Roots Like Veins - Count the Beats

I made this little beauty a while ago, but never took the time to document it.  I'm going to post it on Etsy at some point to see if anyone wants to buy it.  I titled this book, Roots like veins - Count the beats.  The cover is embroidered by hand, with an original I made, and in the style of Japanese stab binding.  The inside paper is vintage ledger paper.  I love the colors of this paper and the lines.  I think this turned out really beautifully, although it might be more decorative than functional since the paper is so delicate.

New Coptic Ideas

This summer, I felt a little uninspired.  School still makes it hard for me to get into any real projects, so I dabble in little short ones.  I needed to make my friend Sophie a journal, because I'd been promising her one for months, but I just wasn't feeling the whole case-bound, hardcover thing.  I watched, for the second time, the movie The Fountain, and I found my visual inspiration.  Thinking of trees and tree rings, hair, bark, aging, birds, and dreamcatchers, I made these two books:

 

These are the front and back covers of Sophie's book.  I painted them with small brushes and India ink.  It was very meditative and relaxing to draw these rings and I regained a certain amount of creative inspiration.  The book measures about 6"x9".  Here are the inside covers:

 

There is something so peaceful about feathers and leaves falling.  They sort of drift along, dancing with each other and interacting with different factors - wind, gravity, light - as they sink down.

I then wanted to make a pocket sized journal for my friend Zach who is traveling to Nicaragua for 12 days.  He mentioned to me a few weeks ago that he couldn't find the moleskin that he wanted, so I surprised him with this:

The inside covers were drawn together, the rings connecting to one another.

The form of both books, cardboard cover with coptic binding, is simple enough on its own, but allows for me to be creative with how I decorate them.  I do everything freehand, so each book is one of a kind.  Coptic bindings are also easier and faster, so I don't have to charge so much for them.  I do not, however, want to get out of practice with my case-bound books.

Beautiful Colors in Meramec Springs

For Father's Day weekend, my Honey and I went to Meramec Springs, to camp with his family.  The weather was perfect during the day, however rainy at night.  I saw some of the most beautiful landscape I have seen in a long time.  The colors were amazing!  I just wanted to share some pictures here.

Grad School!

Oh, it's really too bad that I don't have time to make books right now.  I was really creative there for a few months and it felt great, but now I'm back in school, so I am extremely busy.  I am studying to get my Master of Library Science at Emporia State University.  It's an awesome degree, and I am almost finished with my first semester.  We meet in Overland Park, so I don't actually have to go to Emporia, and I can still work.  Soon, I will be making more books, so stay tuned!

Wintertime Whirlwind

Things have been really crazy for the past couple of months! I put Quiet Hand Press on hold for a little while, only taking up two projects before Christmas, because I had so much going on.

In October, I took a trip to Costa Rica with my mother and a few of our friends.  It was an awesome seven days!  We went ziplining, exploring, shopping, swimming, horseback riding, and river cruising.  Costa rica is a beautiful country with awesome people and great food.  While I was there, I picked up a couple of different types of paper: some 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of paper made from banana leaves, and a stationery set of plain paper that was stained with coffee.  I also bought a new camera for the trip that has a sweet panoramic feature on it.  Very exciting.

When I returned from Costa Rica, the holidays came and went.  Ryan and I moved to a new apartment just after Christmas, and I had to pack up my studio.  I did, however, have time to make one custom journal, but I didn't take any pictures. Oops!

This week I start school!  I am attending a program through Emporia State University to achieve my Master's in Library Science.  I am very excited to go back to school and learn something new.  Unfortunately, it will be difficult to find time for the big three: school, work, and creativity, but rest assured there will be more projects and blog posts once I figure out my new schedule.  This is going to be a great year!

August Trip to Colorado

At the end of August, my boyfriend, Ryan, and I went to Denver and Avon, Colorado for a wedding.  We had a really great time; it was my first trip to Colorado, and I had never seen a mountain before.  I thought I would post some of the great pictures that we took.


The first day in Avon, Ryan and I took a little stroll up the (small) mountain right behind our resort.  It early morning, and the sun was bright.  The sky and clouds were making some amazing colors.

Even though it was not quite September yet, we could see that autumn was beginning to peek through.

We even spotted one of our amazing little friends, the honey bee:

Later that morning, I got to go on my first ski lift ever!  I though it was scary, but Ryan and our friend Tim were there to keep me safe.

This mountain was pretty high, and we hiked quite a bit.

There was some really pretty moss on the rocks.  The colors are amazing! They almost look man made.

The ski lift was even crazier on the way down!!!

Our friends Tommy and Brenda got married that weekend.  It was a beautiful ceremony, save for the fifteen minutes of rain that happened just before.  I did not make anything for the wedding, but I did make a card for the bride and groom as a gift.  I stitched a drawing of two lovebirds that I made, and added a heart and banner with their names.  All this is done over two layers of decorative yellow and white paper.

We had quite an enjoyable time there.  It was a nice break from the disgusting humidity we were faced with in KC.  Hopefully we'll go back soon!

Wedding Guest Book for Damon and Jennifer!

Here is a guest book I just made for someone on Etsy - Damon and Jennifer.  I formatted the book a little differently this time in order to make less wasted when cutting down paper for the inside pages.  The book measures 9 1/2" by 8", and I think it's a pretty good size.  I also used my new circle cutter for the nameplate, which worked out really well, and my new japanese screw punch that my boyfriend got me for my birthday to make the ribbon holes.

The only specifications Jennifer gave me for what she wanted was " cream vs. white and blue or light blue cover with names in black."  I hope she likes what I came up with!  I used a navy silk moire book cloth, some pearl book cloth, and some cream on cream velvet flocked paper for accent.

I'm also trying to come up with new ways to photograph my work.  Books are not quite 2D, but almost, so the pictures of them can get a little boring.  Here's some flicks of Damon and Jennifer's book, in a couple different shots that I was playing around with.

This is my favorite pen I've made so far.  It's like a collage of feathers!