Update!

Here's a brief update...since I've been absent from my blog for so long:

Although, I haven't posted lately...I've been busy working on my

inventory - hunting and collecting new material and

creating work...

here's a peek:

I have finally completed my first small leather journal

from leather I collected at the Porte de Vanves flea market in Paris last year.

I found this wonderful leather folder - with hand tooling on the cover and

hand stitched sewing on the sides. I cleaned it with a leather conditioner/cleaner and

it looks brand new! I am going to cut down the leather and make smaller books with it --

this first one is only about 4 1/2" in height.

The closure is an olive green suede strap which pulls

through an antique button.

The leather is machine stitched on the exterior - and

another pieces of dark brown upcycled leather (from a thrift shop coat!) is glued to

the interior of the leather for extra support.

This is what the original leather folder looked like!

NEWS:

A few weeks ago we stumbled upon a little antique store -

in a little town - with a going out of business sign on the front door...

so we went in...

WOW!

What a find!

This place was a magnificent castle (okay, actually an old building) filled with

treasures in every little corner, nook and cranny, back closet space and creaky old attic!

We loved it!

We digged and looked and pulled and lifted and found

lots of amazing things.

So many amazing things that we got this Uhaul to bring them all back!

I picked up tons of art supplies - leather, paper, encyclopedia books,

a crazy binding kit, display items...

here are the bigger things:

Two awesome gigantic crates (on wheels) for storage and art shows!

And, this huge Press!!

It needs a little work - but, hopefully it will be up and running sometime sooner rather

than later!

Very exciting indeed!

Oh, I had to include this wonderful picture of my grandmother's tablecloth!

It's about 40 years old and was handpainted by her friend.

It's so super cool - I just loved it!

I mean....come on....

Veggie People -

with carrot legs and zucchini arms...

it doesn't get much better than that!

How about this one:

She is throwing the baby onion!!

So great!

Okay, back to my recent work:

I found this "velobinder" machine complete with the plastic binding strips.

So, I made an edition of these Vintage Notepads with

covers from 1960 encyclopedias and wonderful images

from "The Golden Book Illustrated Dictionary" books just

recently rescued from the local thrift shop.

The images are really bright and colorful.

The backs are all made with colorful cardstock.

The interior is lined paper, grid paper and upcycled paper...

otherwise headed for the big paper graveyard in the sky.

Some of these images are so funny.

This says "Planning Your Basement"

with family gathered and couples dancing.

It looks like it should say,
"Planning Your Wedding".

I just wanted to include some of these little journals: