They're Back

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I have some shop-related news: some of my favorite bookish items are back in shop!  I enjoyed creating these bookish beauties, which showcase old book pages along with lots of handmade love and personalization.

 I created this one-of-a-kind poem on a smooth birch slice using tiny vintage book-page words cut from an old copy of my favorite text, Jane Eyre.  A sprig is stamped under the poem for a thoughtful visual contrast.  This is a delicate piece - no protective sealant, so you can see the book-page texture atop the smoothness of the wood slice.

 Small origami book-page heart bookmarks stamped with your initials - lovely for weddings and engagements, and as a girlfriend/boyfriend gift.  Each heart is cut, folded, glued, and stamped by me.  A tassel completes the piece.  Can be used as a unique door or window hang, too.

This last piece was from a customer's request: a tiny ampersand pendant talisman.  It's a twist on my tiny stamped initials pendant found here.  In addition to being a reminder of one's love, it doubles as a little good-luck memento for writers and thinkers.

* * * 

This past fall marked my Etsy shop's ninth year.  Can you believe it?  Almost a decade in business.  When I started out, I wanted to create an outlet for my artistic endeavors, which at that time was jewelry making.  Now I stamped metal, create book-page goods, and most importantly, offer writing services.  I often omit discussing the latter, but it is the work that is, in truth, my heart's work.  My soul.  

I began offering writing services after earning my MA back in 2013.  It was a time of transition, as my prolonged college years came to an end, and I also experience the profound loss of a loved one whose zest for books surpassed my own.  His vast book collection is now my own - I've documented it on this blog in posts from 2013.  I write like I think: a little different than others.  My writing style differs from others in that it is highly nuanced and sensitive, acerbic and witty.  I relish the classic works.  I think deeply.  And try to breathe deeply, too.  Motherhood.

So to you, my blog readers, thank you for reading.  The best to you in 2020.

Work of the Heart

Hello blog, it's really been awhile.  Motherhood will do that to you.  You blink and your child is now three years old.  You blink and your Etsy shop, once a quiet vessel of life, is semi-busy again with orders after a long, long drought.  Life has currently been on less of a time warp and more on an ebb-and-flow continuum, as life goes. 

I recently sold these tiny labors of love: book-page phrase gift boxes.  Each box top features tiny words cut by hand and a pair of scissors from a copy of Jane Eyre, my favorite book.  I then rearranged the words and made poetic or thoughtful phrases.  I had made these boxes years ago when I wanted to stand out from the mass-produced crowd, when I wanted to be creative in my own resourceful way.  So happy they have found a perfect home! 

Is it weird to talk about one's work in that respect?  As if the work themselves are, indeed, real?  

They're Back!

Recently renewed in my Etsy shop, check them out...

Small Book Page Envelopes

Monogram Small Book Page Envelopes

Hand-Stamped Name Tags - Sage Green & Black

New in Shop

Small kraft boxes with phrases made from a vintage copy of Jane Eyre and a new interchangeable dangle...

Love Love Love -Small Kraft Box

Moody Smoky Quartz and Garnet Dangles

To be added this week:

Friendship Small Kraft Box

Poetic Soul - Small Kraft Box

Teatime Small Kraft Box

Bookish Frenzy

I've been creating more paper goods lately.  Book pages and glue, plus cardstock and stamps, have made up my down time since the days have been getting shorter.  Working with paper is a consistent, meticulous process that is comforting in its repetition and movement: a fold here, a straightening of edges there, a precise cut with scissors--or else the edges won't line up (blasphemy).  From palm to fingers, my hands turn black-gray from dried glue, neck tenses and shoulders ache from hunching over; tips and sides of fingers are sensitive from using scissors and tiny wood-mounted stamps.  It's tiring but genuinely worthwhile work.

There's something exhilarating about smoothing the corners of paper--and slowly running one's fingers across its subtle grain--that calms the soul.  Of pressing rubber stamps to paper and hearing, ever so softly, the edges meet and then separate, leaving a strategic mark in its place.  When making book page goods, I often catch myself reading the upcycled pages instead of creating something from them.  I read on, shifting my attention to a plot that I am obviously not following (the upcycled book pages are never in numerical order).  This is especially fun since I catch only glimpses of character development and plot; so to compensate, I make up the rest of the story in my head.  The result is always messy, with a strange turn of events and a quirky ending--and never does the novel justice--but it is still a fun process.

Maybe it's the meditative, tactile nature of making paper goods that catches me: wily imagination and all.

* * *

Thank you to Fantasy Faction (The Hybrid Writer) and Life of a Female Bibliophile 

for featuring my bookish work...

Upcycled Book Page Goods

My mind has been going a million miles per minute with new and unconventional ideas.  Below is one of them: The Catcher in the Rye upcycled book page confetti.  I hand punched each tiny little dot myself.  (I told you these new ideas were unconventional.)  This week, I will be creating additional upcycled book page goods to satisfy this interesting bookish urge, in the likes of Plath and Salinger--the latter of which is from the exact same copy shown below.

Don't worry about the dematerialization of the written word here.  Book pages are merely repurposed and re-invisioned as something new, with the written word left fully intact while being cut apart, lined up differently, and glued.  As is the unflinching creative spark behind my handmade items.  My upcycled book page goods are all created from second-hand books, meaning the selection is neither brand new nor perfect: book pages are yellowed, corners earmarked, and paper delicate and age worn.  In many instances, these books can be designated as in "lovingly read and re-read" or "on the way out" condition--sans water and storage damage (i.e.: mildew and mold).  Have a book or book title that you'd love to be made into envelopes?  See here.

The Catcher in the Rye Upcycled Book Page Confetti

Next up: reading.  My current to-read book pile has tripled in number since the start of this year.

Custom Birch Slice Poem + Vintage Book Words

Lately, a self-imposed goal of mine has been to document my custom orders on this blog.  This documentation serves two purposes: to show you, the reader, what I've been up to lately with custom orders, and to put into writing my thoughts about the project.  Custom orders keep me busy, as each are unique, and I love it when I can accept them.  Here's my favorite one to-date for 2014: a custom poem-quote created from a birch slice and vintage book words.

A recent custom order, this quote is borrowed from the eponymous Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken."  To create this piece, I hand cut the little printed words directly from my trusty vintage copy of Bronte's Jane Eyre--when whole words that I needed weren't found, I formed them using two-and-three-letter nonsensical syllables cut from various pages; a single letter cut from the book page is occasionally used, too.  Yellowed and showing visible wear, these little vintage words are unique, and lightly blend in with the minutely golden areas of the birch wood.

Next, the now-complete words that comprise the quote are carefully arranged in lines on the birch slice for layout purposes, and are then adhered to the slice using archival-quality gel.  This is much easier said than done.  For instance, like glue, too much adhesive causes a visible ring of the substance to pool around the syllable or word, while too little adhesive doesn't allow for adherence to the wooden slice.  Also, keeping the lines straight can be difficult if perspective isn't taken into account--so after adhering every few words, I held the piece away at arm's length to visually gauge line straightness (a necessary step to take for longer quotes like this one).  Created by hand, variances occur with line straightness and book page word height.

A stunning family memento for its recipient, this particular poem-quote is 22 normal-sized words long (zoom in to see where I used syllables to form words).  I can't wait to ship it out to its recipient once the piece fully dries.  Since this piece is DELICATE--both the wood and the adhered words--the lettered slice will be carefully gift-wrapped before being placed in a bubble mailer for shipping.

To see a close-up of the final custom ornament-hang tag, click on the image below:

To order your own custom EmeraldCut birch slice ornament 

created from vintage book page words, 

see here.

Lately

This week, I'm working on custom seed packet favors for a customer's lovely summer wedding.

The above paper scraps are vintage book pages, which will be hand-stamped with the bride and groom's initials using archival black ink.  These upcycled paper scraps will then be adhered to tiny glassine seed packets using acid-free, water-based glue and a paintbrush to evenly apply the glue to the paper's surface.  The finished product will look like this.

An eco-friendly labor of love gift for wedding guests - and a book lover's dream!

* * *

P.S. I was featured today on Introvertology's post, "10 Introvert Etsy Finds."  How cool is that?  Thanks for the inclusion - check the site out here; highly recommended!

New Poem Boxes

Made some new poem boxes recently, tiny poems 

created from cut-out letters and words excavated 

from a vintage copy of Jane Eyre.  

These little box art pieces have become 

a sort of creative endeavor for me: 

every time I am feeling uncreative, 

I respond by crafting 

these mini poems from words found.

Some may find working with 

random little words 

extraordinarily tedious and odd,

but I find in this craft a deft way to unwind;

a means to weather the storm.

Below are the latest to this collection:

Lately: Fun Stuff

Been having lots of fun lately reading new things, seeing new things, putting interesting scraps together to make random-yet-neat things.  A bit of color there, strips of paper here...lots of stamping, letter by letter.

The above EmeraldCut tags were created using random book page scraps, gold dot washi tape, teal ink, and my trusty modern Art Deco font stamps.  They will go to new homes with sold book page goods from my shop.  (A variation of this design can seen here.)

Another exciting development...

My Thumbelina Leigh Lavender plant is blooming again, quite grandly.  Beautifully, even.  A bunch of buds will be listed for sale once they dry.  They're so intoxicatingly fragrant--keep your eyes peeled for their listing in a month or so.

Sorry for all the icky hand photos, but that's something else I'm working on: more dynamic photo layouts!  Can you tell in the second image?

* * *

To close, the sentiment expressed in this witty blog just about sums up how I feel about things right now...to a tee.  I'm sure glad that I'm not the only one who is feeling this way!

The Creative Process: Maid of Honor Bookmark Tag

Over the weekend, I decided to try something new and create a bookmark tag with a wedding theme from a tiny manila tag and vintage Jane Eyre book pages.  I must say that the project was more tedious than the final product shows.  First, I cut out letters and/or syllables (whichever I could find) from the vintage novel to spell out "Will you be my Maid of Honor?"  Once that task was completed, I carefully glued the letter-syllable combinations onto the horizontally oriented bookmark using archival-grade adhesive, paying special attention to lining up the letters just right because it's easy for a word to begin forming a crooked line if the letters are just a little slanted to the left or right.  After the words were glued, I attached a thin strip of Japanese washi tape to towards the bottom of the bookmark to give the bookmark tag a classic-more-than-rustic feel.

The last step, besides attaching the baker's twine tassel, was to add a protective coating to the bookmark in order to preserve the delicately adhered lettering.  I used acid-free water-based sealant to do this, which I applied in one thin layer using a small brush--exactly like I do with my other sealed book page work.  However, in this particular case, the sealant took on a streaky gray-blue color in areas (the tint was from the protective foil seal that I have since removed), leaving this coloration on the bookmark tag even when fully dried.  Coupled with visible brushstrokes, that in my opinion are more prominent than the lettering itself, the final product did not look the way that I had envisioned it to.  This comes from a person who typically likes the aesthetic of visible brushstrokes on sealed surfaces, but this time, I think that the brushstroke textures are visually overemphasized due to the smoothness and expanse of the manila tag in relation to the tiny phrase.  Still, the piece is so unique and sweet!

I showed this completed bookmark tag to my husband, and he didn't notice the blue-gray streaks at all until I pointed them out to him.

I'm adding this item to my shop later on this week with a price tag of only $5.75 if you're interested in taking a closer look--it'd make a perfect little tag to attach to your Maid of Honor gift, or even presented as a bookmark slipped between the pages of a favorite book (idea!), with tassel hanging out, of course.  Completely one of a kind, it's cute in a classy, bookish sort of way!

Disclaimer: All my glues and resins are non-toxic and water-based.

Week in Photos

The past week captured in photos:

More vintage quote gift boxes are in the works--

as evidenced by this page. 

Received the above custom ordered, autumn-leaf bookmark
from the wonderful Rumpelfeltskin...

...it's a beautiful, vibrantly warm shade of orange-red and fits so perfectly in my favorite books.
(Check out her shop if you haven't already done so--you won't be disappointed!)

More quiet time with a pair of scissors and a book.

Hiked with the husband, overcame mountainous heights,
became slightly fascinated with the spooky, old Mohawk Hotel shown above.

Searched deliriously for autumn...
found a taste of it.

Gorgeous, ain't it?

Book Quote Goods

Poetic Jane Eyre Small Kraft Gift Box Quote

Hello all, happy almost fall.  I just wanted to share the Jane Eyre quote goods that I've recently added to my shop, which are the end products of this blog post.  It's been such a fun, exploratory process cutting out my favorite JE quotes and designing the below cards that I am most likely going to keep this an ongoing project--book page cut-out quotes and paper goods, that is.  On the subject of paper goods, at one time, I was a self-described poet; the small gift box quote listing above is the closest I now get to writing poetry, as I now prefer the matter-of-fact undulation of prose to the metaphoric ebb and flow of poetry.  Cutting and pasting JE sentence fragments then are entirely appropriate, for I still have the creative license--albeit with someone else's words.  And what a someone else she was, this Charlotte Bronte.  More to come soon.

Tea Lover Quote Card

Romantic Quotes Stationery Set

Stillness Nature Quote Card

Of Month Past

In a blink of an eye, there goes July.

These images visually sum up the past month...

Arugula roquette variances 

New hand-stamped book page listings

Forest City, CA ghost town

Wildflowers at the Sierra Buttes trail--
and no, we didn't do this due to my fear of the 20-30mph wind gusts
we experienced at the base of the stairways leading up to the lookout area.
Perhaps next time...

Fog-laden sky with five noticeably different cloud formations...

Nature and creativity--

need I say more?

New in Shop

Ready for some new-ish shop listings?  These arose as a deeply felt collaboration between shop and heart.  Following my instinctual leanings, these items are conceptually different from my other shop listings, but I fully feel that growth and evolving as a creative being requires a duly exploration outside of prescribed comfort zones, sometimes.  I will of course continue to offer handmade jewelry, but will at the same time add a few odds and ends here and there that inspire me--and hopefully you as well.

* * *

I've been busily dreaming up new book page-inspired designs, in addition to figuring out how to incorporate writing services into my EmeraldCut shop.  The new book page listings in particular are a culmination of ideas that I've been toying around with for awhile now.  A few of these book page goods were created specifically for weddings--filled with a nostalgic, bookish glee, of course.

Some recently conceived, book page listings:

Packets are handmade from the decadent text:The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan,
filled with California Poppy Seeds.  See listing here.

Book page envelopes made from a book of your choosing!
Listing is for 10 envelopes; custom orders are welcome.  View listing here.

Tiny book page confetti in maple leaf shapes.
Fun for display, scrapbooking ephemera, etc. View listing here.

Writing services, a unique shop addition, are now officially offered at EmeraldCut.  Currently, there is one shop listing option: a custom biography.  If you are looking for an editor rather than a writer, contact me for pricing--price depends on writing length, type, etc. 

Listing is for a custom personal biography in an electronic Word document.
Preserve your family stories for future generations.  See listing here.

 Last new listing:

These fragrant little Thumbelina Leigh Lavender stems are my favorite, so I am sharing them!
Purchase them here.