Hold Dear

moulin rouge journal page swap...

In March of 2011, I attended an event hosted by the amazingly talented Kim Caldwell. The event was a Moulin Rouge-themed art retreat and it was amazing! I blogged about it here and here. For this event, I hosted a Journal Page Swap. I had hosted a similar swap at Silver Bella and it just turned out too gorgeous not to try again! Twelve artists each created thirteen pages. They sent their pages to me and I bound them in covers I made. Each artist got a book of her own plus an extra book was made to give to our fabulous host, Kim.

I am SO excited to share with you that this beautiful journal is featured in the latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Pages magazine! I submitted this journal to CPS for their consideration right when I got home from Moulin Rouge in April of 2011. The journal wasn't accepted in the first round but they were still interested and asked if they could hold on to it. So it took awhile but I am very happy with how it turned out. The photography is lovely. The only bummer is that not everyone's pages were published. I'm sure the staff at CPS struggled because EVERYONE's pages were spectacular!!! There was definitely something magic about this theme and inspired every artist that participated to create something magic.

So for your viewing pleasure, here is the full book in all its amazing, majestic glory. Thank you again to all the artists who participated and made this such a special swap!

Click on any image to enlarge.

The front cover of the journal.
The spine.The view of the book opened up with the edges of all those gorgeous pages.

Here are the pages with the name of the person who made them. You'll see some pages with my name that look very plain. I added extra pages (airmail envelope, piece of white embossed wallpaper, paper doiley and ledger paper) to give the girls plenty of surface to journal on or add pictures.Inside of Front Cover (Table of Contents) & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Sherry Bamsey Sherry Bamsey & Terry FriasTerry Frias & Michelle GellerMichelle GellerMichelle Geller & Terry Frias
Terry Frias & Sherry BamseySherry Bamsey & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Cynthia FloresCynthia Flores & Rachel McGoughRachel McGough & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Denise HahnDenise Hahn

The Eiffel Tower is a pop-up!

Denise Hahn & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Rachel McGoughRachel McGough & Cynthia FloresCynthia Flores & Andrea VillarrealAndrea Villarreal & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Valita BaxleyValita Baxley  & Julie WellerJulie WellerJulie Weller & Valita BaxleyValita Baxley & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Andrea VillarrealAndrea Villarreal & Cheryl StonehamCheryl Stoneham & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Michelle DukeMichelle DukeMichelle Duke & Michelle GellerMichelle Geller & Cheryl StonehamCheryl Stoneham & Inside of Back Cover

I hope you enjoyed this! It was an honor to host this swap and I still can't believe I have one of these books that I get to look at over and over again. But I do!!! :-)

A little sad note...you may have noticed that Pamela Keravuori's name is in the table of contents. I am still so bummed that her pages never made it to me. She mailed them but they never arrived. :-(

So back to happy stuff...would anyone be interest in doing a Journal Page Swap? I was thinking how much I LOVE this journal and was thinking of hosting an online swap. Maybe with a vintage flower theme? Each person would make two-sided pages and I would add the covers and bind with binder rings. The number of pages each person has to make will depend on the number of people that are interested but no more than 15. The deadline would be an end of July, beginning of August time frame. Let me know what you think! 

ETA: The swap is full! Thank you!

new little treasure...

It's been a long time since I've shared pics of treasures I find. I am an avid scrounger, hunter and digger. I LOVE going to the Goodwills (there are several really good ones in my area), estate sales, antique stores and thrift stores.

Here is something I recently found at Goodwill for $1.99.

So cute! It's a cassette tape holder. I love the retro flowers in the kitchy color palette! My first thought was to pull out the plastic insert and use it as a marker case but alas, I found a different use for it...

Groovy! :-)

i'm on a roll...artfest 2012

I don't know if blogging about Handmade U Spring Semester unblocked something, but I am definitely feeling up for some more! I am motivated to get "caught up!" :-)

First up...did you see the moon on Saturday, May 5? The media was referring to it as a "super moon" and around 8:30 pm, it was super! I started snapping pictures and got some great pictures using the zoom. I set up the tripod and got lots of shots just like this...

Very cool, right?

Okay...so on to a bit of catch up. It has been a very busy, crazy year so far. In January, I attended the Play Retreat in Port Townsend, Washington. While I was there, I made the decision to attend Artfest in April. I knew it would be tricky to juggle Artfest because it was two weeks before Handmade U in Omaha, Nebraska. I thought it would be more than I could handle but after months of back and forth deliberation, I signed up. This was to be the last Artfest ever so I figured I had to go for it!

Artfest 2012 was my fifth Artfest and while I don't regret going, I felt out of sync most of the time. I think it mostly had to do with the fact that I stayed off campus and so I missed out on the shared meals in the commons and all of the trading. The brightside of the whole affair was renting a room from my lovely friend, Marilyn, who lives in a beautiful cottage in Port Townsend.

Along the way to Marilyn's house, I did get a little lost but it was worth it because otherwise I wouldn't have stumbled upon these lovely words written on a community art center...

A very perfect sentiment for Artfest.

It's actually never a bad thing getting lost in Port Townsend. There is always something gorgeous to see.

As for the classes at Artfest, I mentioned I signed up late but I was still able to pretty much get all the classes/instructors I wanted! My first class on Thursday was Dave Steele's Metal Adventure Journal. I LOVED this class! I was very comfortable with the bookmaking component but had never worked with metal before. Dave is a very patient and knowledgeable teacher and I finished my journal in the class. That made me WAY happy!

The book is about 4 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Friday's class was Misfit Dollmaking with Lana Guerra. I thoroughly enjoyed the techniques that Lana shared. She is a very fun teacher. I didn't get very far with my doll unfortunately. This was a new medium for me so I think I got way too ambitious. The possibilities are endless! One of these days I will finish it...or not. But I will make dolls. :-) Oh and I did sit next to a very charming and gracious woman named Ellen. We're friends on Facebook now. Love that!

Saturday's class was with the ever delightful and super talented Mindy Lacefield. I was looking forward to this class most of all...mainly because Dawn was going to be in this class too. My super friend, Sarah, was to be in this class but she had to leave Artfest unexpectedly. :-(

I am in love in love love LOVE with the techniques I learned in Mindy's class. Here are three paintings I painted during class...

Right when I got home, I went out and bought lots of flourescent paints! I can't wait to play with them! Here's a pic of Dawn and I taken during class. Dawn is SO talented and hanging out with her absolutely enhanced my whole Artfest experience! Goodnight, Dawn Sokol! :-)

Before heading to Artfest, I started putting together a souvenir journal (of course!)


I just finished it and am thinking of making a little video as a way to share all of the insides with you. I just need to carve out a bit of time to do that. Until then, here's the first page in the journal...

Lastly, here's a pic of the commons at Fort Worden! I hope it's not the last picture I ever take of the fort. The era of Artfest has passed; however, there's talk of something else on the horizon involving Fort Worden and Port Townsend. Hopefully we'll all get a chance visit the fort again...for the next big thing, :-)

Handmade U Spring 2012

I have lots to share with you since I haven't blogged in along time; however, I am going to take care of first things first...Handmade U Spring 2012!

I am SO lucky to know Rachel McGough! I first met her at Silver Bella in November of 2010 and little did I know that our friendship would turn into something very special! Rachel hosted an art retreat, Handmade U , in Omaha, Nebraska, in September, 2011. She invited me to come teach and I had such an incredible time! The venue, the artists...the shopping! :-) You can imagine how thrilled I was when Rachel began talking about a second Handmade U and she invited me to come teach again. 

Here are some pictures...this first picture is me and Rachel! I arrived Wednesday evening before Handmade U was to begin and Rachel and her fabulous husband, Jim, treated me to a great meal at Roja's in Omaha's Old Town. We sat outside and it was utterly perfect!

Bright and early Thursday, we headed to Minglewood Lodge in Gretna, Nebraska...

After a busy morning, the lodge was set up Handmade U style...

Rachel and Mollie taking care of some final details......and then we only had to wait for the students to arrive! I LOVE this vintage chalkboard Rachel set up to welcome the students!

Tables were set up for some fun and unique shopping at Handmade U too! Here is Rachel's table full of with her journals and trimmings from France!
Pam's table full of cards and labels made from her original doodles and artwork.
And oh yeah, the Hold Dear table full of things you know I love and adore...

The attention to details at Rachel's events are fantastic! That girl is gifted!

On Friday morning...a very special thing happened...Handmade U's first swap! This was a paperdoll swap hosted by the very awesome Shelley!

Sooooo cute!

I don't recall if it happended before the swap or after, but there was a Sonic run!

Thank you, Stephanie and Shelley :-)

Friday was my class, Stitched and Stashed Journal...

The class working...

It was a full day's work and I was so overjoyed with everyone's journals! They were amazing! I was also in awe of what each artist brought to her journal making...things that would have never crossed my mind. I love how that happens.

Look at these spectacular lovelies...

This view makes me extremely happy!!!

See how happy I am? :-)

To help us get through the afternoon on Friday, the fabulous Hope whipped up a batch of her incredible Minglewood Mochas. This is officially now a Handmade U tradition! Sooooo yummy!

Thank you so much, Hope!!!

On Saturday, Rachel and Pam each taught a class. Rachel's class was in the morning...Prize Ribbons! This project was so fun! I could have done this all day!

My ribbon...

All of the ribbons turned out so incrediblely cute...I adored each and every one of them! It definitely was a testiment to how talented these women were!

Pam's class, Doodle Ink, was in the afternoon. This was another fun class! I have long admired Pam's impeccible penmanship and I am also now in awe of her talent and mastery of so many other mediums! Also, seeing as how several of us there are huge Copic marker fans, Pam spoke about these pens and did some demos. She is also a certified Copic instructor so that was such a great bonus!

Here is my doodle, naked...

...and then filled in with watercolor...

As a very fun treat on Saturday night, Rachel arranged to have Bomb Digs, a food truck, come to the lodge to bring us dinner. Her husband, Jim, and her parents, Gerry and Sarah, came to the lodge to join us too! The food was SO.GOOD!
From left to right...Rachel, Shelley, Jodie, me, Paige, Hope, Pam, Michelle, Leslie, Mollie, Laurel and Stephanie.

For dessert, Rachel brought in Handmade U cupcakes!

And since I took so many pictures of this little girl, I have to mention that we almost every night we had an unannounced visitor at the lodge...the unofficial Handmade U mascot!

Rachel and I are both huge cat lovers so having this sweet kitty girl visit helped us not miss our kit kats so much. :-)

Just a few last pics...some views from the lodge...utterly gorgeous and utterly Nebraska! 

Thank you again to Rachel and Jim for hosting me and to everyone for your kindness, sweetness, generosity, laughter, and friendship...this was another fabulous and memorable Handmade U!!