Tuscan Rose

having tea with James Dean

Did James Dean drink tea? 

Today, I have come to a realization that I can no longer do it all and have to focus. That being said, I knew I was having less time for book, paper and journal arts. My days of spray paint and graffiti may also be coming to a close.

So I am having a massive sale of all my vintage paper collections. I took the entire contents of my studio paper and divided it into three medium flat rate boxes and have them for sale on etsy.


I have not sorted through the paper as it would be too tempting to pull out sweet little bits. In these destash lots are vintage ledger pages, wallpaper, and all kinds of ephemera. It is my entire paper lot from decades of collecting. I am trying not to think about it too much as I hate to see it go, but go it must.

click here for more details

I had just one last book to finish and it is this fantasy collage book that I had been working on for awhile. I had plans for it to have a few more pages but that was scraped (pun) so it could become a finished book.

"Having Tea with James Dean"

My favorite type of collage book. I love taking random images and mashing them all together to tell some kind of fantasy story.

Making collage story books is something I have made since I was very young. My grandmother used to make me "scrapbooks" when I would cry to her that I was bored. She made up the best stories to go along with her collage books.








My guess is Earl Grey.

the end.

 

 

fishing along 80 east

 
 

project rotation

One of the best things about having several projects going at one time, is that there is always something to work on.
 
Sometimes, projects are put away and long periods of time pass before I pull them down and work on them. For this altered book, I removed all the pages, glued several of them together and made three
signatures that I will bind back into the book when I am finished working in it.
 
I don't even remember when I started this altered book. This is a fun book to work in and I always enjoy it. No theme or rules other than I try to use a small portion of the original page images even if it's only a tiny portion.

 
Pages full of fantasy that are collage in it's simplest form. This form of altered book is a good mindless activity almost like doodling. A doodling with images.

There is a category over on the left side column if you want to see more pages in this "Stay for Tea" altered book.

the cat with a butterfly bow tie

 
today's pages from the "stay for tea" book
 
detail -left page
 
detail - right page
 

lemon or sugar

A couple of pages from the "stay for tea" altered book. The theme is tea in all it's forms and service. It would be interesting for this book to be a study from a hot afternoon ice tea to high tea with a gothic fantasy twist.
 
When the pages are filled and the book re-bound, I will continue to work each page. For now, it's all about getting the background down. 
 
In this altered book, I am trying to use the original illustrations from the pages

Before starting this altered book, I deconstructed the book. Taking all the pages out. There weren't many. Then I reinforced the fold on each page, glued a few pages together and when all the pages are finished, I will re-bind the book.

I am working on each page separately which is working fine for this project.  

another big project

Is A&E coming to  film an episode of "Hoarders" in my house?
 

No, but I think I may qualify at first glance. There are rows of fabric and paper stacked behind every piece of furniture.
 

My dining room table has stacks of vintage photos and postcards and a towering column of 12 by 12 paper. 
See the blue toolbox, the table is my new work space.

The day after finishing a total bathroom demolition and re-model, I decided my studio could use a new wood floor. Up came the carpet and down will go a wood floor that is much better suited for a studio.
 
It is amazing how much stuff can come out of one room. The studio has a walk in closet that I had four large industrial metal shelving units and now I realize how much they held.

so for now all my junk is in the back entryway (above) and lined around the living areas of my house. My goal is to get the floor down by the end of next weekend. Then the task of moving it all back in starts.

Be sure to watch my Etsy shop in the next couple of weeks, because I will be sorting through and selling lots of stuff.

For now I am working at my kitchen table and was able to make one page in my altered book.
 
Next up, a kitchen remodel and then I am done...or....

stay for tea

the next altered book was de-constructed a few months ago
I removed all the pages and glued a few together, wiped on some gesso
the plan is to sew all the pages back in the original cover when completed
I also wanted to include some of the original illustrations and some paint on the finsihed pages
 
one page started
no theme in mind for this book
but it looks like it's becoming a tea party

So won't you come over and stay for tea
 
if you do, I will make a grilled cream cheese sandwich using this chocolate cherry bread I made today