whoa... i am have been working sooooo much lately. feels like i need a breath of fresh air, possibly a little nap (haha) and some new inspiration.... if you have any new music, film or art links that you would like to share with me, i would love it!
mother's day photos coming soon..... :D
xox. elsie
PS. i need to say *THANK YOU* for all of your kind comments and support of my new book. it *really* means a lot. thank you.
I am so excited! The new Recipe Book has just hit stores this week! :D Check it out at your local scrapbooking stores or click the link to the left in my sidebar.....
Have a nice friday! Elsie
ps.. if anyone has any other links to online stores where the new book is selling post them in the comments! :)
some new photos from this week....
Amy's maternity shoot:
(finally finished editing these!) 
my boyfriend, Jeremy, and his adorable niece, Bella.... 
a few more photos that Will took of me earlier this week... 
i am going to my parent's house for the weekend (to house sit while they are out of town...) excited to play with the pugs and play around in my mom's painting studio! :)
i leave you with a few *beautiful* Mark Ryden images... 
and a few *beautiful* hand made things i've discovered on flickr.com this week... 
so pretty! 
very cute collection!
these are rad!
and *this* cracks me up! loooove.
Ok... bedtime!
Lovelove. elsie
p.s. since i turned on "comment moderation" a few months ago i've read every *single* comment that has come through.... it's been really fun and encouraging. i know i don't get to respond to everyone all of the time, but i wanted you to know that your comments really do make my day! Thank You! Reading them has really been a great reminder of all the positive and kind people who read this blog and it has definitely inspired me to post more as of late..... what can i say? you are wonderful!
because i don't like sleeping or leaving my house.... i have started an embroidered portrait of my boyfriend smoking a pipe. it's still a work in progress.... but these little random projects always turn out to be my favorites!
back to work.... :D elsie
my wonderful friend, will, took some new photos of me today... just for fun. this one was my fave....
and this one was inspired by my favorite movie, Amelie....
my friend, kelli, posted this cute page (a lift actually of laura's equally cute layout) i loved it so much that i wanted to share it here.....
for the past few days, i can't get enough of this site, Rebecca Thuss. She has some really beautiful work!
(*sigh*... it's all so pretty!)
i am also dreaming of building things out of cardboard, like so...
and this just makes me laugh....
A LOT!
ps. if you are a fan of playradioplay! you may just want to check out the new album...
over and out.
elsie
warning: this is VERY random!
so, my boyfriend really wants some red vintage looking tennis shoes.... similar to these... 
i've been searching online for them and it's harder than i thought to find some... he doesn't care what brand they are, but he definitely wants red ones and they have to have a thin sole, like the ones in the picture above (i guess the thin sole is kind of a big deal. :D) size 12.
Any links or tips would be appreciated VERY much!
oh, and there is a "real" post coming soon. Goodnight.
last night when i was half asleep i had a rush of inspiration... i wrote down some random notes in the dark and this morning i was delighted to find these ideas sleeping beside me. lesson learned: it's always a good thing to sleep with pen and paper.
well, it's monday and i have a feeling this is going to be a wonderful week for creating. for the next few days i am in what i like to call "love, elsie lockdown" (meaning i won't be leaving my house... except to get starbucks... until a new collection is completed). maybe i will take some breaks here and there to post on here though... you just might be my only connection with the outside world! :D so if you are feeling crafty, let's make some stuff.... ok?
happy monday to all...
xo. elsie
Q: What was your favorite children's book?
A: Well, I can think of a few.... 
wow... even just thinking about these books makes me feel so warm inside.
happy thoughts.
Q: tend to notice people's clothing... and I love your funky style. Do
you have any favorite designers? Or, in the spirit of every great
fashion mag, do you have any pics/ suggestions for **Elsie's Spring/
Summer Must-Haves**?
A: ooooooh. i like this one.
My all time favorite designer is Betsey Johnson!
sigh.... she makes *so* many pretty things.
and her home is SO pink and lovely...
hmmmm... Spring *must haves*. I don't know if anyone else would even like this stuff, but this is what I am really into at the moment...
vintage sunglasses... i got these from etsy.
the whole nautical thing...
(these are also from etsy.)
denim dresses... especially thrift store ones....
she has the grrrr*eatest style... adorable!
cowboy boots...
unusually big hair...
shorts
(i love this girl's wardrobe diary. )
Q: Hi Elsie,Do you have any advise for a 14 year old girl who has a
passion for drawing and goes everywhere with her sketchbook? She hopes
to make art her career some day.
A: This is so wonderful!
I think the best thing you can do (at any age) is to give yourself *full* freedom to express new ideas and explore different styles and techniques as much as possible. Over the years I have gone through so many stages with my art... there were years of drawing comics, making my own clothes, redecorating my bedroom with a tent and clouds, writing stories, poetry, photography, building catholic inspired shrines, art journals ect..... each stage has proved to be helpful to my growth in some way. I think it is really important to nurture and develop your creative mind through whatever form you currently desire to. there should be freedom to change, grow and make lots of mistakes.
The most important piece of advise I would give to anyone hoping to make a career in art is that it takes an extreme amount of hard work and determination. You absolutely have to believe in what you do. You have to be patient. You have to work long hours. You have to continually find ways to stay fresh and inspired. It's tricky when what you love becomes your career... it's a dream, but it can also be very dangerous. I've found that it really helps me to have lots and lots of side projects going on that are "just for fun", these help me to stay inspired, develop new skills and protect my creative spirit.
Q: What three-colour combination would best represent your mood today?
A:
Q: do you have any tattoos?
A: Yep. :D
Q: Do you still like Gwen Stefani?
A:
of course. :) how could i not?
Q: Do you have a steady boyfriend?
A: mhmmmm...
Q: hi elsie! do you watch any tv shows?
A: Nope... somethings gotta give, you know? Only so many hours in the day... ;)
Q: You all looked so immaculate in the Red Velvet photoshoot, my question
is; do you do your own hair and make-up? What products do you like to
use?
A: Well, that was sweet! Here is the "secret weapon" for ridiculous hair...
Q: Love your blog, you are so inspiring, Just wondering if you still have Cocoa?
A: she lives with T.J. now. Of course, I miss her *so* much. But it's ok. My mom and my sister have pugs too, so I still get my weekly "pug love". 
Q: ok...i bet you'd know where to get a great fun, big bag to carry a bit of everything in? (i'm tired of boring diaper bags:)
A: actually, i just saw this bag today at Urban Outfitters. I thought it was great.
i'm not a mom yet, but in my humble opinion, Oilily makes the cutest diaper bags everrrr!
Q: i'm so glad you decided to do another one of these...i have been dying to ask you about one picture i saw once. i think it used to be on your fridge. the one freeze motion of the girl jumping over the haystack. i want it, i need it.
A: That photo was taken by my lovely friend, Candice.
Q: What kind of paint are you using (on skin) in your photographs?
A: Acrylic paint... it's SO much fun!
Q: Are you a Christian?
A: Yes, I am.
The truth is that I have more questions than answers and I have a *lot* to learn... that's all I can say about that. :)
Q: If you could steal a celebrity's wardrobe, who's would it be?
A:Hmmm. I think Maggie Gyllenhaal has really cute style...
(or maybe i just really want that dress...it's so pretty!)
Ok. I don't have a good answer for that question.
Last one....
Q: this is more of a fun challenge than a question:
go "dress up" (clothes, hair, make-up . . . the works) as if you are
from the 1940's or 50's (you choose) and then take some pics.
(and of course, share them! :)
A: Who could resist?
Well, I hope you all had a lovely NSD! I had fun answering these questions. If i didn't get to your question, I am sorry... maybe next time?
I better get some sleep because tomorrow is ArtsFest!
Loveloveand loooove. elsie
well, i've just had the best thrift store day of my life... for reals! i think i have what you call a
"natural high". HA!
since it's NSD i feel obliged to give you an extra fun post... later tonight (or perhaps in the wee hours of the morning...) i will work on a bunch more questions and make sure they are extra fun ones with lots of the "eye candy" stuff.
in the meantime, i leave you with a photo of my messy painting table. 
and also these words....
I LOVE YOU!
it's Monday... i am having a bit of a sick day today (gross!), so it's the perfect time for me to hang out for a few hours and try to put a dent in these questions (over 200...whoa!) this should be fun...
Q: I would like to know other than sushi what else is some of you fav foods? What do you snack on when you scrap? Thanks!!
A: mmmm. this is a fun little question.
I've mentioned these before... i LOVE Lara bars. any food with only 3 or 4 ingredients gets an A+ in my book! My favorite flavors are "cashew cookie" and "banana cookie"... "key lime pie" is good too. 
Green apples are my favorite. Raw or baked with cinnamon... yum!
Coconut water...
Coffee and tea...
(my drink...)
(Jeremy's...)
we go to Starbucks (maybe) waaaaay too much, and all of the local places (mostly big momma's and the coffee ethic).
Speaking of, i have an embarrassingly LARGE collection of these,
(thinking of building a pirate ship out of them?)
and last, but certainly not least... my very favorite pleasure food!
Q: Have you ever been to Iceland?
A: Nope, but i would *love* too. love love love love.
Q: Are you a good singer?
always wondered... hmmm :]
A:haha... nope. not at all. i only sing in my car... alone! :D
Q: Alright here's one! Where do you find all of your fun, funky vintage clothing?? You always look amazing!!
A: Well, thank you. That is so kind.
I like to take a break (usually if i am having a stressful day) every few weeks and go to a few thrift shops (here in Springfield, my favorite is "Thrift Haven" on Glenstone... Commercial street has some great Vintage shops too!) Also, it's always fun to shop online... here are some recent "good finds"...
i wanted these so bad, but they sold... bummmmer dude.
I've been lusting badly for a pair of these... they are for a great cause too!
oh, and let's just be honest... i shop here a lot too...
some summer dresses..... and i am think i need to order these....
you can never have too many pairs, right?
oh... and i almost forgot, i steal clothes from my sister! ha! :D
Q: What is your favorite accessory at the moment?
A: bandannas!
Q: I am curious how you got your own product line?
A: well, it was a process... at the time i had just written my first book, i was contributing to CK, designing fonts for 2peas and teaching classes. i took my time to find a company that was a good fit for my style and most importantly who i could really trust. It wasn't a rushed thing at all and i have been very happy working with KI Memories. We have had a lot of fun together the past almost 2 (wow!) years.
That said, I will admit that I work a *lot*. I love staying up late, obsessing over new ideas and having more side projects than i can keep up with. I think that really loving what you do is the most important step. To absolutely love the things you spend your time on every day is (to me) one of the most valuable things you can experience in life!
Q: Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
A: oh my.... this is going to be a long one. :)
let me first say that i *adore* the feeling of being inspired. when i first hear a new song or see a new film, or whatever... best feeling in the world.
here are the current ones...
last night Jeremy and i watched the orphanage (same director and similar style as this movie, one of my favorites from last year.)
if you like scary movies and/or foreign films, i think this one is really beautiful and magical!
magazines...
i love High Fructose...
a few (newish) favorite artists and photographers....
Jim Houser
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Q: hi elsie!
my question for you is this:
what is your favorite product that you design for your love, elsie lines? i love your paper :)
thanks for keeping such an inspirational blog!
A: Thank *you*!
There are a few products that I especially love working on... Paper is fun. These are a few of my favorites from the new *Forrest* collection...
I love making gel stickers too. The Love, Elsie gel stickers feel (to me) like mini collages. They are really fun to create!The other product that I always can't waaaait to see the finished version of are the soft charms. Something about these little rubber stickers just melts my heart...
Q: How many hours a day do you spend on crafting? (painting, photos, photo editing, scrapping, designing of new lines?) I am always wondering how you do it all- but I guess that is your "day job".
A: Yep. Well, I usually wake with something on my mind (either a deadline that I need to focus on or a new concept that I am anxious to work on...) so I will work for a few hours on that. In the afternoon I run errands and have lunch with my boyfriend. Then I work alone for a few hours (i like to work both alone and with people...must have both!). In the evenings I either work at home with Vanessa or if i am doing something portable I sometimes go to Jeremy's studio and work with him while he is recording. I *love* staying up late to create as well. Honestly, there aren't a lot of other things that occupy my time. It's busy, but it's also really really simple.
So...it probably sounds excessive to some people, but it really works for me. I guess that is the blessing and the curse of really truly loving something. It really helps that the people I am closest to love to work also and we can do it together! :D
Q: Hi Elsie - Id love to know what your favourite colour to wear is, and which are your fave pair of shoes that you own and why?! thank you!
A: my favorite color to wear (surprise!) is actually black...
and my favorite shoes are probably my cowboy boots or blue polka dot wedge heels.
Q: Favorite actor/actress
A: easy....
Q: When you have kids, what kinds of things will you do to encourage them to be artistic and creative?
A: I guess I imagine simple things, things that my mom and grandma did with us. Building forts, taking long walks, painting, playing dress up, watching Peter Pan and baking together. My mom encouraged my sister and brother and I during some of the most random artistic obsessions... she was really supportive of what we were into even if it wasn't something that she was really that excited about. I just remember feeling really nurtured and having a *lot* of free time. It's wonderful thinking about those memories with my family and it's exciting to imagine making memories like that with children on my own someday. very exciting!
Q: What was ONCE important to you but is not now?
A: Long term plans.
I used to have the next twenty years on my life mapped out in my mind. I guess that as life has changed I've learned that these plans really aren't as helpful as I once thought. Now I am just enjoying one thing at a time. I still have goals, but not as many plans... :)
Q: Is there anything that is art related or creative that you've wanted to try or learn to do but haven't yet done so? If so, what is it?
A: Oh my gosh, yes! I don't really know how to sew, and I love the quilts that rachel makes... i have never done a wall mural and i would love to be involved in a film project someday, in some way. so much much much....
Q: How did you first meet Mr. Larson?
A: We have a few close mutual friends. One of them was sort of trying to get us to hang out. We didn't really know each other, but one night he invited me to come work at his studio with him and it was just really nice. Our first "date" (which didn't really feel like a date at the time) was watching Juno. It was my second time to see it, but i didn't mind... :)
Q: When you posted the preview of your Neverland painting series, there was one that looked like a map of Neverland. Will the series in your Etsy store be expanded? I've been keeping an eye out for that particular print but haven't seen it yet.
A: Well, yes! :) I am doing a shop update tomorrow (Wednesday) at midnight.... that painting will be available as a print now, as well as many other new additions!
Here is a **sneak peek** of what is coming in my shop update tomorrow....
i've recently become fascinated with painting underwear. :D
and a new print set i've been working on.....
More coming soon....
xxooo. e