What I've been up to lately

Wondering where I've been and what I've been up to lately?

Quite a lot, actually. For starters... I have been doing some needle felting. I made a sweet little lamb for a friend who will soon give birth to her first child.

I also made a funky needle felted folk doll (my first one). I'm working on another and will
post it as soon as I get more wool (ran out).

I went to another "Lounge" at the Center for Book Arts in NYC . This is the greatest place. Once a month on a Friday night, for $10 ($5 if you're a member) you can take an interesting little 3 hour workshop. They supply all the materials, beer, soda and munchies. At the end of the night, you walk out with something terrific that you've made. I just love the place! Check them out

(http://www.centerforbookarts.org/

So here is what I made at the last 2 monthly Lounges. At the April Lounge, we made a Coptic bound journal. I made mine with pockets in both the front and back inside covers. The pockets and stitching were my own special touch to the model they taught.
Inside front cover

Inside back cover

Coptic binding - spine. I just love the way it looks and I love making it.

And at the May Lounge, a portable leather strop to sharpen the blades and knives you use for book binding. Everyone got to make 2 strops. The lecture was given by an awesome woman who is currently working as a book conservator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art .

The strop closed, The strop with one side open. The strop fully opened.

As you can see, the strop is like a little book and it is bound with book cloth over binder's board. It measures 6" x 3" closed. The black panel is #600 emery paper and the brown panel is suede leather. The emery paper sharpens the blade and the leather polishes it. Now I know how to make a cloth bound book. I love, love, love making books!

And speaking of books... I am participating in a Round Robin with 9 other artists in my Handmade Books Yahoo group. Here is my handmade journal.


My theme is "The Sea and Ocean Life. I am having the best time. I hope there will be future Round Robins with this group.

Here is my contribution to a RR member's journal. Jane's likes Outsider Art and subconscious content. This is a new genre for me. It's a story with an Outsider Art sensibility. I wasn't sure about it, but she really liked what I did.


Page1 Pages 2-3

Pages 4-5 Pages 6-7



And finally, here as promised, is a photo of the bush in the park taken on 5/11. If you remember I was documenting it's life along with my collage, The Measure of Breath, which I made for Seth Apter's Disintegration Collaboration. The collage is now off the terrace and waiting for its next life. Here is the beautiful park bush almost in full flower. Isn't it gorgeous!