SCBWI
(Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)
I went with my friend to our first conference put on by SCBWI called... Painted Words and Written Pictures
We had such a good time. Here are a few highlights.
Here is one of the books I purchased and had signed by Aliki.
She was (and so were all the authors/illustrators) so supportive, motivating, and encouraging.
This is a quilt someone had made for Aliki. She scanned some of her books and printed them out on fabric and presented her with the quilt at the conference.
On all my notes I sketched the speaker. 
Above is Aliki (see photograph below for real picture)
Below is Yuyi Morales
(She is the younger woman in the photo above)
I just love looking back at my notes and sketches. Making a sketch and capturing a few phrases really helps me get a feel for their message.
Yuyi had such a great speech for us.
It was Entertaining, Enlightening, and Encouraging
(If you double click on these pictures, they should enlarge.)
These were two pages Yuyi handed out. The first some prayers her "illustrator" character, Senor Tlalocan, says while he is working on his art.
This one below is helpful as well...here are a couple of my favorite tips.
"Start small. Let the thing that catches you first be your springboard. Starting with the big concept, you risk your mind to shrink."
"Let your impulses guide you."
" Relax and Trust Myself"
Investigation - Discovery - Creation
On the second day my friend and I took a long walk around the campus of Cal State Fresno in the morning and then headed off to this Revitalized River Center.
San Joaquin River Parkway - Heritage House (circa 1890's)
The path that leads to this house is through an area that is currently focusing on extensive habitat restoration. It winds through the river bottomland that was formerly the Jensen River Ranch. The trail has four "larger-than-life" homes of animals found in the and around the river.
One of the focus' of the center is the birds in the area. We enjoyed the teaching questions posted about.
They had a really interesting Quilt Interactive Station on bird's nests. Each quilt is the size of different birds.
You can see below the sign says "Kids...Open up these quilts and see what's inside!"
There are different size quilts that coordinate with the different sized birds they belong to.
The Hummingbird quilt had a hand knitted nest attached.
Here is another quilt with the River Ecology as a theme.
This is a handmade water color book depicting a river environment. Very cool.
Below is quote from a new book written and illustrated by Aliki on William Shakespeare, I purchased at the conference. Who sums things up better.
"And this our life...
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermon in the stones, and good in everything."
...William Shakespeare, "As You Like It"
This is a "Basic Hat" pattern that took me two years to make!
NOW...on to my felted purse!
This was FUN and I think I learned alot from that "Basic Hat". Who knew you had to really make sure you had all the stitches each row and be so precise to have a pattern show up?
Thanks to Darlene for the pattern and words of advice!
They are unaware of my devious camera taking action!
Again what I did on location.
Now with a little color at home.
