Waiting to Hatch

Four Square

The Jr. Boxer is another wonderful FAO image.

He didn't punch out the holes in the paper though, Jane did.

I spy a lady from one of my cabinet cards.

She reminds me of Annie Sullivan with her round spectacles. I read just about every Helen Keller book I could get my hands on in grade school. I remember one paperback that had a raised Braille alphabet on the back cover. I would shut my eyes and try to read it with my fingers. I never could.

Off to play with this technique some more.

Mail Call

If you subscribe, you may have received your copy in today's mail. If you don't, the online extras will have to hold you until May 2nd.

This issue of CPS is my favorite to date. It is absolutely stuffed with great projects and ideas. I want to try all of them, except of course, my own projects (page 66, just in case you were curious) which I have obviously tried already. You can check out the Table of Contents for a preview here.

Here are are couple of the many highlights:

I saw Kelli's colorful paper quilt and equally colorful hair in Chicago and am anxious to try my hand at "fabric-paper." Her paper beads will be featured in Issue 13 and will likely cause a run on UTEE at craft stores across America. The gorgeous cover art is from Anahata Katkin - she's the anti-Cheryl in that she works big. I am love with her illustration on the cover. Maybe my 1.5" collages will grow up someday.

Beamed in from Fiberspace, Julaine's technique for turning the utilitarian into art, as she deftly demonstrated at MIU, is also featured -- ok, all together now: OOOOOooooh shiny. I can hear the orchestra starting to play indicating that my time is up, so I will quickly mention Jennifer Valentine and her inspired artwork before I'm ushered off stage. In Jennifer's hands, bedroom slippers become a beautiful assemblage.

One last note before the commercial break: I got a big kick out of seeing a picture of my cover issue, CPS 10, on the enclosed subscription coupon. Nice to know that Sixtyopoly's image will be serving as an impromptu drink coaster all over the world, in addition to saving other mixed-up media enthusiasts 61% off the cover price.

Let me know if you think the issue is as great as I think it is. Or better yet, let Pokey and the gang know.

Shameless Self Promotion

The May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors is almost here, and yours truly has some work featured in it. Remember this?

At the time I didn't show you what I was working on, but I will now. Here is one of the four pieces featured, ta da!

This was the piece that (partially) inspired this piece. It features Mark's Aunt Cooky at three. Cooky finished her radiation treatment today. She still has to wear these once in a while, but is "getting fuzzy like a baby chick."

Ok, that was so much fun I'll show the other parent of the MIU piece. It looks like it's the same size but it's actually twice the width of the one above.

The piece we did at MIU was a hybrid of the 6" x 6" assemblage's size and layout and the paint technique from the 6" x 12" piece.

You'll just have to get the magazine for details on these pieces and to see the final incarnation of the bigger piece. It got some subtle finishing touches. Ciao for now.

Squash

She's considering what squash variation to cook.

04-24-2007

Chicago Trip - cont'd

In addition to MIU and Leslie's surprise party, I also got to see my long lost cousins, Lena and Sabrina, my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Mike while I was in Chicago. We met up for brunch and then went to "The Bean" at Millennium Park.

Lena, 15, and me - she was my baby by anotha motha. And fatha.

The Bean, as it's affectionately referred to, is actually entitled "Cloud Gate" and is just beautiful, if not a little fingerprinty, when you see it up close. It's super-cool, because you can see the skyline in it's reflection.

Me and Sabrina, 12, at the Bean-a.

L to R: Nancy, Mark, Michael, me, Sabrina, Lena, random tourist.

Took this one from under the arch.

It's a Fun House mirror effect - we're all actually over 6 feet tall. ; p

These were taken the day prior to seeing The Bean from the ground from the roof of my cousin Art's building.

Can you see the skyline? It reminds me of something else. Hmmmm.

Mark and I stayed at the Hampton Inn Majestic in the LaSalle Bank Theatre Building. It was very art-deco and in a great location, but what made it even cooler for me was the fact that my mom used to work in that building back in 1964! How strange to be in the elevator and think that Mom rode it to her job at the insurance company before she even MET Dad!

I wonder which floor she worked on......

What I Caught Fishing at the Lake [wood Antique Market]

Actually, it's more like junking, but I made a good haul.

Metal star with wood frame - it hasn't found a home yet so I propped it up against the fireplace.


HAD to have the antique Greek doll complete with foostanella and pompoms on his shoes. I'm not a doll person, but I am a Greek person so I'm allowed. You can also see a cabinet card featuring a very cranky baby, who is the subject of today's tile.


I think I'll call him Thanasi after my Popou. (The doll, not the cranky baby, silly.)


A pocket calendar from 1911, some metal stars and one of several printing blocks. This one says "And a Happy New Year."


Several of the printing blocks, including a half-tone photo that I inked in blue.


Printed matchbook from Texas.


My new-old tin junk with some of my old-old tin junk. You should have seen the one that got away.


Yesterday's tile from the FAO cache of images. Babs on Ice.


Babs is already in this assemblage complete with marabou, glitter, and metallic silver paint. I know, it's too precious, but I need to get my girlie fix somehow.

I think I just figured out what Mark is getting for Father's Day. A Mr. Cranky T-shirt.

Pinestraw Billy

Don't ask me what "Stirrup Control" means, ask Pinestraw Billy. Maybe he knows. I cut the phrase off of some kind of industrial tag from Random Arts. Jane: any clue as to what it means?

Pony Up

I have been like a kid on Christmas morning clipping up that toy catalog. It has both great images and text. Off to open today's present. Happy trails.

Tile Catch Up

The baby doll image and the words came from a vintage FAO Schwarz catalog.Thanks, Julaine! I went to a double-header baptism for my cousin Angella's two children, Dina and Christos, the day I made this tile . See the kids and check out my peeps. My yiayia (grandmother) is the teeny weeny hobbit-sized lady talking to my ginormous cousin Art.

The Famous Portillo's Hot Dog. Yumbo.

This makes me think of me and Les.

My Auntie Katherine as a little girl. The FAO catalog lent the "baby doll" words.

My dad, alias Georgie Porgie, a regular cowboy with my Auntie Pat.

One of the photos I got from Carmen also with an FAO borrowed title.

Pokey Posted Pix. Say that ten times fast.

You can read her take on the Quilt Festival and MIU here.

Leslie's Surprise

So now that the cat's out of the bag, I can tell you the original reason I was in Chicago: for my dear friend Leslie's surprise [40th!] birthday party. Her husband Geoffrey called us a couple of months ago and asked if we could come. Thanks to Delta Miles, Hilton Honors points and Grandma, we were able to be there. I saw people I hadn't seen in a bajillion years.

Leslie's late parents were the subject of this tile back in January, and became the centerpiece of Leslie's present.

The "M" is for Marra, their surname, and is mounted on an antique door hinge. The "D" is for David and "S" is for Sharon, whom I knew well and miss dearly.

I added weathered erector set pieces embellished with copper brads to the sides of the canvas.

Happy Birthday, Leslie.

If you guys don't come to Atlanta to visit WITH the kids, you're in BIG trouble. Geoffrey promised me. I have it in writing.

Made It Back from MIU!

Met a lot of neat people, had a blast, but it went too quickly. Here are some pix from MIU.

"B-19. B-19"

No, Pokey Bolton, Editor of QA and CPS isn't calling out Bingo numbers.

She's announcing the winners of the lottery of an MIU! class.

Here's the sample I made of the project I taught using this tile.

All I can say is: I want a cordless microphone and I'm having the house wired for speakers in every room. LOVE that thing.

As if poor Mark doesn't have my voice ringing in his ears now.

Here are my 25 students with their finished projects. It was so cool that despite identical material and instruction, each assemblage was unique. Many of the students used the imagery and elements in ways I hadn't imagined. Look for their brilliant ideas passed off as my own in future articles and posts. ;p

You guys better email me pictures like you promised!

Here I am in my Virtual Studio, it was messy, just like the real one,

but missing one important fixture.

Do you know who this is? I forgave her.

Here's me with Rosie who is a doll artist.

Here's Debbi with some new friends admiring her quilt and handmade books.

How is it that I didn't get pictures with Virginia or Kelli or Julaine? I got presents from each of them too: from Virginia a wonderful custom-made fabric stamp I've already used, Julaine brought me a vintage FAO Schwarz catalog I've already used on a daily square and some Kelli gave me a handful of her fabulous paper beads, that really look more like magic beans. Look for a project from those shortly. Thanks, girls!

I also bought some cool things from these funky sisters.

Met some other funky sisters in the Virtual Studio, too: Judy Coates Perez and Deb Silva. Check 'em out, I wish I had more time to hang with them.

All in all, a great time. Already looking forward to next year. I will post on the rest of my Chicago adventure soon.

Two for the Road

Tuesday's Child is Orange of Dress.

Wednesday - Butterick Apron Headdress for Tendon Man

Off to Chicago tomorrow. The boys arranged a small going-away gift for me in the form of 100+ degree fevers. Lovely. Nothing like leaving two sick kids behind. It's a good stress reducer. Stewardess, drink cart please.