Spring Library Book Sale!

My friend Pamela from www.cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.com  invited me to come along with her extra ticket to the members preview at the semi-annual San Francisco library book sale. We look forward to it every year. We armed ourselves with fruit, cookies and water and we waited in line for and hour at the Fort Mason Center. It is not a bad place to stand in line on a beautiful day waiting for the doors to open to a fun sale. It can be crowded and hectic but it is worth it for all the great books
and not to mention a good cause too.

We hit our favorite table first where we find old atlas's and dictionaries and an occasional typewriter manuel. I got
some huge topographic map books perfect for folding into envelopes and folders. All one dollar since it is reference.

I love the foreign language sections too. I use some of these book to print gelli prints on and do
collage work with them as well.

Here is a panoramic photo shot with my phone to give you an idea of the enormity of the building with 250,000
donated books for sale in the warehouse.

One of my books from the medical table. This is a nurses reference guide
from the 1950's. 

Pamela's great finds at the reference table. The dictionary was at least 5 inches thick with
marbled edges.

                                                                       
\

Our haul for the day. The cart is full of bird books, maps, atlas's, Japanese and Chinese books and so much more. It will
likely be turned into Mail Art, collage material, hand made card material and handmade envelopes. A few of the books
will land on our book shelves in the collectible pile.

Happy bargain shoppers. (it is even cheaper on
Sunday when EVERYTHING is a dollar! You just
might spot us there on Sunday)

You still have time to get to the sale. Here are the particulars:  

San Francisco Public Library Spring Sale

March 30-April 3rd.

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

All books and media $3.00 and under.

Sunday is $ Day.

If you miss this one the next sale is September 21 to 25th.

It is a great sale and hundred of people go each year. All proceeds benefit the 

San Francisco Public libraries.

Altered Book Day

I took a trip to Marin County yesterday with friends Margie, Pamela www.cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.com and Dorothywww.dotsrainbow.com
to see the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Altered Book and Book Arts annual
show. It also had a San Quentin Prison Arts Project show as well.

This is Dorothy Yuki's piece that received Honorable Mention. Last year Dorothy also received an
Honorable Mention on her altered book in this annual show. Congratulations again!

This is my untitled piece that I entered in the show. It is made entirely of discarded library books. It
is my second collage piece using books that I have rescued from the landfill.

This piece is made by our friend Punky from our SF Correspondence Group in San Francisco.

Hedi Kyles book. A collaborative piece with her graduate students using stencils.

These two pieces are from the San Quentin Prison Art Project that was on display. 

After seeing the show in Novato we headed to Mill Valley for another book 

show at Seager/Gray Gallery. Here a few pieces from that great show.

We ended the fun afternoon by stopping at Sol Food to pick up some Puerto Rican food. Loved those
garlic plantains. We headed back into the city avoiding the traffic.. Tonight is the closing and live auction at the MOCA. Sadly I will miss it but it should be a fun time. I was inspired by all that afternoon of altered books!

Envelope Booklet Tutorial

Here is a booklet tutorial that I showed Pamela from Cappuccino and art Journal and the other friends who gathered at my studio  a few weeks ago.  I used a page from an old atlas from the the library book sale that I went to with Pamela and Leslie.

Put the image that you want on the outside of the booklet face down on the table. Next fold the paper into thirds. You can measure if you like  or eyeball it like I do. 

Make a nice crisp fold using a bone folder. If you don't have a bone folder use a credit card to help crease crisp.

Open the paper and fold in half and crease your fold.

Take your pair of scissors and and cut from each side of the paper to the first fold.

You will now fold the corners in to the first fold making a triangle. 

Repeat the folds to all corners of the paper. 

Fold in the sides of the paper on the fold line.

Fold each end to the center fold.

Here is your finished envelope booklet!  

Here are three more envelope booklets made from different atlases We made
these at the party I hosted in my newly cleaned studio.  I hope to add some more 
envelope tutorials soon. I have a lot I want to share using repurposed materials of course!

                A shout out to my friend Pamela from Cappuccino and art journal for taking the
                photographs for this tutorial and for all her technical help as well. Her help
               and encouragement will get me posting on a more regular basis!