Spring Butterfly Collage

I thought I'd do a spring-y collage. I used antique French documents including one dated 1898, vintage floral wallpaper and a butterfly stamp from the Republic of Guinea. This collage is available for sale in my collage shop, The Torn Letter.

New Collage

Here are a couple of new collages. Vintage documents, postage stamps, handmade papers - all of my favorite things to collage with. On the first collage, I also used a metal bird and branch with a nice green patina. I purchased them a number of years ago to make some jewelry that never happened.

Soon to be for sale in my Etsy shop TheTornLetter

Mini Junk Journals

I made a few mini junk journals from various scrap papers and some kraft moleskine journal covers that I ruined when printing but decided were still good for something. I took the original notebooks apart, collaged the covers, added my own papers and re-stitched the down the middle. These two notebooks are for sale in my Etsy shop, The Torn Letter.

Gift Wrap

I did these 2 patterns for a Spoonflower fabric challenge but they both are perfect for gift wrap. I also made die-cut gift tags from some of the elements. Both designs are available in my Etsy shop.

Holiday Treat Wrap

Sweater Bear Wrap

New

New letterpress cards in my Etsy shop.

Welcome to 2020

My calendar for 2020. Letterpress printed from my hand carved linoleum blocks and available in my Etsy shop. Images include a leaping bunny (in honor of the bunnies in my backyard), an Owl duo (because I like owls), and a little mouse ( for Year of the Rat and the mice living in my garage who watched me print)

January thru April

May thru August

September thru December

Mid Century Christmas Wishes

One of my favorite children's book illustrators are the husband-wife team of Martin and Alice Provensen. They also did a wonderful set of screen printed Christmas cards illustrating the 12 Days of Christmas. The cards were done in the 1960's and I've been looking for them to purchase for a number of years. This year, I got (half) lucky. Etsy seller Finds of the Attic had 6 of the cards for sale. Now, to find the rest of the series!

There still some sets from Finds in the Attic available - buy your own here.

It's Calendar Time!

Finished my 2019 calendar a few weeks ago. This is is the 10th year I've been doing the letterpress calendars printed from my linoleum blocks so, I decided to do a special edition with 2 colors for most designs. It was definitely more of a challenge to design and print - twice as many blocks and registration on press. Available now in my Etsy shop.

Birds inspired by Aldo Londi's Bitossi birds

National Pig Day is March 1

Nothing says summer like an Adirondack chair

Mid century inspired candles

Twice the carving, twice the fun

Stella and Claire

I recently purchased a hand-printed note card set from Etsy seller Claire West (on Etsy ClaireWestMakes). One of the cards had a bird on it (which, being an avid bird lover, was the main reason I was buying) and the other had a vase of flowers. I didn't really look too closely at the floral card and figured I'd give it away. When I received the cards, I suddenly noticed that I'd seen the vase design before. In my own pottery collection! Suddenly, the card became special. My vase (or little planter) had been purchased a few years ago from Atelier Stella and features a cute face on one side.
Now, I'll have to frame the card and prop it by my little pot. I guess that's what is called serendipity.

Buy your own from Claire and Stella

New in the shop

New cards are in my Etsy shop! Unicorn notes -  letterpress printed from one of the images used in my 2017 calendar.

Shopping

A few months ago, I purchased some tea towels from one of my favorite shops on Etsy, Jane Ormes. Jane is a British artist who does wonderful silk screened prints and other items. I love the colors, whimsical animals and really, everything about them. Much too nice to actually use.

Near my house is a store called HomeGoods. It's one of those stores that you just pop in for one item and leave with a cartful of things that you didn't know you needed. And the selection is always changing so you have to snap things up when you see them or they will be gone for good. So, I was in HomeGoods last month roaming around and spotted something I HAD to have. It was a large enamelware pot with a pattern designed by a mid-century designer David Parsons. And then I spotted another, with a pattern designed by mid-century designer, Sylvia Chalmers. I couldn't grab the pots fast enough. I looked around some more and found a tin string dispenser and a clothespin bag, both in the pattern designed by David Parsons. I snatched them up. The items were produced by Wild & Wolf using designs in the archives of the Victoria & Albert (V & A) museum in England and even the boxes were nice. Not really knowing why I needed these things, or what I was going to use them for, I bought them and headed home. As I was unpacking my loot, I suddenly realized that they coordinated with Jane's tea towels perfectly.

Pot with "Kite Strings" design by David Parsons (shown with "Cat Trapped in Greenhouse" towel by Jane Ormes). The "Kite Strings" pattern dates from 1956.

Pot with "Palamas" design by Sylvia Chalmerss (shown with "Suspicious Birds" towel by Jane Ormes). The "Palamas" pattern dates from 1953.

So now, the pots display my tea towels. The string dispenser (in the Kite Strings Pattern) holds twine, and the clothespin bag (also in the Kite Strings pattern) hangs in my closet to hold accessories. I call that a successful day of shopping!

52 Weeks of Collage Part 2 Week 11

Everything is coming up roses! I just purchased a pack of vintage wallpaper from Etsy shop reginasstudio (the ledger paper in the background is from the same shop) and was inspired by a piece with a large pink rose. I whitewashed one of my wood panels and then rubber stamped a pattern with gold ink. The wallpaper, a few scraps of Japanese washi paper and a fragment of a vintage document complete the collage.

collage week 11

Mouse Obsession

For some reason, I am (mildly) obsessed with felted mice. I find them completely adorable while my husband finds them totally creepy. Granted, we are having a slight mouse problem in the house right now...the pitter patter of little feet in the walls...so I can see his point. But the felted mice are soooo cute. I've purchased a few of them from various sellers on Etsy - they are so endearing in the photos that I have no control.

Here are a pair that I purchased from Mouse Stories. The maker, Ksenia, made sure I was happy with the little critters before she sent them (all the way from Russia). The attention to detail is amazing. I'm not sure which is my favorite - the cutie with the suitcase (you know I love vintage suitcases!) or the little guy wearing a kitty on his sweater.

Too cute!

Love the tiny suitcase!

Tiny knit sweater with a kitty on it

New in the Shop

A new card for my Etsy shop. This image was inspired by the cactus plants I have on my windowsill. I have them in ceramic pots and am trying not to kill them. The card is letterpress printed from my hand carved linoleum blocks in black and green ink.

New in the shop

New Reusable Snack Bags

I have a little obsession with pouches of all kinds and even have a small collection. I made these reusable snack bags because they come in so handy for all kinds of things. 

I'm not really a sew-er but I got out my trusty machine, looked up some patterns on the web, and went to work. These are lined with a food grade plastic, made from a heavy weight natural cotton and close with velcro (I have to practice putting in zippers!). I printed them from my hand cut linoleum blocks. They're not only great for snacks both wet and dry but are also handy for organizing all the little things in your bag,

I've just posted 2 of them in my Etsy shop and they'll be available for sale on Sunday at the Pottery Barn Pop Up shop.

Hello Sunshine Snack Bag

Perfect for makeup!

Hot Off the Press!

I finished my 2017 calendar just in time for the LA Printer's Fair last weekend. All of the images are from my hand cut linoleum blocks. This year's images include a a cowboy boot full of flowers, a set of Russian matryoshka and a bear in a turtleneck sweater.

Even though I carefully sketch and plan, things change as I start carving the lino blocks. One of my sketches started out as a dala horse and ended up as a unicorn, featured on the month of January. The bear started out in a scarf and was re-carved in a sweater. The calendar is letterpress printed in a limited edition of 30. It's for sale in my Etsy shop here.

2017 Calendar

January thru April

May thru August

September thru December

The linoleum block and printed page for January

New in the Shop

Lavender sachets, new in the shop. These hand sewn sachets were printed from my linoleum blocks and are filled with organic lavender from a farm in San Diego county.

Daisy and Mod Bird

Bunny and florals

Birdie and Floral Arch

Spring Song

A new collage to welcome spring. This was done on a piece of pale gray scrap board. I used a rubber stamp in the background. The hand made papers are in shades if green and gold and the little bird is embellished with watercolor. This one is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Spring Song original collage

Letterpress Exchange

I am participating in a letterpress exchange with the Ladies of Letterpress (LOL). Our assignment was to come up with a broadside using a poem or a quote. Here is my submission.

Letterpress broadside

The quote is by the 13th century Persian poet Rumi. The broadside is printed in 5 colors on a speckled white recycled card stock. The pattern on the bird and the type were printed from metal blocks, the leaves and solid part of the bird were printed from my handcut linoleum blocks, and the star shape in the background was printed from a wood block (purchased from Virgin Wood Type). This was printed in an edition of 60 with 50 going to the Ladies. I have a few of the extras in my Etsy shop for sale.

Holiday Crafts

I love the holidays with all the sparkle and shine, festivities and decoration. And, I love to make things for around the house. A few years ago I made snow globes using old jars, oven bake clay and small ornaments. Recently, I've been seeing apothecary jars with little scenes inside so I decided to try one. I found, at Jo Ann Fabrics, packs of tiny little trees in a variety of sizes (these seem to sell out quickly so shop early!) They also had small cardboard houses covered in glitter. I loved the little houses but couldn't find a jar quite big enough. So I went to my go-to shopping place, Etsy, and found a tiny clay cottage from Blue Bird Clay. At that point, I didn't want to shop for the perfect sized glass jar so, in my stash of vintage items, I found a tin jello mold, filled it with salt for snow drifts and voila! A tiny winter scene.

There are so many cute clay cottages on Etsy that next year, I want to make a tiny winter village