The Metamer Quarterly Can Count

 I've begun a new collaboration, with a friend from long ago. It involves numbers, the Basque language, and collage. Our first project is a children's book we began in the last century, in fact. It will be available for purchase in the next few weeks, at Barbot Etchepare Basque Imports. https://basqueimports.com/shop/ols/categories/books
The author, Begoña Echeverria, is a writer, singer, educator, and all around energetically lovely person who teaches at UC Riverside. This is a fine summary of her activities: https://profiles.ucr.edu/b.echeverria

And, you may want to check out her singing group here: https://www.ilovenoka.com/

She has come up with a name for our collaboration, and I have typeset it. We are *BegoLara*

Buy stamps, send mail, be of good cheer

You are old, Father William...
The press is great fun, also for generating collage material.

If you were to receive a zine in the mail, randomly, without requesting it, how would you feel?

(Please support the post office. One of our few genuinely publicly accessible institutions.)

Metamer Years Three and Four

Shibugami, star maps, continuous improvement

Earlier this year I purchased some shibugami, because it was described as the stencil paper used to make Katazome-shi, the beautiful stencil dyed papers:

http://www.japanesepaperplace.com/images/products/katazomeshi/bigkatazomeshi/124w.jpg

https://www.washiarts.com/katazome-shi/katazome-shi-152-hand-stenciled-japanese-paper

It is a stiff, slightly leathery paper, that the store in Toronto made sure to interleave with protective paper, to guard my other papers. I tucked it away, and just fantasized about the fabulous designs I would one day carve into it.

And then, contemplating the seven gold leaf star maps I needed to make, I remembered it. And putting it together with my Japanese hole punch...

https://www.hollanders.com/index.php/bookbinding-supplies/small-tools/hole-punches/japanese-hole-punch.html

...I realized I could stencil my gold leaf size right onto the metallic blue background! Combining three arduous steps into one easy step! I danced a little jig! I punched the air repeatedly, and did another little jig!

And here is the result:

I will be putting a couple versions into the Earlville Opera House sale in the next week. And, feel free to contact me if you would like to order one. 

Happy Holidays.