books

The Mermaids Are Coming To The West End of Long Beach

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emptystudiofrontLong Beach artists Denise Collins and Laura Bykowski, founders of the original Mermaid Art Studio, plan to relocate to a new home in the heart of the West End as part of Long Beach’s post-Sandy recovery. Bruised but not broken…rebuilding Long Beach one paint stroke at a time!

The Mermaid Art Studio will be a community-focused Center for the Arts.  The studio will offer after-school classes for elementary school aged children, tweens and teens, in addition to adult classes and workshops in Printmaking, Book Binding, Painting, Drawing, Fiber Arts, Weaving, Recycled Art, Papier-mâché, and much more.

mermaidsdeniselauraOpen studio hours will be offered during the day as well as on Fridays for Teen Night. Birthday Parties, Ladies Nights and First Friday events are part of the studio’s programs.

Help us make our dreams a reality by contributing to our fundraising campaign.

“Like” The Mermaid Art Studio on Facebook for news and updates, including our grand opening in September, as well as upcoming classes and workshops:
https://www.facebook.com/TheMermaidArtStudio

Sun Nov 11- Shop BGP at Long Beach Holiday Boutique

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Shop Small Business and Local before Sat. Nov 26!
Beach Girls Purls at the Long Beach Catholic School Holiday Boutique and Fair
Sun Nov 20, 9-4
735 W. Broadway, in the gym

Bring your holiday wish lists! We’ll have lots of new Kerry hats, cowls in all different shapes/styles/fibers, a new flock fingerless/texting mittens, felted and knit hand bags, yarn, and a few sweaters. Custom orders for Fiona, Stephanie, Pat, Jen and Cody are ready for pickup.

Need a small, thoughtful and inexpensive gift? Browse our collection of banana leaf journals and ipod/cell phone cozies ($15 each). Have a knitty friend? Indulge her creativity with a small or more generous skein handspun yarn ($10-15 and up). One size fits many? Try our fingerless mittens, a neckwarmer/cowl (all $30 and up) or a felted handbag ($35 and up). Ask us about custom orders– we have ideas!

New merch! This weekend!

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Come early to the boardwalk fair this weekend for the best pick of new BGP knit stuff (not even on Etsy yet). Lots of firsts & exclusives! In addition to brand-spankin-new kerry hats & cowls, summer & fall weight wraps/ponchos, yarn & quilts, we’ve got a flock of fittens and felted handbags, knit stuff for babies & kids, blank journal books and photo albums, and a one-of-a-kind Kerry swingy sweater in Minty Chocolate Chip yarn, *perfect* for cool fall nights.

August 20 & 21 – Long Beach Arts & Crafts Fair

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Shop Beach Girls Purls this weekend Aug 20-21 at the Long Beach Arts & Crafts Fair on the boardwalk – it’s going to be hot!

We’ll have all sorts of stitched & spun gifts & goodies, including Kerry’s famous hats & cowls, summer shrugs in Italian cotton, sweaters & ponchos, handspun yarn, blank books/journals, quilts and more.

Hand made by locals, one-of-a-kind treasures. Come on by, say hi, see what’s new. 9am-6pm, Sat. & Sun.

Previews at our Etsy shop.

Mermaid Studio book art camp- week 2

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Wow- this week was a snorcher but all our budding bookbinders & book artists performed exceptionally!

Creative energy produced enough books to fill a library, including:

  • Books using the rabbit stitch (japanese stab binding)
  • Pamphlet folders with the kitten stitch
  • Accordion books with our relief plates
  • Instant books with no sewing
  • Paper bag books
  • Pocketbook books from recycled, melded plastic bags with pockets, flaps & decorative sewing
  • Portfolio folders with our own decorative paper

Plus crocheting, weaving, painting, drawing, sewing & more. A big thanks for Ms. Collins for all the ice pops, cold drinks, snacks & kiddie pool to keep us cool.  Can’t wait to see some of you again next week!

 

Book art camp@The Mermaid Studio

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The first week of bookbinding art camp wraps up today and I am completely blown away at the joy & fearless creativity of these kids!

 

While their variations on stab binding are untraditional, they’ve mastered the pamphlet stitch (or “find the kitten” stitch) and are *glowing* when they fill an entire book with their own artwork.

Each day is more draining than a 3 hour butt-kicking w/MFC but oddly inspirational, too. Jumping off into new directions…

* thanks ms collins & all the helpers: jessica, morgan, hanna, sarah & charlotte! *

Guerilla bookbinding summer art camp begins Mon July 11

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Sewing a limp vellum binding on calf skin thongs

Using upcycled, recycled and original materials, we’re teaching two classic structures and jumping off from there. See where your creativity leads you!

Learn the Japanese stab binding technique (also called oriental sewing) and the pamphlet stitch. Make as many books as you can, at least 5 books in 5 days, including the hot tamale, barf bag and pocketbook books. Oodles of fun but no shenanigans ’cause sharp things are involved.