July Meeting and New Technique Day

The meeting this month was preceded by three one-hour workshops featuring different mixed media techniques. It was a beautiful day with cool gentle breezes blowing across the lovely gardens surrounding Marcella's hillside home.She opened her wonderful home and covered patio area to us—and Bonnie, Sue and Harlene conducted demonstrations and hands-on "make it and take it" sessions covering embellishments made from punched and folded paper, Paverpol sculpted objects suitable for garden art, and Victorian rolled paper beads. We had a great turnout! See photos below.

Calendar Of Events 

August 16, (Thursday), Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 to 9:15 P.M.) We are currently searching for a new venue for our meetings and events. In the meantime, Marcella has graciously offered her home for the August meeting.

September 20, (Thursday), Phoebe Meeting, 6:30 to 9:15 P.M.) Venue to be determined. The small chair challenge will be due. Make a small chair from any medium. 

September 21 and 22, Bewitching Fete. For the second year, a new version of Halloween and Vine will take place at the Veteran's Building, 301 Main St., Pleasanton, featuring fabulous Halloween art and gifts. For times and details go to www.abewitchingfete.com 

October 5 through 7, Beads and Design Show, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N. Main St, W.C.  Exhibits, workshops, demos and sales. Go to www.beadanddesign.com

Sue's Paverpol Mask-making

Sue started off the day with the Paverpol session. She provided participants with a clay mask, Paverpol, foil, draping material, paints and brushes. 

Shown above and below are two examples of items Sue has made to decorate her yard. The Paverpol makes the items waterproof.

The following five photos are examples of class work. The Paverpol moistened fabrics were carefully shaped and molded around the masks, painted, adorned and left to dry. Additional features and embellishments can then be painted or attached.

Harlene's Rolled Paper Beads

Suzanne, Daisy and Linda are shown following directions for making rolled paper beads. Harlene supplied numerous patterns for bead shape possibilities and various kinds of colorful papers. Below is one shape which results from using triangular strips of paper.

Bonnie's Paper Embellishments

Bonnie brought many punches for various paper shapes and demonstrated ways she has invented to layer and fold them to make one-of-a-kind embellishments for all sorts of mixed media art.

Here are just a few of the endless possibilities!

Show and Tell

Colleen brought her just-completed quilt that she started back in February. If you revisit the February 2018 post, you will see some of the over 2,000 individual pieces that make up this quilt. It is beyond amazing!!!! This was an undertaking for someone with over-the-top skill and mastery of quilting techniques, and an unending amount of patience. Obviously, that would be our own Colleen! Congratulations on a truly amazing work of art.

Linda is pictured holding four of the latest cloth-sculpted birds by Daisy. These are all examples of her original pattern, made with batik prints. Who doesn't love birds, and these are so cute!

Marcella displayed the quilt square she made using vintage bias tapes. It turned out a great success.

And, below are two doll quilts she made for our outreach project for the children hospitalized at George Marks.

Sharon has been having so much fun taking numerous on-line lessons from an artist in France, including learning various painting techniques to use in journals and books. This photo does not do justice to how beautiful these pages really are!