Time Flies

I can't believe I haven't posted since mid-September - lots happening both personally and professionally - will give updates in snippets in my next few posts - and they most likely won't be in chronological order - Here's a little tease for the topics to be addressed (so I won't forget) will include my trip to Colombus, Ohio for my cousin Amy's wedding - our So. Cal. Mixed Media groups 2nd gathering - my trip to Thousand Oaks for another great class with Kelly Kilmer - this one at Staci Staler's wonderful studio in her home - upcoming classes I'm teaching - the election and registering to vote -what I learned during the Jewish High Holy Days this year - fat book page swap - this one with 120 pages - yikes! and so much more...

So we (So Cal Mixed Media Group) had our 2nd gathering on Sunday, October 5th at Viva Gallery upstairs studio - again we had an amazing turnout - ten women gathered and shared completed and works-in-progress with the group - what great talent in one room! We also explained what we were working on that day and then in-between great conversations and snacking on the several delicious homemade baked goods - wow! people actually bake?! - we all worked on our individual projects - five o'clock came all too soon and we made plans to meet again at the same location on November 2nd (Sunday) from 1 - 5 pm - please join us - several gals from our group attended Art & Soul in Portland and will be telling us about their experiences, classes and showing what they created when they were in Portland -


Carole, Carmen and Tina


Renee and Staci


Amy Elise and Terrill

Artwork display table - view #1


Artwork display table - view #2

Then my batteries in my camera went dead and I didn't have any fresh ones with me ...

****

I belong to a Yahoo group called "ArtTechniques" - one of the leaders of the group - Sherre H. offered an idea for a fat book 4 x 4 swap - a book simply showing various techniques with explanation of how to do it on the back - no frills, no embellishments - simply the technique - each person signing up had to have a unique technique - no duplicates - most fat book swaps are about 40 - 45 pages or less - well, this one began to grow in popularity - when we got to about 45 plus - Sherre asked if we wanted to start a second book - but no one wanted to miss out on the techniques that might be in that book and not the book we signed up for - so we voted to have just one book - unfortunately there was no cut off on the number of artists that could join - and it grew and grew and grew - we began posting back and forth on the Yahoo group that this was no longer a "fat" book but an "obese" book :) We ended up with 120 pages!

A portion of the 120 pages 4 x 4 originals for fat book swap - ArtTechniques Yahoo group

For those that have never done a swap that means 120 ORIGINAL 4 x 4 pages with a typed explanation pasted on the back of each!

Close-up (upside down :) 4 x 4 antique patina on cardboard

The deadline to send them to Sherre was Oct 15th - a call went out for anyone living near Sherre in Northern CA that could help her sort the pages to volunteer - people began posting that they were sending Sherre and her "crew" gifts of popcorn and chocolate and tea and cookies and more to help them as they put together 120 flat rate priority boxes and sort the 14,400 pages sent to her - (120 participants x 120 pages each = 14,400) to send out to us next month - Sherre posted a photo of her house filled with these boxes and the gals helping her - Bless you all! as much of a chore as it was to create 120 pages, I'm so glad I participated and can't wait to see everyone else's work - and we just learned that Sherre has submitted the idea to a magazine for publication! Here are my pages - my technique was the antique patina on cardboard - My challenge now is how to bind 120 4 x 4 pages into a book! Any suggestions are welcomed -