Heather Smith-Levin

Heather Smith-Levin Maker, instructor, crafter, traveler, human being. 35+ years teaching a variety of life skills, 6+ years in painting & crafts. For anyone who loves good vibes.

Sharing my own projects and promoting others’. Come join us!

I’m here tonight to support Nadia Hoballah and her night at A Court of Art & Starlight. I was going to have a booth, my ...
03/21/2026

I’m here tonight to support Nadia Hoballah and her night at A Court of Art & Starlight.
I was going to have a booth, my oldest was going to do henna, my middle was going to take photographs, my youngest was going to enjoy everything. Plans slightly changed (well, drastically) so picked up pho for one kid then pulled up my Renaissance boot straps and came out to support Nadia. She’s done an amazing job putting all of this together. I’ve only been able to get photos of the outside so far. She has some surprises waiting on the inside. I can’t wait to capture the moments for her.

Come one down. Hope to see you here.
💕

Here’s a self-portrait photograph I took about 30 years ago — back when we used film cameras. The settings, the circumst...
03/01/2026

Here’s a self-portrait photograph I took about 30 years ago — back when we used film cameras. The settings, the circumstances, everything about that moment was different from today. The full story will come out soon enough.
A dear friend at the time, David, took the original 4x6 print and then printed it onto canvas using his inkjet printer. He gifted it to me. He lived down the hall from me on the 6th floor, where I took this photo around 11:00 p.m. I’m not even sure if my roommates were home yet.
David is no longer with us. I would have loved to talk photography with him again. Our time with friends feels far too short.
(Please excuse the reflection in the glass. I notice waaay too late that my phone can be seen. I hope to take another photo of this photo soon...)

Posting every day can be hard to remember, and scheduling posts in advance can feel overwhelming — at least for me. I’m ...
02/28/2026

Posting every day can be hard to remember, and scheduling posts in advance can feel overwhelming — at least for me. I’m working on finding a rhythm that feels sustainable and authentic. If you ever notice a little gap here, just know I’m taking a pause so I can return refreshed and keep sharing. I may start posting some travel art soon too — I would really love that.

For today, I’ll leave you with something simple and meaningful: a photograph of a beautiful gift from my daughter. Baby’s breath in an olive jar, sitting beside another gift of baby’s breath in a small vase. Simple. Thoughtful. Perfect in so many ways. Sometimes the smallest gestures carry the biggest love.

I made this ceramics piece years ago in a family clay class at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. It sat in storage for a long...
02/27/2026

I made this ceramics piece years ago in a family clay class at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. It sat in storage for a long time because I could never find the “perfect” place for it. Life shifted dramatically a couple of years ago, and during that season of change, I finally found where it belonged.

Now it hangs in a spot that feels intentional. I hung it with me in mind — as a reminder of growth, resilience, and gratitude. How lucky I am to have me in my life. What's not lost is how much you are a part of that as well. So this is for you too. I thank you for being in my life - I am truly lucky.

It’s funny how art sometimes waits for us, just like we wait for ourselves to become who we’re meant to be.

I love this little piece of art. It’s mixed media — nothing fancy, nothing loud. Just simple. It started as a letter fil...
02/27/2026

I love this little piece of art. It’s mixed media — nothing fancy, nothing loud. Just simple. It started as a letter filled in with zentangles, then color was added, mounted onto cardstock, then onto cardboard, and finished with a few buttons. That’s it. I just like how honest it feels.

There is something so beautiful about simplicity. And I especially love that it’s made on cardboard. So much art is created on cardboard, and I think more people need to realize what a wonderful, accessible medium it is. It’s sturdy, affordable, and full of possibility. Art does not have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes the simplest pieces hold the most joy.

Here’s a mixed media piece I made a few years ago on my birthday. A friend asked what I wanted to do to celebrate, and I...
02/26/2026

Here’s a mixed media piece I made a few years ago on my birthday. A friend asked what I wanted to do to celebrate, and I said, “I’d love to do crafts.” So she brought her supplies over, and we created all night. It was simple. It was perfect.

There are a few things in life that completely lift me out of the everyday and into a different realm — a space where nothing else matters. It’s just me, myself, and I. We don’t even have to matter there… we just are. It’s hard to explain, but I think this is what people mean when they say they get “lost” in creativity. I truly do.

Mixed media art is one of those portals for me. It’s layered, intuitive, freeing. What are the other things that take me there? You’ll find out soon enough.

I hope you discover your own creative realm — that aesthetic high that feels almost otherworldly.

I love this little piece of art. One of my kids made it for me years ago — she was truly little then. Such a young heart...
02/25/2026

I love this little piece of art. One of my kids made it for me years ago — she was truly little then. Such a young heart, but already so skilled. Even back then, she had an eye for detail and a natural creativity that couldn’t be taught. The hard part? She never believed it herself. If something wasn’t perfect the first time, it went straight into the trash.

I look at this piece and still can’t believe she can’t see how perfect it is. Not because it’s flawless — but because it’s hers. It’s honest. It’s brave. It was created without overthinking, before doubt got louder.

She doesn’t really make art anymore, though I keep gently encouraging her. I hope one day she finds her way back to it — back to creating just because she can. The world needs what she sees, even if she doesn’t yet.

(This piece now sits on my wall forever. Stuck up with sticky tack for now. It's easier that way.)

Growing this page matters to me, and I truly want to keep showing up here. Building something meaningful takes more than...
02/23/2026

Growing this page matters to me, and I truly want to keep showing up here. Building something meaningful takes more than just creating art — it takes consistency, intention, and the steady rhythm of sharing it with you. Keeping up with regular posts to help the page grow can feel like a full-time commitment in itself. I’m also trying to simplify my time online, yet I know that adding fresh content regularly is part of growing a creative business.

I have so many beautiful projects, classes, and ideas I want to share with you. I’d love to see this community grow into the thousands — not just for numbers, but for the connections, collaborations, and creativity that come with it. Yes, I know there are scheduling apps and tools that can help, and I may lean into those. But I also want what I share to be thoughtful and meaningful — and that takes time.

I’m so grateful you’re here, cheering me on and growing alongside me. Step by step, they say. Sometimes I wish for leaps and bounds — just for a little while — to catch up a bit. Then back to step by step.

Fingers crossed.

Here's a little watercolor painting I did many years ago. Maybe I'll do a post on this one alone. It has a bit of history.

Here we are making paper in a class with a small private school, and it still makes me smile. I’ve been making paper off...
02/22/2026

Here we are making paper in a class with a small private school, and it still makes me smile. I’ve been making paper off and on for many years now, and I never get tired of the process — pulp, water, pressing, waiting. There’s something grounding about it. I especially love taking the paper I’ve made and crafting it into one-of-a-kind pieces of art, especially cards. Each one feels different. Each one is beautiful — at least in my eyes.

I’d love to sell these cards on a platform like Etsy, but honestly, I don’t have the bandwidth to follow through with setting up a shop and keeping track of all the things. I could list “5 cards for xx,” but they’d have to be random — a variety pack — because I’d never be able to track individual designs. I could take orders like “5 birthday cards” or “thank you cards,” but they would need to be created as the art flows. If I’m making them to order, shipping would have to be delayed.

Back to the paper and the class — I love sharing the process and watching what they create. They’re so imaginative and often give me new ideas for what the paper can become. I’ve even used that handmade paper in hand-bound, hand-stitched leather notebooks — and I absolutely love them.

It’s moments like this when I feel like I’ve truly (almost) made it as an adult:Waking up at 5:30am, begin working on sm...
02/22/2026

It’s moments like this when I feel like I’ve truly (almost) made it as an adult:

Waking up at 5:30am, begin working on small business while enjoying a small moment in time...

A caffeine-free, slightly bougie coffee alternative with almond milk, whipped cream, and fresh grated nutmeg — served in the mug my daughter gave me for Christmas.

A blueberry scone she baked herself.

Placed on a plate I bought in Thailand* from a well-known ceramicist,

All resting on a beautiful wooden tray I found for next to nothing.

Hope you all have a beautiful Sunday morning.

*Stories of those Thailand travels coming soon.

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Clearwater, FL
33755

Telephone

+17272480809

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