Scrabble Journals

I've been scouring thrift stores for old Scrabble games for a while now because we use the tiles in some of my classes. As a result, I have a pile of Scrabble boards, and I've been thinking for months about making journals with them.

Well, here they are!











They are for sale at Made in Ojai, $28.50 for the large ones, $23.50 for the small ones. Aren't they cool?

Stencilry Class

Whoooo, baby! I'm having so much fun with spray paint and stencils! I signed up for an online class with Mary Ann Moss, both because I wanted to learn more about stenciling and because I wanted to see what the online class thing was all about. I have to say, Mary Ann sets the bar very high, with a 15-20 page booklet for every lesson, a number of online videos, a class blog with samples, links to supplies, and lots of inspiration.

The first lesson was all about using "found" (as opposed to commercial or cut) stencils. I cheated a bit, and as usual I had to do thousands of these once I got started. The colors are quite a bit more vibrant than they look here, at lease on my monitor.

























These use a lot of silver paint, which doesn't photograph well. just imagine much of the white as silver. It's quite cool!











These are done using painter's tape as a mask:



I'm still working on my portfolio cover for the class. Photos coming soon!

Ojai Artisans Space us UP!

Jean and I spent a couple of hours yesterday setting up our space at Made in Ojai, with the help of her husband Bob. I'm pretty happy with how it looks. I think it might be a little too crowded, but we have a lot of stuff to sell in a small space. What do you think?

Here are Jean and Bob early in the setup process:



Here's the entire space:



And here are a bunch of detail photos!















Please send us lots of SELLING Karma!

Altered Mondays: Session Two

Announcing the second six-week session of Altered Mondays at Vita Art Center in Ventura!


Altered Mondays
Mondays, 4/6-5/18, No class May 4
6:30-9 pm



Week 1: Altered Papers
We’ll alter sheet music, maps, book pages and other papers using gesso resist, acrylic glazes, stamping, dry-brushing, distressing and more to create our own collage papers.

Week 2: Photo Transfers
We’ll enhance our photos using markers, crayons and colored pencils and transfer them to paper and fabric, which creates an incredible painterly effect.

Week 3: Metal Magic
With metal sheeting we’ll create stunning panels and embellishments using wet and dry embossing, paint, alcohol inks, molding paste, beads, metallic pastes, rubber stamps, and craft punches.

Week 4: Fabric, Lace and Fibers
These items are not just for sewing any more! We’ll glue, paint, and embellish fabric scraps to make beautiful, textural art fragments.

Weeks 5 and 6: Put it all together!
In the final two sessions, we’ll combine the papers, photos, metal embellishments and fabric art fragments you’ve created into a beautiful wall decoration using collage and machine stitching techniques.

Mosaic Mirrors

I had a great time this week with my sister Jen and her kids (Ryan 12 and Alexa 5) making mosaic mirrors. The grouting was a challenge for the kids, but I love the way theirs turned out looking like a bunch of stuff dropped in the sand!

Here's Ryan's:



And Lexi's:



And here's Jen's:



I made two, one of them for a class I taught at Vita the past couple of weekends. Photos of that class coming soon!

Tea Box

Last week I created a box to hold tea bags from a very cool cigar box that opens at the top like double doors. This was my demo piece for my Altered Mondays class, and I'm so happy with how it turned out. It looks great on the side table in my dining area.

My Bird Board Book

Over the past couple of weeks I retreated from the world a bit and spent a lot of time alone in my studio, which I desperately needed. During this time I completed an altered board book as an example for the Altered Mondays class I'm teaching. I wanted the students to see a completed work, building from the demos I'd done in class. I've been wanting to do something with birds, and am pretty happy with how this turned out.

Warning, tons of photos here!























































In the midst of working on this highly detailed and colorful book, I hatched (hee, hee) an idea for a much more minimalist book on ravens. Stay tuned!