three

Lovely quasi-sister-in-law gave me this for Christmas!

So, I had the class on the 14th, and, seriously, nothing can beat time spent in a book arts studio. I've been missing the letterpress quite a bit lately. This class was for platemaking, very similar to working in the darkroom, only you're exposing a uv photosensitive plate to create an image and/or text to be run on a press. I eagerly arrived to class with a few potential photographs, and was deeply saddened to realize we would not be making our own. (Of course, this made plenty of sense when I realized I needed a certain kind of negative which I neither had nor knew about). So we used the negatives brought in for us, and made plates for the Center for the Book to keep and use.

My plate was an image of a nail (as in hammers, not fingers). There were these delicate little lines that grooved around the base of the cylinder, and connected with the flat head. It was very satisfying to wash the plates and run my fingers over the etched surface.

I forgot all about the camera in my bag, so no photos for this week.

The San Francisco Center for the Book is a great place for both classes and renting time on the press/bindery/etc. If you're in the area and have never been, I highly recommend it!

two

This is the beautiful paper I found at the new art store on my block. Lovely products, not so helpful in the questions department. It feels as heavy as book cloth, and is quite sturdy. I love the rich, deep aqua hue (again, not so photogenic) and the way the gold marbleized. This paper was perfect for my second object: an accordion book!

The book was for a student is S's afterschool program, a young poet who read me some of her work on the phone. She had such a small voice! But her poems were outstanding and powerful, and so I HAD to compile them for her. It was a surprise, and since her name is on it I can't post the photos. But it was 5 by 7 bookboard (give or take), covered in the lovely paper, with black cardstock on the inside. Each poem was printed on ivory coloured linen paper, and adhered to the black cardstock. All those textures blended perfectly! It was so, so lush.

She sounded ecstatic when she called to thank me.

Objects are better when given away.

one

These are my beautiful first objects, straight from the nursery. (Don't you just love recycled boxes?) Little do these planties realize that in a matter of moments, they are to become this:



Terrariums are so great! This one is an African Violet, and I added a few stones from the backyard. The stick was picked up joyfully by our dog, and quickly donated to the object fund. I also made a few for friends, alas, they were given up without any photo shoot.

Terrariums are perfect for gussying up the old houseplant, although I must admit they are a bit lackluster in photos. It's like having your own private biosphere in the kitchen. Of course, you're welcome to make one with small reptiles and bugs, etc. But as for me, I'll just stick with the plants.

There are two main rules to terrarium crafting: 1) keep the plants' needs in mind (dry plants don't work so well with moisture hungry ones), and 2) layer the bottom of the jar with rocks and activated carbon (you can pick it up at any aquarium store). It keeps the germies from festering.

Here's a mini jar (I think it's a begonia?):

hi, hello!

Welcome to 52 objects.

So what is 52 objects all about, you might ask?
It's a space for thinking about creation, and the act thereof, and the emptiness of shelves and tables and walls and the need to roll up my sleeves and delve into a good ol' project now and then. Only, now and then tends to happen every few months or so, which becomes rarely, which makes my little heart hurt.

52 objects is my yellow post it note to myself. The reminder that although I live and work and eat and run and play, I often forget to make.
And making things makes me happy.

So, along the lines of a new years resolution, I made a promise to myself.
I decided to devote this year to creating one new object a week.

Objects feel relatively manageable.
Objects are both functional and lovely.
Objects can include, well, just about anything.

Keep coming back, and it'll keep me in check!