I enjoy sharing my creative perspective and offering oodles of inspiration to ignite your creative process! Schedule a creative play-date for you and your group by going to Contact page. Check out my On-Demand forever classes on the Creative Spark platform with individual and group pricing available: Lisa Thorpe Creative Spark classes
Lectures & Trunk Shows
Lecture & Trunk Show Fee: $400 for a Virtual Presentations. I am no longer traveling beyond driving distance of Little Rock AR, but I’m happy to give virtual/ hybrid presentations. I am proud to say, I have been awarded a teaching certification from the Academy for Virtual Teaching for my excellence in virtual teaching. I’m happy to design an experience for you and your group! Contact .
Surface Design Sampler Trunk Show:
In this trunk show I share all the ways I play with surface design to create fabric I use in my quilting art. I will play short demonstration videos on Monotype Printing (also known as Gelli Printing), Marbling Fabric, Stamp Carving. Each 3 minute explanatory video gives viewers a up-close look at the process. After each technique video I’ll show examples of functional and art quilts I have made using the hand printed fabric and give time for audience questions. Includes detailed handout listing techniques and materials shown will also be provided to group to share with members. (available as virtual, hybrid presentation)
Photo to Fabric:
Design in the Palm of your hand- I demonstrate, how to take a simple photo with your smart phone or tablet, manipulate it in app and print the image onto fabric on a home printer. I share a variety of art quilts I’ve created with these images as well as several art quilts using multiple photo images tiled together to create a stunning collage quilt effect. I have come up with an easy way to create a repeat printed fabric in 4 steps using a smart phone or tablet. I demonstrate, the process of creating and uploading your own repeat fabric design for commercial printing. Includes detailed handout. There will be lots of art quilts, fabric and clothing items to see. (available as virtual, hybrid presentation)
DELIGHTENMENT Workbook:
from sketchbook to art quilt I’ll share my workbook of “Delightenment” and the companion art quilts. The pages from my ongoing workbook break down a delightful moments like a walk in the woods or an encounter in my garden into it’s component Design Elements: color, value, line, form and texture. Next I show the art quilt that resulted from that work book page and discuss how I used Design Principles: balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity, movement and intent the creation. An inspirational lecture that maps out both an art and mindfulness practice of observing and honoring the everyday wonders of life through fabric art. (available as virtual, hybrid presentation)
Hands-On Creative Workshops
Workshop Group Fee: 6-hour workshop $700, 3-hour workshop $400. I am no longer traveling beyond easy driving distance of Little Rock AR, but I’m happy to give virtual/ hybrid presentations.. There is an additional materials fee per person that is between $15-35 per person depending on workshop. Schedule a creative play-date for you and your group Contact .
Backyard Birds:
Explore fabric collage and design with birds as the focal point. I’ll share my digital design technique for creating the fabric bird images and each student will choose from my supply of printed birds to create a composition using scraps, small pieces of fabric, lace and even book pages fused on an 11×14” felt backing . Composition can be enhanced with machine, hand stitching or both. All levels welcome. Great to combine this workshop with a day of gel printing or stamp making to create your own fabrics to use in these Backyard Bird collages.
Pet Project:
We all love our sweet faithful pets and now you get honor yours in fabric. I will show how to manipulate images in phone app to print out on inkjet printer. After a demonstration of design and composition each participant will begin creating their own Pet Project art quilt. By the end of the day everyone will have a sweet 12×12” art quilt, featuring your pet, ready to pop into a shadow box frame or finish any way you choose. Note: virtual classes participants send pet image for me to print and mail to them – in-person guild must have a color inkjet printer to use.
Birds of a Feather:
Create a series of three small fabric collages using vintage bird illustrations printed on silk organza, fabric scraps and hand stitch. You will explore design principles like contrast, balance, emphasis, repetition, rhythm, and pattern in the creation of your three 6”x6” fabric collages. Using raw edge fabric collage and simple embroidery stitches by the end of the day you will have a small series of three bird collages. Lisa will teach simple running stitch, seed stitch and blanket stitch to novice hand sewists, those with more embroidery experience can use all the flourishes and flare they choose. All levels of experience welcome.
Photo Fascination:
fabric & stitch collage Class will cover digital printing apps, printing on home printer tips and tricks, composition and layout, plus machine stitch option: words and drawing in free motion and straight machine stitch,as well as interesting embroidery ideas, like stitching on coins or other found objects, and grid pattern embroidery. In person requires use of color inkjet printer or be in driving distance for me to bring mine. Virtual class include one of my photos printed on cotton sheeting, cotton voile and silk organza for you to use in your collage. I will demo free motion thread tracing a photograph applied to the back of your work to create a thread drawing on the front. Participants will choose from techniques shown to create a fabric and stitch collage using photos printed in class and/or photos I bring/send to share.
Gelli Print- art Quilt:
The morning will be devoted to creating a stack of fabric mono-prints made on small soft gel print pads that I provide. I’ll show fun and easy print techniques using botanicals, stencils, and texture tools. You can print on a variety of fabrics from silks, linen, cotton and sheers. This is a marvelously accessible and surprisingly tidy technique, no prior experience with printing or painting on fabric is needed. As an in-person workshop I bring all the materials. As a virtual workshop there will be a detailed materials list and a kit of texture and masking tools. In the afternoon each participant will create an 12×18” art quilt composition to machine or hand stitch.
Color & Stitch:
You get to choose which panel of block print images you want to play with: Backyard Birds or Fruits & Vegetables. Whichever kit you choose the next step is the same. We will learn to use Dewent Inktense Pencils to color the block print images. There will be lots of practice and time to experiment before you dive into your chosen blocks. Next, you’ll colorize your birds or veg in any color story you love. The second half I’ll teach a stitch technique that borrows from the traditional Japanese styles of boro patches and sprinkles in a bit of grandma’s crazy quilting too. I mostly use a straight running stitch, very simple and easy If you like the idea of marking lines for your stitches.Your finished blocks can be framed or finished individually or stitched together. I will show you lots of examples and share finishing ideas and techniques too.
Prayer flags:
Kit includes a set of birds and word block prints on cotton. We will learn to use Dewent Inktense Pencils to color the block print images. After a whole group demo on fabric collage design and composition basics folks will begin composing their collage flags to sting together in any length they choose. Each participant will make a string of collage Flags to grace a special space indoors or out.
Pattern Stamps:
Design, carve, print, color. Learn the art of creating interlocking repeat pattern. Design your stamp then carve and print to create boarders and all over print designs. Then we will explore all the ways to colorize your designs using Dewent Inktense Pencils . You’ll make at least three hand carved stamps to use again and again in art quilts, collage and mixed media art and wearables. All levels welcome
Marbling on Fabric:
In-person only This is an amazingly fun technique full of play and wonderful unexpected results. Marbled prints are created by floating fluid acrylics on thickened water and then the alum treated cotton is floated on the top and voila la! Each participant will make up to ten 8×12″ marbled panels. I guarantee you will love this process. The marbling workshop has lot’s of prep so the materials fee is larger than the other 3 hour workshops and also requires a work space with a large sink