Handmade Paper Guild Holiday Sale this Weekend

After the Brick House opening I immediately switched gears to paper mosaics.  The Handmade Paper Guild Holiday Sale is this weekend and I have lots of fun gifty things to look at, as do many other handmade paper artists.  You'll find handmade paper stationery, artwork, journals, frames, mirrors, cards, ornaments, jewelry and lots of other cool things.  Additionally, The Kalamazoo Potters, Art Etc. and the Weaver's Guild will all be there.  So many things to choose from for the special people in your lives (including you!).

The sale is at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center (Kalamazoo Fairgrounds), 2900 Lake Street, Kalamazoo, MI  49048.  Hours are:

Thursday, November 17th, 5-8pm
Friday, November 18th, from 9am to 8pm
Saturday, November 19th, 9am to 4pm

Here's a sampling of what I will have available...

Four lined handmade paper cards, $10.  Nicely packaged so they don't even need to be wrapped!

Paper mosaic picture frames and mirrors,  $40 - $75.  Lots of colors and sizes available.

Fun side table.  $80.  Perfect  place to put that morning cup of tea.

Eight paste painted notecards per package, $12.  So many colors to choose from your mind will be boggled.

This picture is from last year's sale.

Hope you'll stop by.  I'm working Friday morning/afternoon and Saturday morning.  If you see me please be sure to say hello.

Lorrie

Happy Halloween

It's a beautiful day to get some of those leaves raked up.  And, it looks like it will turn into a great evening for my three trick or treaters.  I've got one multi-colored little bird, a ragdoll and a "yet-to-be-determined".  Hope you have some fun today too!

Lorrie

The Life of a Sheet of Paste Painted Paper

A good deal of my time lately has been painting sheets of 18" x 24" sheets of paper using the paste painting techniques that I love so. 

The fall weather here in Michigan has been glorious (instead of the usual cold, rainy days that we frequently get in late October) so I can work in the garage, not freeze, and then clean up with the hose and not freeze.  I do believe, however, that those days are behind me and I will soon be stuck in the basement using the table under the stairs and the stained utility tub that is next to the sump pump.  Not the most inspiring environment.

Here's a sampling of the 50+ sheets that were painted.

Trim edges.  Cut down to 5" x 8 1/2" inches.  Fold.  Count out envelopes.  Package up with raffia.  Label and price each package.  Doesn't seem like too much until you try to do 50 sheets, then it's a back breaker.  I think I'm going to look into having a printer do the cutting.  Each package of 8 cards is $12.  Now that you know what love and effort goes into each little package, it's quite a bargain, don't you think?  :)

Here are some of the trimmed off bits.  I used to throw most of these away.  The stuff in our recycling bin was the prettiest in the neighborhood!  It just about killed me to throw all these away.   But I could only make so many bookmarks and the piles of scraps continued to grow into a mountain!  Then, I started working with paper mosaics and the rest (as they say) "is history". 

 

Here are some paper mosaic composite sheets made with the scraps from the larger paste painted sheets.  Almost every little piece of the large sheet is used, each and every time. 

With the holiday season just around the corner, these will probably be made into picture or mirror frames.

Lorrie

Flower Paper Mosaic Mirror

This mirror was fun to make and I'm very pleased to say that it sold to a local art friend:  Angela Hoffman.  Angela is one of the Altered Sisters here in Kalamazoo.  We meet monthly and share our work, our ideas and techniques.  I took this to a recent meeting to show everyone and she decided that she had to have it.  Nice to have friends like that!

It is pretty big, measuring almost three feet from petal tip to petal tip.  The actual mirror is about 10 inches across.  There are at least 7 different mosaic patterns in this piece and more than 12 different paste painted patterns were used.



A close up of one of the petals.


I hope Angela and her family will enjoy it for many years to come.

Lorrie

Paper Mosaic Mirror Frame - Julie and Marc's

Continuing on with stuff related to my friend's wedding, here is the wedding gift. This mirror may look familiar as it was done with the same colors as the mirror I just hung at the Haworth home. However, this mirror is a slightly different size and is actually a frame with a mirror in it so it hangs on a wire/nail rather than getting screwed into the wall.

Two weekends ago, while in the Detroit area for a soccer tournament, I showed this particular mirror to a gallery. It was a horribly wet and cold weekend and I walked in (with an appointment) wearing a winter coat, rain boots, wet straggly hair and basically looking a mess. I had just enough time to stop in between games and tried to make the most of it. Anyway, the gallery is in Brighton, is called The Artisan's Bench, and they want some of these babies! I'm now in the market for well built frames/mirrors with a 3" to 4" flat profile. I would have thought it would be easy but no. Any ideas/sources?

Lorrie

Paper Mosaics - Green Basketweave

While I was painting the book I showed you in the last post I did lots of extra sheets in shades of green for use in paper mosaics. There are so many steps when making paper mosaics that I'm truly afraid to count the hours in a completed piece!

Have a great holiday weekend. As with most of our April, May, June weekends, my family will be at the soccer fields with 10 games for sure (potentially 13) for our 3 kids. Craziness!

Lorrie

Paste Paper Wedding Guest Book

One of my best friends got married Saturday. It was the second time around for both bride and groom and marks the beginning of two families joining together not just two people. The ceremony, in a monastery chapel with huge windows overlooking a beautiful valley covered with trees, was everything it needed to be: special, elegant, and heart-felt. The reception, held at Genitti's Hole-in-the-Wall had, as you might guess, a more fun, casual feel to it. The bride asked me to make the guest book. With the less formal feel in mind, I made the following book...

First, I paste painted a large sheet of Fabriano paper. One side has lines of varying widths that act as guides for the guests to write on. The other side is painted in the same colors but has no discernible texture to it. Her daughter and sister wore green attendant dresses so that's where all the green comes from. The color of the dresses and the book is a light "celery" color.

I kept it pretty simple as the words from the guests on the inside are the most important part of the book.

This is the picture she gave me to work with. Nice of the two of them but a not-so-great background. I sanded the background over a textured printing plate and then scratched into the background with an awl. Then came watercolor and oil pastels. Finally it was sprayed with a fixative.

On the inside front cover the Irish Wedding Blessing was printed on a sheet of vellum and then tucked into the folded cover. The folded part, on the left, is glued down and holds the vellum in place.

For the structure I used Teesha Moore's wonderful 16-page-book-from-one-sheet-of-paper directions. You can see the video here. I had to change Teesha's directions to fit the dimensions of my paper so this book was not a vertical 8" x 10 but about a horizontal 9" x 7". This structure worked really well as the book could lie flat when open so people could write in it without the cover getting in the way. While not a typical, "sign here" type of guest book, it fit the occasion. Guests were able to write a prayer, a wish or some light-hearted advice where ever they wanted in the the book, including tucked away under the gatefolds.

Their day was beautiful and I hope their new life together is too. They deserve it.

Lorrie

Paper Mosaic Mirror Frame - Haworth family

A friend and neighbor hosts an amazing art party each November.  She invites five to nine artists to invade her home, pound nails in her walls and show their work for one evening. Lots of people ready to drink wine, chat with friends and spend money attend this four-hour whirlwind event.  A portion of the sales goes to a charity that has been chosen ahead of time. It's a win-win for everyone.  And, what does the hostess get in return for her efforts?  She gets a piece of art from each of the participating artists.  You can bet that her home has lots of cool artwork!

Here's the journey of the half bath mirror frame that I made for the Haworth family of Kalamazoo, Michigan...

The existing mirror is glued to the wall with no frame around it so my dad and I bought wood at a Big Box and made the 2' x 3' frame ourselves.  Several trips to measure, to make sure it was right, ensued.  The frame was painted with a primer then black.

Claudia's home is tastefully done primarily in earth tones so my uber-bright colors don't always work well there.  I made lots of 18" x 24" sheets of brown, terra cotta, cream and tan sheets of paste papers.  Some have a bit of metallic shimmer too.  This reminded me that I can work in brown, even though I seldom do.

The sheets of paste paper got cut down into mosaics.  Here they are drying after being coated with Mod Podge.  The kitchen table didn't see any meals for several days throughout this whole thing.

Rather than just covering the mirror frame with one mosaic style, my intent was to use all the different mosaic styles and colors on the one frame.  Lots of scissor work, glue and time.  Oh, did I mention lots of time?

Here's a close up of one of the corners.  You might notice that the circle at the top has a hole in it.  I had to somehow allow a way to get the mirror frame attached to the wall.  These holes are where the screws will go.  They will be covered with half inch wooden plugs.  Pretty ingenious, huh?

When the frame was finished, I put three coats of a varnish on.  This is important for lots of reasons but mainly because it will be used in a bathroom with moisture around.

Ta Da!  Installed!

After it was screwed into the wall, I caulked around the mirror with a clear caulk to keep any moisture from getting between the frame and the mirror.

Wow, what a project!  The Haworth family is really happy with their new bathroom mirror.  I'm really happy with the results too and fully expect to be doing more of these in the future.  Claudia has offered that anyone in the Kalamzoo area interested in seeing it up close and personal is very welcome to do so.  Contact me at lorrieabdo@aol.com to set up an appointment and discuss fees.  Or, if you know her, you are welcome to go directly to her.

Lorrie

Basketweave Paper Mosaic Pattern #2

Here's try #2 on the basketweave pattern with paste paper strips.  Each square is one inch.  Once you get a rthymn going, it moves along pretty quickly.  Well, I guess "quickly" isn't quite the right word.  Let's just say it goes faster than "slowly".  I have a plan for all this pink...

You can see try #1, in shades of brown, in my March 21st post.

Lorrie

New Paper Mosaic Sheets

On Friday, after working my last-fundraiser-ever at the elementary school, I got moving on some paper mosaic sheets.  As usual, the papers that I use are sheets of commercial tagboard that I paste paint on.   These will be made into picture frames, mirror frames and the other home decor items.

Lorrie

New Mosaic Pattern

I'm excited about a new basket weave mosaic pattern that I just tried using paste papers that I made earlier this week.  Each square is one inch.  Eyes are a little wonky now.

So, what's with the brown? I never seldom work in brown. A very patient friend has been waiting for a frame for her bathroom mirror for quite some time and this mosaic pattern will be a part of the effort.

I've really not been creating much lately. I'm in a wheel spinning routine that doesn't seem to let me actually make art but I'm thinking about it constantly. Part of trying to finally get off this Wheel of No Fortune has been to clean up my studio and putter with some things I found while cleaning it out. I'll show you some of that stuff later.


Lorrie

And Now for Something Completely Different...

At last week's Altered Sisters meeting one sister was kind enough to demo how to make the Sitting Pretties initially created by Claudine Hellmuth and shown on Martha Stewart.  Angela brought all the supplies needed to make these cute poppets.  (Many thanks to Angela for her time, effort and tips!)  As students, all we needed to bring was the photos.

We had a fun meeting exploring this technique.  I'd say it was definitely a success as there was several minutes, here and there, of no noise at all.  Just concentration.  Now, if you knew this group like I do, you'd really think that is amazing because we never shut up!   I made "Pretties" of my three kids.  Of course, they immediately told me that they don't dress like that!

The ingenious bendy base for these guys is aluminum flashing.  It is then covered with paper or fabric.  I primarily used paste paper scraps as well as some commerical papers. 

I had fun making these and they will go to my mom for her birthday.  I think they'll go over big.  My hope was that this would be a great 2010 Christmas gift idea for friends and family.  Sorry guys, I think these will be the only ones I make.  The result is fun but the process was too fussy (lots of scissor work) and problematic (glue didn't stick, markers didn't stick) for me. 

Then again, maybe I'd get better if I made more...

Lorrie

I'm Teaching at Sievers!

There is a magical place in the waters of Lake Michigan. Off the tip of Door County in northern Wisconsin, Washington Island is a beautiful, peaceful place. Sure, it is a summer vacation destination. But it's not for those that are looking for waterparks, the trendiest food-of-the-moment restaurant, or lots of people.

This little slice of heaven is where the Sievers School of Fiber Arts is located. The 3-season school draws teachers and students from all over the country, the world, in fact. I learned how to make paper at Sievers in August of 1995 from an amazing paper artist named Gisela Moyer. I've told anyone that will listen that this was a life-changing weekend for me. I've been back to Sievers twice since then and each experience was amazing. Well, here we are 15 years later and I'm going back as one of the ones that gets to sleep in the exalted instructor's cabin. :) Teaching at Sievers is truly a milestone event for me!

Main office and gift shop

Studio space and dormitory

The class list is quite extensive and includes weekend and week-long classes in weaving, papermaking, quilting, knitting, basketry, surface design and more. To learn more about the school, the classes, on-site and off-site housing, please go here. Registration just opened this week and you can do that on the website as well. For a look at what I'll be teaching, read on...

Paper Mosaics & Paste Painting (August 20-22) - Class Fee $ 210


This exciting new class will definitely put both sides of your artistic brain to use. First, using a playful intuitive approach, you’ll use paint, paste and a variety of texturing tools to decorate sheets of paper. The technique gives great first-time results, and, with some practice your sheets will have an amazing depth and detail. By the time you’re done working “wet,” you’ll have a large assortment of paste-painted sheets to use for paper mosaics in class, as well as lots of extras to take home for use in collages, books, journals, greetings cards or as frameable works of art. Mid-weekend, we’ll switch sides of the brain and start assembling paper mosaics. While paper mosaics can be made by carefully placing one piece of paper at a time, in this class you’ll learn the trick of making sheets of paper tiles so that you can work faster and with better control. Possible projects are picture frames, mirror frames and other home décor items, as well as artistic works on wood supports. Materials fee of approximately $45 for pigments, paste, paper, laminate film, support boards and related supplies. For all levels.

I hope you'll consider joining me for a weekend of creative play in an incredibly beautiful spot.

Lorrie

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I like the pretty, twinkly little white lights, especially when they are dusted with snow or highlight the simple beauty of a wreath.  However, my favorite lights are the big, chunky, old fashioned lights in mutilple colors.  Gee, there's the bright colorful thing again!  :)  At least I'm consistent.

Lorrie

Handmade Paper Guild Holiday Sale

This Thursday, Friday and Saturday the Handmade Paper Guild of Southwest Michigan will be having it's annual Holiday Sale.  We join forces with Kalamazoo Valley Potters and Art Etc. (a group of area artists) on the campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 6767 West "O" Avenue.  You'll find lots of high quality, handmade items that make perfect gifts for loved one (or yourself).  I'll have an assortment of everything I do:  paper mosaics, cards, ornaments, handmade paper fish and mirrors and more.  Come join the fun:

 

Thursday, November 19, 5:00 - 8:00

Friday, November 20, 9:00 - 8:00

Saturday, November 21, 9:00 - 4:00

 

 

Handmade paper fish

Paper mosaic mirrors and picture frames.

 

Paste Paper Card Packs

Handmade Paper Mirrors

Greeting cards and collages

Paper mosaic artwork

Have a good week!

Lorrie

Recent Workshops - Just Take the Plunge!

In July I had the pleasure of teaching The Art of Paste Painting and then a Paper Mosaics class at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center. The classes were filled with many wonderful ladies, many of whom took both classes so we were able to get to know each other a bit.

Here's an idea of the mix of interests and backgrounds of some of the ladies that came:

* A mom and daughter just looking for a fun thing to do together, as well as an experienced graphic designer, played with mosaic patterns using commercial papers and had great success. (I must admit, I've not used commercial papers before but definitely see the possibilities after seeing what they did.)

* One gal found me at the Portage Library Book Arts exhibit last winter during a terrible blizzard. Now that's some serious interest! She did a great job with her colors, especially the blues, and made a beautiful frame. I think there will be more in her future.

* Another woman is a calligrapher and had tried paste painting before but wasn't able to achieve the watercolor-y look she was after. I think she succeeded with this look after taking the class.

* One papermaker friend plans to turn the mosaics into jewelry. Are you kidding me? That's really tiny!

* One gal is an all around creative person: altered books, collage, painting. She is always exploring as one artistic interest usually leads to another!

* One gal is a teacher's aid and is always making things for her students and her own children. This lady has talent, an abundance of energy and lots of smiles!

* A friend of mine from our days together in Jr. High and High School is going to make a large frame for her son and his fiance in the colors of their wedding party. She quilts beautifully so she was easily able to pull together colors.

* And finally, a lady who was signed up by a relative and thought she was going to a cake decorating class. This could have been a teacher's nightmare: someone who didn't want to be there. However, she was won over quickly, was delighted with the process and did some beautiful papers that she plans to make into cards. I'm glad she came.

The lesson here is that anyone can create, you only need to give yourself permission to do so. If you need a push, take a workshop, get a taste of what you can do, and then go for it.

A sheet of mosiacs drying.

So beautiful. I want this!

An almost finished frame. Lots of glue to dry.

Making a small tray with scraps around the outer edge.

So, what are you making today... Money? Friends? Art? Trouble? Nourishment? Good choices? Let me know.

Lorrie

Mosaics on my Mind

I've got mosaics on my mind today. I'm teaching a Paper Mosaics class at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center on Tuesday so I'm working on pulling everything together for that. (I love the teaching but the lugging of supplies back and forth, not so much.) The class should be a good time as I already know some of the students and several took The Art of Paste Painting class with me this past Tuesday.

Also, you may remember from a previous post that my mosaic work is done in honor of my niece Taylor. The Wish-A-Mile 300 mile bike ride, with all funds raised going toward Make-A-Wish, starts tomorrow in Traverse City, MI. All the riders that have worked so hard to raise money and practice, practice, practice for this great cause are almost on their way. I wish them all a safe ride and offer my thanks for the effort they put forth in Taylor's name.

Here are some mosaic frames that I created recently. They are available at UniQ, Three Rivers, Michigan.

I'm sending out a hearty welcome to new subscribers and thank each and every one of you that reads my entries. I know my posts have been less frequent lately but that doesn't mean that I'm not thinking of you!

Lorrie

Sure is Quiet Around Here

Well, here's the deal: if it's quiet in blogland that means it certainly isn't quiet at home! Lot's going on but not much of it art-related.

However, I am teaching a couple of great workshops very soon. As I mentally prepare for the classes I am getting inspired and excited about the experience. Packing up for that experience is something entirely different! I hope you'll join me in downtown Kalamazoo for one or both of the classes in the wonderful Kalamazoo Book Art Center.

The Art of Paste Painting

Tuesday, July 21 from 6 to 9 pm

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A

Suitable for all ages and ability levels

$25

Paste painting is a surface design technique made by brushing colored paste onto a sheet of paper and using various tools to move the paste and create graphic images. Students are encouraged to bring combs, chunky rubber stamps, brayers or any other mark-making objects. I will have paper, tools, paint and paste for your use. Come play!

Paper Mosaics

Session 1: Tuesday, July 28 from 1 to 4

Session 2: Tuesday, July 28 from 6 to 9

Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A
Suitable for older teens/adults and all ability levels
$25

This class uses beautiful papers made in the Art of Paste Painting class, or card-weight papers that you might already have, to make incredible mosaics. The finished look is similar to ceramic mosaics but without the heavy equipment and messy grout.

You can get the registration form for these classes at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center. Print out the form, fill it out and mail it, along with a check, to the Center. Or, you can call them at 373-4938. While you're at the website, check out all the other amazing classes too! Your experience will be positive and you certainly can't beat the price. Our town is so lucky to have resources like this. Please don't go the extreme of moving away to realize that this is true!

Lorrie