Upcoming workshops

Just a reminder that Create in California is coming up in a few short weeks.  I'll be teaching the following classes -

"Through the Rabbit Hole" - An Alice inspired tunnel book.

"The Ambrosia Journals" - A fun and easy binding!

"The Hand Book" - A Mehndi inspired Hand shaped book (See flip through video on the right hand side bar of this blog).

"The Bee Book" - A Bee shaped book.

AND ... I'll be teaching a private workshop "Under the Sea" - A Jules Vern inspired tunnel book on June 3rd in Fullerton, California.  There are a few seats left.  If you are interested please contact me directly.

Art Camp for Women

Lorri Flint and Lori Wostl here, from Art Camp for Women and this year we are focusing on Connection.  I (Lorri) just returned home from a day with my fiber art friends.  We each brought our own project, a contribution to a potluck lunch and spent the day together.  It was an opportunity to share our creative endeavors – there was knitting, bookmaking, quilt making and hand stitching going on today – and catch up with each other.

My day with friends has left me feeling content and supported in a way that my family just can’t do for me (nor is it fair to ask it of them.)  I was working on a quilt, but left inspired to make a book and was reminded how long it’s been since I hand stitched on cloth using my hand-dyed threads.  At the end of the day, we give each other a hug and I always leave thinking “why don’t I do this more often?”

Lori and I are both reading “The Happiness Project” a #1 New York Times Bestseller by Gretchen Rubin and I just reached the chapter about Friendship and Making Time for Friends. I’m grateful that Gretchen did so much research and brought it all together into an easily readable, thoroughly enjoyable account of her year exploring the many aspects of happiness.  I’m inspired, I wish she was my next door neighbor and I highly recommend it!

She notes that “everyone from contemporary scientists to ancient philosophers agrees that having strong social bonds is probably the most meaningful contributor to happiness.”  Her research found that we need close long-term relationships with friends we can confide in and we need to belong.  She also noted that “some researchers argue that over the last twenty years, the number of confidants claimed by the average American has dropped.  Perhaps because people move more frequently and work longer hours, they have less time for building friendships.”

We heartily agree that life seems to be jetting by and many women we know don’t take the time to nurture their creative side (some of them don’t think they even have one, but we know better.)

There are many ways to connect, but our favorite is to get together with other like-minded women to create.  Here are some ideas we’ve come up with:

• If you work or have small children, set up one evening a month to meet at a friend’s house, bring a small project to share or just bring your own.  Enjoy dessert and tea together and make sure everyone gets a chance to talk and share.
• If you have time during the day, meet for a morning or the whole day.  Bring your own project or have one person plan a project for the group.  Enjoy lunch together (we like food...can you tell?).
• Go for a play day (made popular in the “Artist’s Way” book) and visit local galleries, art museums, treasure hunt in junk shops or go to the botanic gardens and sketch.
• Get away to a retreat and really give yourself the space to relax, connect and let your creative side out to play.

While there is a rise in online courses, which are useful in their own way, they are no replacement for the personal contact and all-out-fun of getting together to create, sitting side-by-side learning from each other and having a real live in-the-flesh teacher.  Not to mention happy hour, chef prepared meals and the possibility of seeing a fox catch dinner right outside our Art Camp for Women lodge last year in the Colorado Rockies.

How will you connect?  Come on over to www.artcampforwomen.com and comment on our blog about how you like to connect with your art friends.  While you're there, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for a chance to win a free camp.

Lorri and Lori

Art Camp for Women

A Few Journal Pages

I haven't had much time for journaling lately, but today I squeezed in a little journaling time.  I really enjoyed the time I spent on this today.  In fact I enjoyed it so much that I made a very similar spread in an old journal that still has a few blank pages left in it.

The spread below is done in my JournalFest 2011 Journal that now has just one page left and it will be completely full. I love completely full journals.  I have a flip through video in the right hand side bar of this blog if you are interested in seeing more of it.

Reconstructing a Binder Tutorial

I am sharing these step by step instructional videos (Part 1 and Part 2) that I made. An old vinyl loose leafbinder is deconstructed and rebuilt to produce a box board binder ideal for collaging and using for a unique journal.  This is the same technique as used to make my "JournalFest Journal". Binder journals have become one of my favorite formats of journals to work in.  Problem is pretty much all you can find anymore are the vinyl binders.  This is why I decided to start rebuilding my own binders from the vinyl ones to suit my own needs. I hope you enjoy these videos!

Being the "Spotlight Artist" this month, these videos are being shown on "The Art Camp for Woman" site. They are also offering a free 2014 Camp Giveaway! Please go check it out!

Artist Spotlight

I am honored to be in the "Artist Spotlight" with an interview over at  Art Camp For Woman.  Please go and check it out!

A Mehndi Inspired Hand Book

This video is a flip through of one of my favorite journals (awe heck, I don't know why I say one of my favorites ... they are all my favorites), the Hand Book.  It's inspired by the art of Mehndi. I will be teaching this Workshop at several retreats in 2013 and beyond.  Please check the right hand side-bar of my blog for dates and locations.

Now that I am learning the basics of making videos, I have been working on an on-line tutorial for converting vinyl binders into usable box-board notebooks for journaling. Unfortunately, it won't be available for several weeks as I have to set it aside for a bit. This will be a two part 25 minute video walking you through the entire process, start to finish.

Journalfest Notebook Video

This is my first ever video.  I am rather pleased with how it came out and wanted to share it.  This is basically just a practice and learning (for me) flip through video of an event journal I made a few years ago for the last Journalfest.  It was made in the binder format.  At the time I made this journal I didn't have any of the chip board binders that I like so well, so I ended up deconstructing a vinyl binder and rebuilding it. This video doesn't show that process, but instead the end result.   I plan to make a video demonstrating the process, so if you're interested, make sure to stop by again soon!

Art Journaling Magazine

What a pleasant surprise!  I had no idea that this journal spread of mine was going to be published in the Spring 2013 issue of Art Journaling ... let alone at all.  I just love these kind of surprises.  By the way, this is an awesome issue of Art Journaling ... as they all are.

Shaped Journals are now available!

I have 6 different shaped Journals available on my ETSY site now.  

Phew ... that was a lot of work!  

They are not available on my website yet, but hopefully soon.

They are all individually packaged as shown below.

"Shaped Journals" article in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors"

Awhile back "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" Magazine ask me to write an article on making shaped journals. I just received my complimentary issues and couldn't be happier. They have done an outstanding job photographing my samples and laying it out. This is the March/April 2013 issue, soon to be available on store shelves any day now.

And for the many of you that email me asking for class kits, I have decided to do a trail run of making a few of these journals and offering them for sale.  The plan is to have them available next week on my website and on ETSY.

"Today" Journal spread

Can't seem to focus on anything today and this is the journal spread that resulted. It's done in my "File Folder Journal #3", which is beginning to fill up nicely.  I'm starting to use washi tape in my journals.  I have had several rolls for quite awhile, but have had issues with the lack of permanence.  Now, I am beginning to come to terms with it.

Ginny's Small Studio Workshop Series

Coming up rather quickly, I will be teaching "The Wall"  and "The Journal Obscura" at Ginny's Small Studio in Westlake, Ohio.  The dates are March 23rd and 24th, 2013.

"The Wall" is a Graffiti inspired accordion journal.  Click here to see more photos.

 "The Journal Obscura" is a journal inspired by the Camera Obscura.  Click here to see more photos.

I am so looking forward to this and I hope you'll join us for one or both of these workshops at Ginny's great studio!  

And if you are unable to join us for these workshops, I do hope you'll at least visit Ginny's shop. Her "eclectic and curious goods" are a feast for the eyes.  My head just spins thinking of all the possibilities! I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

File Folder Journal #3

As you can see by the date in red below, I started this File Folder Journal last year in April.  I have hardly touched it since.  Fortunately, while I was in California last week I had a little time to work on this journal.  It is still very far from complete and  I really only have 2 completed spreads at this point.  However, many of the pages are beginning to develop nicely now ... it has been a work in progress and probably will be for quite some time.

Click here to see more images of the "Vintage File Folder Journals"

Workshops in Southern California

I returned a few days ago from sunny southern California. Fullerton, California to be exact.  I taught two new workshops while I was there at Katherine England's Studio.

Above is a photo of the outside of the studio.  Wouldn't that make you happy to look outside your back window and see this fabulous studio just waiting for you every morning?

The Workshops were "The Journal Obscura" and "The File Folder Journals".  We had lots of fun and made a terrible mess both days.

Sequins were everywhere.  I'm certain  Katherine will be finding sequins in the studio and throughout her house for many years to come.

Below are some examples of "The Journal Obscura".  I love how they all come out so differently when we are all using basically the same materials.

Katherine and I are hoping to get our schedules to mesh so that perhaps I can go back again in the beginning of June this year.  Be sure to check back!

Journal Obscura Brochure

A new journal such as "The Journal Obscura" requires a lot of preparation before it can become a workshop.  What I am doing for my new workshops being developed (and older ones as time permits), is designing and then having printed up a hand out (in brochure format) which contains all sorts of information relating to the class.  I love adding these kinds of details to a workshop!  In this case I have included a brief history of the Camera Obscura, which the design of this new journal is loosely based on, along with all sorts of instructions and suggestions.

I will be teaching this workshop for the first time in a few short days at Katherine England's Studio in Fullerton, California and then in Westlake, Ohio at Ginny's Small Studio in March.  Hope you'll join us!

Workshop Preparation

I am working very hard at preparing for my upcoming workshops.  I am always surprised by how much work it is.  Above is a small portion of the 300 sets of "The Bee Book" and "The Hand Book" that my husband sawed out.  These are only the wooden covers.  This doesn't include the provided boxboard pages and the collage sheet packets that go along with the kits.

This photo is of the 495 paper mache boxes sitting in my foyer that need to be unpacked, sorted, resized and altered to work for upcoming workshops.

This is the stack of 500 large sheets of paper that need to be cut down to size and repacked for kits.  Of course, those are just the highlights.  While I love what I do, it does involve an awful lot of prep work and planning and certainly explains why I haven't been posting pictures of new work.  It's coming, it just takes time ....

California Workshops

The Journal Obscura

I have been so busy lately that I forgot to mention that I will be teaching in California at the studio of Katherine England in a few short weeks.  I will be teaching "The File Folder Journals" on Saturday February 2, 2013 (which is either full or has one spot available) and "The Journal Obscura" (which has 2 spots left) on Sunday February 3rd, 2013. 

The File Folder Journals

These are both new classes.  As of now, this is the only time "The File Folder Journals" will be offered in 2013.  The "Journal Obscura" is scheduled only now in California, New York and Ohio for 2013.  Hope you'll join us!

Diversions

We have been very busy revamping a spare bedroom into an office.  Stripping out old carpet, repainting the room and getting new furniture.  It sure has been a lot of work, but now I am having fun with a few accessories.  The unit above was actually made a few years ago by my husband.  I added some feet and painted it.

I'm too short to reach the upper shelf in the closet, so I bought a wooden foot stool from the thrift shop to assist me ... and of course I painted it.

I also made and painted a wooden box to hold scrap paper.  It's 5" X 7" and 4" tall.  Just the perfect size for 1/4 sheets of used printer paper.  We always seem to have tons of used printer paper and I write so many notes - I find it makes for great scrap paper.

A New Journal

I just wanted to offer a sneak peek of a new journal that I am working on.  Even though it really doesn't look like it at this point, it will be a Mandala Journal of sorts.  More to follow .....