Here are newly added bookish Valentine's Day designs* in
shop. I know not everyone celebrates this holiday for different reasons, but I thought I'd share these book page hearts with you--as I'm satisfied with the way they turned out. Above are small 2" folded hearts that I carefully cut, folded, and glued from an upcycled 1960s educational text. The formal academic language in these, coupled with the sweet heart design, make for an interesting and lovely aesthetic. For Valentine's Day, these hearts are on sale for a fraction of the initial listing price.
The above listing is for a small origami heart bookmark with stamped initials--a unique accent for weddings (as decor or favors), bridal showers, engagement parties, etc. At around 2" in diameter, these hearts are the same size as my small non-bookmark ones (in this post's first image). The differences are that these bookmark hearts are stamped using bold typewriter font with two initials, and navy-blue-and-white or solid-cream baker's twine is added as a tassel for extra bookish appeal. If you'd like these without stamping, I'll be happy to accommodate your request.
Also, I've been making new jewelry as of late, which was another
goal of mine for 2016. It's been a slow process, even though I've been creating jewelry for over five years now. My mind understands how to bend wire, how to shape and form it. However, my fine-tuned dexterity gets rusty without consistent use, so I have to relearn how to bend the wire's end just right--bending too hard causes the metal tool to mar the wire (then I have to scrap the project and start again), bending too little just scuffs the wire without moving it, and putting too much of an angle on the tool pushes the wire in different directions. For a visual, at the end of wire wrapping a piece, the space I am left with to bend the wire securely into is about a millimeter thin. (To get this space, you have to eyeball and cut the wire at a certain length before wrapping it.) However, this sliver of space isn't all that bad: when the wire fits perfectly, the jewelry is structurally the sturdiest it could be (for wire wrapping the way I do it). This is where/why wire-and-stone jewelry making is a tough but ultimately rewarding process. Every jewelry maker differs in his or her techniques.
Above is a photo of finished pieces from my jewelry-making session last weekend, which are now available in shop.
*These origami heart designs are not my own. I found the folding instructions online and then customized the details to make the design unique.
