This is a very big day!

Today my advance copy of my book arrived. I so wanted to share this with a person that was helping me all the way-but that was not to be-Fortunately my daughter and I arrived home from being together today and there it was on the doorstep. Its really like having a baby and having the nurse put it in your arms. My editor had given me a heads up and she said she loved it-thanks again Mary Ann! And guess what ? I really really love it. It is just beautiful and the end papers with all my scribbling look incredible! It was so worth it-so worth all the craziness and re-dos and proofing and all of it. There is so much going on-I must get my paypal account going -for now I am taking preorders to my email account! Please email me your name and address and to whom you want it personalized and I'll add you to my queue. email me at lengelbrecht@earthlink.net. I will enclose a special print of work made just for this event! ( Publication date is set for July 1st!)I have a helper now who has promised to help make this happen swiftly!
Geez-I was just enjoying the Mary Engelbreit high -this is too too much-how incredibly blessed I am!
I think everyone in all aspects of my circle will enjoy this-there's somethng for everyone!
Thank you to all my contributors!! too-Look for the date of the first open book signings-of course they will be special-incorporating book and body signings, ( creative words I will letter on your body parts!) a dj and live callligraphic painting

( I promise to blog about my trips to Montana and Colorado tomorrow!)

Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion is here!

AND I'M IN IT!! CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT UNDER FAVE LINKS AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MARY WEBSITE AND YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT!

The Chicago Quilt Show!

Here is just a little taste of what happened in Chicago where I taught last month! Go to the Flickr site for more pics, more hearts! The students were wonderful and this happened during the American Airlines thing-but fortunately I wasnt on an MD80! I met the nicest people-including the adorable and very talented Kelli Perkins-she was in two of my classes-check out her blog at the site listed at right!So prolific and I hear rumor of a book coming from her!
Im off to Virginia for Art and soul-an early early flight! I hate going to the east coast-but coming home is great as I gain three hours-well not really but in my little head thats what I think
More on Montana when I return!

OOPS!

I have to apologize-my post about the DVD did not have my email-so its probably hard to order it if you cant contact me!
My email is lisae28@earthlink.net
I will blog more but I am going to crash with my new favorite poet's book-I went to his reading the other night and he blew me away! His name is Frank X. Gaspar and here's a snippet-Cant wait to letter this stuff!


From Night of a Thousand Blossoms

Well, is it really wise to search for guidance in a small room
cluttered with books and papers, with a glass of whiskey
and a box of wheat crackers, with my eyes ticking like
the brass tide-clock on the plaster wall? When the house sleeps
huddled in the city’s jasmine night? Night of a thousand blossoms
I can’t name? Night of a soft marine layer, Pacific fog
hanging about a hundred yards up, a gauze, a parchment?
I am hidden thus from my duties, I can escape the moral law.
Isn’t it written, didn’t Lord Krishna himself say that we mustn’t
relinquish the action we are born to, even if it is flawed?


Photo of my cat Kula-just one of the cat posse

BREWERY ARTWALK

I spent a wonderful long day at the Brewery Artist's Colony with my good friend Tim who was here from Texas! I had heard vaguely about it-but wow-it was so intense! They have taken the old Pabst Beer Brewery and converted it into work spaces for all types of artists There are hundreds of working artists living there and alot of the studios are amazing-everywhere we looked there was incredible art-and living spaces-It was so inspiring. I really feel like this is where my heart is as an artist-just doing work-discovering what my true north really is. I've started to tell people that I will quit teaching soon-after the book hoopla- I just feel that this is right for me now
So check out the pictures on my flickr site-Words cant really describe it-but I was very jealous of these artists
I'll blog more tomorrow-Im off to Art and Soul on Friday so Im pretty swamped-as always but a good swamped!

SOME AMAZING ARTISTS THAT LIVE AND WORK AT THE BREWERY!
I've listed their links at the right as they are definitely worth a look! Check it out=please!

Mike Pedersen-trippy beautiful sepia Photographs

Psycho Girl Friend-WOW-Burning Man dresses-and incredible outfits made of barbies and what all

Dave Lefner-Reduction Linocut Printmaking-go see this

MIke Tracy-like the first dude we saw and the coolest illustrations

Sophie dia Pegrum-uses beautiful calligraphic marks in her circular pieces

Winifred Johnson Brewer-ok hands down the artist that floated my boat-beautiful spare collages ( google her)

Airom Bleicher-Lovely colors and animals

Leigh Salgado-Paper cut to reveal patterns-mounted away from the wall so the shadows cast are part of the artwork! Great(Google her too)

OK-THATS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG-I THINK THEY HAVE THIS IN THE FALL TOO-DEFINITELY GO GO GO!!

www.breweryartwalk.com

Begin at the beginning-PORTLAND!

So -I need to write about my recent adventures! and there are so many-I think I'll start-thats what I tell my students- begin anywhere!
My trip to Portland was really wonderful! I taught a Fabric Book class and here are some samples-check out more images in the Flickr link at the right, amazing and talented artists! I know that times were a bit tough in the past for the Portland Calligraphy Guild-but they are back big Time!!
I stayed in the most beautiful house-the home of Meri and Steve Taylor-what an incredible blessing-they treated me immediately to a great dinner cooked by Steve-Saturday night we had planned to go to Mary Ann David's for dinner and ended up in the emergency room! She tripped and fell on her shoulder and was in great pain so off we went-but in a way it was really fun-she made us laugh the whole time! She lives in a fairy tale house-lovely art on all her walls-and a killer studio-so beautiful-see the house on my site!
We laughed so much-Mary Ann still came to class the next day and completed her book-true calligraphic trooper that she is!
Heres a page from her book!( top one!)

Montana Photos are up now!

Oh-I had every intention of blogging it all tonight but must crash-more tomorrow-all my mOntana and Portland pics are now up'
Heres a sample of the cover of my new DVD-sorry-cant seem to isolate it from Somerset cover!Thank you for the huge response to my dvd!

I'VE BEEN VERY BAD

No...-it cant be a month and a half since I've blogged-can it be? OK-Ive been to Portland, The Chicago quilt show, the Brewery Art Walk , and most recently Montana! So much to share with everyone! OK_I will ! I swear!!
ALSO
MY DVD HAS ARRIVED!!
Yes -from CCP videos-its me in the fabled dvd HandLettering on Fabric, a Bali Lantern Workshop. Its really good-the camera catches all my calligraphy strokes and wash techniques-You can order from me -send me an email! lisae28@earthlink.net-I will personalize your dvd and send you a special gift! Online the price is $33.95-but I'm offering my dvd from my website for only $29.95 plus $4 shipping. The mailing address for your check is Lisa Engelbrecht, PO Box 3815, Seal Beach, CA 90740-7815
Oh and check out the preview at www.ccpvideos.com. there are so many other great art dvds there too to check out!

I promise to write about my lovely experiences-but my photos are now up on the flickr account if you'd like a sneak peek!( link on the right-right here!)_

MY ARTICLE IN SOMERSET!

Here's the cover of the latest issue of Somerset-Imagine my surprise at my name so big!

Wild SoCal Weekend!

I am recovering now from my whirlwind weekend with my very special houseguest! We went tourist and visited the new BCAM wing of the LA county museum-tried to find Shepard Fairey's new studio-which we found but was not open! Diverted to Little Tokyo, then on to the Famous FArmers market and the Grove mall which I must admit was really really pretty
We ate like kings -Open Sesame, Mexican Affair , River's End and the weather pretty much cooperated. Dropped into Paris Over the moon in Costa Mesa and loved the back room-the dark side!!
Now I must concentrATE! I go to Portland this weekend-and also must prepare for the Winter Soldier fundraiser that is also this weekend
I've added two very special links -One to the honest blog of Jen Cushman-the editor at Mary Engelbreit and the other Adventures in Italy ( Kristin Steiner's very wonderful company)-please save the date of May 9-16 to join me in Orvieto, Italy-Class description to follow very soon!