Here is a little sneak peek at some of the beautiful handmade stationery treasures I've been busy making for the relaunch of my Etsy shop later this month.
The new goodies feature hand-scribed (in luscious indian ink) and hand-embroidered cards, origami gift cards and gift tags and origami decorations. I have used recycled and upcycled materials where possible (including many lovely hand-cut pages from matte magazines such as Frankie and also, pages from old Japanese, French, Norwegian, poetry and maths texts and unique chiyogami papers) and have also incorporated natural features such a stunning wooden beads, wooden (balsa) gift tags, handmade paper beads, jute string and feathers. As always, I've been inspired by nature and my love of languages and cultures, literature, poetry, philosophy and film. I am reading much about Japanese philosophy at the moment and this has influenced a collection of wabi sabi and kintsugi cards and origami notelets inspired by 'the red string of fate' ... amongst other mirabilia.
I've also started making some beautiful handmade papers. I love the process of sourcing the paper (such as my children's school notes, newsletters, office remnants, magazine scraps (from my origami paper cutting!) etc), shredding, soaking and then blending the pulp before using my deckle to create the new delicate paper forms. I love incorporating hand-cut rice paper features (e.g. hearts and dove shapes) and or natural elements such as seeds and leaf skeletons!
Holidays are just around the corner for me but rest assured, I'll be 'making' whilst travelling and will come back rejuvenated, energised and even more creatively inspired. There's nothing like a holiday amidst the beauty of the natural world ... all of its simplicity, colour, sounds, textures and patterns ... to get the creative juices flowing!
Some of my new hand-lettered and embroidered card and decoration stock.
Beautiful gift cards incorporating origami elements and natural and upcycled materials.
Here is my stockpile of shredded, recycled papers ready for soaking. The ultimate paper should be a spearmint green colour as there were a few green recyclables in this lot!