Showing posts with label Etsy favorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Etsy favorites. Show all posts

Spanish tile papercut for a custom wedding card

>> Monday, May 31


A customer needed a Spanish-style wedding card for her friend's wedding. I looked up some Spanish tiling work and though, ooh, these would make perfect papercuttings! My client loved the idea and I set to work, picking out colors that evoked the drama and beauty of Spanish art--blue, black, yellow, red.



I sewed the names of the bride and groom onto the cover as well as their wedding date. My client also wanted a saying in both Spanish and English with the words amor and love emphasized somehow. I was going to sew all the words but soon realized that would weaken the paper too much, so I settled for gold and silver paint pens in what I hope is nice cursive! So I decided to just sew the love words, stitching four little paper hearts into the letters.


I originally tried to sew the black outer card to the white inner card with a red and gold ribbon, but Caleb and I agreed it just didn't go. So I just sewed them together with embroidery yarn for strength and a sheer black ribbon for beauty. MUCH better. The card was complete.


At this point I realized that though the card was completed, I had a lot of unused papercuttings lying around on my desk. I cut a few more and experimented with arranging them and ended up creating this seal for the envelope.


Before this project I had never "woven" my papercuttings, but if you notice on the "tile" the yellow curls are both over and under the blue leaves, and in the seal the yellow spikes are woven into the red swirls. I like that look and am definitely gonna repeat it in the future.


Last but not least I had to "sign" the card. I adore circles and since buying a 2" circular papercutter have taken every opportunity to incorporate them into my work. :)


And here's the finished set.

Congratulations, Eric and Jessi! May God bless your love with perseverance and joy.

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Knitting + Biology = WHAT the?!

>> Saturday, May 22


Wow.

Are there even words for this?

I can imagine the conversation now.

"Oh, so you knit?"

"Yeah, I knit."

"So what do you knit?"

"Uh, frogs. Frog guts."

"Oh, very ni--wait, WHAT?!"

Click on the picture to see it in the shop. You cna also buy the knitting pattern here. I'm so totally showing this to my former biology teacher right now.

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The Type of Key With No Body

>> Friday, May 7


Skeleton Keys. I love the elegance and romance of these old-fashioned objects, whose purpose is now only for beauty and decoration. One day, though, I'd love to have a garden door that opens with a big fat one like in The Secret Garden.












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My Obsession with Red Continues

>> Wednesday, May 5


I nearly died when I saw this dress/coat thingy. ME WANT.

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The Papercutter Without A Name

>> Monday, May 3

This papercutting needs no introduction. The awesomeness is self-evident.


I have been able to find almost nothing on the artist. I know that she is based in Toronto, Canada and learned the art as a young child from her grandparents.


Created using only rice paper, scissors and a knife, this definitely gives me something to aspire to.


Click on any picture to purchase and see more photos. Or, just visit the shop.

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Steel "Tattoo" Jewelry: Jose Alberto Sierra

>> Friday, April 30


I'm too much of a wimp to get a real tattoo, but I wouldn't mind this necklace from New Orlean metalsmith Jose Alberto Sierra.


Now residing in San Fransisco, Sierra also creates jewelry as wedding commissions.


He also has a necklace series featuring the characters symbolizing the Chinese zodiac. This here is the rabbit--though I was born in '88 the year of the dragon, I managed to pop out a few days before the Chinese New Year so I'm actually year of the rabbit by a mere seven days. Hop hop.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

>> Tuesday, November 24


(sweet Thanksgiving place settings from Soft Day Studio's Etsy shop)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Wow, this year has been tough (I eloped, dropped out of college, moved to a different State, weaned myself off all bi-polar medication, began a new job, started up a business, and lost a best friend to a car accident) but amidst it all, God has been good and I have even more things to be thankful for! Here's my list--what are YOU thankful for?

I am thankful for:
  • A holy and loving God
  • my Caleb: a kind and loving, strong and passionate husband, friend and confidant.
  • Caleb's family, who live so close and have been a blessing to us DAILY
  • my former art instructor, Dorothy Benson, who has taught me everything I know about art and many of the things I know about life
  • time and materials to practice my art
  • my parents and brothers, who despite all I've put them through still love me
  • the internet, and all the coolness therein
  • my friends, who cry and laugh with me through anything
  • enough steady income to provide all necessities and some wants
  • a rental apartment that allows us to keep our Fluffinator (aka, DC, our very fluffy cat)
  • joy and hope, for without them I would be nothing

In the spirit of the holiday I will be concentrating on all that I am thankful for and giving this little blog of mine (and me!) a break. I'll be back to posting Monday morning.

Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless!

Peace,

Emily & Caleb

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Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hoot: Plush Owls on Etsy

>> Saturday, November 14

OK, so I botched the movie quote. Deal with it. :)

I love owls. Symbols of wisdom and watchfulness, their ridiculously, adorably large eyes and beautiful feathery forms never fail to delight me. Etsy is chock full of owl plushies. Here are three of my favs:


Tildy the Owl by aprilfoss


Teardrop Patchwork Owl by cottonbunny


Large Owl Stuffie by katedurkin

What Etsy owl plushie is on your wishlist?

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A Poem Lovely As a Tree: birch bark on Etsy, with poetry

>> Saturday, October 31


"Birch Bark Purse" by LynnCyrArt

Birch
from the old Germanic birka
which means "to shine"
it's bark is beautiful
     versatile
          hardy
it can be soaked in water and wrapped around a broken arm as a cast
peeled off for paper
tapped to make a tough glue
soaked in seawater to season hemp
and then it's just pretty
I love to touch my aunt's trees that gaurd her front lawn from the road
to run my fingers over the smoothness
and lean my cheek against its coolness
Etsians have made such lovely things with it

Come.
Take a walk in the woods with me?


"Handmade Birch bark planter with Succulents Hens and Chicks" by BearPawRustics

CLICK HERE for the rest of the post

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Interview with Lisa Topps of Ensorcelled Minds on Etsy

>> Tuesday, October 27


Quilling. What an unusual art! Thin pieces of paper not woven, not folded, but twirled and rolled into marvelous shapes. My Nana first introduced me to the art when she sent me a handmade card for a holiday.

"Nana, what's that curled paper stuff called?" I questioned. "Did you make it?" And of course my ever-gracious Nana was more than happy to teach me how.

I recently came across Lisa Topp's beautiful quilling on Etsy. (She also sells her art via a Canadian craft site, iCraft.)


Lisa Topps

Lisa hails from Canada and she loves it there. Well, except for the climate. "I wish I could pick Canada up on the globe and put it down somewhat closer to the equator!" she said.


"Deep Blue Ocean Quilled Dragon"

Two of my favorite designs of hers are the dragon and the little button snail, which turn out to be her original designs.

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Metal and Steel and Copper, oh my!

>> Tuesday, October 20


"Steel Ribbons Budvase" by SteelRibbons

Who says metal has to be ugly and industrial? Combined with an artistic eye, a little bit of skill and a bouquet of flowers, it can be downright chic. These creative Etsians definitely caught my eye.


"Vase no. 6" by JoePapendick

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These are a few of my favorite things ... Spats!

>> Wednesday, October 14

OK, confession.

I didn't even know what spats WERE until I came across them on Etsy. But now I'm in love. Indulge with me. :)



"Felted victorian spats Appetizer" by Rudman



"floral spats with white pearl snaps - size small" by Fait Avec



"Victorian STEAMPUNK Spats" by Poppy's Wicked Garden

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Mary Hining of marywibis on Etsy

>> Friday, September 11





Holy cow these napkins are GORGEOUS! The design is exactly how I like it: simple, elegant, abstract and a strong contrast in the colors. I would love to have a whole set of these ... it's a shame my wallet is empty.




About the artisan
Mary Elizabeth Hining lives and works in Durham, North Carolina, with her two kittens. Find her at maryhining.blogspot.com and marywibis.etsy.com.

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