Autumn Harvest

Guess what I've been doing lately? Turning this:

Into this:

I love canning. It's one of those things that make people think I'm a grandma trapped in a young person body. Tomatoes are the best because I use them all winter in pasta sauce and soup and I know where they came from and that they were grown in the summer. Tomatoes from the grocery store in the winter are yucky.
This is the first year that our tomato plant decided not to grow five feet tall and produce until October, so these are from Shaun's grandpa's garden. We did get tons of cucumbers and I canned five jars of pickles (yum!)

I requested these awesome books a while ago at the Library:

They are so easy to follow and great for beginners. I haven't had a chance to do much with the Dairy book, but I did make some ricotta that was tasty! Ashley English has two other books that I want to read. Not that I'm at all prepared to keep chickens or bees, but I think it's amazing.

Hand Papermaking

On Thursday and Friday of this week I went to Tryst Press for my job and helped make beautiful paper for an upcoming project my Boss is working on.

It's not an easy process and it takes a lot of practice, but the paper is well worth it! From pulp to dry flattened sheets involves many many steps. I've included a video that shows one step in the process. In this clip Rob Buchert is at the vat where he uses his handmade paper moulds to scoop up the fibers and form a sheet. He then passes the moulds to Ethan who couches them onto felts. They make it look easy, but it's not!

Whenever I'm in these extremely odd environments involved in processes that are hundreds of years old I'm amazed at what a great job I have!! Just putting my respiratory therapy degree to good use Dad.

You can visit Rob's website for more paper making videos:

http://www.trystpress.com/Paper_Mill.html

The Many Faces of Design

The American Institute of Graphic Arts has a traveling show on display right now at the University of Utah in conjunction with the Book Arts Program. Shaun is on the board for the Salt Lake chapter of AIGA and I, of course, am a book lover and member of the book arts community.

So we went last night for the opening reception and WOW. Here was my favorite book of the night...steals my heart. I WILL own it someday.

But it's not just the cover that is amazingly designed, it's the inside. Check it out here.

The designer is Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich.

Check out the show if you have a chance. It's called 50 Books/50 covers.

AIGA SLC

U of U Book Arts Program

My Griping Has Paid Off

Ok, well...probably not my griping. But the griping of a nation over the lack of local produce has resulted in an explosion of farmers' markets over the last few years. and the big news is...

Lehi is starting a farmers' market!!!


Visit their website here for more info. I'll see you there!

Gilgal Garden

Don't know how many of you have ever heard of this crazy place, but it's a little sculpture garden tucked away in SLC. It has some REALLY strange stuff, but to his credit, Thomas Child had a grand vision. The work all has LDS symbology and can be really creepy on a stormy night (see below). Anyone looking for some interesting art in the Salt Lake area should drop by.

http://www.gilgalgarden.org/