It's Going to be a Book Making Summer

I started looking at some old books I made.....and that me started thinking...
I WANT TO MAKE MORE BOOKS!
(I'm not yelling - I'm just excited)

Everyone has a style and I like things fat and happy, bursting the seams and tabs sticking out the sides and tops.....

I like re-purposing mail art I get into book pages. A fun way to keep mail and be able to sit and look at it.

This one is going to be my summer altered book -- looks very summery, don't you think? A lot more summery than it actually is here in San Francisco but I do get out of the city on weekends alot and actually see some sun.

Look at this marbled beauty - the covers and endpapers are all beautiful. I am cutting up some old file folders from Scrap SF for pages for this one. The colors are the same in both the marbling and folder (burgundy and brown).

This little cutie is much smaller than the others -- postcard size....

Look how much better the cover looks with a coat of Liquidex  Gel Medium and some roses.

Since this one is postcard size I decided to add some vintage postages to the pages....

Look at these two beauties! I am making twins for myself and one for  someone special, who I will be visiting for Thanksgiving....we are going to work on the pages inside together but I am prepping them now.

Pretty but plain...hum...I am going to have to add something to this cover.

I love finding different things for the pages....bingo card? Yes!  I have used blueprints and menu's and map pages .....and I cut up a lot of file folders (again, from Scrap) for pages because they are thin and strong. You can collage on top of them.

A very kind mail art pal turned me onto colored rings and she sent me these. I have got to find more,

Being an Aries and being me, I never do anything half way so now I am working on at least six different books all at the same time.
Keeps me out of trouble.
Thanks to Linda F for sending me some of these great RD covers and the blue marbled ones. 

I just love the way the books looks all fat and happy.
If I make enough maybe I will sell a few. Maybe.
So, what are you all doing for fun?
We don't have beaches or hot weather and it doesn't feel too much like summer in San Francisco so my fun is playing with paper.

Anybody else out there doing anything fun?
Do tell.I love to hear from you.

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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)

Coffee First & Cocktails Later

Last week I took the Larkspur Ferry with some friends to Marin to see an Altered Book Show
at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art...an annual tradition. 

With a Peets coffee in hand and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge it was a great start to the day...

When I got to the show, I had to laugh, because it sure looked a lot like my studio....

At the show...

See? This is my studio.......

I really liked this piece and...

I found the description quite touching....worked on in a hospital waiting room....I have spent some time in hospital waiting rooms and the last thing I could do was make any art. I think it is very impressive and inspiring that this artist could.

Another piece I liked...

I got to attend the show with one of the artists, bottom right is the very cool work of Punkie Ebert. She wrapped some poems around those spools....

Just bits that caught my eye....

You KNOW I have lots of books that book like these....

My studio

And, of course, there was lunch. A wonderful group of six artists and I'd love to put a photo of us all but I know they would kill me so.....here is what I had for lunch. Blackened salmon salad....delicious.

And, Barcode Barb brought little handmade presents for us all -- vintage matchbooks with her charming drawings inside.
Aren't they cool?

The view on the ride back to San Francisco wasn't bad either....every time I take the ferry I wonder why I don't take it more often......good question..

Well, it is Memorial Day Weekend coming up here in the USA. What are you all doing to celebrate.
It is the official start of summer but here in chilly, foggy, windy SF, I may have to have a nice gin & tonic by the fireplace.
I can live with that.

I'm thinking a movie and dinner date with my guy, some work in the studio, the farmers market....things along those lines.
What is everyone else planning on doing?

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Bless Your Heart, y'all........

After Boston we flew to Richmond (Virginia) and first thing we did was head to Sally Bell's for a boxed lunch.
These are the greatest -- a deviled egg all wrapped up in wax paper, macaroni salad, a cheese wafer  and a sandwich of your choice -- and a fabulous cupcake -- all for $8.85.

The dogwoods were in bloom every where we looked.

Now I know I'm not in San Francisco any more.....

If only I was driving home......

What we did mostly was eat southern food.......so amazingly good.
This is The Boat House, set right on a river.
 (I'm the one in the green)

And why did I not know about pimento cheese? To die for!
This is lunch at the Shirley Vineyards and it is highly recommended by me if you are ever in the area.
The food was amazing.

Supermarket browsing.....

Saucy's BBQ. in Petersburg.
Need I say more? You gotta go.

Antique shopping was fun too -- I bet you can guess which one of these things I did buy and bring home with me.

We were running around so much and hanging out with the fam I had almost no time to work on my travel journal. But, I shoved all my travel ephemera in between the pages and I have finished it since I've been back home in SF.
It's fat and happy -- kind of like I felt when I got home. The food in SF is a little less fattening....
but when in Rome (or Virginia).....

So, I am back to making stuff again. Catching up on mail. 
What are you'll doing? I missed you.

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