They came, they saw ...

Over the two weekends that I was open for Portland Open Studios, about a hundred people visited, even some celebrities! Thanks go to the 5000s for sales strategy and advice, even though my "recession discount" received no takers except from the customer who knew no such deal existed when selecting his purchases.

Clearly, I am better at making my work than selling it.



I did have fun setting up the bindery so that there was a reading room, complete with a book-model petting zoo.

Then I pulled together a slide show of my work that played continuously on the iMac in my, ahem, "auditorium." Many people plopped themselves in a chair to take in the whole thing.



I was working in the background, making clamshell boxes. It was a bonus being forced to work in the studio and get some projects out of the way.

Then I had a merchandise section, full of portfolios, Postcard Writer's Companions, and the tissue boxes. I love how the chiyogami pops in the light.



Probably the biggest success of the weekend was all the educating I got to do on behalf of Chinese bookbinding, along with the chance to recruit students for my OCAC class (April 4 and 5, doncha know). And I did get to make some clamshell boxes, of which this one turned out the best. It's the long-overdue home for the book models I made at the National Library of China.

Now raise your hand if you're ready for Portland Open Studios

The prints sit packaged in Arini's beautiful box.




Only the press rests.

I shoulda splurged on new Omnimats

Here's a couple shots of what's up in the bindery, with most of the portfolios still swathed in waxed paper and blotter and in various stages of completion.

Arini has been a huge help and came with a loaded Nano for our long hours of listening pleasure.

Here's next week's project (we haven't even gotten to the Postcard Writer's Companion), but hey that's what deadlines are for.


Anyone looking for Portland Open Studios tickets ($15; Oct. 11, 12, 18 & 19), let me know. I'm going to pick up a bunch this weekend.