Shabby Chic Flag Banners!

These whole fabric and paper flag banner things have become such a trend lately - I figured it was time to finally do a post on them. Here are some of my faves. I love this shabby chic style that can be customized for any event :) I am just wondering...is it overdone? Is it a trend that will die out?

Abstract Paper Sculptures

Amazing handmade paper sculptures by {Charles Clary}

Linocut Maps!

After spending two months working on this lino cut of Paris, {Mark Andrew Webber} has completed yet another one of his city map carvings. So far he has done London, New York, and Amsterdam (first image). This takes an unbelievable amount of patience and determination and I admire that. The map of Paris is 150cm X 180cm.

Making of My Portfolio

Well, it feels a bit strange that I have graduated college and been working full time for over a year now already. I was reminiscing on my days in school - long nights/all-nighters and thought I would share some of the process of how I made my portfolio book and case all by hand. Enjoy!

Wiley Valentine ~ Inspired Paper Delights

Emily and Rachelle grew up inspired by each of their grandmothers' - Mary Wiley and Norma Jean Valentine - artistic and eclectic expressions of life. Their grandmothers inspired them to pursue creative endeavors. After working at the same graphic design firm in California, they both realized that they were going about passionless projects that were too mainstream. They found a common sense of enthusiasm for using their creative aspirations to revamp the paper industry. They left their jobs to found the E & R Design Group, which formed the groundwork for the fashionably classic line of paper products. They called it {Wiley Valentine}. With sustainably being more important now than ever before, they made the commitment to become a 100% sustainable paper company. Today, all of their paper prints are either 100% recycled PSC or 100% cotton, a natural, renewable resource. No trees! In their studio, they reuse all of the 100% recycled fax paper and shred every mock-up and misprint - they reuse all of these in resourceful and colorful packaging material!

Smock - Letterpress on Bamboo Paper

Going back to my love of letterpress, here is another great find! {Smock} is based in Syracuse, New York. Their print shop is made up of 20 antique presses, 50 tons of equipment, and 17 employees. They are self-proclaimed faithful lovers of historic craft with letterpress ink in their veins. They are actually the first and only print shop in the United States to offer printing on luxury bamboo paper. They were able to develop this paper with the help of a historic European paper mill, doing so because they wanted a truly sustainable paper that was also beautiful! Why bamboo? Bamboo is said to be a true wonder plant. In addition to not requiring pesticides or fertilizer to grow, bamboo reaches its mature height in 3 to 5 years, whereas most softwood trees take 10-20 years. Bamboo generates up to 35% more oxygen than hardwood trees, and absorbs four times as much carbon as hardwood. Bamboo can detoxify wastewater (due to its high nitrogen consumption) and improves soil quality. Not enough to convince you yet? Bamboo also has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties too. Convinced? I know I am! More of their work can be seen on their site and purchased on their {Etsy} shop.

Paper Tangerines

{Paper Tangerines}! First of all - super cute name to give these fun decoration pieces by Jennifer Boston :) They are great ideas for all year round. Jennifer explains how there does not have to be an occasion or a holiday to hang up some fun decorations and I couldn't agree more! These would be so fun in childern's rooms, hung in groups or separates for parties or just for no reason at all, put them in a bowl or glass jar, make a garland, and many more great ideas! She ships them plat in a package with enough to make 11 paper tangerines and includes photos and instructions for assembling them. Other ways she recommends using these are by hanging them with invisible thread from the ceiling, on the side of a bookshelf, or even from hanging houseplant. So creative! They are about 2.5" in diameter, so really not that big at all.

Noriko Ambe - Paper Sculptures

I am totally blown away and speechless after seeing the work of artist {Noriko Ambe} and I think you probably feel the same after seeing these. In her artist's statement, she explains that she has been mapping the mysterious land between physical and emotional geography in an attempt to attain something sublime. She focuses on extreme detail - detail being the key point of nature, and we are part of nature. She tries to avoid drawing or cutting mechanical/perfect lines in her work, believing that the subtle natural distortions convey the nuances of human emotions, habits, or biorhythm. It is because of all this that Ambe creates all of her work by hand. My favorite part of her statement was how she explained the importance of the process:

"Using the five senses, perceiving the natural qualities of the materials, I found that I am concerned less about the end, and more about "doing". The process of creating is equally as important as the finished work." - Ambe

This was a great find from {Oh So Beautiful Paper}.

Jaq Belcher - Paper Masterpieces

The work of {Jaq Belcher} is truly remarkable. Each piece of paper is cut by hand to create these amazing somewhat sculptural works of art. Not only do the cut pieces themselves create a unique and beautiful look, but also the shadows created by them. This is not only true talent, but extreme patience as well - I am inspired, that's for sure! Another special find from {Oh So Beautiful Paper}.

Paper-cut Illustrations

These are absolutely beautiful paper-cut illustrations by {Yulia Brodskaya}. She is a Russian graphic designer based in London. These expertly crafted works of art are truly amazing. Check out some of her other work - pretty impressive!

Papercut Diecut

So, really, I thought I was insanely anal and detail oriented - enjoying working on very intricate projects by hand - but this takes the cake for sure! This like this, that most people think is nuts, is what I love. I have so much respect for this {artist}. I was first drawn to the dandelion print in the frame, or so I thought it was a print...Little did I know that these are all designs that have been cut of paper by hand. The paper being used is rice paper - it is too delicate for any machine to cut. After reading further, I learned that this is an ancient Chinese art form that can be traced back to ancient times. Absolutely beautiful work!

A New Binding Technique

So, I decided to try out a new way of binding photo albums and it worked out great! It was
pretty time consuming, but that may have been because it was my first time - of course it was
fun nonetheless! I have also posted some of the other cover styles I am in the process of making. I am selling them if anyone is interested, but really I just wanted to show the way of binding I learned:) In addition to the the books, I also made some boxes from scratch. They are meant to be a set with the album (same style or one that complements it), but really they can be used
for anything!

Make Books All Day!

If I could, I would seriously make books all day long. There is something incredibly therapeutic about it that I cannot put into words. The first book here is a journal I had made for myself a while back and the second is a photo album for a friend. Both are done using the perfect binding method, with the beautiful recycled paper and book cloth I picked up from Paper Source, but if you are in San Luis Obispo, I recommend checking out the great finds at {Paper Sky}., which is pictured above - courtesy of {Cameron Ingalls Inc.} - a local photographer.