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| People often ask me if I know of a mail art group in various different parts of the country. Or, they tell me how jealous they are of our SF group. But, you know, you can easily host an artist meeting in your house. In your studio. Around your kitchen table. It doesn't matter where -- just get together and make stuff. My pal Monica cleaned up her studio and hosted an artist get-together and we all had too much fun. |
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| Monica did go way beyond the call of duty though and made us an incredibly delicious dinner which we ate at her studio work table. But, you don't have to do that! You can have snacks or maybe a pot luck instead. But we were sure happy Monica cooked for us! |
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| There is just nothing like hanging out at a kitchen table or in an artist's studio.... |
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| Lots of good stuff to look at..... |
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| After we ate we cleaned off the table and brought out all our art supplies and things for "Show & Tell". Let the games begin... |
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| We had demo's of paper folding into cool little books and how to punch hopes with a Crop-A-Dile and passed things around to share... |
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| You may already know all all about these things - the Crop-A-Dile - but I didn't. My pal Dori told me this is what to use when punching holes in book covers for altered books and Monica had a couple to share... They really work! I punched holes in the artist book I am making and I found out you can punch holes in metal bottle caps or cd's too... |
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| Here is a page in the altered book I worked on at the get-together... |
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| Monica showed us how to fold these little booklets....I like that the pages inside look like little envelopes... |
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| Dorothy showed us how to to make these cool cards......using no adhesives... |
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| Yes, there was dessert. |
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| I encourage you to do this -- invite some pals over and make some art. Even if you just start with just one other person. It is so much fun and so inspiring to see what other's are working on and a terrific way to spend an evening. We want to make it a regular thing. Definitely! I want to host one in my studio too. So, if you don't have a formal, public art group, just go ahead and start up your own. You won't be sorry. That I can guarantee. I can't wait for the next one. (Monica??? Are you listening???) |
Looks like a good time. Yes, I totally agree, making art with friends rocks. xox
ReplyDeleteSome day I will get to your studio and play with paint with you, Corrine!
Deletepamela~
ReplyDeleteWOW!!
such a great idea.
thanks for the toothsome eye candy and the gentle goad.
thinking my garden may be just the place for this SOON!
mail off to you soon. tonight is library book sale member's night!!
thanks as ever for the savory inspiration!
You are most welcome, Miss Polly and an art salon in your garden sounds amazing -- maybe when I finally get myself to Portland you will host one.
Deleteyou come for a visit and i promise you an impromptu tour of study + garden with a goodly dose of making & snacks to boot!!!
DeleteSunds fabulous, miss polly -- I am still hoping for a PDX visit and the mail art meeting up there too.....
DeleteAlways great photos to go with great events. Eye candy after eye candy. I can feel the fun!
ReplyDeleteWhy not host an art party in Japan, Marie? Send me a ticket and I'll fly over!
DeleteSure! I'll send you a radiogram :-)) and you are welcome any time anyway!
DeleteDon't tempt me Marie.....
DeleteLooks like a marvelous time! Wish I was there. Just want to wander around her studio for a couple hours and look at everything.
ReplyDeleteNeed to know how to make that little folded map Monica booklet. Didn't see it on her website. Maybe you can show me when you visit? Pleeez?
I think that might be able to be arranged....lol....if I haven't forgotten how to do it, Leslie. I will bring the samples with me and we can unfold them to see how to do it...and yes, you could spend hours looking around Monica's studio....
DeleteLeslie -- Monica posted the envelope tutorial on her blog The Artful Recrafter so check it out -- and now you won't need me to show you! Say hello in a comment to her if you don't mind. I am trying to help her get some new readers for her blog (and she promises to post more too).
DeleteHi! Great article! Always love your studio shots...fascinating. I think I will be hosting a "letter writing social" In the RVA area, with a pal friend of mine... We will have examples of mail art and a sign up of those interested in making art...in the snail mail form...or altered books. It's all just in the planning stages...but hopefully we can interest others and begin a bit of community here as well. Thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a terrific idea, Pam. I bet you can generate some interest there and get something going. It is such a delight to be with others who share your interests -- and very inspirational too. Good luck. (And I am so glad you enjoyed the post too).
DeleteHad no idea what a Crop-a-Dile was...sounds like a fun tool with which to work!
ReplyDeleteCindy -- I never heard of it either but man, it punches holes through think things like book covers so easily....and you can use it to put in rivets too but I haven't figured that out yet.....
DeleteShucks! I'm the only artist I know, but I have great parties of one. I get to learn by trial and error without delicious treats though. How sad for poor me. :) Someone should film it all for those of us who are unfairly left out. I like the idea the ladies at LWA have. I'm too bashful to do FaceTime but that doesn't mean I don't want to watch. :D
ReplyDeleteGood job!
Party of one -- you are so funny, Limner! I don't want my face on Skye or FaceTime either......I am sorry you are unfairly left out, my friend. I will have to send you more mail to cheer you up. And I got the little booklet you made today -- thank you! Very cool.
DeleteOur group is a Meet Up group. Check on Meet Up to see if there are any in your area or start your own! We are in the Cleveland Ohio area and our Meet Up group name is Lyndhurst Creative Crafters. We meet every other Wednesday at our host's house and we al bring snacks to share. We also take a lot of field trips. We go to the play days at the altered art store, art gallery openings, restaurants, craft stores, recycled art supply store and more.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty interesting for all of you out there who are looking to find other folks who are interested in art, etc and want to get together -- thanks for the comment. Is it MeetUp.com that you check? recycled art supplies, shows, gallery openings, restaurants? Sounds like my kind of a group!
DeleteI love that the food comes first! Lol! What an inspiring post! Grabbing a group of friends, hosting a get-together...such a great idea! There aren't too many people around me (that I have identified at least) who are "into" the same kinds of things as I, but if I will continue to seek them and maybe have a bit of gathering myself!
ReplyDeleteWell, Andria--you only need one arty pal to start with! I hope you can find a pal or two and have some fun. And yes -- food first! We really had a blast and I can't wait to host a get together in my studio. Wish you could come....
DeleteI would LOVE to be able to come! :-)
DeleteI've been visiting your site lately (love, love it!) & keep coming back to this post - is there a how-to for the little booklets with the insides that look like envelopes? (I've searched Monica's blog ... no luck!) Would appreciate if you could point me in the right direction, it's adorable and I love that it's made out of a map.
ReplyDeletetamdoll -- you are in luck -- Monica has made a tutorial for the envelope booklet for her blog. I know because i took the photos for her. It is a terrific step-by-step guide. I will encourage her to post it asap so keep an eye out on her blog for it. And I am so happy you like my blog and commented -- sometimes I get discouraged by so few comments and want to give up the blog so I really do appreciate the comment.
DeleteYay! Thanks for the reply. & I will definitely be commenting more, I really appreciate all the inspiration you share on your blog.
Deletei emailed Monica and asked her to publish that tutorial post soon so hopefully you will be seeing it....and thanks again for commenting....I will look forward to hearing from you, tamdoll.
Deletetamdoll -- the post on The Artful Recrafter blog is up -- check it out and if you don't mind, leave a comment and say hello to my pal Monica. Let us know how you do with the envelope booklet making!
DeleteThank you! I will head over there now & leave a note... it may be a week before I have free time to work on this, but as soon as I do, will leave a comment & a link to pictures. I can't wait!
DeleteThanks again! I finally blogged about the projects I'm making thanks to the tutorial & linked back to you, too. (http://tamdoll.com/papercraft-folded-booklets/)
DeleteVery cool, tamdoll -- I will go and take a look...
DeleteThank you Pamela for posting about our gathering. Your photos made my studio look so good. I can't wait to do it again.
ReplyDeleteMonica -- Your studio looked fabulous and the food was even more fabulous. Thanks so much for hosting the art night -- it was SO much fun! I can't wait to do it again either.
DeleteWow! That looks like it was a truly fabulous evening! Good for all of you -- and especially Monica (the food alone looks magnificent, let alone the surroundings) -- for making it work. That looks like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeletePaper Chipmunk -- it was fabulous -- we had a blast! And yes, Monica deserves a special shout-out for making such a wonderful meal.....when it is my turn to host i think I'll pick summertime when I can go to the farmers market and make things with tomatoes...
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