Studio Reunion

I spent today creating in my new studio! I haven't spent time in my creative space since I started moving--over three months ago. I still have a lot of work to do to make my new (and much smaller) studio really workable, but I had a fun day digging through boxes and drawers and finding new inspiration in each one!

As I prepare for my business-image redesign (by Sadie Olive--so excited!), I'm trying to define my authentic style. I confess that I am guilty of dabbling--Victorian, rustic, French, Italian, industrial, even modern. To this end, I've been keeping a journal of the finds, experiences, places, people, vignettes...that touch my spirit. I hope to share this fun journey with all of you! For now, here are a few photos of today's creations:


I came across this lot of beautifully illustrated sheet music in a storage box. I remember finding it at the flea market, but had never actually looked through page-by-page. I am always amazed by the detail in such works--I so wish beauty were as valued today as it was in 1864!

I framed a selection of the pages:



I scanned many and used one selection in the decoration of this "inside-out" journal:



The covers of this journal are recycled from an old book with lovely endpapers. I simply reversed the covers so that the endpapers were on the outside and filled the book with 70 pages of ivory, text-weight, recycled paper. I bound the journal with ivory linen ribbon. Can't wait to list it on etsy!



I'm working on a design for "nests" made from strips of old papers. Here is a prototype...not quite ready for sale, but a good representation of my idea:



Lastly, I stamped some organic cotton twill ribbon with French text and wound it in 1-yard segments on old wooden spools. I've found that VersaMark ink pads work best on ribbon--heat-set with an iron on medium heat if you want to launder the ribbon.



Happy creating! Please create responsibly!