New Best Friend (I hope!)

I don't have the room (or the money) for a 'proper' printing press. That, however, did not stop me from wanting wanting wanting. I found this little beauty in Parkers art shop in The Rocks, Sydney a few months ago. It took me a few months to convince myself to actually go ahead and get it. No amount of Googling could reveal anyone else who has used a press like this. (I guess that is pretty obvious when you look at the low-tech beauty of it!)

So, last Friday I was having a particularly good day - my eldest daughters graduation from Sydney Uni (the mother in me means I must mention 'with 1st class honours'!) followed by a champagne and oyster celebration on the harbour next to the Opera House, then the lovely little walk up into The Rocks to find Parkers (always a sense of satisfaction when you get there, because sometimes I just plain don't find it and miss out on the experience!) OK, I was just a little merry, and I was planning to buy my little press, so I was happy. I guess it showed. I think the guys in Parkers quite enjoyed selling it to me. I know they are certainly looking forward to my other daughter's graduation next year with hope (and dollar signs) in their eyes!

I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but I will report how it goes. It uses the good old fashioned lever action to create the press suitable for relief printing. I plan to use it for linoprints, but will probably try a few collagraphs too. It prints up to A4 and with no moving parts etc. I plan to have it for a long time. And it fits perfectly in my little studio!

The Moly has Landed

Actually I had never heard Moleskines called 'Moly's' up until very recently when I joined a Moleskine Exchange. I recently blogged about my own Moly (here and here) for the exchange and my first entries in it.  I posted it off to Alison earlier in the week after a dodgy beginning. Then I just waited for Clare's to arrive for me to draw in.
Well here it is!  While I've  heard others say (well read really) that they look so different in the flesh, well... IT DOES!  It looked good to me in the online shots Clare put up on the Moly_x_25 blog and her Flickr site, but in the flesh! it just looks... well... (I hate to use those often overused words again, but...) absolutely fabulous!!!  It comes in its own little cosy cover and is accompanied with gifts!  What more could a girl ask for? (I won't say anything about the gifts for fear of spoiling the surprise for the next recipients in the exchange.)  

So, here I am.  With it.  Feeling all VERY precious about it.  And wondering what to do.  

It made me think about my own Moly, out there, travelling the world without me for the next 6 months.  I thought about how good it had turned out that I messed it up and had to get completely unprecious about it.  I put sticky notes in it to tell its future artists to write this here, that there etc etc.  I found myself thinking I wish I had put more notes in it, saying in particular, don't follow my rules, don't follow the rules of anything, just plain get into my book. Interact.  Replace. Obliterate. Transform. Get  down and dirty!!! (Maybe not 'obliterate'.)

Once again art brings about surprise.  I do expect art's nice surprises.  But I never expect the elements that end up surprising me.

Suppertime!

I always loved Snoopy's suppertime dance! Roly does a spectacular suppertime dance. So does every dog.

Meet Buster. He really has some suppertime moves!

Buster is my new Gocco print, my first one using so many screens (4). I loved making this print so much I've decided to do a series of dogs dancing for their supper!
Above is a shot of Buster in progress. And below is the painting I originally did of Buster, acrylic on two canvas panels.

Both are available. 'Suppertime' Gocco print is in my Etsy shop now. Contact me if you are interested in the painting.

My Moleskine Exchange page completed

Well I'm ready to send off my moleskine to it's first exchange member.  

I had a spot of bother doing this.  I had planned a completely different picture and added found book pages as a border (see above right).  I sketched the whole drawing and then... eeek! discovered I'd done it on the wrong pages.  I needed to remove as much as I could and go back a page to do my drawing. Lucky a part of moly_x_25 is to allow the drawing to extend onto the next half a page... so mine extends onto the next 3 pages... not much difference there...
So back to a new page I found new ideas were needed.  But I had none.  So I just started working and this is what came out.  It ended up being a tribute to William Morris.  My moleskines theme is Red/Read.  I have lots of books on William Morris which I love to read and look at, so it tied in there.  My man had taken a photo of our new hibiscus and I just love the shape... one thing led to another as they say.  I had a bit of difficulty with the area in the fold peeling back all the time so I solved that with a piece of duct tape.  The silver matches the silver coloured pencil I used.  A bit of white line over the top and I was happy.  I think I will be able to post it off tomorrow.

Spider bite*Cellulitis*Shingles - An Update

I'm still getting hits everyday from people searching either spider bite, cellulitis, shingles, fatigue and even all of them together!  I did suffer from all of these together last year.  I blogged about my experience and what I was doing to assist my recovery.  I'm still amazed at how this is not a rare occurrence!  

So how am I doing?  Very well thank you!  I have learned so much in this 6 months so here is a brief rundown for those who are interested.  The most important thing I learned is that if I had a strong immune system at the time the spider bit me, I would not have ended up with cellulitis or shingles.  I have a mild condition that I live with that has nothing to do with my immune function at all - well that is what I thought!  It seems this condition which comes and goes (I won't go into details, but it really does surprise me that it can have this effect), any chronic condition really, just keeps taxing the immune system.  Throw in a few immune hurdles, it is taxed more, then whammo, get bitten by a spider and there is nothing left to fight it all off.  

I'm told that it will be at least a year of strong supplements and self care before my immune system recovers from that whammo.  Then it will be a further year of the same before I will have built some reserves.  I now feel lucky that I got bitten by that spider and all I got was shingles and cellulitis!  I am pleased I found out before the story got worse.  I am now happy to take medication for my condition.  I've always thought that I 'should' be able to deal with it without resorting to medication, because really, it is not that bad.  I am also happy to take a handful of supplements a couple of times a day too!

So what's working?  I take 2000 - 3000 mg vitamin C, a mega-B, a good quality multi, a liquid mineral supplement, olive leaf extract, fish oil, B5 and a womens herbal blend.  I'm told it's all necessary.  My information has come from my GP, a medical specialist and my Kinesiologist.  I have Kinesiology treatments at least once every month and I find it is invaluable.  It is difficult to describe how, but I am certain it has helped me become physically stronger, and to consolidate and stabilise my improvements.  

So if you found this post by doing a search for those medical problems, let me suggest you ask lots of questions about your immune system and take vitamin C and olive leaf extract as a minimum.  And all the best to you!

I know these pictures don't go with the post, but it would have seemed awfully boring without some images.  So I've included pictures of my latest rebound book.  I LOVE this book.  I know I say that each time - but this one I'm especially proud of.  It IS gorgeous! It would make the perfect European holiday journal with it's title 'Our Hundred Days in Europe' elegantly printed in gold on the spine.  It has a whopping 216 pages - 64 of them original pages from Oliver Wendell Holmes book.  And it is available in my Etsy shop.

moly_x_25

I'm participating in a Moleskine exchange with five other artists. I haven't done anything like this before.  How it works is we each get a Japanese fold Moleskine and draw on the first 2 1/2 pages then send it on to the next artist.  They complete the 1/2 page and add their own spread with just a little extending onto the next page for the next artist to complete and so on and so forth.  The inside cover pages of mine have the 'sign-in' page, where each artist writes her details, and the title of my book.  
My theme is Red/Read [both pronounced the same].  I think this will be loose enough to be fun but also still enough of a theme to create a bit of interest.  In keeping with the 'read' part of the theme I made my 'sign-in' page a library card.  It sits it's envelope with the 'Due Date' slip attached.  As we each have a month to work on the book before it is sent on to the next artist, I thought it would be nice to record these dates - library style!

All I have to do now is think of something to draw on my 2 1/2 pages!!!

Check out the moly_x_25 blog!

Goodbye Mr Wells

I always feel a little bit dodgy about self promotion.  But this wonderful book I made has just sold from my Etsy shop, so now I feel OK about saying why I think it is so great!

It's over 80 years old, a copy of HG Wells "A Short History of the World".  Because it has so much character (what 80 year old doesn't!?) I left the endpapers intact when I rebound it. The original owners name and address still appears. For a bit of fun I added a small envelope made from a discarded page and added a Little Shop of Horus card library-card style.

I put some of the original pages, including some maps, back into the book when I rebound it with a mix of watercolour papers.  I added a ribbon page marker.  They are so useful, and it looks so nice matching the cover.

A nice mix of new and old, interesting lists of Mr Wells' other titles were printed.  And someone had carefully hidden a newspaper cutting inside the back cover.  I was careful to make sure it is still kept there - as I'm sure the new owner will too.  

By the way, the new owner agrees with me that these are the perfect journals - this is the second one she's bought from my Etsy shop!

A stack of oldies but goodies

A small stack of rebound books waiting to burst into life as travel journals, sketchbooks, ideas books, writers notebooks or... whatever!  I just listed these for sale in The Little Shop of Horus.

The Bonefolder - volume 4, No 2, Spring 2008

Interested in bookbinding?  This excellent publication is available now here.

Absolutely Fabulous!

Well, I feel like I've been away for about 3 weeks, not the 5 days of my actual trip! This is Peppers Convent at Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley wine district of NSW. We spent three days and two nights here. It is an old Brididine convent that was built in Coonamble and transported the 600+ Kms to it's present location in 1991. The nuns kept the stained glass, the cedar doors, the beautiful mirror and lots of other goodies when they sold it. Once its rebuild was completed the nuns were invited to visit. They were so impressed with the job that had been done that they gave back all of the goodies they had kept so that it could be truly complete again. It is absolutely gorgeous and now has a tasteful yet comfortable French flavor to its interior decoration. We loved it! Maybe the bottle of french champagne on arrival helped, as did the spectacular service and food perfection, or was it the wine and canapes in the evening... It has been many years since I was last in the Hunter Valley and it was virtually unrecognisable. There are now 130 vineyards and the ones we saw were both beautiful and tasty! We only visited 4 (or was it 5? all a blur by the end of the day) vineyards. And this is how we got around! Frank was our driver and Fred was our Clydesdale horse power.There is not much nicer than a slow day of food, wine and great company. Frank is a true character. I told him that if he had bookings where people asked to have him as the driver and state that they MUST visit Tyrrells, then he would know I had recommended them!!!
These vines were back at Peppers Convent, although we saw this in many places. They are beautiful but have had the grapes left to rot on the vine due to a glut of red wine (a glut!?!?! What have we all been doing with out time???) They will be pruned off with the rest of the vine within the next month when they cut it all back to within 18" of the stem.

Ah, the memories. I drink a few more of them in every night.

A couple more rebound books

I've done some more bookbinding - or rebinding really.
"African Notebook" by Norman E Hickman was published in 1969.  I removed the text block from the covers and chose to keep some of the pages with illustrations on them.  I included these when I sewed the newly cut acid free cartridge paper pages into a new text block.I also included the original title pages with copyright details and the original endpapers which still have the stamp of the RSL club that owned the book and held it in their library before I found it in at a book sale.
When I rebound it I strengthened the spine, added decorative black and white headbands and a ribbon page marker.  I also made a couple of envelopes which are now near the front and back of the book.  Really there are lots of journal, sketchbook or notebook uses for this lovely book, but I think it would make a fantastic travel journal for a trip to Africa.  It's for sale here in my Etsy shop.
But no, I didn't stop there!  I was having so much fun that I thought I'd finally get brave and see what I could do with this gorgeous 'Little Golden Book' I had found.  It isn't vintage, but I found it in a surprising way and place, so it seemed to me to be screaming to be rebound.
I managed to keep it's golden spine and all it's original pages.  I added them back into the new text block when I sewed it all together using coptic binding technique.  I used the same paper again for this book, acid free cartridge paper.  The original pages couldn't go back in order, but I think it just adds to the books quirkiness!

The illustrations are fantastic!  Just as I remember them.  And the book came with 'plastic bandages' (bandaids) fixed to the title page.  I was careful to leave them intact.  This will make such a fun journal!  It's for sale in my Etsy shop too!

Only Good Things Happen to Me! (Part II)

It's true! 

My affirmation is paying off big time!  

But I'll have to keep 'how' a secret for a bit longer.

*dances*

*la*la*la*

*#*#*#*

Spending Spree

I've had a bit of an Amazon spending spree.  They arrived gloriously encased in brown cardboard and a white fiberglass sack yesterday.  I looooove getting books!  I've updated my Amazon widget to only show what I bought.  If you loooooove books, scroll down and check it out.

The Perfect Travel Journal

If you've been a reader for a while you will know of my search for the perfect journal and how I solved the ongoing dilemma by making my own.
'As For Italy' by Jean Francois Revel (copyright 1959) is one of the journals I made prior to my own trip to Italy at the end of 2006.  I took it with me all the way, and brought it home again, empty, untouched.  I had made too many journals to possibly fill on my trip, and this one was the last one, left blank.
I love this book!  I removed the original book block from it's cover, reinforced the spine, created a new book block out of the best quality artists watercolour and drawing papers, included a couple of the original pages (including the title page) and sewed it up using a technique that allows the book to open flat, but is strong and has no gaps at the spine.
I added a ribbon page marker, an elastic closer, a vellum pocket inside the back cover and some foldout maps I printed on my inkjet printer.  

I have no idea when, if ever, I will get to visit Italy again.  I think I'm finally ready to part with this perfect little gem, so I've actually listed it for sale in my Etsy shop.  It is very special and will be every bit as special to it's new owner, I'm sure!

Front page news!

Yes, I was lucky enough to be included in this delightful Etsy Treasury page which made it to the front page of the Etsy website!  I didn't get to see it there, however, but it must have looked just fabby because my handprinted retro 'sticks and balls' design card sold!  Thanks Jaidub (from nowherespecial) for including me!  

Click here to see the Treasury page at Etsy.

Click here to see the other goodies in my Etsy shop.

Oops!

Thank you everyone who expressed concern for my sore ankle.  I feel a bit like a charlatan though.  I actually fell a couple of weeks ago and am all better now.  I've had a really busy few weeks and was just catching up on the missed posts!  Hope to get to post something happier very soon now!

Cheers and Thanks!

ouch!

Don't you hate it when you read your own writing and find dumb spelling mistakes? I didn't 'feel' down the back steps! I FELL!!!

Ah, Gigi!

I love this image!
I just sold the last Moleskine Cahier I have in stock.  I will definitely have to get printing!
Gigi limited edition art prints are still available though.  Above is 'Glamour Girl'.
And this one is of Perry who is REALLY hopeful of becoming Gigi's 'friend'!

Available in my Etsy shop.

Only Good Things Happen to Me!

That's my newest affirmation. I've maintained an arms-length interest in affirmations over the years, oscillating between belief and flat-out disbelief. Lately I've come firmly back to the belief side of the spectrum. I think it all has to do with intention. So, how nice is this affirmation!?! Only good things happen to me.  I'm actively testing this one!!!
I've actually been away for a few days - only three really, but it feels like I've had a real break away.  I wanted to show how good life can be - and for me that means art supplies and stationery to the max!  I'm putting these photos on Flickr with notes to tell you exactly what I splurged on.
Bookbinding supplies (I'm working on my first editioned Artist's Book), printing supplies (for that book) and books books books!
And!!! we all went to see Rocky Horror Show!!! iOTA, who plays Frankinfurter is excellent! As are they all!  A must see, if you can.  Thanks to Caitlin and Paul who gave me my ticket for Christmas!
And I managed to get envelopes the EXACT silver as that in my Gocco printed cards.  So I've been able to finally package up my first bulk order and I'll deliver it tomorrow.  Now that's good too!  This is a bad photo.  These cards are IMPOSSIBLE to photograph!

It was a good three days away.  It's true.  Only good things happen to me.  I strongly suggest you try that affirmation yourself!

The Shop

The shop at the headland (now appropriately called "Headland Cafe") has not changed much at all since I saw it first as a little girl, and yet it is entirely different. When I was 7 it was owned and run by Mrs Jones. George (he was never called Mr Jones and she was never called... I don't even know her full name) drove the ute into Nambucca and Urunga to get the supplies, delivered the milk and papers, big blocks of ice to those who were camping and had no electricity, and I think even the mail for a long time, but he never set foot in the shop. He wasn't allowed or trusted by Mrs Jones. Or at least that's the way I remember it.

Last weekend I was there again. I have visited it regularly ever since that first day. This time I ordered the chargrilled vegetable turkish which is my favourite thing on the menu and in my opinion, hard to beat even in more sophisticated environments. (They got the order wrong again and I got the veggie burger - but that's OK; it's nice too.) While I was waiting I was again looking at the old photos of Mrs Jones, the shop and 'clientele' that could have been me (but I don't think my swimmers looked like the ones on the girl in the photo, so it probably isn't), I suggested to the 'shop keeper' (I have to call her that because that was Mrs Jones' title, and it seems only proper) that she sell 'Mrs Jones' postcards. She laughed and said that would be a funny thing to do. I said I'd buy them. I would. Every time I went there. I'd buy them.



It is an indication of how Mrs Jones affected the residents of Valla Beach, temporary and permanent, that her photos are hanging in the shop she last was in herself, what, I'm guessing 20 years ago or more. She was the glue of the community. Two-pack epoxy strength glue! When I was 7 there were 20 permanent residents in the village, but many more houses as it was the favoured destination for holidays for the families of inland towns. Mrs Jones had a key to just about every house. With George as her eyes (she was ALWAYS in the shop) she 'kept an eye on' each home. She knew who was where and why. In the holidays the sides of all the roads down to the beach would fill up with tents and people. George drove around to each tent and house several times a day. But it was Mrs Jones who was in charge. She pulled the strings and George made it happen.

In the shop she sold the best cheese, a huge wheel of cheddar wrapped in cheesecloth. Even in those days that was unusual as plastic wrapped processed cheese was the norm. She had one packet of everything on the shelves. I guess she got George to replace them when they finally sold. Except the tins, she would have 3 or 4 tins, each one so old the can was well and truly rusted. The packets were old too. I remember Rice Bubbles that had the texture of marshmallows. She had a fantastic collection of lollies in huge old jars. Her musk sticks are still the best I've ever tasted, so stale that they were astonishingly crunchy. I loved them!

She had hints for everything. I still remember her telling me how she came to have such beautiful skin. (I don't think a 13 year old can really appreciate how beautiful an 'old ladies' skin can be, but I listened anyway, you always listened to Mrs Jones.) She said she put rolled oats in her bath water and wiped metholated spirits on her face after washing it. I stuck to both these suggestions religiously, for a while anyway. Such was the power of Mrs Jones words.

I will still visit the shop. We always just called it 'the shop' and I always still will. The food is fabulous and fresh now, but somehow I still feel sentimental thinking about those ridiculously crunchy musk sticks.

I did this sketch in my rebound sketchbook The Function of Voluntary Muscles. The right hand page is one of the original book pages reinserted when I rebound it, with a layer of gesso over it. The watercolour is done over the gesso, but the original words are still visible, ghostlike.

A New Award?

Awards are so much fun.  I had such a lovely time getting the award (see previous post)!  It got me thinking... I could easily create an award that could swoop around the blogosphere like a speeding mullet... Now what could it be...  

So with a little work I came up with my version of the "I love you this much!" Award!

But then I couldn't think of anyone to give it to....
maybe it won't take off after all....

Awarded!

What a lovely surprise to receive this award from Janey!  She so rightly deserves this award.  I am wishing I could just send it straight back to her!  And why not!

So I am passing this award on to those who I do love this much:

Janey for being my oldest (in length of service, not age) blogging buddy, and such a great supporter of me and my lil' old blog.  (Who cares that she awarded me first?!)

To Nix for being a great artist, blogger and fellow art student.  But if that's not enough to merit this, I'll also mention that she and I will be creating - together - separately - or somehow -  in collaboration!

Linda at Quotidian Curiosities (I love the name!) gets this award, in spite of the fact she has been a multiple award winner recently, because she has always helped to lift my spirits when they were flagging a bit, with her thoughtful comments here on my blog.  I appreciate the support Linda!

Alison at Scribbles Adagio who inspires me constantly with her wonderful memory paintings. 

And my newest blogging friend, Sara from Double Elephant, The Daily Drawing, AND her third blog, Complicities.   Sara is a gifted artist and her artist's books are amazing.  And she lives near me, so I hope I'll get to have an 'analogue' chat soon.

It's actually hard to stop this list; it's just limited time tonight that stops me from going on (and on).  Thanks to everyone not on my list.  I do love you and your support for me and my blog over the years has really been appreciated.

I need to add the link to Emila who created this award and whose blog will tell you all about it.  The participation rules are simple:

1. If you get tagged (and want to play along), write a post with links to blogs that you love,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

And as they say "I love you all!"

(I don't think I really need it, but I'm off to have another red wine!)

5th March - I corrected the error in the link to Alison's Scribbles Adagio!  Ooops!