Time. and Space.

I realized today that I have two weeks left in this semester. Also that tomorrow is December. Whoa. The future is now.

I am excited about the any-day-now birth of my best friend's little girl. I can't wait to be crazy aunt michelle to this little person, and wish I wasn't quite so far away from Murray, Kentucky.

My best friend on this side of the country is moving back to the other side of the country, and although I am super excited for him, I'm a little mopey about it too. Boo.

Sunday was great! Thanks to the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, all the good people I talked with and shared my work with, friends and well wishers, and Wes, who helped carry a table and took these photos.



More on the Facebook page.

Thanks for your time!

March First.

There's been a flurry of activity in my Etsy shop, as I had a piece featured in an article in the Storque the other day. Hooray! I've been too occupied with teaching (and driving) to post new work in my shop lately, so unfortunately a whole lot of people have been looking at my almost-empty shop...ah, well.

Thank you all for checking me out, and for the encouraging words.

Today is one of my furlough days, so I'm catching up on life stuff like laundry, dish-washing, mail, and rest. This was quite a busy weekend, so I timed my furlough day right.

I am happy it is March First. Its one of my favorite days in the whole year.

Sigh.

"I just want to hang out in here."

This is what one patron of Unique LA shared with me, and it confirmed that I was doing something right in my set-up for the event.










As I've mentioned, Unique LA came just at the end of my nasty cold, and prior to the event I felt very pessimistic about how it would go. This was not only because I was coughing like crazy and feeling entirely drained of energy, but also because I had to leave a sad pile of unfinished books at home. I just didn't have as much work ready as I had hoped, and many of my plans had to be put aside. (from maybe-piles to probably-not piles...)

I also handled most of the event alone, which was not impossible...but sort of a bummer. (thanks again to Erynn for helping on Saturday!) Having to stay in the neighborhood of my own stuff, I took zero photos of the non-Michelle parts of the event. Unfortunate, but this thing was ENORMOUS, and very crowded (which is good-don't get me wrong!) so when I did venture away from good ol' booth 4015, I felt lost and overwhelmed, and a lot less healthy. So I agreed with the anonymous patron mentioned above: I was happy to remain in my own pretty space.

Wow, I just reread this, and it sounds so negative! Unique LA was GREAT, and I had a successful, profitable weekend...I just know it could have been better, and maybe if I do it again it will be!

I sold a lot of work, and I had a few really good conversations.

I like to think I made thousands of people happy, or at least several hundred.

I sold almost all of the books pictured below, plus more, and found it encouraging that the ones which were MY favorites were indeed the first to sell. (and contrariwise, the ones I'm if-y about are still cluttering up my home...)



I delighted (and was delighted BY!) people who appreciate stacks of paper and tiny, subtle things.

I fell in love with strangers who love books.

I saw a few familiar faces amongst the thousands of unfamiliar ones, and was glad when people told me "I know your work from Etsy," or "I bought a book from you at the LA Printer's Fair."

Another comment I overheard and wrote down was, "See? That's where I got my art circles!"



According to the Unique Blog, over 6000 shoppers came on Saturday alone...and here you can see a few of them...behind the books...



The funniest thing someone said, (and I'm paraphrasing) was, "You make me feel like the most uncreative person!" I apologised.

I also liked it when one woman said, (nicely, supportive, in a positive way...) "I hope your Mom knows you're selling trash." This was in reference to the hanging stacks of paper, which are mostly made of my own scraps and pieces of old work and ephemera. I'll add that I believe my mom is delighted that I am selling "trash." I think my dad is too. They are big fans of "the bundles" (which is what I used to call these before I decided they were not bundles at all. Plus I like "the Stacks" as a library reference...) About three years ago when I was visiting my parents in Texas, I decorated their whole dining room with these hanging pieces at Christmastime.

My favorite comment was some gentleman who told me, "I like the way you see the world." Thank you: so do I. He and I also talked about my interest in making non-blank books, or "artist books" (a term I don't love) or "picture books" (a term I do love.)

In the works.

"If we could learn to see sideways..."

The name of this blog is "Millions of People Happy." I'm sure I've written it somewhere, but in case there are any new readers out there, the thought of making "millions of people happy" is what motivates Kermit-the-Frog to leave his swamp and move to Hollywood in the original Muppet Movie. This was on my mind when I came out here two years ago, particularly on the days when I would ask myself "what the **** am I doing here?!"

I think most people who know me would attest to the fact that I am a positive person. I can be very sarcastic, but I am by nature pretty cheerful, or glad, or "happy" (to use a more meaningless word.) I was reading some of my older posts the other day, and it occurred to me that on this oh-so public blog thing, I present to you strangers an often dopey-sounding super-positive look at things.

So I've been thinking about how its probably only my really close friends that know how I've been in a bad mood for the past couple of years...(and lets just skip the "moode" puns) Things have been on the upswing since I had my wisdom teeth out in January. And folks, I must say: these days, I am sincerely happy.

I'm a frantically glad optimistic mess!

Okay, on to some news:

On Saturday I was a vendor at the LA Printer's Fair. It was a long hot-as-the-blazes-of-hell day in Carson, at the International Printing Museum. In spite of the heat, it was a FANTASTIC day. This place is amazing, it was a very well-attended event, and I came home with a nice pile of money to roll around on.

Look, I took pictures!


You go to a "printers fair" and may count on good signage.




I'm selling books now. I make books, and I sell them.


But, really.


So much type and so many type cases for sale...




There's no part of me that wants to own a press right now, and if I did it wouldn't be a letterpress. But OH it was fun to look around!




mmm.....this place is amazing. Sure, the heat may have had a little to do with it, but I spent most of my time walking around smiling like an idiot.


Come on.


It was damn hot. See?


This little lady is going to have some of my paper sculptures hanging over her bed. She's excited...just sleepy from the heat.

Anyway...what a good day. I'm teaching now, and that's keeping me on my toes...but I am going to look for more events like this to do in the coming months. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for reading.

circular fragments, calculations, waiting.

After a brief hiatus, I am back in business in my shop, and will continue posting new work this week. I made two sales last night, so I'm feeling good already.

Also feeling good about being on spring break from CSUN. Not that this week will be all crazy-fun-time, (or any) because I have lots of work to do.

School work, art work, house work, work-work.

The Southern Graphics Council was a splendid time. I am currently cameraless, (or rather, my digital camera has ceased to function) so I am unable to share any of my adventures from Chicago. My pal Maranda was a sport, as we explored the city...I'd tell her, "ooh, take a picture of that!" So when I get her pictures, I'll have more to say.

I'm going to Penland this summer: it's official, and I'm excited. 5th session, Arthur Hash's Metal's class. And after that I'll be doing my thing again at the annual benefit auction.

Hurts so good!

Audible Sighs.

I made a treasury on Etsy yesterday...It's been a while. Check it out here before it goes away.

Links to the featured sellers' shops:

YooLa
My pal Jess, at Libellus
Royal Buffet
White Elephant Vintage
Groundwork
Mimidoodles
Lupin
Studio Elan
Local Library
My pal Ann, at A Beautiful Party
Every Stitch
Terra Bella Spun

I've also been listing some new work in my shop, and have made two sales this weekend...

So far.

There is a Tavern in the Town.

I'm finally home from my adventures on the rocky edge the atlantic ocean. I came home with many bits of shell, my pretty bound books, twenty polaroids and a lovely cold.

Later this week I will give a more detailed account about my all-too-short time at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, but for now, I'll just share the definitive lyrics to a song Bonnie taught us late one night......



While I was away, I reached the "100" mark in sales in my Etsy shop, followed quickly by "101". Thank you all! New work will be posted for sale this month.

More news and goodness in the coming days.....fare-thee-well.

Penelope and an Earthquake.

Tonight is the opening reception for my show at Henry Road in Studio City. 6-9 pm. See you there? If I look a bit tired, please pardon me. My to-do list has been a little ridiculous lately.

I have been working so so hard. Sleep is boring. Almost ALL the work at Henry Road is new. The Newest New ever. I'm really pleased with these pieces...see if you don't agree. I will eventually post more images of the work in the store.

Still trying to get things together and ready for my Installation at Studio Channel Islands... I drove up there last week to look at the gallery, and it's such an interesting and beautiful place. There will be a reception for that exhibition on June 28, 4-6. If I look a little tired on that occasion, it's becasue I return from Maine the night before.

Oh, that's right...I should probably go pack for Maine.

I'm at 95 sales in my Etsy store. Lovely! I will be posting more pieces for sale in July.

Terrible Long Count.

More new bits and pieces in my shop. Take a look!

I hear I was featured on the Etsy front page earlier today...sorry I missed seeing it! Thanks to all for the kind words. Thanks in particular to xenia!

Optics mostly.

So, here's an absolutely delightful scientific discovery. This is an up-side-down projection of my front window, through a magnifying lens. I wanted to share it with the world.

Today I posted four pieces for sale in my Etsy shop. They are pretty recent, but not the newest new. The newest new will be at Henry Road next week. As soon as I finish and frame things.....

Next Thursday, June 11th there will be a reception at Henry Road from 6-9pm. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

I went over to Intelligentsia last week and tried to take pictures of my pieces. Probably one of the most awkward and embarrassing things ever: "excuse me, would you move your head?" ... "I'm sorry, sir...I'm taking a picture of the wall behind you...."




So, not my finest moment, and pretty terrible images of some good works. I'm no photographer. You'll have to go see 'em in person I s'pose...I have 9 or 10 pieces there, of an uncommonly large size for Michelle Moode art. I may try to take better pictures if I ever figure out when Intelligentsia isn't full of people.

90 sales in my shop. Thanks to all for your recent purchases and support.

Post-Patchwork.

The Patchwork Show went well, but what a long long day. I talked to a lot of good people, met some Etsy folks, and made some sales. Lots of people came, and the vendors' work was consistently strong. Lots of clothes and bags and baby things. There were so many well-dressed babies at this event! Seriously, these kids had more style than I do!


Here's some recent work that didn't sell. I'm probably not going to post these for sale on Etsy, since I have some real-world shows coming up...

Speaking of Etsy, I made 8 sales in 2 days in my shop! Egads! I put some pieces on 'sale,' and they went flying off the shelves...which was exactly my plan. Thanks everyone who purchased work...I'm at a lovely 85 sales!


So someone tell me why I can't sell this? It's been viewed 1254 times, and has been "hearted" by 70 people. Come on, folks. I'm getting a little sick of looking at it! $40.00 takes it away. Put it in a frame; hang it on yer wall.