African Accents on the Go! Designing Accessories With Cultural Style
It's All in the Bag With Lisa Shepard Stewart's Third Book Can't seem to find a purse that reflects who you really are? Tired of the same style handbag and tote that everyone else seems to be carrying? If so, then fabric artist Lisa Shepherd Stewart of New Jersey may have designed the purse you've been looking for in her just released book, "African Accents On The Go, Designing Accessories with Cultural Style" (Cultured Expressions Inc./$21.95). "Artwork you can carry! Nothing expresses one's individual style quite like a take-along accessory, and our active lifestyles easily justify the need for a variety of carry-alls to suit a fashionable, multi-faceted existence," writes Lisa in the introduction to her book. If your stash of sewing and craft supplies doesn't already include things like leather, mudcloth, kente cloth, batik, kuba raffia fabric, purse handles, brass embellishments and cowrie shells, it will once you take a look inside Lisa's latest book. You'll be "on the go" to the nearest fabric and craft stores, and fast on your way to creating your own "accessories with cultural style." The book is filled with inspiration and various designs to suit your Afrocentric style from day to day. Whether it's a simple tote, a cross-body carry-all or a beaded kente evening bag with metal frame closure, Lisa has made the instructions easy to follow with lots of helpful illustrations and photographs of finished projects. She's even included how-to-steps for making a mudcloth scarf with a cotton batik lining. But it's not just a scarf; it's a zippered "pocketed scarf," designed for carrying those lightweight items, like gloves, petty cash and tissues! The author of two other books, "African Accents: Fabrics and Crafts to Decorate Your Home," winner of the 2001 Award of Excellence from Craftrends, and "Global Expressions: Decorating with Fabrics from Around the World," Lisa is also the owner of Cultured Expressions, Inc., a company dedicated to cultural expressions through creativity. The company offers a number of services from selling fabric and home decor to conducting sewing classes and "creative retreats." "Whether you're making a cultural statement, or simply showing your love for artistic, culture-rich textiles, take a creative journey with 'African Accents On The Go!'" -- reads the book's back cover. "African Accents On the Go!" represents the first book to be published by Cultured Expressions, Inc. !!!CONGRATULATIONS, Lisa!!!!!!!!!! --Detroit News Craft Blog (Jocelynn Brown)