Lisa Shepard Stewart Feel The Fabric...Embrace The Culture Company: Cultured Expressions Location: Rahway, New Jersey Website: www.CulturedExpressions.com

Biography:
Lisa Shepard Stewart is an award-winning writer and designer based in New Jersey. In her books, African Accents: Fabrics and Crafts to Decorate Your Home and Global Expressions: Decorating with Fabrics from Around the World, Lisa encourages others to express themselves creatively through culturally relevant techniques and materials. She promotes her work through classes and other special events around the country and internationally, and sources unique fabrics and embellishments from artists in Ghana and other countries. She also conducts annual Creative Retreats at a holistic spa in Negril, Jamaica.

Lisa’s first book, African Accents, earned the Primedia award of Excellence in the Sewing Books category in 2001, and her website, www.CulturedExpressions.com, received the Black Web Award for 2007 in the Home Design category. Her third book, African Accents ON THE GO! Designing Accessories with Cultural Style was released in June 2007 and is the first book to be published Cultured Expressions, Inc.

She writes regularly for various web sites, and trade and consumer publications. Lisa has demonstrated several projects & techniques on HGTV , and its sister network, DIY, along with Discovery Channel and sewing & quilting programs on PBS. For four years, she was the craft columnist for the Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper with a daily readership of over 450,000.

Lisa graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and an Associate degree in Communications. She has held various positions in the sewing, craft, and textile industries, including creative director, writer/consultant, fabric buyer, merchandiser, and promotions manager. Lisa has collected African fabrics since 1986, after a visit to Senegal, West Africa.

Availability:
(1) Trunk shows (combination lecture & show-and-tell of textiles & projects), (2) Hands-on craft, quilting & sewing workshops, (3) Customized creative events for groups, including retreats, tours, shopping trips, etc. (4) Ready-to-publish articles & photography about decorating, sewing, quilting & crafts.