Meanwhile back at home....

What have I been up to?
Well, cleaning my studio for one thing....and it is a BIG job! A little daunting but once you start you have to keep at it, right?
I am making progress....
I will show you pictures when I'm finally done...

And, I've been whining a lot. San Francisco has been crazy hot.  And it isn't normal for us at all. My house has been so hot I haven't been able to sleep, or do much of anything.
But I see some fog rolling in now.....thank God.

I took a collage workshop with Molly Meng at SF Center for the Book. Lots of fun. She is a delightful instructor.

I went to a Typewriter Jam at SF Center for the Book too. TOO much fun. People came and brought their own typewriters and what beauties they were.
I think the biggest hot of the evening was the large type typewriter my friend Monica brought. SOOOOOOOOO cool. I sure would like one of those but it seems they are very hard to come by.

I've been making weekly trips to Scrap SF (the main reason my studio is in such dire need of cleaning and organizing). I found these old photo booklets and changed them up a little to make them Ephemera Sleeve Booklets. Pretty nifty way to organize you small bits for collage, don't you think?

OK, another reason for my overloaded studio is my trips to the SF Public Library book sales....I admit it....I don't usually buy bibles but when I opened it and found that hair inside....well, I could NOT resist. Don't you wonder about the story behind this? I sure do.

More from the library sale....I am repurposing books to make altered books and collages....I just love old, old papers.

Altered Book Show
The show closed and my piece sold.....I went up to Marin to see  the show....

Another wonderful collage workshop at Scrap SF taught by the  amazing Sally Wassink. Just look at those tables! We had such a great time and the hours just flew by.

I dragged out my old Big Shot and have been having fun with some creative die cutting....

My collages made at Sally's ScrapSF workshop

Sending out some mail art of course....

More die cutting (easy to do on a HOT day). I love using very old papers like these for the little bags...

OK, now I think I definitely deserve a gin and tonic....it's HOT and I have been SO good.
That's my story and I'n sticking to it.

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I've Put Down my Glue Stick!

 Art by Molly Meng

Don't worry -- it is only temporary!
But I've discovered slow stitching thanks to the delightful Molly Meng, LA artist extraordinaire . I'm telling you, if you ever get a chance to take a workshop with Molly Meng, do not hesitate.
I had a wonderful time on Sunday slow stitching away and getting inspired......
check it out..

It was all about the slow stitching but I kinda felt like it was also collage using fabric. I am primarily a collage artist and I felt right at home with this.

Molly provided everything we needed including things like this -- beautiful, vintage tags from Basque Country for berets. 

All kinds of fabrics, included avocado dyed pink like this! Yes, you can use avocado pits to dye fabric and paper -- just google it.

Lace and trims and more dyed fabric, this time it was tea dyed.

Art by Molly Meng
She also brought some of her own work to inspire...

Art by Molly Meng

Art by Molly Meng

Art by Molly Meng
I think I liked this one the most....just lovely shades of whites and ivories with that red initial and a small patch of blue...

Fabric Book by Molly Meng
I am absolutely kicking myself for not taking the Fabric Book Workshop the day before the Slow Stitching. I was afraid it would be too advanced for me but I was wrong. I sure hope she comes back to San Francisco and does it again.
Are you listening, Molly?

Art Work by Molly Meng
I mean...just LOOK at this. This is the book unfolded with slow-stitched collages on six pages. It is really an inspiration.

Art work by Molly Meng

Art work by Molly Meng

Art Work by Molly Meng
One of my favorite pages...

Art work by Molly Meng
Another favorite
By now you are all ready to sign up, right? You can find Molly on Instagram at molly_c_meng.
She is on Facebook too and going to have her new website up and running soon. She gives workshops at French General (check the French General web site). If you're in Los Angeles, you're in luck. And, lucky SF, she is coming back to San Francisco in May to do a collage workshop at SF Center for the Book which is FULL.
BUT
here is her paper weaving SFCB workshop which is still open.
Better hurry....

I want to give a little shout out to San Francisco School of Needlework and Design where I took the slow stitching class. I just discovered it and I am so happy I did. Located downtown right between Saks and Tiffany -- can you have a more swank address? A delightful place to learn embroidery and all kinds of stitching.

Here is a link to the Fabric Book class where you can see what you -- and I -- missed. Get on their mailing list in case it is offered again.

SF School of NeedleWork and Design
Charming, oui? 
Ok, now are you in the mood to stitch? Or collage? Or both? Let's get busy!
I am totally inspired and have lots of ideas. A birthday trip to SCRAP SF helped too. I picked up some fabric to play with and some vintage sewing supplies. I even got my sewing machine working again and I can't wait to sew on paper. When I'm in I"m all in!
So, what do you think? You in too?

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Saturday in the City

Some days it is just fun to walk around in the beautiful sunshine and look at art.

Saturday started out with a trip to the farmer's market - those beautiful huge piles of asparagus, artichokes, garlic chives and all sorts of produce are art in themselves.
Then, a trip to one of my favorite SF spots
San Francisco Center for the Book
to see the fabulous Hedi Kyle show. It's up till July 17, 2016  and if you live anywhere near SF you have GOT to see it.

Here are some photos to tempt you into going -- or, as a consolation if you are too far away to attend.
And, you can call or email the SFCB and order a catalog of the show too -- tell Nina I sent you.

While I admire and love the beautiful books in the display cases, my personal favorites were the touchable books. You can just sit on the couch and look through a number of little books that it seems she just carried with her and filled up with day-to-day stuff. So cool....

The Touchable Books

Supermarket fruit stickers never looked so good...

My personal favorite was the tea bag tag book......Dori S, I thought of you, my tea-loving friend...

Take a look at Monica's Artful ReCrafter blog (on my sidebar) -- she went to the Hedi Kyle opening and posted photos on her blog too.

You can't have an art day without having lunch...

After the morning looking at Hedi Kyle's work, we spent the afternoon at the
Hunter's Point Shipyard Open Studio

I think I love looking at the artist tools as much as I enjoy looking at the art...

It is such fun to wander all around a big building filled with artists and art and fantastic views out the windows of the SF Bay...

Go, if you can, and have a look around.....

Hedi Kyle (detail)
The best part of a day like this is that feeling you are all filled up with art and want to rush home or to your own studio and make things!
I sure have that feeling. I am inspired and ready to go to work.
But I just found out the Vintage Paper fair is also this weekend -- how could I possibly have not known that?
Hummmmmmm........
Should I stay in and make things? Or go browse the VPF? (I really do have more than enough paper to work with).
Sometimes there are just too many fun things to do!
What are you doing with your day today?

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