Spirograph Dreams, and Needing Travel Advice

I remember sitting on my grandparents couch, feet on the coffee table with the stone top, pinning gears to a piece of cardboard and spinning my pen away. I love to make anything that takes a process and makes something like magic. I’ve been daydreaming about spirographs lately and found this site. It’s not quite as fun as the real thing, but close

Also, I’m planning a trip to San Francisco the beginning of June. Things I really want to do are, go to the San Francisco Center for the Book, comb a beach and come back with a collection of cool rocks, see some art, and shop. I’ll be there for 3 or 4 days with Barry while my mom watches the kids. Barry will be at conference meetings during the day–so I can do some exploring and art looking by myself, then we’ll be together in the evenings. What I’m asking of you, dear Internet, is for suggestions of places to shop, art to see, a beach, food, and–do I need a car? Will public transportation be fine? Then money otherwise budgeted for a rental car could go toward shopping. We’re staying somewhere downtown I’m pretty sure…

Anyway–help anyone?

The goods are on their way!

I spent ALL DAY stuffing envelopes. I had quilt blocks strewn all over the floor of my art room so that I could see them all, then tip-toed through and stuck them to my flannel wall. Time flew! When I was ready for a lunch/potty break it was already 4:00 PM and I started about noon!

Every set is different and just awesome! The combinations were endless and tons of fun to sort through.

So, all you swappers, I’m taking my laundry basket to the post office on Monday. That means your blocks will be in your very own mail box late next week!

arrived!

The blocks from Canada arrived, so all packages will be sorted and sent in the next few days!

Gwen was so sweet and made up for the late arrival by sending these awesome fabric squares. I’m way excited to add them to my scrap buckets!

(And, yes, this picture is taken on my bathroom counter ’cause I opened the package while giving my kids a bath. There is good light in there:))

Oh, and I posted a picture of each of the blocks I kept for the charity quilts in my flickr Blockswap set. I’ll do more photo documentation as I finish sorting, I promise.

Progress

I’ve been putting packages together and trying to decide what 9 blocks I get to keep for myself.

The bummer is that there are about 5 sets of blocks I haven’t received. I’m waiting for one in particular from Canada. As soon as it gets here the packages with be all mailed out! I wish I could just send them now, but I’d have to save at least 10 to swap blocks with the Canadian one, so I’m just going to wait until it gets here.

They are all fantastic and look so good together! And, yours will be in your mailbox next week!