George Sleeping

Photojojo is Back!

I have a new Photojojo partner, who shall remain nameless until I receive instructions on how to do the attribution.

For now, here is the photojojo for today, October 30, 2010.

Art Today - Bookmarks & Glass Baubles

Today is a day off from work so I got right to the art. I woke up feeling so much better than yesterday, so I went through the ribbons I got at Antique Trove. I washed them (ugh - vintage years of dust and that "old" smell washed away with lavender soap), then ironed them because several were folded over. Ironing them while still damp was just the trick, then so they didn't look too good, I crumpled them into a ball for a few minutes and voila! nice ribbons for later.

I put away buttons, game pieces, and tore up some maps I bought and went through and cleaned up from doing some art with company last week. Then, I was all ready to make some new stuff.

First I did some glass baubles using packages of $1.00 magnets from Michael's. I took the images off that came with the baubles and replaced them with my own.

Here they are:


Then I made some bookmarks using the cards that the seam bindings came on. They were the perfect size and I topped them with the fresh ribbons I made after coating them with the 'wax.

Here they are:




I had bought this really cool 4th grade math book at Antique Trove. I wanted it for the math problems and images. It was a 1956 book, used by a Louis Wright in 1962. I didn't notice in the store that Louis adulterated every drawing in the book. The one with the baby is especially creepy. (Click on the image if you want to see more detail.)

Some Stateside Vide Grenier

When I first moved to the Peninsula, from the East Bay, I encountered this amazing place in San Carlos called Antique Trove. It was a gigantic garage sale, with class. Hundreds of vendors, each with their own little booth. I found paper, milk glass, vintage pyrex bowls, old photos, music sheets.  I collected up a ton of stuff, and the next time I went to get more paper, OMG - they were gone!

That was 3 years ago. I've found new options - like the Antique Fair at Alameda Point - but that is only once a month and so crowded and difficult to get to from Half Moon Bay. Yesterday, I was in Roseville and saw out of the corner of my eye a sign from the freeway that was similar to the San Carlos Antique Trove sign, so I got off and pulled around, and voila - it was like walking into the past, in two ways. It was the same vendors and items as from San Carlos!

I found a lot of really cool stuff, including some items for my new home.

I can put a mechanism in this to make it a functioning clock for my new kitchen.

I plan to use these old outdoor faucet knobs as pulls on my kitchen cabinets.

And here is a vintage, French blue light fixture for the wall somewhere.

Amazing Photo Discovery

I bought some tulips last week and they were a little droopy but I didn't have the heart to toss them quite yet. Instead, I decided to take some photos of them, because the droopy-ness was alluring.

I took several photos, and they were okay, and then I noticed the miracle - the image of the flopped over tulips in the sun drenched countertop. It was shiny enough to act like the surface of a mirror. Only because the tulips were turned completely upside down did this work. Here are the images.

First, the 'straight' shot. Good, but not great.  They are pretty tulips.


Here are the reflected images. Some image manipulation was used in the making of these photos.

Hens & Roosters and Botanicals

Boy, this making cards is fun, fun, fun. Just the thing on a rainy day. Now, we're going to walk over to the fest and have a corn dog and clam chowder bowl. Yippee!

After the festival, I did these botanicals. Maybe I have one more set in me tonight because then I have to put all the stuff away so that I can get back to making dinner, doing work, etc. in that part of the house (the kitchen island).

Poker Tonight

I went to my friend Brad's and played a great evening of poker with Kristian, Steve L. Steve O., Travis, Dan, Art and Brad. I'm Fred on these nights when I play with the guys. I ended up losing about $40, but its all good. I would have spent that on dinner and a movie, so it is a great evening of entertainment.

Six Sets Done

I know, I've already posted some of these images, but I am so thrilled that I have six sets of these French-themed notecards done tonight.

I'm finding so much relaxation and pleasure in the creating of them. Finding the images and papers, the methodic gluing, the fun of embellishing, and then the beeswax - oh the beeswax.  

They each come with a custom folded envelope with a mailing label affixed and a 4x6 sticker sheet that can be used to write your note then stick to the back. They are suitable for framing by the recipient or just leaving out on the counter so you can enjoy the luscious beeswax coating.

I'm really happy with them. (Click in to see more detail.)

Let me know what you think!

To Make Journals, Warm Up By Making Cards

I love to do things in big batches, and I work better when I'm doing a few things at one time. So, I got started on the cards first today.

Kit It

I decided to make my own "kits" for each set of four cards. That entailed doing the backgrounds, then going through my beautiful papers to find 11 themes - where I had enough material to make four cards. Then I put together coordinating papers and some various little doo-dahs that "go with" the color theme for each set of cards. I finished by choosing the backing cards for each set. These are 5x7 cardstock with nice textures in wonderful bright colors made by Bazzills and available at - where else - Michaels!

So, now I'm ready for the next step which is making the card fronts (44!) which will involve some tearing, arranging, gluing and stitching with the sewing machine. Then, I'll put a nice coat of beeswax on the card, and adhere it to the color card stock. I'll also have to make 44 envelopes. 

That's another kit!

I'm going to create 22 kits for the journals too, and probably a bunch of little kits for door hangers and coaster sets. Haven't quite figured out the coasters just yet.

Later That Day
Okay - I got three sets fully done, except the envelopes. Here's a peek at six of them card from each set (click on the images for more detail). Oooh - yummy beeswax coating on all.

Ready to Make Some Journals?

I'm back from a fabulous art workshop in France with Anna Corba. I came back to a house I've been ignoring for about 3 months in favor of all the house design work and regular work. So, first thing I did was put away bags of art supplies from teaching in June, prints I made in August when I returned from the Minnesota art-cation lovingly designed by my friend Laurie Phillips, and all sorts of paperwork that had accumulated.

I also cleaned the house and got my guest room ready for company coming in a couple of weeks. In the process of all this cleaning, I found pads of paper I've been saving for years (literally, some were from my first job in 1981). So, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to make some journals for holiday gifts. 

I cut up the cardboard backs for the journal fronts/backs and got the paper for the insides all cut and arranged. Here's a photo! Now, on to the decorating.

Stayed tuned for results - journals, cards, whoo hoo! Being creative is fun!

At DeGaulle Airport, On My Way Home From France

I'm happy to be home - arriving late last night (Sat), only to find warnings posted about traveling in Europe in the news this morning.

I saw many police and French military as I rode buses, trains and planes. Waiting to board the train in Toulouse, only ticketed passengers were being allowed down onto the platforms. Ordinarily, the French rail system is quite open. They don't even seem to check your tickets all the time once on the train.

In the Lyon train station where I transferred, several young men were being frisked by the gendarmes. Then at DeGaulle, many military with short, fashionable semi-automatic guns were patrolling. I didn't have the guts to snap a photo of a very tres chic woman soldier. I was tired, but I swear she was wearing fashionable shoes and earrings with her military garb and gun. Definitely eye shadow and a fancy hairdo.

Here are some photos of the last few minutes in Paris before I departed.