Shona Cole :: LOVES HER CREATIVE FAMILY

As wife to Mark and mother to their five children, author, blogger, and artist, Shona is one busy person. One of the passions that Shona has is to find ways to involve her beloved family members into her creative world. She demonstrates her unique ideas in her first book titled The Artistic Mother (North Light Books, 2010). Keep up with her posts on mixed media art, upcycling, poetic words and digital photography on her lovely blog, www.shonastudio.blogspot.com.

Rachel Emilie Jackson :: ROMANCES THE PAPER

Her passion for all things paper, her precise and delicate ways of juxtaposing elements from nature, and her ability to create romantic effects through paints, are all what contribute to Rachel’s exquisitely romantic aesthetic within the world of paper arts. Wirral, England is where Rachel lives, where she allows herself to become seduced by beautiful colors, exquisite design combinations, and styles that evoke romance and faded luxury. To learn more, visit www.wix.com/rachelemiliejackson/paperandbook.

Melody M. Nunez :: IS DETAIL ORIENTED

Melody M. Nuñez is an artist, a writer, and a blogger. She appreciates a variety of artistic mediums, but prefers to work in collage, mixed-media and photography. Not afraid to mix old with new, vintage buttons and photos from the 1920’s might appear in the same collage as staples and masking tape. It’s all in the small details, whether Melody is taking a photo of a sweeping landscape, a close-up of an intricate flower, or creating a collage that combines dissimilar materials and results in a harmonious composition. Born and raised in California, Melody lives in Southern California with her husband, José. She has an intense thirst for travel and a hunger for life. In addition to creating art, writing, and tending to her blog, she also reads voraciously, walks half marathons, bakes delectable edibles, and volunteer-teaches art to at-risk elementary school children. To learn more, visit www.melodynunez.com.

Tracy Schultz :: BELIEVES HAPPINESS = TREASURES + INSPIRATION

Tracy loves rummaging through thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets, and garage sales to collect things that catch her eye. She finds sheer joy in turning discarded items into something new and true bliss when a whole new purpose for an item is discovered! Tracy also enjoys quilting, mixed-media, embroidery and designing upcycled clothing. During the day Tracy works for Olive Crest in Santa Ana as a Program Supervisor for Project Independence where she works with emancipated foster youth, as well as with the Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Program. Tracy lives in the city of Orange with her wonderful husband, Brent, and has two almost grown children, Dusty and Erin. They also share their home with a spoiled Chihuahua, Roxy, and a feisty cat, Coco Channel. Tracy welcomes emails at tracyschultz@socal.rr.com.

Cynthia Shaffer :: FINISHES WHAT SHE STARTS

At the age of 7, Cynthia learned how to oil paint. Then came sewing. Then came quilting, knitting, crocheting, rubber stamping, and mixed-media. In all of her creative pursuits, she enjoys the thrill of seeing a project to completion before moving onto a different project. She learned and mastered this discipline to start what she finishes early on from her father. Cynthia grew up in southern California and currently lives with her husband Scott, sons Corry and Cameron, and beloved dogs Harper and Berklee. Cynthia welcomes emails at cynthia@crescendoh.com. To learn more, visit cynthiashaffer.typepad.com/.

Becky Shander :: DIGS DEEP

Most of her days are filled with some kind of creative activity. Some days she’s in a serious mood and during these times she attempts to uncover her innermost thoughts. Other days she might feel light as air and would prefer to make playful little things that make her smile. Luckily for her, these opposing sides seem to coexist in harmony, making life interesting while keeping me balanced. For Becky, taking her thoughts and transforming them into tangible representations is like solving a puzzle. It connects the dots for her. Everything about the creative process takes her to a place that feels simultaneously foreign yet most familiar. Whether she’s working on a specific project or just playing around with new ideas, Becky is someone who needs to dig deep. Her curious nature often leads me to search, to contemplate, to create. Is this place, this deeper place, is where she asks herself the question, “Who am I, really?” Becky’s work reflects a combination of both the simple and the complex. She believes there is room for both. To learn more, visit www.beckyshander.com.