The Stew Book is finished! Fresh off the Artsyville press (my whiny but trusty printer), this started as a small recipe booklet from my creative retreat last fall in Minnesota with Rachel, Liv, Carissa, Jen, Susie, Kolleen, Lori (and our much missed Chrissy and Valentina). The more I got into it, the more I kept adding until it wound up being a full-blown memoir of the weekend. (Never mind that it took me nine months to do it, longer than it took Susie to have her baby.) This was a personal challenge for me, as I've always wanted to hand letter a book from start to finish. Now that know that I can hold a thought and take the pen beyond one page, I have plans for more. But for now I'd just like to say thank you to those ladies who fed me creatively for those four wonderful days last October -- and I'm sorry it took so damn doodle long!
58 comments:
oh my gosh! love this! I feel like I was part of the "creative stew"... aren't girlfriends the BEST!
plan to share your memory book with my creative (draws & letters a lot like you), talented, kindergarten teacher daughter!
thanks for sharing.
ummm... what weight paper did you use?
Wow!! This is amazing!!! I wish I had 1/4 of your artistic talent!
This is absolutely fantastic! So creative..and inspiring. Definitely worth the 9-months of hard work. Really and truly unique and special!!
omg, aimee, you are so awesome and amazing! i cannot wait to have the book in my hands to savor it with a bottle of vhino verde. i only wish that you could be with me to share the bottle and go thru it page by page. xo
this is great! what a wonderful way to commemorate your stew:)
Keep up the good work!!
I'm so floored by this, I can't even see straight. Simply amazing. LOVE you.
Um, totally worth the wait. Who cares how long it took when it came out this FABULOUS? I love the way you captured each person's personality in your very own ever-so-witty-and-funny-aimee way. A true doodle masterpiece!
Aimee, it turned out great!
Stupendous....Amazing.....Fantastic....you get my drift.
Wow! Wow! Wow!! Blown away!!!!!!! YOU are the shiz!!!!!!! I'm with jen....let's share a bottle and pour over all this yummy goodness you created!!!!! My cup runneth over!!! Ooooooooxxxxxxx
This makes me yearn for a weekend of my own to share with great friends and spill the secrets of our lives. So much good comes from being able to gain inspiration and rid our souls of the "rat race". This stew book is evidence of that. I absolutely love it!!
As Rachel's MIL - I relished last fall in all the dear comments / photos / doodles - but this, Aimee,
takes the "NO WAY" cake!! I will read again and again - and try those recipes - and hope someday to meet the gorgeous gang - Sue Awes
oh. they're lucky to have you as doodler extraordinaire.
hooray. here's to stewy friendships!
i had to come back again.
i feel smiles from my feet to the top of my head ... love.
ooxx
k
beloved aimee,
how i LOVE
your flowy being ~
the one you've drawn
& the one you are.
my insides are
swimming with
complete awe
& joy the size
of lake superior.
this whole thing
is fudge for my soul.
i am taking it in
in small savoring
bites, along with
occasional gulps.
now i am carrying
something around
with me all day
the shape of a
heart & i found it
washed up on your
blog. a doodly stew.
i will treasure this
forever & ever.
***
& brilliant, by the way,
to put such memories
into a book. i wonder if
it would also sell in your
shop! such an inspiration
cookbook!
& i love to also think
about people who aren't in
this book but whose life recipes
are gorgeous too ~ you just remind
us of our gorgeousness by putting
our names into aimee art. this all makes me cry! in the best way!
loooooooooooove! xoxoX
Wow Wow Wow! Stir that artsy pot, girl! I adore it so much and wish I was a carrot in this stew! Beyond tasty! xokp
speechles
You are clearly the next SARK (she was one of my idols growing up). Love it. Well worth the time.
PLEASE tell me this extraordinary tome is available for purchase!
Sure, I wasn't part of the retreat but it seems to provide the perfect recipe if I ever wanted to hold one of my own.
You are such a clever gal. And you can create anything. Kudos to you, my friend.
Wow! wow! Wow! You outdid yourself with this one AIMEE!!!!! INCREDIBLE!
This is just fantastic. I've looked at it all twice already and now I'm going to go look at it again.
W O W.
Yup you are an amazing gal! This is the bomb, what an incredible thing to create for what was obviously a wonderful group of creative gals!
It's amazing!
I want one!
You're brilliant!
HUGS
Char.x
Wow Aimee! You are amazingly creative!
WHERE CAN I BUY IT???
Char.x
Oh my... this book looks simply amazing! :]
Congratulations!!!
This is just wonderful. You must be so proud of yourself! Good job!
WOW - I'm not surprised it took so long. What a wonderful keepsake!
I feel like I was right there with you all! You pulled me into this moment in time in such a visceral way!!! Sounds like it was a once in a lifetime experience, made so by the ladies who each so unique. How completely awesome!!!!
Wow, Aimee, what an amazing way to record your weekend and what an even more amazing gift for your friends. Congrats on finishing the project and I can't wait to see what other projects follow this!
I LOVE it!! Even though I only know of you thru Rachel, it feels like I know you so well - I love your thoughts, inspiration, insight and open spirit - it is so welcoming, inviting and full of love!! One cannot help but want to do and be their best - a blessing you are - thank you for sharing a glimpse of you - peace and contentment abounds- Jackie Awes (rachels SIL) ;-D
LOVE!! I keep coming back to read a little more...and a little more...every pages is so fun and packed full of delights! You are simply amazing and your art proves that a hundred times over!
I'd like a copy! Geez, this is awesome...Aimee, you are SO incredibly talented!
WOW!!!! This is amazing! I have never seen anything like it!!! Well Done!
Thank you for sharing this fabulous gift with those of us who were not there. It is a feast for the eyes, heart and soul and I feel special to have read it. It is a fabulous book, Amiee. You did a great job on it. It's full of your spirit and love. I know the women who get this book will treasure it!
Can you fill me in on what word mash is? So curious here.
Sharon
Oh Aimee, now this is what I call writing a book!! You are amazing.
Ummm so I know I wasn't there and all but I want one...is that wrong?? I LOVE this ...you have pure magic in you Aimee...MAGIC! I LOVE your book...I was riveted from start to finish!!
Amazing! I love it so much! And congrats on getting it all done so beautifully :)
there aren't too many times where i find myself totally and completely speechless (but i've noticed that every time i fall prey to this syndrome, i'm here at YOUR site.....hmmmmm), but here i sit with mouth gaping open and, well, let's just say it ain't pretty. your keepsake is beyond any words i could possibly come up with in my meager vocab.....just know that you've truly outdone yourself this time!! xox
p.s. that must have been some pow wow........i noticed the food didn't even arrive until page 8.....woo hoo!! :))
Okay, I'm just going to add my own "WOW" to the list of "wows" above. This book is SUCH a treasure for the women you spent time with on this retreat, and for yourself, and for us, who are lucky enough that you would share it with us! Amazing.
um, ok. THAT is a work of genius. I read every word on every page that you showed here. And I need more. Write a novel, girl, and the people will buy.
so so gorgeous - you should be proud of it - it was well worth the wait.
And Aimee, thanks for your lovely comment on my "down" post :) I treasure it!
aimee, what a wonderful project! full of fab art and sweet memories. what a creative keepsake of a special time spent with special friends! it's delightful and fantastic and absolutely sellable ... when are we going to see it in your shop? i want one!
mo :D
That is amazing Aimee! What a wonderful memoir of a wonderful retreat! The recipes look awesome too!
holy cow!! thank you everyone for the wonderful feedback! this book i'm not going to put in the shop but i am already at work on another that will be... and i'll try to move a little bit faster this time! hugs to all of you -- thank you so so much!
I am speechless too. It is somuhc more amazing than I ever imagined. I am honored to a part of this stew :) LOVE you!!
amy, this is incredible! you are so gifted- the detail in this is outstanding and i'm sure i'm not alone in wishing i was part of the amazing group of people that you created the book with and for-what a wonderful thing to have.
Wow - that sounds like one amazing stew! With fantastic ingredients! And what a lovely book to remember it by.,,
Good grief!! This is GORGEOUS!! Also, I intend to try some of those recipes. Dang.
OH GEEZ! This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! :) It made me wish I could make it back up to N. Minnesota. It has been 15 years! I do get to meet up with the family in MPLS in a few weekends though!
AWESOME!!!! But... I gotta know... what's in Susie's Secret Salad???
Thanks for sharing, Emie
OMG Aimee! This is amazing stuff! I'm soooooo delighted and I want to print out all the recipes :) Would you like to illustrate my recipe book?! I love, love, love it!!!
Late to see this but wow, what a great job. Those recipes look good too! Now, how did you write in reverse color or did you switch that in photoshop (the page with the ink the color of the page and the background filled in)?
Your cookbook is lovely!
I saw it on Liv's blog. I know she believes in signs, and I do too more today than ever. Last night I was ask to illustrate a small holiday cookbook; I was trying to think of something new to do, since I have used small pictures etc. in the past. I love to Zentangle, and was trying to figure out how I could use that. Your cookbook gave me just the encouragement I needed to know my zentangle will do the job. Some of the recipes look very interesting also. Great job, even if it did take awhile!
What a fun and inspiring book. It reminded me of two important lessons: inspiration comes from the simple moments in life, and to never forget your girlfriends!
dear,artsyville :)
i am an art student who tends to get lazy most of the time:/
but i just want to say that, after "discovering" your blog i am really INSPIRED ...
thank you for inspiring me :)
I absolutely LOVE your work! It's so amazing seeing what can be done with a few doodles and the written word!
-Sue
What a creative way to harness memories! Decades from now, you and your talented friends can look back on this Stew Book and re-live the joy of those precious, creative days spent in a cabin on the North Shore of Lake Superior with your soul sisters. Priceless. Well done!
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