Interior view of Art ‘n Soul Rubber Stamps

I headed south yesterday to teach classes at Art ‘n Soul, a rubber stamp store in Lacey, WA, about 60 miles from Seattle. The weather was beautiful, the drive was relaxing, and i sang along (totally out of key) to country music all the way. The two 3-hour classes store owner Susie Tracy scheduled were Window Shade Book and Flexagon Cards, and i have included a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

A few years ago, when I taught classes in Houston, Texas, artist and calligrapher Meri Taylor presented me with a beautiful interactive book structure which resembled a miniature window shade (and operated like one, too!) with a calligraphed a poem on the two ’shades’. I was pleased as punch when she graciously granted me permission to teach a class featuring The Window Shade Book. I played around with her original design and changed the size a bit, then engaged in some really serious play and come up with a jointed book with four window shades that folds in on itself and ties shut with a tassel.

Note: Meri Taylor is currently living in Oregon, and is the Chairperson for the PORTLAND SOCIETY FOR CALLIGRAPHY.

In my Flexagon Cards Class each student made four playful flexagon cards. One card has a heart shape that is broken when the flexagon is flattened, and which becomes whole when the sides are pulled. A second card contains a flexagon with a face, another contains a flexagon and a pop-up, and the fourth card contains a flexagon with 32 panels that appear and disappear when the card is ‘operated’. This one allows lots of creative ways to play with your message, photographs, etc.

Judy Daugherty with her Window Shade Book

Good afternoon Michael…my best to you and your wife Judy. I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful class offerings last Saturday at Art n’ Soul. I went right home to complete the flexagon with the face and am very pleased with the result. I will try to attend your wire edge binding class on Aug. 9th and will bring the card to show you at that time. I always LOVE to add a few more wonderful tricks to my paper arts bag, and your classes were wonderful inspirations. Take care and I will look forward to seeing you again soon. All my best!

Judy Daugherty

Sharyn Hopley with four Flexagon Cards

Karen Van Hatcher & Lorraine Barclay with their Window Shade Books

Debbie Gaetz with her Window Shade Book & Flexagon Cards

Photo Flip Cards are interactive mini photo displays with photos that flip back and forth when you pull and push a paper tab. Flip Cards are easy to make and lots of fun to operate. I demonstrated how to make a Flip Card on The Carol Duvall Show and you can click this link to download step-by-step instructions and photos.

The lower right Flip Card in the photo above fits inside an A-2 envelope and the two at the top left fit into a #10 envelope. You’ll find patterns and instructions for both envelopes in my book CARDS THAT POP UP, FLIP & SLIDE, along with instructions for the card itself.

Ennio Marchetto is a ‘One-Man-Living-Cartoon-Factory’. That phrase might not make a lot of sense when you first read it, but when you see Ennio in action, it pretty much accurately sums up this amazing and very funny man. Want to laugh with abandon and be thoroughly entertained at the same time? Go here immediately. Then, when you’ve stopped laughing, click here to watch an interview with Ennio, and visit his website at Ennio Marchetto.

I first heard about Ennio from book artist, teacher and paper engineer Carol Barton - thank you, Carol!

I’m teaching two fun and unique 3-hour workshops at Art ‘n Soul, a rubber stamp store in Lacey, Washington, at the end of the month - Window Shade Book and Flexigon Cards. Take either class (or, better yet, both!), and you’ll receive a 10% discount on all store merchandise. It’s easy to register by phone (360) 357-6820) with your credit card.

Art ‘n Soul, 909 Sleater Kinney Rd SE # 10, Lacey, WA 98503.

June 28, Window Shade Book, 9:30am-12:30pm

June 28, Flexagon Cards, 1:30pm-4:30pm

At last count, Golden Artist Colors, Inc. has created well over 300 professional quality acrylic paint products! I’ve been using many of them - mostly the paints, gels, mediums and pastes - in my art and craft work for over 18 years, and they are hands-down my favorite brand. On my PAPER TRANSFORMATIONS DVD I demonstrate how I use these products to decorate water color papers for book and paper craft projects. And on ART UNSCRIPTED I use Golden Paints and Light Molding Paste to color and texturize three foam board shrines, and one of my decorated papers as a surface treatment.

On June 1st I attended a Golden lecture in Seattle, Washington, at Daniel Smith Art Materials, and Judy and I attended one last year on Washington’s Whidbey Island at Casey’s Crafts. Both lectures were presented by Barbara De Pirro, one of Golden’s Working Artists. These free 2-hour educational presentations thoroughly cover Golden’s acrylic mediums and pigments, glazing, gels, pastes, grounds, varnishes and health and safety factors. As Barbara says on her website:

You will learn how to mix paints with various products to create unique textural surfaces. How to use different products to create surfaces for textiles, airbrushing, monoprints, murals, sculptures, book making, oil painting, watercolor, calligraphy and all drawing mediums.

These lectures are a veritable gold mine of information. Golden’s huge array of products are on display, and dozens of boards showcasing various processes are talked about and passed around the room for hands-on viewing. On top of the visual and verbal information, everybody receives a fantastic handout with excellent explanations of the products, a color mixing chart, actual paint swatches, a bag of GOLDEN samples and more, as shown below.