shop talk

After much thought and consideration I have finally decided to put my etsy shop on hold. Etsy is still a wonderful place to look for and find amazing hand crafted goods, but the market has grown too big for my preference. So from now on my work will be sold exclusively in my big cartel store. The big cartel venue feels more intimate and I love the way I am able to customize the look and feel of the store front.

The store offers many of the same items previously found on etsy, but the focus will be on one-of-a-kind naturally dyed and eco printed pieces. Popular items like kitchen towels and sachets are still listed, and I am adding a line of hand printed and hand bound books, as well as eco printed and leaf printed  pillow cases. Smaller art quilts and textile collages are also offered. My larger wall pieces are featured on my website, and they are also on display in my studio at Chroma Projects should you be visiting Charlottesville. 

Since I first started this creative business, I have approached even the smallest projects or objects as pieces of art. Sachets and large art quilts alike are all created with the uttermost consideration, care, and quality, and somehow I also hope they reflect the joy I feel making them. I invite you to skip over to the store to browse and discover.

possibilities

So many possibilities, not enough hours in the day. This time the weekly bundle did not happen. I was on the go all week filling orders, tying up loose ends, and preparing for things to come. Well even the best of intentions...

I did get my etsy shop back up. I am trying to list more one-of-a-kind eco dyed and eco printed work. Many of my popular pieces, such as the sachets and towels are still there, but there will be some transitions. I love this time of year. The air is crisp, and the colors are vivid. Hope the week is off to a good start for you too.

etsy love

Sewing Circle Embroidered Book Sculpture by paperfaerie

It has been a while since I posted a list of favorites from etsy. Here is my current selection of wonderful, creative, and inspirational work.

Buckled Leather Utility Pouch by forestbound

Handcrafted Bentwood Ring - Walnut Wood by stoutwoodworks

deep sea lamp by umbu

Concrete . Bowl . 15 by atstuart

little deer in wool and blue cotton by littleloveblue

random ramblings

The past two weeks have gone by in a blur as I finished up a large order for Terrain. Even though I am excited about the work and love how everything turned out, it was an enormous undertaking for me, and it left me feeling a bit guilty for abandoning other aspects of my life.

In the meantime I realized that over 5000 kind individuals now favor my shop on etsy. No. 5000 was MonkiVintage, which is a great little vintage store with beautiful well priced items, stunningly photographed. 5000 is a big number. Thanks to all of you!

large metal L, from MonkiVintage

Lastly, I have a blogger question. Everyday I run across new wonderful blogs, and I have a long list of old time favorites, but I have yet to come up with a good way to keep up with everyone. I know I can seek out blogs I follow through my dashboard, but it still requires logging in and I just don't do it often enough. Do you have ideas for how to easily get updated when there are new posts on your favorite blogs?

I wish everyone a wonderful week ahead!

natural beauty

February Visit, polymer gravure solar plate printed on artist-made paper with chine collè. © 88editions. all rights reserved.

Every once in a while you come across art that just simply takes your breath away. These beautiful prints from 88editions are solar plate etchings where the artist's photographic images, pressed plants, and other items are positioned on the plate which is exposed in the sun. The artist's handmade paper adds another dimension to the prints. I find the result hauntingly beautiful. I love the texture, the layered effects, and the muted colors. These prints are all available, along with several others, in the 88editions etsy shop. 

Winter Walk: Lyric, polymer gravure solar plate printed on artist-made paper. © 88editions. all rights reserved.

Moonrise Charmed Medow at Dusk, polymer gravure solar plate printed on artist-made paper with monotyping. © 88editions. all rights reserved.

Branch Silhouette, polymer gravure solar plate printed on artist-made paper. © 88editions. all rights reserved.

Seed Head: Dill, polymer gravure solar plate printed on artist-made paper. © 88editions. all rights reserved.

international fame – part two

I am normally don't like tooting my own horn, but I have to let you know of another international publication featuring my work. Chinese Kaka Life, a craft and do-it-yourself magazine, published an interview with me and several photos of my work. I am grateful to Antonia Chan, who wrote the article and invited me to partake. Now if I only had brushed up on my Chinese...

My recent eco-prints have been incorporated into some new pieces, currently listed in the etsy shop. I am intrigued by the beauty of the prints, and love how they immediately become focal points, enhancing the plain unbleached linen fabric they were combined with.

new work

Another week just swished by. A lot of things were accomplished, including stocking the etsy shop with new work. More production is in store, as I am preparing for some exciting fall events including gallery 45 and craft + design, two fun shows in Richmond, Virginia. I am also gearing up for the Artisans Studio Tour in November, were local artists open their studio doors to showcase their work, give demonstrations, and share delicious food. Busy but fun times ahead.

under cover

These reusable moleskin notebook covers are new in the etsy store. They are made from handprinted linen, some remnants from the past, some newly printed scrap pieces. They are lined with vintage cotton, and the notebook inserts can easily be replaced once they are filled up with sketches, ideas, or happy scribbles. Some of the books have already been snatched up, but there are a few left here.

I will take some time off, to make a last college visit with my oldest son, before the May 1 deadline. Stressful, but good times ahead.

knitted beauties

I love to trade with other artists. Recently dear Elena of Tickled Pink Knits and I exchanged treasures, and this is what I received – a super soft alpaca scarf in a beautiful bluish green shade, and a generously sized shawl in a deep brown, wool/alpaca blend. I know that the chilly season is coming to an end, but I will carefully stow these beauties away, layered with some lavender sachets, until the first crisp fall evenings return. Can't wait to wrap myself up. Thank you Elena!

just words

I have some technical problems with my photo managing software (I still love you, sweet mac...), so this will be my first post without pictures. Much is going on over here, worthy of sharing.

I've introduced a weekly shop update in the etsy store. Every Tuesday morning, I will list a handful of new handcrafted pieces. Most of them will be one-of-a-kinds, and most of them are truly new, not re-lists. Check in tomorrow for this weeks goodies.

I am happily experimenting with soy milk mordants, and natural plant dyeing per Ms. India's inspiration. I am amazed by the beautiful, subtle colors I have achieved so far. This is what I meant to post about, so look for more once the photo issue is resolved.

Lastly, we are taking off for Toronto next week. Can't wait to see this beautiful city, taste its foods, stroll by the waters edge, and visit with friends!

remnants

remnant |ˈremnənt|

noun
a small remaining quantity of something.
• a piece of cloth or carpeting left when the greater part has been used or sold.
• a surviving trace : a remnant of the past.

When I cleaned out the studio recently I was amazed to discover how much wonderful stuff I had stowed away. Ever since I launched inleaf, some six or seven years ago, I have accumulated an array of fabrics, notions, and threads. Much of it still waiting for a purpose and a plan. I have saved the tiniest scraps and the ugliest dye samplers, always thinking it may be of use some day. I have boxes of rejected leaf prints. Things that did not work for its intended purpose, for one reason or another. Most of them are lovely and deserves a better destiny. Some will be incorporated into art quilts or fiber collages. Some are becoming beautiful objects in their own right. I have enjoyed the process of planning the perfect use for a particular print, and spending time and effort into making it special. Here are a few pieces that will be listed on the website and in the etsy shop this week. More will come, salvaging discarded beauties is a new mission.