Lip Balm Set of 5
I chose Black Plum, Blood Orange, Asian Pear, Vanilla Mint, and Red Currant. Deliciously aromatic, with a perfectly silky texture. Yum!
Showing posts with label Etsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Etsy. Show all posts
7.12.2010
5.05.2010
cravings
Calabasas Candy Co.
Plum & Sage
Infusion Natural Fibers
LAS Pottery
creative.hodge.podge
Augury
3.11.2010
2.26.2010
smtw!
Check out this article about one of my best, best friends from back home!
I'm so proud of you, Sarah!
1.22.2010
ex libris
Though I’d given some thought to the topic of bookplates before, I was unaware that there’s an entire underground obsession with this vein of printing. Jesse and I caught the opening reception for a small, yet very impressive bookplate show at the Washington County Museum last night. After we grabbed drinks Jesse was handed a big magnifying glass with which to view the stunningly intricate detail of the small-scale prints.
Bookplates have been around for centuries and they are printed in a variety of different methods, including relief, intaglio, lithography, and even screenprinting. They are affixed inside books to denote from whose library (personal or otherwise) the book came. People throughout history have commissioned artists to design elaborate bookplates for them, and this is still done often today for collectors who want to trade.
The exhibit that we visited had designs (more than 230, according to the WCM website) of virtually every technique and subject matter. What most impressed me was how much the artists could squeeze into such a tiny, little image. Many of them were rich with story, emotion, and unbelievable depth and shading.
Sadly, images of the best historical bookplates are copyrighted like mad. If you’re interested in browsing through this petite gems, check out the following websites:
Confessions of Bookplate Junkie
American Society of Bookplate Collectors & Designers
Bookplates have been around for centuries and they are printed in a variety of different methods, including relief, intaglio, lithography, and even screenprinting. They are affixed inside books to denote from whose library (personal or otherwise) the book came. People throughout history have commissioned artists to design elaborate bookplates for them, and this is still done often today for collectors who want to trade.
The exhibit that we visited had designs (more than 230, according to the WCM website) of virtually every technique and subject matter. What most impressed me was how much the artists could squeeze into such a tiny, little image. Many of them were rich with story, emotion, and unbelievable depth and shading.
Sadly, images of the best historical bookplates are copyrighted like mad. If you’re interested in browsing through this petite gems, check out the following websites:
Confessions of Bookplate Junkie
American Society of Bookplate Collectors & Designers
University of Notre Dame Bookplate Registry
I decided to check Etsy to see what caliber of bookplates are offered for sale there. Overall, I was pretty disappointed, after looking at hundreds of professional plates designed by prolific artists last night. Here are some nice ones that caught my eye. Each photo is a link that will lead you to the seller’s Etsy page, in case you’d like to get some for yourself!
I decided to check Etsy to see what caliber of bookplates are offered for sale there. Overall, I was pretty disappointed, after looking at hundreds of professional plates designed by prolific artists last night. Here are some nice ones that caught my eye. Each photo is a link that will lead you to the seller’s Etsy page, in case you’d like to get some for yourself!
amandamonkey
The Little Fox
Kelly Christina Artworks
Oiseaux
Add this to the list of projects I want to try. Etching is sort of the bane of my existence, but block printing is a legitimate option. I could also see Jesse cranking out some sweet computer-generated designs. And when the day comes that I break out my screenprinting kit…it’s going to be a bookplate trading bonanza.
8.26.2009
flown
This is a mash-up of sorts. I think if I start rifling through the contents of my mind, taking the initiative to address some of the smaller bits that can be accomplished and forgotten, my thinking will function a bit more smoothly. It’s worth a shot.
Despite the fact that I’m a bookbinder (ooh, I like the sound of that) and I’ve made a few custom guestbooks specifically for weddings, I’ve decided not to have a guestbook at our wedding. Instead, I borrowed an idea from Etsy (imagine that) and bought a little wooden box to serve as a “guestbox.” I painted the box in mossy olive green and cream, and affixed a Hambly birdcage rub-on (I love their products more than life itself).
With marriage, Jesse and I will be once-free birdlings that are now caged together.
I’m going to cut cream-colored index cards to size and hopefully each guest will fill out their name, contact information, and maybe a little message! That way the box will serve as a useful address compendium once we get home. My favorite detail is the tiny stamped letters on the index dividers – embossed in a shade of green just slightly darker than the cards themselves. I appreciate that monochromatic balance and want to incorporate it in future projects.
I also tried my hand at papercutting for the first time recently, making this tongue-in-cheek birthday card for Jesse’s 30th. I had been browsing the amazingly precise work at The Heart of Papercuts and wanted to see how difficult the craft was. I’ve long been a fan of traditional Mexican “picados” and I’d like to eventually make some to hang above my craft table. I thought the card turned out fine for a first try – next time I’ll use a heavier cardstock for cutting and I need to find a different adhesion technique! Oh, not to mention improving my making-a-likeness skills – does this even look like Jesse??
Lastly. I got some lovely new kitchen tools and dishes at my bridal shower last week, so I decided to rearrange the vintage hutch we purchased from a friend a while back. The hutch itself needs refurbishing (note the missing knob), particularly since it kind of fell over in the moving truck as we were bringing it home. A fresh coat of paint and some new fixtures should bring this beauty back to life.
I decided to arrange white and glass items in the display case, along with a couple bright splashes of color. I am pleased with the result; it reminds me of the photos I love so much in Real Simple and on those glorious design blogs!
Despite the fact that I’m a bookbinder (ooh, I like the sound of that) and I’ve made a few custom guestbooks specifically for weddings, I’ve decided not to have a guestbook at our wedding. Instead, I borrowed an idea from Etsy (imagine that) and bought a little wooden box to serve as a “guestbox.” I painted the box in mossy olive green and cream, and affixed a Hambly birdcage rub-on (I love their products more than life itself).
With marriage, Jesse and I will be once-free birdlings that are now caged together.
I’m going to cut cream-colored index cards to size and hopefully each guest will fill out their name, contact information, and maybe a little message! That way the box will serve as a useful address compendium once we get home. My favorite detail is the tiny stamped letters on the index dividers – embossed in a shade of green just slightly darker than the cards themselves. I appreciate that monochromatic balance and want to incorporate it in future projects.
I also tried my hand at papercutting for the first time recently, making this tongue-in-cheek birthday card for Jesse’s 30th. I had been browsing the amazingly precise work at The Heart of Papercuts and wanted to see how difficult the craft was. I’ve long been a fan of traditional Mexican “picados” and I’d like to eventually make some to hang above my craft table. I thought the card turned out fine for a first try – next time I’ll use a heavier cardstock for cutting and I need to find a different adhesion technique! Oh, not to mention improving my making-a-likeness skills – does this even look like Jesse??
Lastly. I got some lovely new kitchen tools and dishes at my bridal shower last week, so I decided to rearrange the vintage hutch we purchased from a friend a while back. The hutch itself needs refurbishing (note the missing knob), particularly since it kind of fell over in the moving truck as we were bringing it home. A fresh coat of paint and some new fixtures should bring this beauty back to life.
I decided to arrange white and glass items in the display case, along with a couple bright splashes of color. I am pleased with the result; it reminds me of the photos I love so much in Real Simple and on those glorious design blogs!
7.22.2009
ring bearer
With an influx of wedding-related enthusiasm, I’ve been browsing Etsy to get ideas to accentuate the DIY vibe of our event. The site is a goldmine of inventive creations that beg to be made by my fumbling fingers. I’ve derived a list of items I hope to make myself, and I decided to start with a substitute for the traditional satiny ring bearer pillow.
Instead, I wanted to get super ambitious and try knitting and felting a ring bearer bowl. I was daunted to try using circular knitting needles for the first time. My first go at it produced the beginnings of a bowl whose rim was going to be about 2.5 feet in diameter. After purchasing a smaller set of bamboo circular needles, I got back on the right track.
This smaller bowl knitted up very fast and I finished the basin part of the bowl and secured a ribbon through some of the looser stitches at the bottom (to hold the rings in place during the ceremony). I mentally prepared myself to toss my precious construction in the wildly thrashing water of my washing machine.
After about 25 minutes of harsh agitation, I pulled the bowl from the washing machine and squeezed out the excess water. The “felting” process had helped the rows of yarn to blend together into a thick fabric consistency. The individual stitches now blended together and were indistinguishable. This last photo is of the felted bowl before I shaped it and dried it over a balled up dishtowel.
I’m considering some kind of beaded embellishment to make this bowl more “pretty” and wedding appropriate. Photos to come.
Instead, I wanted to get super ambitious and try knitting and felting a ring bearer bowl. I was daunted to try using circular knitting needles for the first time. My first go at it produced the beginnings of a bowl whose rim was going to be about 2.5 feet in diameter. After purchasing a smaller set of bamboo circular needles, I got back on the right track.
This smaller bowl knitted up very fast and I finished the basin part of the bowl and secured a ribbon through some of the looser stitches at the bottom (to hold the rings in place during the ceremony). I mentally prepared myself to toss my precious construction in the wildly thrashing water of my washing machine.
After about 25 minutes of harsh agitation, I pulled the bowl from the washing machine and squeezed out the excess water. The “felting” process had helped the rows of yarn to blend together into a thick fabric consistency. The individual stitches now blended together and were indistinguishable. This last photo is of the felted bowl before I shaped it and dried it over a balled up dishtowel.
I’m considering some kind of beaded embellishment to make this bowl more “pretty” and wedding appropriate. Photos to come.
5.21.2009
etsy gems #1
Some pretty products that caught my eye today:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25261146Printemps Photograph
Alicia Bock
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25249497
Floating Flower Earrings
Fleur Fatale
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25124219Eat Your Peas Print
Amber Alexander
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25228415
Coral Poppy Clutch
Ruby Red Rose
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