Retirement: Online Art Workshops

Back from an awesome trip up to No CA, teaching at the fabulous Stampers Warehouse in Danville, and running around getting into trouble with my buddy, Tammie Moore. Sadly I only took about 5 photos the whole time. Tammie, on the other hand, puts me to shame as she not only found time to make cool art, but to take a zillion pictures. Check out her blog to see a ton of fabulous photos.

I nabbed this shot on Friday-it was my smallest class (6 or 7) and the students were in the mindest of creating so I grabbed my camera and click clicked it!! The rest of the classes were jam packed and FULL (Sunday, we had 15 or 16 students-crazy, baby, crazy!!) LOVED it. Thanks guys.

I'm pooped from the trip. I need a vacation from my working vacation (is it a working vacation when you work 3 of the 5 days you are there? LOL).

Here is a quickie run down of our stops-

It all started when Tammie pulled into my driveway and we loaded up the car. She started the drive while I oohed and ahhed over the beautiful birthday presents she had bequeathed upon me. Tammie, you are too good to me!!! (Yesssssss I will be taking photos of them. Yesssssssss I have already had a ton of compliments on the jewelry she made me!!!)

First stop-Stampers Warehouse in Danville, of course!!! That store is fabulously dangerous. I can't ever walk out of there without fully loading up my basket with all sorts of new and enticing stamps, products, books and more. Phyllis and the gang know how to please their customers. I am looking forward to my trip there again in February!!!!

We also managed to do some damage:

Pegasus Books in Berkeley-new. used. discounted. They have it all. Their zine section is freakin' amazing. I bought two zines, an "I Freddy" book that Tristan already had (hey it was olnly $.99 and how did I know he already had it-Grandma bought it months ago...)...I drooled over their selections. Tammie could hardly carry what she bought out of there.

Comic Relief in Berkeley-comic books, graphic novels, art books and STUFF up the wazoo. Next time you are in Berkeley, make sure you stop at the store. I snagged Craphound #9 one of my fave clip art zines...a graphic novel called Doris...and that was it. I was "good" though there was lots more I wanted...

We also found some little stores selling goods supposedly from India...I love what I bought but was irked that when I thought I was buying "stickers" in a package for $2.50 (for the PACKAGE) that the guy at the register took out one sticker from each package and still charged me $2.50. Weird. I did find a neat Ganesh hand carved stamp. I really wanted a carved, elongated skull for $20 but refrained.

Moe's in Berkeley-The sky opened up with this bookstore OMG. It is like Heaven on Earth. I love this Mecca of All Things Books and Book Like. I could spend hours, days, weeks in here....I was good though. I bought a $30 book from Spain that is graffiti like and nummy. Hey, it called and I answered.

We also ate at Pie In The Sky in Berkeley-around the corner from Comic Relief. Damn good food. Reasonable too.

Can you believe we did all of THAT on Wednesday night and that we didn't get into Danville til almost 6 that night??!?!?! We stayed in Berkeley Wed night at the Best Western on University. Old hotel but clean and redone. THe only bad thing about it was that no one's keys worked that night when we checked in (LOL I love how technology is supposed to make things better) so they had to help you to open your doors-how weird is that?!?!!?

Thursday we were up bright and early at 8 and we managed to do some serious damage at:
Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley. I ALWAYS get into trouble at this store. I can't ever walk out with "just a few papers". It's always "just a few papers times a zillion". Plus the good news is, I booked a weekend with Diane to teach at the store in March-YAY!!!

Castle In The Air-Berkeley-just a few doors down from Scrapbook Territory (next to the yummy Japanese paper store, across from the amazing toy store, diagonal from the fabulous Cody's book store where I bought PAPER, yes, PAPER that I had been looking MONTHS for)...this store is total eye candy. Gorgeous and unusual "vintage" ephemera you won't find elsewhere. Tammie did serious damage here. I refrained from spending less than $60 but I still snagged some cool stuff. Yum Yum Yum.

Paper Source-Berkeley. Yup, I'm a Paper Source junkie. High End Gorgeous papers that call to me, jump off the rack and place themselves in my basket. I was fairly "good" in here but I love how each of their stores are different and each one "calls to me"...

Urban Ore-Berkeley-This was the one shop that Tammie was just itching to go to. When I pulled into the parking lot it was like "Oh My God. Toilets. Lots of broken down toilets. okayyyyyyyy there must be more inside." Luckily, there was. Need books to collage (or read)? Need film projector parts? Need glass jars? Need anything and everything-they have it. Cheap, too. They are a "recycling center" where they take donations from people and then resell it. I snagged 5 Golden Magazines from the '60s (remember Little Golden Books). I wish they had had more I would have bought them.

We decided after U. O. that we were "done" and "tired". 6 hours of shopping will tire anyone out. So we headed back to Danville. I added some more "stuff" to my basket at Stampers (the damn basket just grew all weekend long) ;)

All in all it was a fabulous weekend. I saw some old friends (Margaret, Libby, Vivian, Arlene, Kara, Sonora, etc...) met some new friends (Hi Shoshanah!) I just wanted to take a moment and say "Thank you" to all of you guys-especially the Stampers Warehouse Gang. I really love and cherish my trips up there. Danville is always one of my most favorite places to go to. I know I'll be greeted with smiling faces and painted hands. Thanks.