One week from today (Tuesday, December 16th at 6pm) I’ll be at my beloved local outdoor bookstore, Bart’s Books, for an interactive evening with fellow Ojaian and powerhouse cartoonist Shay Mirk.

We’re celebrating the publication of Making Nonfiction Comics, a comprehensive illustrated guide for everyone who’s ever wanted to tell stories about the world around us in words and pictures. (If you can’t make the event, that link takes you to bookshop.org where you can buy the book online.)

This beast is a collaboration between Shay and fellow cartoonist Eleri Harris and it is so!! good!!! In addition to Eleri and Shay’s hard-won expertise, there are also interviews and tips from so many big names in the field. You can learn about crafting everything from on-the-ground protest reportage to deep dive historical research to authentic personal narrative. This book is going to be the gold standard for years to come.

I feel lucky to have a brief cameo talking about running a community drawing night in Portland for several years in the twenty teens. Here’s a look at that:

If you’re in the area, do come by. I’m gonna show off some kelp farming comics, Shay’s gonna talk about making the book, it’s gonna be very fun. Ojai may be 80º during the day right now, but it gets chilly after dark, so bundle up! We’ll have zine templates for folks to fill out and fun slides to share and, knowing Shay, killer snacks.

A quick glance at Icelandic poppies, and you’ll notice they don’t behave like other blooms. Instead of holding a perfect form, they open wide, ripple at the edges, and shift with the light. In this Crepe Paper Icelandic Poppies Video Workshop, you’ll work with that natural movement and recreate a flower that feels loose, expressive, and full of life. As part of our Spring Garden Series inside Craft Academy, alongside our other brand-new blooms, this project helps you build a bouquet that feels polished and intentional.

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There’s something incredibly uplifting about Winter Jasmine. Just when the garden still feels quiet and subdued, these bright yellow blooms burst forward in a cascade of cheerful, confident color. We’re so excited to feature this stunning flower in a Member Make workshop and capture its sunny, vibrant energy.

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There’s something special about a peony—especially one you’ve shaped with your own hands. This Crepe Paper Coral Charm Peony is one of our most beloved paper flower projects, with its softly layered petals and warm coral-to-blush tones that feel both bold and romantic. In this full step-by-step video workshop, I’ll guide you through every curl, stretch, and petal placement so you can create a beautifully realistic crepe paper peony with confidence. Whether you’re new to making paper flowers or refining your technique, you’ll feel supported from the very first petal to the final stem. Let’s make something beautiful together.

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