Remember I had mentioned something about a library sale? Well I did go to one recently and here’s my loot.

I bought two P.D. James books and as I’ve read a couple of the Chief Inspector Dalgliesh books I’m glad I found these to continue with the series.

The Saturday Morning Murder and Bloodless Shadow are written by new to me mystery authors but the blurbs on the backs of these books make them sound very good indeed and even better, both are the first books in their respective series.

My Barbara Pym and Laurie Colwin libraries continue to grow. I have several books by each of these authors. And, the other books sounded too good to pass up.

Now the hard task is finding a spot for them on my shelves.

On Saturday we went to check out the Senior Art Exhibition from the graduates of UT. There were a lot of interesting works, some I liked and some I didn’t quite get but I always enjoy art encounters. After we saw the exhibit we walked around the rest of the building, the exhibit was housed at Flatbed Press, and we saw some other art on display but were we in for a treat.

One of the founders of Flatbed Press asked us if we wanted a tour. Of course! We saw some amazing machinery, got to see a print being made and I learned a teeny, tiny bit about printmaking. It’s fascinating.

You know why I love this stuff? Because even though I’m not an artist, and maybe I won’t ever learn any printmaking, I just get so energized after seeing behind the scenes of how artists work. I learn to appreciate different mediums and I find myself feeling a renewed sense of inspiration and look forward to the next time I’m involved in my own creative pursuits. For me it’s about pursuing a creative life no matter whether I’m bookbinding, journaling, stamping or whatever. It’s these things that make me happy and feed my soul.

Anyway, to get back on the subject of books, if you are interested in printmaking check out these wonderful titles from David R. Godine, Publisher (isn’t it serendipitous how I got this catalog a few days before getting to visit Flatbed?):

• Personal Impressions: The Small Printing Press in 19th Century America by Elizabeth M. Harris
• No Art Without Craft by Irene Tichenor

Now I’m off to dream about things I’d love to learn. Oh yes, and I still need to catch up on blog visiting.