52 books - Week 14 Happy things in April

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The April installment in the happy things series. The pages in this book were rather plain, so I embellished them with my new collection of washi tape. I try not to buy into art material trends, and I resisted this one for a long time. Then I went to an art retreat and I lost my resolve. Now I own about 20 rolls in an assortment of colours and patterns.

52 books - week 13 - A tiny story

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This is a tiny leather bound book with several signatures. It is only about 1cm square, but it is not the smallest book in the collection. Later in the year, I made a REALLY tiny book.

This book had many tiny pages, and I filled them with a story - I just put my pen down and started writing. I didn't stop until I reached the last page.

Getting ready for SeARTle

I'm getting ready for an art retreat in Seattle that is in a couple of weeks. It's appropriately called SeARTle. Exchanging art is a big part of this event, since it is organized through an on-line art swapping group. I made some pin back buttons to trade. Most of them are mini collages made from bits and bobs that I picked up at previous retreats. There's always a "free table" - full of art supplies that people no longer want. It's so hard to resist bringing stuff home. 

I also promised to bring a loom along for people who'd like to give weaving a try. I'll use the same warp for a community weaving event back on this side of the border the following week. I might call the finished weaving "Cross Border Connections"

Wish flag update

I'm hosting a wish flag exchange. Six people signed up, which works out well because it means that everyone will receive a flag from each of the other people in the exchange. Here's a peek at the ones that I have received so far. Aren't they beautiful?

One of the participants also included some little arty gifts for me. I'm sure she's been stalking my pinterest boards, because it's like she's been reading my mind.

On the far left is a pendant that she sent me, with a tiny wish bone, bit of ribbon and beaded strand. On the far left, I've paired the beaded strand with a pendant I made recently. I've been trying to decide on what to use to make it a necklace and this is perfect. The middle picture shows the other bits she sent - she knows I love that ribbon. I "stole" some from her when we in San Diego at ArtDiego. I love the heart and the peacock feather and the bit of filagree and the Eiffel Tower charm too.

I can't wait to see the other three sets of flags, and I need to finish my own as well.

52 books - week 12: Art from ArtZona

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I made a scrapbook for all the flat art that I traded for at the ArtZona art retreat I attended in Phoenix. I made the front and back covers out of samples from one of the workshops I took at ArtZona, and I decorated many of the inside pages to coordinate with the artwork on the page. It was an interesting exercise really look a people's art and choose some aspect of it to extend onto the page. The three part person is from a late night absinthe fueled "exquisite corpse" game.

52 books. week 11, Happy things in March

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This is the latest installment in my "happy things" series. Each month I made a book to record and remember the good things. The pages are random pages gathered from my studio, with a cardstock cover, and simply bound with a few staples in the spine (yeah for long arm staplers).

The figure on the cover is called an inuksuk. The people who live in the arctic build giant stone cairns in a vaguely human shape. They are considered symbols of welcome and friendship.

52 books, week 10 - Artzona 2015

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I made a journal for ArtZona - an art retreat I attended in Phoenix. I usually make journals to sketch in on trips. Since this was an art event, the contents are a mix of sketches, ephemera that I picked up along the way, and some fun collages made from bits and pieces that were lying around in the art room.