inspiration monday

when i first read becky shander's dryer sheet article that was published in the premier issue of art quilting studio magazine (july, 2009), i was thrilled to see such an ordinary around-the-house-product being used in such creative ways! so thrilled, in fact, that i immediately salvaged the pile of dryer sheets that had been accumulating in my laundry room and started playing (you can see the fun here!)!

and i think that becky must have planted a tiny seed of dryer-sheet-inspiration that day, because when i started thinking about creating the little "child of art" quiltlet in yesterday's post, those dryer sheets were the first thing that i wanted to start playing with again! they're fun to use in their original white, but it's amazing at how well they absorb color, too.....just a little acrylic paint (and lots of paper towels to catch the mess!) and before you know it, you've got a stack of dryer-sheet-rainbow-happiness just waiting to be included in your next project!

thank you SO much, becky, for sprinkling your sweet little seeds of creativity throughout blogland......you will always be a beautiful inspiration to me!!!

from the heart

my sweet bloggy friend becky shander continues to amaze me with her artistic genius and giving spirit. not long ago, she treated me to this gorgeous little journal created from repurposed dryer sheets and other fabulous materials.....a true treasure, to say the very least! and then this week the mailman brought me this beautiful little parcel.....a precious little birdie lovingly created from the heart, and the perfect masterpiece to hang from my favorite vintage-style glass knob (and where i'll see it and be inspired by it every single day!).

using cotton batting, tea-stained dryer sheets, and a variety of vintage fabrics and lace as her palette, becky reminds that beauty can be seen in the simplest of materials. i love her clever use of jute twine as the "nest", and i must admit that the sweet pearl bead eye, along with her fun stitching here and there, are the perfect finishing touches!

becky, i could never fully express to you just how much you have touched my heart with your generosity in creating this for me! i am so blessed to have met you, and i thank you so very much for sharing your creative self with all of us!

becky shander is an accomplished and published artist.....please visit her here!

from the heart

this little package of random kindness that i received from becky shander falls somewhere in the category of "beyond spectacular"! from beginning to end, this is artistic brilliance at its best! becky has masterfully tea-dyed repurposed dryer sheets to create this magnificent envelope.....

.....and i could gaze at the sweet little tag and vintage hat pin that's holding this bundle together all day long! but the transparency of the dryer sheet offers a little peek as to what's inside....

....a magnificent little book created from fabrics, lace and dryer sheets! everywhere i look i see little "becky touches"....from the sweet birdie transfer to the vintage sparkle embellishment....it's all perfect!

and it just keeps getting better! don't you just love the message on the inside cover?!

becky has ingeniously sewn the pages to create pockets (using more of her fabulous tea-dyed dryer sheets!).....and wait until you see what's inside one of them!

another hand-sewn pouch adorned with lace and happiness....and inside is the most wonderful little ornament with the reminder to "follow your bliss"!

and now i come to the part where i find myself with my mouth wide open, but no words will come out.....because there truly are no words to describe how spectacular this little parcel is!

becky, your kindness in thinking of me, and generosity of your time in creating this for me fills my heart with joy! i cherish this sweet masterpiece that you've shared with me, and i thank you SO much!

becky shander is a very accomplished and published artist. please visit her at her website here or at her blog here....it's a pure shot of inspiration, straight from the heart!