Binding a book is much like reading a good book, at least in my opinion. It's a process to be savored; handling the covers and each page, one section added to the next like chapters, from beginning to end. This blank journal has a buttonhole binding, a method learned recently in a workshop with Albie Smith at Art and Soul in Portland. Albie is a wonderful book artist and teacher, and also makes beautiful paste papers. I made my cover papers here with dye inks, stencils, and mica powders in polymer medium. The inside pages are drawing paper.

'Til Next Year

The PAC holiday show and sale was a great success in terms of attendance and sales, as well as the level of camaraderie and teamwork amongst the participating artists.

I was pleased to have real hanging art this year! If only things could have gotten started a little earlier...but a busy fall schedule and the procrastination thing got in the way. Next year will be different...:)

There's nothing like a deadline to move the creative process along. This piece will go into a 12 by 12 inch shadow box frame ( unlike the photo, it's actually square), and hang in the PAC holiday show...whose dates are coming up at an alarming fast rate! My intent is to have 5 finished art quiltlets by December 4th. I've managed to make quite a bit of jewelry, so far, and will try to share more photos soon. Meanwhile, it's back to work!

Shared Joy

A couple of fabric journal pages using a piece made in Ruth Rae's workshop at ArtFiberFest.


Shared joy is a double joy, shared sorrow is half a sorrow.

--Swedish proverb

Brand New Day

Congratulations to our new President Elect, Barack Obama. I'm so proud for our country today. Proud to be an American.

Touching Down

ArtFiberFest is over and I'm getting back into the "real world". What a wonderful time we had in Port Townsend! The drives up and back were a pleasure, with the beautiful colors of fall revealed around every bend. I convinced hubby to go with and we stayed in town. Can't say that I missed the dorms at Fort Worden...OK, I'm a wimp! The weather was spectacular and Scott was able to enjoy a round of golf and long strolls in town while I was busy in workshops for 3 days. The first day's class was with Alisa Burke...what a wonderful artist and teacher she is, not to mention sweet and helpful! We had a ball painting, printing, and stenciling graffiti-style canvases which were sewn into clutch bags later in the day. I can't wait to do more of this art!

The second class was "Nature Inspired Fabrics" with Marylin Huskamp and Tracy Huskamp. You won't find teachers who are more enthusiastic or encouraging than these two women! They guided us along as we painted realistic birds on fabric.
My final workshop was "Ethereal Fragment Squares" with Ruth Rae. Ruth taught us how to dye fabrics, then layer and stitch them into mixed media collages. I learned a lot of new techniques, including how to make and use "resin paper". Loved this class experience!
The time passed all too quickly. It was so much fun hanging with my fellow fiber addicts, and being inspired by the awesome instructors. Teesha is looking for a smaller venue for next year's ArtFiberFest, which might take place in summer. I'll be there.

Heart 'n Art & Soul

I had a wonderful time again this year at the Art & Soul retreat in Portland. Being a local"commuter" has it's advantages. Like, not having to schlep a truckload of art supplies on an airplane, or being able to sleep in my own bed at night. On the other hand, I missed out on a lot of the full-on social busy-ness of being around a group of wildly talented and fun women. I did manage to meet up with some wonderful friends during the week, old and new, and that was the best!

This is the collaged and painted box I made in the Lisa Kaus class, "Be Still My Beating Heart". Very fun, and I finished it in class!

The first thing you learn when doing copper enameling is that it's addictive. This is a pendant I made in Richard Salley's workshop. I took 2 classes from Richard and he makes metalsmithing look easy--bending, twisting, and wrapping iron wire around found objects and turning them into lovely pieces jewelry. I found it to be a real challenge.
These are a couple of 3 by 5's done in Misty Mawn's "A Little Art of Remodeling Book" class. I hope to put these together with some yet-to-be-completed pages to create a little board-style book. I had a wonderful time here learning Misty's method of combining collage and paint.

This has been an eventful month, to say the least! Next week, I'll be heading to Port Townsend to experience ArtFiberFest. Can't wait!