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Who says art has to be hung on a wall or painted on a canvas? Chelsa Langlois has become quite a little fashion designer and is building a great little cottage business selling really chic, hot art nouveau accessories. There are bows for the bow-heads, purses for infants and divas; headbands a la Audrey Hepburn and, of course, monogrammed headbands for the young and daring. I loved it when Hillary Clinton wore the headband when we first saw her. I don’t think she has looked as stylish since.

Feeling festive? Fabrics and ribbons come in every shade on the color wheel embellished with anything a creative artist could think of: polka dots, confetti, streamers, stripes, checks, shapes, you name it, it goes. Feeling a little frisky? Go leopard, tiger, zebra, tiger paw, fur, feline, Dalmatian spots, whatever, if it's hot. Go with beading, sequins, tassels, fringe, rope, cord, jingle bells and whistles.

Chelsa's business has really taken off. She started with children’s specialty clothing like jon-jons, baby rompers and the like. She purchased a monogramming machine, especially since she has 6 young children, and began to make and monogram purses, diaper bags, bibs, burp cloths, etc. She has quite a few accounts based on bows with the school colors at sport centers and kids shops. With walking models accompanying her everywhere she goes, she gets a lot of publicity from the kids. She uses them in her advertising and web auctions. To see some of Chelsa's beautiful creations contact her at chelsalon@cox.net or 505-6153. Who says fashion can't be art?

Another arty fashion statement is painting or photographing your pet and having the image embellished on canvas bags, jackets, etc. I bought some art transfer paper that loads into the printer. The images print right onto it and then you iron the pet or the subject onto your canvas bag, apron, shirt, whatever. My intention was to do the transfer then paint over it. Well, I have to report that this was a waste of money. It looked like one of those printed t-shirts at the mall - shiny and plastic looking. No way! Not going to work for this artist. I would prefer to simply photograph the pet then transfer (by sketching) the outline of the pet onto the cloth and paint as I paint my animals on canvas for pet lovers. This becomes a great piece of art to wear, and of course the art painted on canvas and framed will be around for your lifetime.

Fashion art is hot whether sporting your favorite accessories or having your pet painted on your accessories. Monogramming is big and hot with logos on everything. Don’t just support your favorite designer logo, create and sport your own. Monogram your purses, shirts, headbands and the like. Go with what makes you feel happy and creative. Dare to express yourself.

Happy Painting!