy that I visited Colleen at her studio to photograph her space and profile her for my column in Where Women Create magazine...

 Thanks to Jo Packham for the opportunity to share more about Colleen and her artful business in my column, "The Business of the Studio"...

 Colleen finds beauty in castoffs, words and recycled goods...she creates art and teaches...she is so very gifted.

You can read more about Colleen in the new issue...the cover looks like this:

Thanks Colleen...for allowing me to encounter your art, your space, and to share more about your business journey.

....you are a treasure to me...

I miss you and hope to see you soon...

....in the meantime, I am keeping your art and good vibes close

 xo Jen