OFF THE BEATEN PATH studio tour (day 2)

This show has come + gone + I'm already looking forward to next year. It's not my best show, I've never done really well, but it's my favorite show for all the reasons I mentioned yesterday. The next show (another studio tour) is in 3 weeks + every year my plan is to work really hard for this show, knowing that I'll do well, but not great, and then I won't have to work as hard for the November studio tour.

Sunday the tour was open from 12- 5, which gave me time to leisurely enjoy my morning. Monk + I went for a long walk, I ate my breakfast at the table instead of in the walk-in closet while getting dressed, stuff like that. I also decided to be a Sunday driver. Above is one of the "Off the Beaten Path" roads to Claudia's studio. Off of the highway it's one of the wider roads at 1 1/2 lanes.

Back track, I love the name of this little unincorporated town, Prosperity, TN. I am currently listening to Sky Blue Sky on repeat (but slightly pissed that I keep thinking I should visit a VW dealership) + it was the perfect soundtrack for Sunday's drive. Beautiful blue sky, rolling green hills, old farm houses + too many crumbling barns to count. The leaves are just starting to turn.

I slammed on my breaks + threw the car in reverse when I saw this doll on the side of the road. She had not been there long, but seeing her was slightly creepy (or else I watch too many horror movies). On the drive home there was a taxidermy deer head in the middle of the road, but it was too dark to get a good picture. Between the doll + the deer head (still on the plaque) I felt like I was driving in some weird David Lynch world.

Moving into the studio- I did a trade with my felting friend Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid. I spotted this necklace at the TACA show a month ago + I've been thinking of it ever since, so I HAD to have one.

And I'll end with the third reason why I felt like I was in Lynch-land...I was chatting with someone about my Human Fly print + felt the need to make light of this awkward observance. Several people joined in on the voyeurism + it was suggested that I take a photo- it was actually too funny to pass up.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH studio tour (day 1)

I really look forward to this show every year, it's always so relaxing + peaceful. With studio tours you don't have the set-up + weather worries, it's a more comfortable setting. So far there have been more visitors than I have seen in the 2 previous years I have been a guest artist at Claudia's studio, which means there were more people willing to brave the twisting, turning one-lane roads. I really cannot emphasise the off the beaten path part enough.

I am spending the weekend with 2 other Book Babes, Claudia + a glass blower named Damon MacNaught.

My books on display with Claudia's paper in the gallery room

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from Erin @ Operation Paper Cut + Yellow Canoe, saying that she was surprising her husband with a trip to The Smokey Mountains for their 1 year wedding ann. + their drive home coincided with the studio tour! I was really excited because she's a book binder + printer + I was one of my first blog friends. Now she's the first blog friend I have met in real life. I wish our time was not so short, but they had a 10 hour drive back home to Wisconsin.

Thank you Erin + Joe for coming by, it really meant a lot to me. And thank you Tonya for coming by with your snazzy Coach shoes~ don't take them off around me because I might slip them on my feet + walk away with them!

More to come from day 2

FAREWELL...FAREWELL...FAREWELL

Yesterday I said farewell to my Vietnamese lunch group, farewell to co-workers I adore + farewell to the l-o-n-g 70 mile daily commute. Yes, I cried, but I did not wear my polyester pants, like my friend Sissy + my boy suggested...it was 55 degrees out, too cold. As for my plans for the pants...after reading your comments, I think I'll keep them intact + wear them with with confidence!

Today I started my new job, but what I have not mentioned is that it's really my old job from 3 1/2 years ago, only it's a new + improved version of my old job (make sense?). SO there was not that new job anxiety, I'm returning to a job I know (knew) well + wonderful people I had previously worked with for 4 years. And my new Happy Place? going home for lunch! Did I mention that my new job is only 5 miles from my house? Did I mention that yet?

I am done with all the production prep for the show, now it's just packaging + pricing, but I'm ready. The weekend is supposed to be beautiful + I got an e-mail from a traveling blogger saying she'll come by on Saturday. It's going to be a great weekend! Photos + posts to come next week.

Oh! you might be surprized to learn that I did not win the lottery on Wednesday.

PERFECT PANTS?

Not exactly, but they made me smile. I haven't decided if I'll wear them a couple times, then cut them up for fabric...or what. They are super comfortable + in case you were wondering...

YES, they are bell bottoms
YES, they are polyester.

It's absolutely pouring here + even though we are still under drought conditions, I would give all this rain to So. CA if I could. If you or your loved ones are there right now, I hope everyone is safe. I heard from my mom + some friends are being evacuated, but my family is not in any danger.

2 more days at my current day job + 5 more days until the studio tour.
Must get back to work. Goodnight to everyone.


A little bit later: I must have magic drawers because while looking for some paper + I found a nearly finished sketchbook covered in Etsuko fabric. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket on Wednesday.

FUNNY THING IS...

...we have been in this house for 7 months, which is not enough time to loose or accumulate too much stuff, but I've found some things that I forgot about, completely useful things like 2 sketch book size book blocks already stitched + more Etsuko fabric, enough to cover one more book.


I've also sorted through my fabric collection + made bookcloth out of several I've collected. The middle photo is one of my favorites, a vintage 60's Bohemian Gypsy caravan print. And of course, the wonderfully graphic green + blue barkcloth on the far right. There is so little of this, the pieces are actually from a sample book I found at The World's Longest Yard Sale. I wish, I wish, I wish I had 500 yards of it. I also finally used Lara Cameron's Riverstone fabric.

Because of my good fortune I was able to give a little more attention to Tideland + since it's a Terry Gilliam movie I knew that it would demand a whole lot more than inattentive "watching." Like Pan's Labyrinth, it's about a little girl who retreats to a make believe world to escape a really dreadful situation + it's really disturbing + heart breaking, but like all his other movies, completely imaginative + completely original. Can you tell that I'm a fan?

OH S**T!

After yesterday's lunch, this was the conversation that lead to my feeling a little overwhelmed...

Beth~ When is the Off The Beaten Path tour?
Me~ Last weekend of the month.
Beth~ Next weekend.
Me~ No, 2 weeks.
Beth~ Um...Shona, you only have one week left, tomorrow (Saturday) is the 20th, the tour is next weekend.
Me~ OH! S**T!

I really have no clue what happens in my brain + I feel like I have lost an entire week of my life. I bought the jumbo no-frills, industrial calender + my current job completely revolves around date deadlines, but I still thought I had 2 weekends left.

So, towards the end of the day, here are my accomplishments


I printed my new postcard, Konnichiwa. It was originally going to say Muchi Muchi because I love the awkwardly spastic Mushi Mushi exchange between Giovanni Ribisi + Anna Faris in Lost in Translation. It's an extremely casual greeting, but I found out the literal translation is "insect insect."

There was lots of progress on books- they are all in various stages right now + I'll share photos tomorrow.

During all this progress I "watched" 1408 (eh, fine for inattentive viewing) + The Baxter (cute, I always love Justin Theroux's quirky characters). Tideland is on tap for tomorrow.

And lastly, my other new postcard, Hola, is dry + in my Etsy shop. Can you see a theme developing?

FAREWELL LUNCH (no.3)

Three more days left at my current job.

Today's lunch was spent with crafty friends, Beth + Jenn, at Marche in East Nashville. Yum-a-licious!

Jenn (l) is making her "Jenn face."

Unfortunately Heather + Rebekah could not make it because of their work obligations (yes, for those of you who know Heather, she is now employed!) but between the 5 of us, whoever shows up always has a good time + laughs a lot. Beth just returned from Vegas + sent me an e-mail saying she had a gift for me. I have been to Vegas too many times to count, can't say it's my favorite place (when you grow up in L.A...) + was really scared to see what on Earth would make her think of me in Vegas. A jar of TJ's roasted garlic salsa! She really could not have come back with a better gift. Now, if only I had a sack of tamales from Los Cinco Puntos to go with it...oh boy!

Working on plans for our next group outing, probably to the flea market one Saturday, but not until we send 2 zillion e-mails among the 5 of us to figure out the details.

Thank you so much, I just adore both of you + am really sad that I won't be so close every day.

And now to break a self-imposed blog rule, but the clouds were just too spectacular today. Impressionist clouds.

NON-LINEAR THOUGHT DAY

*

When I got to work Black Flag's TV Party was stuck in my head.
(I had not seen the video in years- I love the TV shows they reference,
That's Incredible, Hill Street Blues...)
*
I had a quick farewell lunch (no. 2)
Chinese take-out in a friend's office.
*
The weather is just right for a tornado, a little worried about that.
*
When I left work Cheap Trick's Surrender was stuck in my head.
*
I had to call Beth, then I got KISS' Beth stuck in my head.
(check out the Kiss make-up on the orchestra! love it.)
*
My studio is super small, but I still find things I had forgotten about. Tonight it was 4 stacks of ledger paper-
now I can make more ledger paper books.
*
Lots to do + I'm feeling a little scrambled right now.
*
Tomorrow is farewell lunch (no 3.).
*

FAREWELL LUNCH (no. 1)

My favorite sandwich (turkey, brie, figs + salad greens on cranberry walnut bread) at Provence with Neil. We work about 7 minutes from each other, so this was our farewell to working so close lunch.


I call Neil a college friend, but we did not have any classes together + merely worked in the same department store while we were both attending the same college. He was cynical + sarcastic, like me, so we got along really well.

[I think] we are less cynical + sarcastic now, but after a conversation where we pinpointed moments in which our offices mirrored scenes from The Office + listening to his hilarious story about "diversity day" at his office, I'm beginning to think that that I have the wrong end of the stick with that thought.

We were walking down the street + saw this sticker- Neil's response was "I like robot stickers." So do I.

In response to Susan's comment about my last post- I am just saying farewell to being so close to friends, The Goodwill Outlet + loads of other great things 5 days a week- not forever. Yes, I still plan on going to The Outlet, just not as often, + promise that I will continue to share my finds.

BEGIN THE FAREWELLS (my happy place)

For the record, I have 7 work days left before I leave my current job + start the new one.

Today I said farewell to my happy place, or at least the ease + convenience of it being a mere 5 minute drive from my work.


I had planned on going one more time, but today I found what I had been hoping to find for sometime...(no, not my dream couch) a pair of Bastad clogs in my size. Several years ago I convinced myself that with enough patience + tenacity I could find anything I wanted at a severely bargain price, it's a game I like to play in order to challenge myself to be more resourceful. During an e-mail conversation with Ambika I decided my next goal would be to find a pair of Bastad clogs. OK, so we did specifically mention red O'Keefe clogs, but I won't complain one bit about finding plain brown ones .

At this point I feel that I am leaving my tenure as a Goodwill Outlet "regular" with a bang, so I'll take my Bastad clogs home + bid everyone adieu. Heather, you are now free to shop The GO without fear that I already found all the good stuff.

The next farewell is the work proximity of an old college friend + my favorite sandwich.

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I spent the entire day in my studio (except for the few walks I went on with Monk). All my available drying space is filled so I made book blocks + book cloth- 2 more weekends until the Off the Beaten Path studio tour. Tick-toc-tick-toc lots to do.

While working I watched Kicking and Screaming + found it more poignant at 35 than when I first saw it {in the theater} at 23. At 23 I think I was more wrapped up in the super crush I had on Chris Eigeman.

IT'S BETTER

I think everyone in the Nashville area has this Hatch Show poster in their kitchen.

There are things I will miss about not being in Nashville every day- so much that it available + accessible during my lunch break, but our little bedroom community is growing. Some of the growth is the same as in your town. My boy + I always make reference to a stand-up joke we heard years ago, it went something like this: Bruce Springsteen had darkness on the edge of his town, we had a Wal-Mart. With all the bad growth comes the good growth. For every 2 chain family restaurants we get, a mom + pop restaurant opens up- last night we went to a new gourmet pizza place 5 blocks from our house- we ordered the pizza named for our street, The College, with portabello + shitakki mushrooms and blue cheese. Some friends are also opening a brew pub in our neighborhood. Have I mentioned how much I love my neighborhood? There is a real sense of community here.

Today I am teaching another linoleum carving/printing workshop with The Babes + tomorrow is a studio work day.


LATER: Claudia's neighbor's cows got out + wandered into her yard. It was quite funny to look out her studio window + see a cow (the second cow is in the bushes + not pictured).

The linoleum carving/ printing workshop we well- it was a very small group, which was really perfect because I was a bit tired + enjoyed relaxing + chatting with everyone. A big thank you to Tonya + her husband B for spending the day with us. Also a big thank you to my friend Sissy for giving me a copy of John Muir's My First Summer in The Sierra (we hike The Muir Trail on our annual backpacking trip ) as a thank you for "giving up a Saturday" to teach this workshop. There was no "giving up"of anything, hanging out with great people in Claudia's studio is one of my favorite things to do. It was my pleasure.

KINDA FREE/ KINDA WOW

The other day I was wearing these pants + my boy remarked that they were very "Charlie." After 12 years we pretty much get each other's references, but this time I did have to ask, "as in Kinda Free/ Kinda Wow?" Yep, that's what he meant. My Charlie pants are not perfect pants, but I sure do love the return of wide-leg pants!

Yes Beth, my clogs ARE Swedish.

TO QUOTE FERRIS BUELLER...

"Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Life has been moving pretty fast lately + I'm really just trying to sort everything out.

I'm going to piggyback onto Susan's "I don't call, I don't write..." post (see, it's all going so fast that I can't even be original right now) + fill you in on the last few days.

To start off...I have not had my home computer on for the last 2 days, I just needed a break.

PRINTING! Lots of printing. I'm reprinting some old designs + got bored doing the same exact thing, so I decided to change a few- Hola was Hello in a previous incarnation. I have been approached by a few shops interested in carrying my cards so I'm trying to figure out how much to print for 3 upcoming shows, possible wholesale orders + my Etsy shop.

This is the big one: I accepted a new job 5 miles from my house. This eliminates the 70 mile daily commute I have driven for the past 3 1/2 years. There is sadness because I will no longer work with the wonderful ladies in my Vietnamese lunch group, but I will get 2+ hours of my day back I won't be as tired when I come home after my full-time job to work at my part-time job.


What this also means that I will no longer work 5 minutes from The Goodwill Outlet- Today I found this piece of barkcloth + they have finally put out sweaters! I want to thank Grandma + Grandpa (not mine) for the above sweater- I found it at The Outlet with this tag still on it + even though their granddaughter did not enjoy their gift, I will.

Tonight I took my first Yoga class in months- that was the moment when I finally stopped to look around + it felt good.

HOW DO YOU LIKE IT/ HOW DO YOU LIKE IT

MORE! MORE! MORE!

(excuse me while I channel The Andrea True Connection)

A year later the Day of The Dead/ Dia De Los Muertos skull postcard is back in my Etsy shop + soon to I'll have more Bonjour + Du er min favorittperson postcards, I'm just waiting for them to dry.

While working in the studio I plan on "watching" Broken English + Cash Back. Last night we watched The TV Set, which was loosely based on Judd Apatow + Jake Kasdan's experiences with "the network" and Freaks + Geeks- bitterly funny + Sigourney Weaver is hysterical dry.

.

Please allow me to share this unprecedented moment with you.

But notice that they are on opposite ends of the bed
+ facing away from each other.

Much to my disappointment, but not my surprise, The Darjeeling Limited is not playing anywhere near me~ 9 years away from L.A. + I still forget about "limited release." I did download Hotel Chevalier from iTunes, now I need to find 12 minutes to watch it.

Messing around while waiting for oil changes for both cars. Rock and Roll Coochie-Coo, we really know how to live it up on a Friday night! Actually, my boy is going to Lou-a-vull, KY. for a Ju Jitsu tournament tomorrow + if there is one thing you shouldn't neglect...it's an oil change.
I'll be in the studio all day tomorrow.

LATER: My boy read this post + then diligently searched for this post. This is my "sorry, I stand corrected" correction to the above photo, which, as it turns out, is not unprecedented, but it is extremely rare.

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On a Wednesday I wore a new dress- I bought it at my friend's vintage shop, it had a tear in the side + she could not sell it, so I gave her a few dollars + fixed it. I say I can't sew, but I can hand stitch when the incentive is being able to wear a dress I'm absolutely in love with.

I am also currently in love with wood jewelry. Have you seen Simple Me? This drawstring dress is my favorite + the wood bangles her friend makes look like they would feel so wonderful, so smooth.

My boy would love to take a wood turning workshop, but says that for the time being we don't have room for another studio until we buy a house. We are saving for a down payment on a house.

I'm spending my evenings printing.
No new designs right now, reprinting designs I've sold out of.
3 1/2 weeks until my next show.

CRAFT SHOW pt. 2 (craft show friends + artists)

This was my 5th time being at a TACA craft show. Normally I sell in The Book Babes book binding guild booth at the spring shows + over time I have become friends with some of the other artists.

Here is the thing- I get weird about photographing other vendor's booths + I know I can ask, but I rarely do because if it's someone whose work I love enough to photograph, I end up chatting with them instead.

The booth that absolutely floored me was Kreg Yingst's. He's a fellow block printer, but what he is doing is so far beyond anything I have ever seen. He has a 3 X 5 foot piece which took him 2 months to carve (photo on the left/ click for larger view*) + hours to print...by hand, no press. When I checked out the linocut section of his website I was blown away by how much work he has done + it's so involved. He's from FL + driving back home through The Mississippi Delta, a trip my boy + I took 11 years ago, so we had lots to chat about + he's a fellow John Denver fan.
*image from Kreg Yingst's website

left~ detail of a felted wool scarf right~ my collection of Breanna's felted wool bangles

My good craft show friend Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid was also there with her felted wool purses, hats + jewelery. We did our first TACA show the same year + I am soooo pleased to see how far she has come from the few felted flower pins + bangled bracelets she had at that first show. She was offered a grant for a new website + has decided to start blogging- yay! We are also doing a trade- double yay!

I also met the nicest family- the dad makes the most beautiful wooden rings, I always treat myself to one item at this show (one item is generally all I can afford) + he was in the booth across from me- no need to look any further- I saw- I bought- I fell in love with my new ring! AND they have an Etsy shop.

Across the aisle from me, in the Empty Bowls tent, was a fellow CA. transplant- Constance Beck, who raises alpaca goats, spins their wool + creates the most luxurious woven + crouched items. I watched her spin hundreds of yards + weave this beautiful shawl over the course of the 3 days. She gave me a quick lesson on how to spin using a drop spindle + then gave it to me! I have a friend who raises llamas for wool, maybe I can get a little from her + practice.

There were more, but they don't have websites + I didn't take photos- but the funny thing was I introduced Beth to my round-the-corner neighbor, who is a potter, + she said "everyone lives around the corner from you," I think she was recalling this post, in which I refer to 2 round-the-corner neighbors. There are several very interesting people in my neighborhood.

Next show is the Off The Beaten Path studio tour, I will be a guest artist in my friend Claudia's paper making studio. 4 weeks to prepare! AND it looks like I might get to meet a fellow blogger/ book binder who will be on vacationing in TN during the show. The trip is a surprise gift for her husband so I won't mention who she is until she says something about it on her blog.

CRAFT SHOW pt. 1 (soft bowl/ printing demo + visitors)

This weekend's TACA Fall Crafts Show was SO much fun + SO exhausting, but mostly SO much fun.

Much to my surprise, the soft bowl demo went over really well. It's so hard to predict these things when you are venturing into completely new territory. I did get a few smart allec kids who contested that it was not a bowl (why? because you can't eat your cereal from it?), but mostly a very positive response, including one from a friend who is head of the textile dept. at an area crafts school. When I was not working on the bowl I set-up a printing station for the kids.

photo on right courtesy of Beth (thanks!)

Several friends stopped by over the weekend + I have to tell you that in the sea of all the people walking by, stopping, chatting + feeling completely overwhelmed by it all, it was so nice to see some familiar faces - so a big thank you to: Beth, Kathleen, Rebekah + Andy, Nancy + family, Neil + family, Lyn + Dalaney, Mike + Danielle + the rockin' gals from CRAFT, who are kicking ass for the craft community in Nashville.

My boy was not able to make it, but asked if I got to talk to anyone else with all the friends who came by. Yes I did! I got to meet a few people who recognized me from the article in The Rage a couple weeks ago + from my Etsy shop. I was approached by a very cool shop owner interested in carrying my cards. I was also able to chat with so many people who are interested in lino printing + letterpress + one man who is a printing historian, very interesting. I also found out that half of California seems to have moved to TN. I'm so sorry that I did not get to meet Rosa, but she wrote a great post about the printers at the show + included me. Thank you, Rosa!

The new display worked out really well- one problem I ran into was when a breeze came through the tent, the cards + prints would start flapping. Since most booths aren't open on opposite sides I don't expect future problems with this + it really wasn't that BIG of a problem. Do not think for a second that we did not appreciate the beautiful weather + slight breeze.

Part 2 tomorrow