Working on Finding My Muse Again

These are strange times, aren't they? Things keep changing day by day. So much to take in.
And, I am having trouble keeping my spirts up as I bet a lot of you are as well.
I started gathering things together to get inspired to make things.
It kinda works.

My bank closed. The streetcars have sopped running. The parking lots by the ocean are closed.
Strange times.

I am organizing pages for various altered books.....These photos fit perfectly with the book pages...

I just stop to appreciate the beauty in the old and worn....like this.

These book pages are exactly the size of vintage postcards...

I KNOW I will be going to Paris again....may as well make a Paris book..

Have you been getting these notices? For two days people are going around and taping these to front doors.
I've never seen anything like this before.

Since we aren't supposed to go out, I started putting my outgoing mail  clipped to my front gate and my wonderful mail man takes them.
Every day Jose, my mailman, delivers mail and smiles and waves to everyone.
An everyday hero.

I have really been enjoying Roxanne Evans Stout's  book Dancing on Raindrops. Such beautiful photos in her book...so peaceful and comforting...

Marie Kondo Lovers may want to avert their eyes and not look at this next photo.

After looking at Roxanne's book several mornings with my coffee I decided to CLEAN MY STUDIO. Go figure.
I am inspired by the beauty in the book and also I am having a rough time feeling really creative.
I have made a huge mess and things are going to get worse before they get better.
My biggest problem is lack of storage space....I took everything off my work table and put it on the floor....but now what?
to be continued....

I am always trying to find beauty in every day life, now more than ever.

I woke up to this on my birthday. My husband is the best. He planted a lilac tree in the yard years ago just because I love lilacs so much. The tree squeezes out about two bouquets every year around my birthday.
They make me so happy.
And, so do all the lovely folks who sent me cards and letters and surprises and emails for my birthday.
Thank you all very much.
There are loads of free or reduced online classes going on. Anyone taking any?
What are you all doing to get through this? Feeling creative? Or wanting to lay down on the couch?
I am cooking a lot and cleaning.
I guess that gives me some sense of control.

Stay safe and sane, everyone.

SEND GOOD MAIL (it will cheer people up)!

So, did you say you wanted to come over?

I am having a little trouble getting myself to work since the weather is so lovely....
Just sitting around my studio with all the doors open and hanging out.
Want to come on over?

I planted myself on my couch and I'm just looking at the walls...ok, and all the stuff sitting around here....

It is rare to have a lovely summery SF day of somewhere around 70 degrees. Temps are supposed to drop 20 degrees tomorrow so I am just being lazy and enjoying today...

I carted these posters home from Deyrolle in Paris.

The nesting dolls I bought in Russia. I do like souvenirs of my travels.

Uh Oh. This is the OTHER room. The messy one. But hey.....I work in there. And, when I'm not being lazy I've been really busy doing all kinds of things.

See? I have been making some teeny, tiny books. And some zines. And mail art. And a birthday surprise for a friend. And collages. And adding things to my glue book. I've got a lot going on.

And, I went to the SF Correspondence Co-Op Birthday Party on Saturday -- SEVEN years of mail art with my peeps.

But, some days, it is really nice to do almost nothing....sit around....and just enjoy the day.
Don't you agree?

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(maybe tomorrow)

And then the sun came out

The sun came out in SF and guess what happened?
Sun prints!
Some people call them sun prints but they are really called cyanotypes. You need sun and that isn't always easy to come by in San Francisco in the summer.  I know, the tourists don't believe that either and thats why they all have to buy sweatshirts that say they love San Francisco -- because they are freezing. But I digress....

You can make cyanotypes with all sorts of things, flowers and leaves have been popular for  many, many years -- google Anna Atkins if you don't believe me.
But a lot of artists, like Linda Clark Johnson are trying out new ideas and making the old process new. Check out Linda's work on her web site and FB page and Instagram and you'll see what I mean.
Linda came down from Sacramento to give us -- Monica, Leslie, Dorothy & me -- a workshop.
When you get a group of artists together, you get art.
If you live near Sacramento, you can take a class from Linda -- highly recommended.

See that fern?

Here it is on a piece of cyanotype paper with the sun doing it's thing.
The process is a pretty simple one, coat watercolor paper with cyanotype chemicals and press between two pieces of glass or plexi, expose 10-15-20 minutes till the paper turns kinda brown, wash in water and dip in a peroxide bath and hang to dry......
That's the simple version. You can look it up if you're interested in learning more.

This is how the paper looks after exposure to the sun.

And this is how it looks after the wash.

We all tried different ideas out to get an idea of what worked and what didn't...

There was a lunch break (of course!)

A bit of hanging out in my studio and then back to work/play......

We look like we were having fun, don't we?

The next day, we trooped over to Leslie's studio and we tried out toning the cyanotypes.

We cut our least favorite prints into ATC size and we tried out a variety of different toners.

Green tea, black tea, red wine, onion skin, beets and Borax.

Look at some of the results! Pretty interesting...

So, here I am, back in the studio with my prints. What should I do with them?

I cut this print up into Rolodex cards for my Rolodex art project. Kind of nice. You can cut the prints up for ATC's or rolodex cards or collage or if you really like one, you can frame it.
I'm thinking of some pages for my altered book.
So, there you have it. Two days of cyanotypes and yesterday was the Vintage Paper Fair.
Life is good.

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Hangin' Out a Little

I love hanging out in my studio....last night I was working at dusk and noticed what a lovely glow the room had from the very late early evening sun...

Maybe I am enjoying it a bit more since I actually  had to clean up  because newish pal was stopping by for a visit and I didn't want to horrify her with my usual clutter.

Sometimes I slack off from making things and just read magazines and books on mixed media techniques.... always relaxing.

I worked on my newest little zine....

Sorted some stamps that needed to be mounted on wooden blocks...I am looking for more heads and faces these days...

I have to be honest though, I hate mounting stamps on wood....but you gotta do what you've got to do...

Been playing around a lot with watercolors.....very relaxing....

Punched a whole lot of holes in a whole lot of postcards and hung them on a ring....got this idea from my pal Leslie. My second ring of mail hanging in my studio.Much nicer than storing them in a box where no one can see them. This way you can just flip through the cards for a hit of inspiration.

My old books, all ready to be torn and sorted and played with. I ran out of room on the bookshelves so these guys have to be stacked up on the floor. I love to see them sitting there just waiting for a project.

Some vintage postcards....ready for another project that's coming up....can't tell you yet.

First thing tomorrow I'll write.....she tells him....

and

(he says) One thing will lead to another.

Ain't it the truth? Every time I hang out in my studio, one thing does lead to another. I get ideas and inspiration all the time.
And today, in SF, we had lovely and wonderful rain which is making it a perfect day to stay inside and play with paints and stamps and paper.
We are in the middle of water rationing and a very serious drought so the rain today is most welcome.
And seriously delightful.

I am settling in for a lovely, rainy afternoon of making things and reading books and having some tea and cookies.
Why don't you come over and join me?