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As I write this we am greatly saddened by the war in Iraq. We pray for a quick ending and the safe return of our troops. Spring has really sprung – like three weeks ago, as we had one of the mildest winters on record. The Hun has already started his garden. We have had fresh lettuce all winter long for we have a twelve-month growing season, or so he tells me, for cold tolerant vegetables. I'm a beader and an eater, not a grower I tell him - don't bother me with the details. We had a tearful farewell party for our phantom subscriber, who, as the foreign correspondent for this newsletter, is an accredited journalist and is embedded with the First Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq. In addition to her correspondent duties she has signed up 26 new subscribers; 18 Marines, two SEALS, five Kuwaitis and one captured Fedayeen fighter.
road trips and classes too!The Creative Palette in St. Mary's Georgia was fantabulos. It usually takes two or three years for a new show to work out all the glitches and establish itself but Paula Amari worked miracles and the show went off with nary a hitch. Attendance was almost double what she anticipated and the streets of St. Mary's overflowed with happy stampers. The night before the show her shop, Old Town Crafts, was so overrun by crazed shoppers, The Hun stepped in to help by opening up a second cash register.Instead of the typical dreary, industrial-type convention hall, the classes and vendors were placed in various 17th and 18th century buildings throughout the historic district of St. Mary's. The weather was beautiful and the attendees walked from venue to venue following a map of the class and vendor locations. Paula hosted a farewell vendor and teacher dinner in one of the oldest and most beautiful of the historic houses. No matter how many times Paula cautioned the other merchants and restaurateurs in town to expect a wave of crazed stampers, they ignored her Orange/high alert. One week after the show, numerous meetings were being held by the chamber of commerce to begin to prepare for next year's show. My private Amulet Bag class in Ft. Lauderdale went well. However, next time I teach a project as major as this I will make it a two-day class. The amount of detail was a bit overwhelming, but everybody got a great start on their bags and they now have the tools and knowledge to finish on their own. I guess they liked me ‘cause they have scheduled three more classes in June, following the Artful Journey in Jacksonville. On May 24th I will both exhibit and teach (my class on the spiral Beaded Bracelet will be held on May 23rd) at Artstampagogo in San Diego at the Scottish Rites Center. Bobbi Richards tells me that she has a full complement of vendors and teachers and that the classes and vendor space are virtually sold out. No wonder with all the great advertising and promotion Bobbi has given the show. Check out the great web site for full information. The Artful Journey, to be held in Jacksonville instead of Daytona Beach this year, will be on May 30th. I apologize to those of you who wanted to take a class with me in Jacksonville. I sent in my class proposals after the deadline and all the slots were taken. However, I will be there with my stamps, mold boards, and other stuff. Information can be gotten from A Small Cleverness (904) 272-0503. With two shows back-to-back and many classes in between, I will be in serious need of some R&R, so up to Savannah for a break with Cheryl and some serious gluttony on the part of The Hun at his favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the US (just outside Savannah.) On my way up to Savannah I will stop off in St. Mary's and teach a new class at Old Town Crafts – a Beaded Cloth Goddess Doll on Sunday, June 1st. Contact the aforementioned Paula at (877) 313-6745 for more information. Last I talked to her there were still two spots open. For Bay area stampers I will be at Only The Best, a new store in Los Gatos at 15954 Los Gatos Blvd. (corner of Blossom Hill and Los Gatos Blvd.) on Saturday, May 3rd. In the morning I will be teaching the cloth Goddess Doll, as seen in the March/April issue of Expression magazine. In the afternoon, I will be teaching the Spirit Guides in polymer clay. For details, directions, and sign-ups call Sherrie at (408) 356-7362. Next to lastly, for all you Tucson area crafters, I will co-teach an all day workshop on June 21st with Malana Watt-Corn. Malana will teach Faux Fused Art Glass and Abalone techniques, using the hot pot and ultra thick embossing enamel in the morning. In the afternoon I will teach beading bezels and embellishments to turn the UTEE pieces into a pendant, pin, or bracelet. This is a new class I have developed with Malana, who is a great teacher and all around nice person. I am very excited about this class. To register or for more details call Malana at (520) 323-2131. Lastly, I will be teaching the Spirit Guide Vessel class at Stamp It Rich in Placerville on Sunday, June 29th. Contact Linda Johnson at (530) 344-0452 for information.
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a rubber tsunamiWith the article in "Belle Armoire" in January, and then the spread in "Expression" magazine in February, which hit the newsstands about the same time as The Carol Duvall Show reran my spot, the proverbial stuff hit the fan. Thank you one and all for your patience as I got seriously behind in the orders for about a month. Like the merchants of St. Mary's I was not prepared for the deluge. I had The Hun tethered to the vulcanizers for days at a time. He kept threatening to move to American Samoa to get a break. Write often, I told him.If I never understood the power of publicity before, I do now. I would like to thank the entire editorial staff and art department at "Expression" for the beautiful photography, layout, and writing. What a pleasure working with such a professional organization. As a result of the two articles I received at least 100 queries (The Hun says closer to 150) for information about where my faces or the molds can be purchased. Sorry to say I do not sell either, but with some diligent searching and detective work I have uncovered some other sources for faces and face molds.
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news flash!New mold boards are on the way! We will soon have boards No. 13 thru 16 in stock and their pictures will be added to the web site.
and the winner is…Hit me with the digits… or what ever. Well the votes are in and the winner of our second annual She Who… contest is official – Sharon Matthews of Sacramento, a virtual neighbor, with her winning entry: She who Is Chronologically Enhanced. Sharon will be getting her free stamp and we will be bronzing her favorite stamp pad for placement in our Stamping Hall of Fame Museum. Thank you all for your wonderful entries.
and the next winner is…A new contest – Name That Thingy. I recently received some flowers from a dinner guest and each stem was placed into a small (three inch long) plastic tube with a soft, removable cap. Being the consummate crafter I could not bear to throw something away that had some kind of utility and a long shelf life. The Hun and I pondered long and hard over a use for these little things but came up empty.So I have decided to give $25 in dies to the best suggestion for their use. And I will NOT entertain suggestions relating to places to put them in and around my body.
journal journeyWell, we sold out of our first shipment of Bonnie Henry's wonderful journal. We have just received another few dozen and can fill our back orders. If you have ever wanted to keep a journal this is the one for you. “Just Doin' The Dance” is an invitation for introspection which triggers thoughts and memories, invites you to write from the heart, provides an opportunity to know yourself from a fresh perspective, and allows you to move at your own pace. A journey worth taking.This beautiful, boxed journal includes my calligraphy and images and is filled with warm thoughts and attached envelopes for storing the precious mementos that accompany your words and thoughts. It is spiral bound so that it lies flat when you write and wonderful fibers attached to act as a bookmark. A gift for a friend or yourself, and at $32 a bargain as well. See pictures of the book here.
the so sad powder storyA victim of her own success, Vickie cannot continue to offer her wonderful swatch book of her fine detailed embossing powders, to retail customers. The book will only be available to wholesale accounts. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
sky blue and xina too!If you are into other crafts than just rubber stamps, then SkyBluePink is for you. Bits and pieces of just about everything that doesn't move when you poke it with a stick. Do yourself a favor and sign up for their newsletter at newsletter@skybluepink.com.
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sourcesPaper: a Love AffairAdmit it, you're addicted to paper. We all are. What started out as pounded plants for sacred writings (papyrus) has become so common as to be virtually unnoticed in daily life. And yet so beautiful, so compelling, that great numbers of humans hoard it. One cannot have too much paper! In this spirit, I've collected some great paper resources for you, places to learn about paper, as well as ones for purchasing it.Büttenpapier - Handmade paper
Dieter Freyer of Vienna, Austria, maintains this site, where the main objective is "to provide a unique and comprehensive overview of worldwide internet projects some way connected with handmade paper and paper history." Links to the history of paper making, paper museums, papermaking instructions, worldwide manufacturers, paper art, and many more categories. Not all the links are to English pages, but you'll find more than enough to keep you busy for months! A wonderful resource.
All About Paper
A nice history of paper making from a Thai paper manufacturer.
Paper Glossary
This glossary from Paper Online, a European non-profit organization, has more than you ever wanted to know about paper!
Japanese Paper Place
This 20-year-old store in Toronto, Canada, has over 1000 types of paper from Japan! It is said to be the largest collection under one roof anywhere, and I'm ready to believe it. In addition to information about traditional handmade Japanese papers, swatches of most of their papers are online. They show over 400 images of the popular chiyogami paper, which has patterns based on kimono textiles, plus origami papers, and many more. They import the paper directly, but they don't sell it online. They do have a list of companies that sell their paper, and, of course, you can make a trip to Toronto or their second location in Montreal.
Skycraft Design
Wonderful hand-marbled paper by Peggy Skycraft, available in smaller pieces as collage packs. To die for!! And something new to me is on offer: Skycraft Metallic Oil Pastels. "These handmade, beeswax color sticks provide great buttery performance and brilliant metallic effects." Colors include copper, yellow gold, dark rich gold, russet, sunset gold (greenish), pewter, bronze, pearlescent purple, blue, raspberry, olive green, silver, pearl white, teal, emerald. Other colors: interference red, green, blue, purple. Wow. I think I NEED these.
Hollander's Here's what their Web page says about Hollander's: "Hollander's is located in the historic Kerrytown Shops in Ann Arbor, Michigan on two floor levels. Upstairs, owners Tom and Cindy Hollander have designed their store as a retail shop which is primarily a source for unique decorative papers as well as bookbinding tools and supplies. Their store is one of the largest retail sources of decorative papers in the country, with over 1200 different papers in stock. In addition, Hollander's is also a major source of hand bookbinding tools and supplies including book cloths, leathers, glues, binder's board, and many other related items. "In the downstairs location, Tom and Cindy have established Hollander's School of Book & Paper Arts. The space contains Hollander's own studio as well as a large space for workshops and large equipment, including an area for letterpress equipment. Beginning with the 2003 Winter/Spring Term workshops, Hollander's will also be offering Open Studio. Tom and Cindy regularly teach workshops in making various boxes, journals, photo albums, picture frames, and even complete desk sets. Workshops that are regularly taught by other instructors include those in various book arts, leather bookbinding, letterpress printing, papermaking, marbling, calligraphy, photo transfer, and many others."
Artpaper.com
Specializing in handmade papers (India, Thailand, Nepal, and Japan), petal papers for wedding invitations, high quality ink jet papers, acid free papers for drawing, printmaking, and watercolor. They have fewer decorative papers than Hollander's, but have special papers for calligraphy, painting, and computer printing. There is an interesting article on "Archival Concerns: A Discussion of Fiber and Process" on the front page, and a quarterly e-mail newsletter is available.
Shizu From their Web page: "Shizu stocks an extensive line of fine Japanese papers, dolls, and origami supplies. Many papers are hand made, including a few styles made with techniques dating back hundreds of years. Shizu also carries many exquisite and intricately detailed machine made papers which are suitable for framing. Unique gifts, collectible artwork, and useful day to day items can be found among the diverse inventory."
Members of the OrientalStampingArts Yahoo group say Shizu has the best prices on Japanese papers they've ever found. Worth a visit if you are ever near Pasadena, California. Well, that "wraps up" this issue's column...
cheers,
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brickbats and kudosWe received such positive response from the last newsletter when we shared some of the correspondence we received from readers that I have included a few more.
Have you ever thought of doing stand-up comedy? Your newsletters
are hilarious.
Laura G Dear Laura: Sure have – right after filling the orders, designing the stamps, making the class kits, teaching the classes, and doing the shows.
I love your rubber stamps. I just learned how to order on line and my allowance will be on its way to you soon.
Karla S. Boy Oh boy are you in big trouble now.
…I became obsessed with finding cool faces to work with. I loved the story about the Hun creating a diversion so you could pull a mold off a face in a shop. My girlfriends have offered the same help.
Carol S-S Just a tip – carry the card of a good bail bonds man with you.
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bistro hunEven as someone who loves to be in the kitchen, I look for ways to get the job done easier and quicker. Here are a few of the things I have found that make cooking a pleasure rather than a chore.• A BIG (and I mean big) mixing bowl. There is nothing worse than trying to incorporate or evenly distribute ingredients in a bowl that is too small. And just because all the ingredients fit in the bowl with an inch to spare to the rim, does not mean the bowl is big enough. I found an 18” diameter stainless steel bowl in my local super market for $10 that makes mixing work a pleasure. This bowl is so big I feel silly taking it down for a simple mixing job, and washing it is a pain. But every time I use it I pat myself on the back for buying it. If you think I am exaggerating try it, and if you are not satisfied they will probably give you your money back. • Sharp knives. If you do not have high carbon stainless knives, skip this part as the only way to sharpen regular stainless steel knives is with a grinding wheel. If you still have the knife set you got for your wedding from your cousins, you know, the stay sharp forever, Samuri Ginsu set, do yourself a favor and splurge on some Henkle or Wustoff. Try Knife Merchant or PCD for an excellent selection and very good prices. It is amazing to me that every time I visit someone and help out in the kitchen, their knives are so dull it hurts. Actually when we visited an old friend in Florida recently I was shocked at how sharp her knives were. When I remarket on the fact she told me that since buying them she had never used them. Cut one onion or carrot with a properly sharpened knife and you will thank me. You will need a sharpening stone and a steel to keep them sharp. You only use the stone about once a year, but the steel (which realigns your edge) is used virtually every time you use your knives. It pays to become proficient with the steel. Confused about knives in general? Next time I'll delve into the large subject of knives and how to buy them. Meanwhile, PCD, mentioned above, has a guide to knives online. • Tongs. Metal tongs act like a pair of hands that feel no heat and can get right down into the pan and lift or mix food. Not a complete substitute for a spatula or wooden spoon, but I use them most often of all my stove tools. Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Napa will not let his cooks use them (as it damages the food he says) but he is as pretentious as his food. Tongs are inexpensive, from $3.00 to $10. I like the ones with a rubber inset in the handles as they are easier to grip when your hands are wet or greasy.
That's all for now!
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