Skatha (welsh goddess of the underworld)
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.comI'm not sure where my inspiration always comes from other than just looking at the world with open eyes. Taking in the shapes and the colors and being constantly and sometimes overwhelmingly inspired by what I see around me.

Lately, and by that I mean the past few days since maybe my last printing session last Thursday, I haven't been feeling it much. And I really need to. I received some beautiful Japanese Chirogami washi papers in the mail and I have barely touched them. I feel distracted and not just because of my teething daughter.

I think it is about time for me to go out for a nature walk and take some inspiration pictures. Since it is really difficult to sit down and sketch outside with a baby strapped to me I take pictures and then use them (hopefully) later.

Quiet Playground
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.comThe new street team for Etsy Printsy is up and running with me doing the first artist interview. Check it out over at the Printsy blog. Printsy Interview : Fustian

Last Thursday and Friday I was finally able to get some printing done, first time since March I believe. It felt very good to be printing again and even better having new prints like these. I was able to use my latest block, but only with this one for now but I know I will be bringing it out again in the future. All of my latest creations will be making their way into my shop in the next week or two. With new pieces in the works this week my shop will stay current for a good long time hopefully. Check it out!

Since I'm reading Fahrenheit 451, I made an Etsy Treasury in tribute:

Framed! Last Chance
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com The Night Before
White Stripe
She Dances
Misty Beauty
Feminity
Dragon Fly!

Printsy on the Etsy Homepage!
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com Something that I have been thinking about but never getting off my butt to do for about oh two years now has finally happened. Printmakers on Etsy finally have their own street team named Printsy. I came up with that one half as a joke and it took.

Are you a printmaker that sells your prints on Etsy? Would you like to get together with other printmakers to get the word out about original prints versus reproductions? Help show that there very much is a difference between the two and that they can co-exist. Then please consider joining our group.

You can contact me or sherisdesthelion via Etsy convo to find out more information about this growing group of artists.

heavens!
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com Good evening and good morning. The weather here is rainy and awful, blee is teething so bad we actually saw a touch of blood around her new tooth on Sunday night. We looked it up and it is perfectly normal, but still hard to take.

Despite this I am doing a lot better this week. It was a hard weekend and this week is looking to be no better, but I feel like I am ready for it. I have a lot of work to do for my show which I hang on Friday and my creativity is actually starting to come back to me. In fact after I finish this post I am going to get back to carving this new block I started on Friday. It is nearly complete.

Waiting and Waiting
Originally uploaded by m.Lee For something to happen. I think the title of this piece sums up my feelings pretty well. For the past month I have been waiting and waiting for inspiration to hit me. I was doing pretty well until around the time we found out about my friend's illness and the disagreement with family. Then I hit a wall and I have been banging against that wall trying to knock it down ever since.

Etching from college
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Good morning! Hope you had a great weekend.

Saturday was great with wonderful weather, we picked up my new carrier and went for a long walk.

It all started simply with me finding a place for the baby carrier that a woman I know here in Boston made with some fabric I bought on Etsy. Then I decided that my silk ring sling from Bronwenhandcrafted had no business being stuffed in a back so I steamed out the wrinkles and hung it off the side of the bins.

Dream World
Originally uploaded by m.Lee April Fools!

Thanks everybody for playing along. With everything that has been going on lately I needed something to make me laugh and lighten the mood a bit. If you enjoy my collages don't worry they are still intact and hanging up on my studio wall. And if you don't well you don't have to come over to look at them.

wrap tei smiles
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Was not the best day for our little crew. It had some good moments but overall it just left us feeling terrible at the end of the day. We didn't get a single Easter picture. I was dressed nice, had my prettiest sling and a well dressed baby even after she spit up all over the first outfit and bib I had picked for her. But then things got hectic and negative and the camera stayed in the bag never coming out for even one shot. We didn't get any Christmas pictures due to a possibly allergy induced freakout on her part. So far the only holiday pictures we have gotten is Thanksgiving. I don't know why but this really bothers me.

new prints coming
Originally uploaded by m.Lee My day started off pretty terrible. Worried about my friend (thanks for the supportive words BTW) and then feeling like I got kicked myself not good. I felt like dirt emotionally pretty early on but since blee was being so good instead of wasting away and feeling sorry for myself I dove headfirst into art.

It started with some woodblock printing. The neat thing about this image is that for all these prints I used just one piece of newsprint carefully folded after each run through the press. And then I used that piece of newsprint + one paper towel for cleanup.

Gouache ACEOs
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Hi!

Back from a pretty cold and grey weekend here in Boston. Not so good for my spirits.

But I do have some colorful little gouache paintings to play around with. Some will probably get printed on, planned on doing that tonight but I don't feel well so am just going to head off to bed. Some will get collaged on and maybe drawn on and some will probably be left as is. A fun little project to keep me going during a pretty blah time in my creative brain.

My Wacom Tablet may arrive Monday, or Tuesday at the latest I expect. Not bad for free shipping. I'm not really in a good mental place to play around with it but hopefully I will be once it arrives.

ACEOs
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Back to my roots, well one of my roots. The ACEO! (or art cards in general as I do love trading for these little gems) These have been one of my favorite methods of experimentation. My first mixed-media woodblock print collages were ACEOs and there is no reason for me to stop now that I have moved on to larger pieces. They are still fun to make and still the best for experimenting. The two I made on Tuesday night are no exception. Enjoy!

Delicate
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Good night and good morning. I am off to bed as soon as I post this. Blogging before bed seems to be the best time for me.

In case you missed it yesterday I am running a Studio Sale in my Etsy Shop in honor of spring cleaning. Clean up my studio and clean up my shop to make room for new pieces like this one and of course plenty of collages and other fresh goodies. Nothing is over $50 so if you have been coveting a piece for awhile it is worth checking out.

stamping thank you cards
Originally uploaded by m.Lee For being so wonderful. Please bear with me while I deal with a teething baby that fusses all day and doesn't sleep well at night. I'm trying hard to keep up with everything and am struggling. Right now my online activities including blogging, Etsy and blog reading are suffering the most. Since I end up wearing her most of the day I generally need to keep moving. I try to catch up on reading blogs at night but am often too fried to comment. I'm a bit of a lurker these days.

Blue Pines - ACEO
Originally uploaded by m.Lee I found a stash of finished and partially finished ACEOs while I was searching for one that was purchased from my shop. I never did find the card, one that I had a special love for, and was starting to panic when I realized that I had shipped it late last week. My brain just isn't all here today. But at least it got me back in the mood to focus on these little bits of affordable art for awhile, something I have been meaning to do for some time now. So keep an eye out for more this week and next.

I'm sewing!
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Sewing can be very calming as it requires a lot of focus for me. It worked once before and liked it, I just kept forgetting to bring out the needle and thread and do it again. This time I had my composition all laid out without it but something was missing. So I dug around for my monotype printed and drawn bags and cut out a strip from it and then got out some thread and a needle. This time it is on an 8" x 8" gallery wrapped canvas. Once I stitched the strip to the backing woodblock print. From a woodblock print that almost worked but not quite, but I knew I wanted to keep it mostly intact like a stage for the rest of the image to come. Then I got out a brush and some gel medium and got to collaging.

In Dark Trees
Originally uploaded by m.Lee First, I hope everybody enjoyed their extra day. I did actually enjoy mine. I barely remember it at this point though. But I do remember that I enjoyed it.

But now trying to do it all isn't going so well for me. This is not a new piece.

Where?
Originally uploaded by m.Lee I know I am going to make sure that I do! And I hope that you do too. This day only happens every four years. Any of you having a birthday? Also, February being over is a thing to celebrate at the very least.

Looking at these beautiful purchases and gifts that I received tonight makes me realize just how lucky I am. I'm lucky enough to have baby bibs that are so nice they will be passed down instead of tossed aside. Want your own? Check out her shop at Une Petite Etoile. She chooses such beautiful, soft and lush fabrics for little ones that I almost wish I was the baby and not the mom!

No moping. No dwelling. No time wasting, yet allowing myself to relax is important, a tricky balance for sure. No being overly emotional and sensitive. No being angry.

theme for the day - Day 1
Originally uploaded by m.Lee I've started doing these from cards that I wrote and put in an empty drawer. At night I shuffle them up and pick two. Then when I sit down to do some art I keep them in mind. We'll see how it goes. I didn't have much time for art yesterday so all I ended up from these suggestions was this simple sketch, but it was good to get back to my daily sketching.

Today I have:
Change Tools
Read a Page from the Closest Book (that would be Eat, Shoots and Leaves

Pfau
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Woodblock prints are back, my first of the year actually! Not that I am anywhere near done with collaging and gocco. In fact I made a collage that I am quite proud of just last night. But I had a chunk of time and was in the mood so I made about ten prints. Not a lot for me but it was what I was feeling. The peacock is my favorite.

Pink Stream - ACEO
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Nothing says romance like a contest and possibly a free gift for your sweetie (or yourself)

1. What to do: Comment below giving me a suggestion of what you would like to see more of in my art. A theme, a material, a medium or whatever sticks out most to you. What have I been doing that you would like to see more of? What have I not been doing that you would like to see me try? Is there something you would like me to go back to? Whatever interests you? I'm in an open to experimental phase in my art and am longing for feedback.

2. Prize: This Mixed Media Perfect for Valentine's Day ACEO. Lovely pink, white and gold Japanese washi paper combined with my own block printing, watercolor and drawing.

wallflowers
Originally uploaded by kylie budge I really want to start featuring other artists more often. I tried to do it as a regular Friday thing, but with my schedule that is hard.

Time Capsule 2005
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Good morning and happy Thursday. This weekend can not come soon enough as I am very tired.

#9 - Collage Challenge

Reindeers Hide in the Forest
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

Peaceful Butterfly
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

monotype plate
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Hope I am not the only person enjoying this week. If you live where you are getting unseasonably good weather I hope you get to enjoy it, because it never lasts.

first of the year
Originally uploaded by m.Lee Starting with the first new work of the year. Well, kinda. The prints aren't knew, but what I did with them is. This is something that I have been thinking about trying for some time now and I finally got to it. Printed on Japanese mulberry and then carefully glued to lightweight single ply shina blocks. They are ready to hang with a wire in back. Well?

Day:
1) bleetastic day, play with Moby Wrap
2) blog
3) pack and send orders

Rapture in the Forest
Originally uploaded by m.Lee