Considering.

I'LL TELL THE WORLD.

A while back I found this vintage Valentine via RomanceWriter on Etsy. (I was searching for globes.) I like how sweet and slightly aggressive it is.

I haven't had a proper Valentine for some time, but all you really need in mid-february is grocery-store tulips, a nasty sinusy headcold, a humidifier, aerosmith videos on youtube, "third rock from the sun" on netflix, and a few days of aggressive bookbinding.





The little orangey/red book is a prototype of my new favorite binding (well, not totally new to me, but new favorite. what?) Single-needle-link-stitch with a concertina and hard covers. Sewn with a curved needle. Mmm.

Proper mail is essential for a good mid-February too.



Handmade Valentine from dear Vikki Cruz, and bits and pieces and veryfine penmanship from Beth Schaible.

Texas things.

I am very pleased to share that I'll be participating in the 2nd Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Austin, Texas on May 21 & 22. I love Austin. My big brother lives there, (not sure I have ever mentioned that) and the brief times I've stayed with him in Austin have always been delightful: mini-golf, beer-drinking, ice-cream, picture-taking, antiquing, movie-watching. All at the same time.

So, this is exciting, and has set a good deadline for me in the foreseeable future. Focus. Yes. As handmade books begin to pile up, (and they are!) it's good to have an idea of where they are going...

This will be the first time I'll be traveling to do an event like this, and I'm a little spooked about logistics...fortunately it is an indoor venue, so I need not bother about a canopy. I'm sure I will work it all out. Anyone out there ever travel to do craft shows?

Speaking of Texas and bookbinding, my ol' Penland pal Loring Taoka has commissioned me to make a little all-white book to be used as a comment book for his MFA Thesis show at the University of North Texas. It will almost be like I'm there for his show. Aw...

Excuse me...

Getting sick is not part of my plan for this semester.

Three weeks in, and all is going well...except there is some flu-bug spreading like mad amongst the grad students and faculty, and based on attendance this week, the undergrads too.

I have gotten a little paranoid about germs. I have been feeling cruddy, and uncommonly headachy, but not sick yet. I am taking all necessary precautions...

...including this declaration on my blog that I will not get sick.

I plan on posting some new work in my Etsy shop tonight after teaching. Weird/bad feeling aside, I had a very productive weekend in the studio.

February.

Yesterday on a walk around Los Feliz, I spotted this little yellow crocus. Finding a crocus in February in Los Angeles, (while wearing flip-flops...) isn't quite the thrill of finding crocuses in the lawn of Oakhurst in Murray, Kentucky on March First, or up around the Evansdale Library in Morgantown, West Virginia in falling snow, but...

...but it's still good! One of my favorite flowers. Tiny, simple in structure, humble and under-foot.

They multiply like crazy and have the spunk to bloom in snow. Yeah.

I've had a good start to the Spring semester at CSUN. I've been printing a lot outside of class. This print started as a demo, but has taken on a colorful life of its own. Still in progress, but...




There will be a whole lot of printing in the coming months...

I've been going through old photos on my old laptop, and uploading some on my flickr account. Take a look, but be aware that the recent uploads jump around in time and space...