More Book & Paper Class Projects

Below are some photos of recent projects I made in my Book & Paper Class.

We just learned the buttonhole stitch binding. I did one plain with the basic rectangle "buttonhole" opening on the spine. Then I did one at home with an octagon opening that flows over to the covers.

This is the octagon cover open. The cover is sewing pattern paper base with inks and rubberstamped images.

I continued the octagon theme by dry embossing my paper (first page of each signature) with an octagon design using a Sizzix textured plate.

One of the woman in the class showed us how to fold a square piece of paper into a box and a piece into a lid without cuts or adhesive. The square for the lid is just a tad (~1/8") larger than the square for the base. Fun and easy.

I am glad we finally did image transfer in class. There are many methods and I did the matte medium technique. Once the medium dried, I just peeled off the image - typically, it is soaked in water and the paper is rubbed off. I don't know why my first try just peeled so easily.

These lovely embellishments were made by taking bottle caps and other metal (open) charms, inserting an image or object, and then my teacher filled them with resin.

A guest instructor came and share various ways to use inks to color background paper. These papers were crumpled, straightened out, and then ink pads were swiped across them with the process repeated several times (crumpling and different color applied).

More Improv

As some of you know, I have been doing improvisational comedy ("improv") for a couple years now. I am a member of Faux Real (one of two all women troupes in Columbus) which was formed out of Amy & scOtt's advanced improv class. Faux Real has performed in a couple bars around Columbus and is taking a summer hiatus.

I recently joined WTF? Where's The Funny? Being the only woman in the troupe is a fun change and I am getting in touch with my dark and masculine sides. The troupe website is in progress http://www.wtfimprov.com/ and we have a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=233663051455 .

WTF?'s debut performance will be Friday, June 4th at the Wild Goose Creative in Columbus, Ohio. The troupe See You Thursday will perform at 8pm and WTF? at 9:15. Admission is $5 for both shows - a great bargain! We will be selling concessions (pop & snacks) too.

On Tuesday, June 8th, WTF? will be the featured in the new troupe showcase at The Thirsty Ear in Grandview. FREE admission. WTF? opens the show at 8pm. Then THREE more troupes perform: Parlor Tricks, Shimmy Shake Project, and Fake Bacon. A night chock-full of laughs!

Thursday Theme - Hands

There are blogs I follow that do challenges for making cards, tags, ATCs, or whatever with certain criteria like color combinations, layout designs, themes, etc. I am finally entering one! The website is Theme Thursday http://themethursday.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/thursday-challenge-hands/ and the theme is hands. This is an ATC (Artist Trading Card) that I made with inks, rubberstamps (I carved the snail myself!), and a postage stamp.

Organizing Art & Craft Supplies: Punches

Now that I have a room with a door to call my art studio, I am finding ways to organize my supplies. Below are photos of my paper punches on IKEA Bygel rails and in a couple Bygel wire baskets. The 10 rails are behind the door. My husband helped me install them (Thanks, honey!!). I still have a handful of border/odd-shaped punches that will go into a drawer.

Flight School

Last week I took a class at the OSU Flight School - what it takes to be a private pilot. Lots of good information plus getting to sit in a couple of Cessnas and a Piper. To top it off, we had the chance to do a flight simulation. I did pretty well for not knowing much of anything about flying or the instruments. Take-off and flying were fairly easy...the landing is a whole other story with many things to keep under control. I did what they call a porpoise landing - wheels hit and bounce up and go back down just like a porpoise jumping out of the water. Then I forgot that on the ground, the pedals control the plane. Oops, my bad! The virtual emergency services were probably called to the scene...the instructor wisely reset the program before I could stop the plane. I hope that wasn't my entrance exam!

I won't be enrolling into flight school any time soon mostly due to the financial cost. But I am not totally eliminating the option. It takes 6-8 months to get a private pilot's license if doing lessons on a weekly basis. I want to do a "test" flight with an instructor who will take me up in a plane for 30-40 minutes so I experience what it is really like. Then I would need to check out possible scholarships/sponsors or private pilot jobs available around town to see if I could recoup my investment compared to it being a "hobby" (too pricey for that). There are 4 or 5 airports in/around the Columbus area besides CMH plus so many more in Ohio than I ever realized.