Journal pages-


I hope that everyone's been having a nice weekend. I taught on Saturday at Janet's house. We had a ton of fun and made not one, but TWO two needle coptic books. Good group!
Sunday, Tristan and I got up early to make the $6 9:45 a.m. showing of Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at Century City's AMC theater. The movie was "good" (not bad, but not great). The acting was good...it's just that the story line wasn't the best and it made a better sequel to Close Encounters then the Indiana Jones series.

I've been trying to finish up a sample for my new class called "The Storyteller". It's a journal form I've never taught in a class before but one I think you will all be very excited about. We'll also be exploring (hands on, diving right in) new collage and mixed media techniques. I'm loving the size and format of the book (and I hope you will too!). I hope to post pictures of it tomorrow on the blog.

I received issue #2 of Lines & Shapes. I really like this little book. It's pricey at $25 an issue, but so far I have been very happy with the issues I've bought. You can see some of the "insides" of each book on their site. I suggest looking through it though as it's not something everyone who reads this blog will enjoy (but I love it!!) I get a lot of inspiration and ideas from books like these.

I also received my three "Paumes" books that I ordered from Japan. WOW! I think some of you know that I collect and treasure these little books. The ones I ordered this time were the new ones:
PARIS BOUQUINS
ATELIERS DE FILLES 2
PARIS BROCANTE
If you go to their site and click on "book", you will see more pictures, etc...
The one thing you need to realize is that the books are not in English. They are in Japanese (sometimes they are in Japanese AND French). I just love looking at the pictures in each one.
With the rapid decline of the U.S. dollar, the shipping cost was high ($20 to ship all 3). It was about the same cost to buy them through Kinokuniya in the States. Again, not something everyone will enjoy, but I adore them!!

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I have three workshops coming up this week. If you're interested in learning the 2 needle coptic stitch book, sign up now! I have new classes that I'm eager to debut and won't be teaching this one again for awhile :)

Wed night, May 28^th Stampin from the Heart 2 needle coptic 6:30 to 8:30 310 391 0466

Sat May 31^st Creative Courage Woodland Hills Snippets Book

Sun June 1^st Zinnia So. Pasadena Fukoro Toji 626 441 2181

To sign up, please phone the store (all 3 stores are closed on Mondays). Questions? Please drop me an email. :)

Music for the weekend...

Miriam Makeba Pata Pata



Nina Simone Ain't Got No...I got life



and because this one always stays with me when I hear it-
Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit

One more...



there's also this one...

Kilmer Family Movie of the Week...

Journal pages from last night-

The one above isn't done yet. I started it at about 10:30 last night...I was called away from it 'cause hubby brought out his Film Noir DVDs that I bought him for Christmas. We watched "Illegal" with Edward G. Robinson. Good film. (Did you know that Edward G. Robinson gave Frida her first major sale, buying four of her paintings in 1938?)

Teaching tomorrow in Simi Valley (it's a full class, a fun group and I'm looking forward to it!!). Not sure yet about Sunday's Snippets class yet at the Art Bar (holiday weekends can be hit or miss with sign ups. Either people stay home or they head out of Dodge..one never knows! If you're interested, sign up asap! I'll be checking with them Saturday afternoon to see if it's a go or not.).

Hopefully by Tuesday, I will have my sample for my new "Storyteller" class to share with you. It's a workshop I am very excited about!!

I'm almost done with the journal above. It's been a stretch for me (book size/shape wise). I'm not used to working in a long, landscape form. It's pushed me and I've struggled with it. I do like experimenting with new journal forms as it keeps me on my toes! I'm already thinking of the next journal size/shape and overall construction.

There are 5 journals listed in my etsy shop at the moment. I'm not sure when the next time I will be adding more to the shop, so if you see one you are interested in, please don't hesitate :)

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Eager to see John Cusack's new film "War, Inc." Cusack's interviewed on today's Democracy Now.

Two journal pages from last night:

On the dancing rabbits page, I used a quote from Kurt Vonnegut.




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California residents-
2 weeks left to save not only rent control but also renter's RIGHTS. Please get out and VOTE. More here. NO on 98.

Finished up some journal pages from the post a couple of days ago and a new one-

(I may still do some more to the above one)

Yesterday afternoon I decided I needed to trim my hair. So, I just grabbed a hunk of it and chopped off about 6". Weird feeling. I feel like I'm missing something. Very weird. Scary to look in the trash and see a chunk of your hair like there's a person lying dead in there. Of course, no one noticed even with me saying "Notice anything different?" while I waved my hair around. *sigh*

Tristan and I went to the post office at the Grove yesterday to mail a bunch of packages. I think media mail is now what priority mail used to be. :P

We also hit Barnes & Noble. No new books for me, though Tristan did buy two more of the Indiana Jones books that he loves. And yes, the boy is counting down to the movie. I did buy the new issue of Mary Jane's Farm. Disappointed that it now has ads in it, but what can you do? I usually read it and then cut it up to collage.

Getting ready for my special coptic book class in Simi Valley this weekend. It's a 5 hour workshop. We'll be making TWO journals-a "mock" dummy one to learn the stitch, and then the "Real thing". We'll also be learning and utilizing various NEW mixed media and collage techniques. I'll be teaching a much shorter version of the class a week from today at Stampin' From The Heart. There's room in both workshops, and we'd love to have you join us! I also have plans to teach this Sunday at The Art Bar, my "Snippets" book class (I LOVE this book).

Thankful that it's cooled down (wish the mugginess in the apartment would go away). Munchkin his home sick today, so we're just trying to take it easy.

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Next Wednesday (May 28th), there is a special Will Eisner event at Storyopolis. You do need to RSVP, so please note the details on this page.

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Oh, please. Like I need another reason NOT to fly American.

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Sheesh, as we Irish would say, let's not back up the hearse yet...Kennedy's one of the few in office that I actually like. Cut him some slack and let's hope for the best instead of already burying him, for crissakes.

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A tribute to Roslyn Zinn.

Journal page from last night-

How do I get an invitation to this?? Huge congrats!!!!

Several years later and I finally finished this book. I loved her quotes and speeches sprinkled throughout the book. She was a damn good woman who fought for what she believed in (and rightfully so). We have a lot to thank her (and those who stood with her) for.

Malcolm X would have been 83 yesterday.