ULLABENULLA

Botanical Treasures!

Its been a while since I did this post on Papier Mache Botanical Models.  I still love these wonderful scientific and didactic yet fanciful models!   These images, also from  Staetshuys Antiquairs are just as inspiring and wonderful...!

More ABC's of Altered Books At The CASTLE!

I am falling a little behind in posting - sorry...  This last weekend I had 10 wonderful women join me in learning 26 plus plus plus techniques at the Castle.  This is a fast paced class, where students focus on 3 to 5 techniques per alphabet letter.  Its amazing to see how each student renders the techniques, and no book looks the same in the end!  We use Moleskine Japanese Accordian books to present the letters, so that everyone goes home with a colorful lineup of multiple techniques.  This class is perfect for those who want to learn about altered books in a two day intensive!

Now YOU get to guess which letters are shown here!

49 Candles!

Every year of my life, on this morning I have been serenaded by song, and this morning was no exception! From near and far, phone calls, emails, letters and hugs have arrived - letting me know how truly Blessed I am!  My Mother told me (again) this morning how happy she was that day 49 years ago, at 2:12 am when I arrived, and I told her how happy I am too, that I am here!  Life is indeed good!

These amazing antique movable Silhouettes are a small part of a stunning gift given to me yesterday by The Queen of Ribboned Crowns who always makes me smile and laugh and helped me celebrate my day - a day early. Doesn't that look like me above, singing with Sadie? And surely tonight the golden candle will be lit when my dear husband opens the door!

 

PDF Tutorials On ETSY!

I did it!  The six tutorials that I presented at last weeks Tinsel and Treasures Show have now been made into PDF's and are ready to purchase in My ETSY Shop!  For ease and convenience I have added the Etsy Mini-shop to my sidebar.  Just press on one of the tutorial images and it will take you right there! 

These first six are all 'small' projects, as opposed to my larger  'classroom' projects.  Each takes about an hour to complete.  The PDF's have been formatted to fit American standard letter size paper, as well as Universal A4 size paper.  Each tutorial comes with detailed instructions with lots of photos, and beautiful patterns and images.  

I can't wait to hear what you all think of them!!!

Ulla  

Polish Bridal Couple in Paper...

This truly delightful paper collage is from Poland, and was created in the early 1930's.  It shows a bridal couple and bridesmaid.  Researching the folk costume reveals that it is from Warsaw.  How wonderful that the artist used photos for the faces, along with printed papers for the clothing.  I adore the flowers around the couple as much as the costumes.    

Via Den Store Danske

Wearable Papel Picado!

I absolutely adore it when art techniques cross and create something totally new and unexpected!  Just look at these wonderful dresses by Latin designer Ronaldo Fraga! His models look like a cross between Minnie Mouse and Papel Picado with a little Frida Ethnicity thrown in just for fun!  I would love to do something like this in felt - an apron perhaps?  or a jumper?  

Link via Pretty Portobello.

More images can be found HERE ON FLICKR.

Dia de Los Muertos Shadowbox - Class Sample!

In the spirit of the season, construct a small, casket-shaped shadowbox with a candle holder mounted on top and a skeleton dangling inside. I will show you how to build the shadowbox with a lid that opens and closes, and how to ruche hand-dyed velvet to create a rich looking interior. I will also give you ideas for decorating the skeleton in ways that might suggest a story about his or her previous life. My skeleton is posed in quite a touching way with a small heart clutched in his hand - he died, you see, of a broken heart...

Fee: $95.00 includes all materials plus skeleton

SATURDAY, Oct 24th - CLASS FULL

STAY TUNED FOR NEW DATE TO BE ADDED!

This class is held at:
CASTLE IN THE AIR
1805 Fourth Street
Berkeley, California

Pagoda Gazebo with Lights - Class Sample!

Take an imaginary trip to the Far East while creating this charming pagoda like structure from specialty papers and dresden paper trim. (you may chose your own colors or make one similar to mine) I will show you how to create the Chinese lantern hanging from the center of the roof - which contains battery-operated lights for a touch of magic. The pagoda is perfect for displaying a special treasure, such as the vintage Oriental doll shown here (doll not part of class). 

Fee: $95.00 includes all materials
SUNDAY, September 20th, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Call 510-204-9801 to sign up

This class is held at:
CASTLE IN THE AIR
1805 Fourth Street
Berkeley, California

'Portfolio of Backgrounds' Class

Eleven women joined me last weekend at the CASTLE for my Pure Techniques class in creating a variety of papers that can be used for backgrounds, collage, or just art on their own.  My goal with this class was to only use readily available materials and easy techniques.  We spent the morning creating basic background sheets with among other things, torn magazine images, crumpled tissue paper, coffee grind sprinkling and rubber stamp patterns.  From there we progressed into 'Shaving Cream Marbling', 'Bleach Pen Drawing', 'Detergent Bubble Blowing' and the unanimous favorite Saran Wrap Stained Glass Paper!  (see sample directly below) We used the new Castle Gallery Space as a drying area, filling it up very quickly with colorful and fun sheets. The last two hours were spent combining as many of the mornings techniques to create new and unusual backgrounds. As you can clearly see, everyone made amazing papers!

PAPER SHOES, SHOES, SHOES!

Just look at these crepe paper confections above.  Don't they just sing and dance and make your mouth water?  Yesterday Nancy and I taught 'Paper Shoes' at the Castle. What a glorious day...  The morning was spent fashioning truly delightful shoes - as only Nancy can style.  Like fairy cobblers, each student ruffled glorious creations that speak of 18th century rose gardens bursting at the seams!  Nancy truly excelled in her premier teaching experience!  After lunch, we changed centuries when I taught everyone how to make regency inspired round toed slippers and medieval pointed slippers.  The day was filled with laughter, sharing and sweet sweet inspirations!  I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

    

Seeing The World Inside Out...

I found this link while researching for my Grand Tour Altered Book Class.  I just love being able to see under and between the maps.  

I remember when I was young, my father used to tell me that if I dug deep enough I would reach China!  Perhaps it would have been easier to dig into an Atlas!  

Grand Tour Altered Book Class Today at the Castle!

I will be teaching my Grand Tour Altered Book class today at the CASTLE!  Students can approach this class in three different ways.  One, creating an imaginary trip, like I have here, two creating a book of an actual trip they have taken, or three creating a book for a future trip.

Here young Matilde and her dear friend Fanny take a trip to Europe via Balloon.  Many adventures happen along the way as they experience a Grand Tour like no other!

Little Houses by Juan Berrio

I think this is SO clever and totally inspiring!  Its worth the time to see the film to the end!!!  Now to find my own Moleskine's...  

via Moleskinerie

Diary of Flowers and a Ghost...

"When I got out of graduate school, I stopped Painting because it was overwhelming and because I couldn´t find myself in the material. But I also stopped because I was forcing myself to be a painter because I thought that was what my education had taught me. I realized I had accepted a lot of belief systems that were not necessarily mine. From then on, it was just a slow process of deconstructing this education and breaking things down to simple words. And 'beauty' was one of them.... I felt that I was part of a long tradition investigating what beauty is all about—the mystery of it, the elusiveness of it. So, I set out to understand what that word meant for me." 

 A Diary of Flowers - Above the Clouds, Jim Hodges, 1995, Ink on 100 napkins with pins. 

PRESS ON IMAGES TO SEE LARGER!

link and via

"...a tangled diorama covered by a large bell jar...  Inside, a lump of earth seemed to sustain a few examples of scraggly plant life, as well as a scattering of dead leaves and a couple of brightly coloured butterflies. Above it, a larger plant might have given the scene some shade were it not made entirely of clear glass. This strange form gives the lie to the rest of the construction: every element in the piece, from the pine needles to the ladybird that can be spied in the undergrowth, is realistically rendered in coloured glass... Its preciousness shouts down the melancholic echoes indicated in its title – one ghostly form rising up over other (differently) ghostly forms, all of which conjure some bucolic and cutesy illustration of a hedgerow wilderness that is itself a ghost of something that perhaps never existed."

GHOST, Jim Hodges, 2008, hand blown glass.

link 

Call Me Quick - Phone Book Dress!

This fabulous 'Phone Book' dress was created by Jolis Paons for a class assignment, using a clever combination of pleating, sewing and gluing.  Gives a whole new meaning to 'Call Girl'!  

Introduction To Papercutting At The Castle!

Yesterday 6 delightful and creative women joined me in my first 'Introduction to Papercutting' class at the CASTLE!  After a couple of hours exploring various tricks and tools of the trade, each student jumped in and created one of a kind silhouette portraits.  This assignment started with everyone having the same classic profile to work with.  First each student had to search through old magazines and find 'something' to put on top of the profile that would read as a hat, but also perhaps as something else entirely.  Choices were then made on foreground and background papers and the results mounted on canvas boards.  It was such a thrill to see how different each one turned out - but still having the similarity of the classic profile!  

As a special treat, Karima has taken one of my designs and created a printable PDF on her blog HERE so you can try your hand at this wonderful craft!!!  

Mayday Festivities Among Raindrops...

MAYDAY began with a flurry of raindrops and drizzle here in Northern California. But as you well know, Magic comes easily here at the CASTLE - rain or no rain. When I arrived in the morning KARIMA asked me to create a MAYPOLE for our window maiden to carry.  I immediately envisioned something out of my childhood in Scandinavia, a (paper) flower topped wheel for our young lass to carry in celebration! Here she stands, in all her glory, eager to welcome our guests and wish everyone a JOYOUS MAY!!!

 

Bird Whistle...

Did you know that there is a Whistle Museum?  Neither did I...  Isn't this little Victorian diecut mechanical bird Whistle adorable?  Something new to collect...

Paper Blossoms...

I love this paper flower installation created by Jo Lynn Alcorn for Maya Romanoff Wallpapers at Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2009.  Such wonderful whimsy and tactile materials to create a stunning wall treatment thats unique and one of a kind! 

Paper Pinwheels!

I'll be working with John McRae at the CASTLE today and on Monday!  If you are in town, come by and say Hello!!!  I've been wanting to share John's Paper Pinwheels for a while now, so today seems appropriate.  This is also a great post on how one artists mind works - namely Johns!  

John came to my house a few months ago, and admired my hand-tinted 'French Merchant' prints that I have hanging in my hallway.  One in particular caught his eye immediately.  Called 'Merchande de Moulins a vent' (Windmill Merchant) by Carle Vernet, it shows an older woman with a basket full of wonderful toy pinwheels. See image below.

Let me tell you, I've had this print hanging in my home for over two years and not once did I think to take direct inspiration from it.  John did!!!  A couple of weeks after his visit, not only had he recreated the pinwheels in the print, but he come up with a few of his own designs, and created a class out of them!  Combining juicy papers, Dresden, wooden sticks, and cotton batting dolls John's Whirling Wonders would be perfect for any party!  

If you'd like to make your own Paper Pinwheels, John's class will be held on Saturday May 30th, from 11:00 to 5:00.  (Call 510-204-9801 to reserve a spot!)