Choi to the World

New Book for January 2010

After a very busy day getting everything I needed for my Thanksgiving dishes, I rushed home to get to work on my Turkey Day prep. With baby in one arm and groceries hanging on the other I opened the storm door and there was a package. I didn't remember ordering anything, seemed a bit early for my husband's Christmas orders to start showing up, it seemed to be a book and it was addresses to me. In a second breath I knew what it was. So exciting, my second book this year! Paper Cuts: 35 Inventive Projects  from Lark Publishing features four of my designs and project instructions. Of course everything got dropped except my adorable son and I immediately had to flip through it. It is just so lovely I am so proud to be a part of this project and in the company of these other great artists. This is much more involved than my last project 1000 Handmade Cards and Clever Correspondence. I wanted to include the spreads of my work but I already passed the book off to my sister and mother who are librarians so they can get the book ordered for their branches.  As soon as I get it back there will be an update. WOOT!

beautiful objects

Not feeling so well today but these beautiful fruits of vines perk me up.

I can barely believe the elegance of this gourd.

Fun with Vandercook

I've missed my blog. I really wish there were about 34 hours in a day. With those extra bits I might get closer to accomplishing 1/2 of what appears on my to-do list and the ideas camping out in my sketch book. Of course now that I am a mommy I somehow find 3 times as many things in both, now the to-do list, that is understandable but I honestly don't know where the time has come from to fill the sketch book.

Yes, my baby is a total inspiration. But while totally absorbed in the delicious beautiful bundle that he is, I feel that I don't want to be anywhere other than wrapped in his intoxicating aura, I do have a need to express myself artistically as well. Time with him occurs in a time warp and self-expression-time seems to get sucked down into it. Finding a balance can be hard. Who am I kidding? It is practically impossible!

So diversions aside. I managed to teach my first class at Genesee Center for Arts and Education, Printing and Book Arts Center teaching basic pop up techniques. It went well, I forgot to take pictures, though. I take tons of pictures but so often when I am working I completely forget to document an event or process, makes me a little batty. And...   I got a call from the Letterpress and Book Arts center asking if I would design a month for a fund raising calendar that they are putting together. 12 months 12 artists. I decided to use this opportunity to delve into the world of the polymer plate. 250+ calendars that people will pay money for--no better time to dive in head first, huh?

I did remember to take pictures of some of the process.

I ended up making some simple cut paper snowflakes and created a winter landscape with them for my polymer plates.

I mixed a lovely mauvey silver but it didn't seem to show up on the  paper as well as I had hoped but maybe once I add the second color maybe that will help bring out the color more. It does have a subtle shimmer which richens it up a bit.

 

I'll be adding color #2 tomorrow.