4 Reads to Inspire Your Inner Artist<br /> ” />I am one of those souls who love to create things but will not refer to myself as an artist (not crafting goddess either!).</p> <p>Somewhere in between artist and crafter, I prefer “creator of lovely” and discovered several new books so charming that the butterflies began workin’ it inside my stomach, and I itched to get creating.</p> <p>Kaari Meng has fashioned a lovely book of projects guaranteed to inject the romance of France into our homes (whether we’re Francophiles or not).</p> <p><strong><em>The French Inspired Home</em></strong> contains handmade ideas which nurture any dreams you may harbor of living in a cozy cottage in the countryside someday.</p> <p>From beaded light covers to hanger adornments (OMG these are so luxuriously simple yet charming!) Meng inspires us to embellish our homes with the timeworn and organic touches of French-inspired living.</p> <p>Even if you typically shy away from crafting, <em>The French-Inspired Home</em> will sufficiently fill up your senses and perhaps re-ignite a passion for thoughtful decorating or collecting vintage wares.</p> <p>And because I personally can’t pass up a vintage ware, <strong><em>Fabric Remix: Repurpose and Redecorate</em></strong> by Sandy Stone stole my heart with its sewing and upholstery projects made easy. Ever seen moneybag pillows? These are totally genius on page 60. And don’t we NEED shopping cart hampers fitted with vintage laundry bags? Because I’m not so sure I can exist any longer without one.</p> <p>Stone teaches us (and I am a pathetic sewer!) how to turn vintage fabric, recycled clothing, and old furniture into stylish projects. Apparently my skill is dragging the vintage wares home. It’s the repurposing part that always trips me up. Another one of my favorite projects in <em>Fabric Remix</em> is the vintage scarf pillow which makes such a powerful statement with a little effort, needle, and thread.</p> <p>Chock full of personality and whimsy <strong><em>Sew Tina: 30 Cute Projects and Adorable Dcor Items for Kids</em></strong> by Tina Givens includes Givens’ signature go-with-the-flow method. Inside are flying pigs, soft books, puffy necklaces, and swing-y dresses made for twirling. Givens’ imagination combined with Lynne Harty’s dreamy photography sucked me right in, and I plan to put my insomnia to good use with a few of these stylish DIYs!</p> <p>Projects from these great new titles don’t require a fancy art room, but are you ever curious like I am about the studio spaces of brilliantly creative artists? Because peeking into their secret worlds feels like a guilty pleasure, and <strong><em>Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration</em></strong> allows us to peep without breaking any trespassing laws.</p> <p>Twenty-three amazing women are profiled by Jo Packham and Jenny Doh in this volume where we are invited to discover their influences and processes which are as diverse as their charming creations. Tips for organization, exercises to fuel creativity, and personal reflections join breathtaking photography of beautiful work and workspaces.</p> <p>Turning the pages of all four of these inspirational books brought joy to this “creator of lovely” who has traveled to the ends of the internet in terms of art and design blogs! While the internet broadens the field of inspiration, these gems offered by Lark Books afford us the simple pleasure of escaping to inspiration nirvana for a few hours and rediscovering hidden reserves of creativity.</p> <p><em>The writer? A chic creator of lovely, a wife and mom, a freelance writer, and a blogger at <a href=cheekychicmama.blogspot.com and hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com.Resources:

Givens, Tina. Sew Tina: 30 Cute Projects and Adorable Dcor Items for Kids. 2010. Lark Books.

Meng, Kaari. The French Inspired Home. First Paperback Edition, 2011. Lark Crafts.

Packham, Jo and Jenny Doh. Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration. 2010. Lark Books.

Stone, Sandy. Fabric Remix: Repurpose and Redecorate. Lark Books.

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