One of My Favorite Tools: The Bone Folder

What exactly is a bone folder you ask? Let me enlighten you...

A bone folder is a tool used in paper crafts for folding, scoring and burnishing. Yes, it's made of bone (sorry to you veggies out there), typically of deer or elk. Bone is an ideal material because it is sturdy, smooth and grainless.



For scoring, the edges of some bone folders are sharp enough to score paper. After scoring, comes folding. For folding the straight edge of a bone folder also makes it ideal as a paper folding aid. The crafter can hold the bone folder against a scored line and fold the paper along its edge. The pointed end of a bone folder can also be used to square off a corner from within the folded area. Many crafters use a bone folder as a means of giving a folded page a more professional-looking crease. The friction between a finger and paper may create problems over time, but a bone folder's smooth surface can be drawn across the fold time and time again. The bone material allows the crafter to apply constant pressure while finishing a crease.

Read more...

Dressed to Impress

Check out these fun little cards that I recently completed! The bride and groom plan to give these dress and tux cards to their wedding party as part of a gift. The dresses and tuxes match what the party will be wearing. I had never done tuxedos before, but I thought they turned out well.



If you'd like to purchase a set of cards similar to this, click here. Or, if you'd like to inquire about a custom order, send me a message here.

I've included a few step-by-step photos so you can get an idea of the process.

Read more...

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Make a Lemon Meringue Pie!

I love this lemony creation! I made one (not the most beautiful I've ever made) today. The recipe is a classic from "Joy of Cooking."

I used frozen dough and shaped my own crust. Here is the recipe for the rest of the pie.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Combine in a 2- or 3- quart saucepan:
1.5 C sugar
6 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
Gradually blend in until smooth:
1/2 C cold water
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
Add, blending thoroughly:
3 egg yolks, well beaten
Add: 2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Stirring constantly, gradually add:
1.5 C boiling water
Bring to a full boil, stirring gently. Once it begins to thicken, reduce the heat and simmer slowly 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in:
1 t grated lemon zest
Pour into the baked pie shell.

For the meringue
Beat in a clean glass or metal bowl on medium speed until foamy:
4 egg whites, at room temp
Add and beat until soft peaks form:
1/4 t cream of tartar
Beat on high speed until the peaks are stiff and glossy but not dry. Beat in:
1/2 t vanilla
Spread over the hot filling, anchoring it to the crust at all points. Bake for 20 minutes at 350, but watch color of meringue closely. Cool completely on rack.

Enjoy!

Read more...

Hello, beautiful!

It's amazing how the simple things in life make us so happy! I noticed this beautiful bloom on one of our succulents and just had to share.

Read more...

117 Years!

This recent project is a birthday party invitation for three family members who share a birthday month. Their ages added together equal 117, so we made sure to play on the "jurassic" theme for this party invite. The belly band features a dino caricature of each family member, on the reverse is a timeline of "jurassic history."

Read more...

Simple & Elegant

I'm excited to share this recent project with you today! This bride and groom wanted something simple and elegant that incorporated their fall color palette. I used a classic serif typeface for the wording and a script font that I recently discovered (and am very excited about!). The light, cream paper compliments the fall palette of orange and burnt orange. The outer envelope is lined with a rich burnt orange paper, adding a bold hit of color to the set. The cherry on top is that all of these pieces were letterpressed, so, although simple, the invitation pieces have a tactile aspect that adds another dimension to the experience of receiving this invitation. Enjoy!

Read more...

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Share with your neighbors...

On Wednesday I picked about 35 lemons from our over-productive lemon tree and filled a box and put it on the curb for passersby to help themselves. (I've seen this a lot around our neighborhood, some people even have donation boxes!) Yesterday I noticed that maybe 10 had been taken and this morning after returning from a walk with Peachy, I noticed the entire box was gone!! I hope someone else is sharing with their neighbors... or making 20 lemon meringue pies! Since my subject disappeared, I have no photos to share with you today. Happy Friday!

Read more...

These Cards are Made for Walking

A recent request from a bride: watercolor high-heel cards! Brilliant! Such a fun thing to paint. Here's somewhat of a step by step for your enjoyment!





Purchase similar cards here. Or request your own personalized set of cards by emailing me here.

Read more...

Wedding Wednesday: Ellen & Andrius

Today I'm delighted to share the wedding of Andrius and Ellen, a friend and fellow artist! Although I didn't have anything to do with this wedding (well maybe a little), I'm excited to share it because of the gorgeous, unique details that Ellen and her mom, Cathy, came up with.

Ellen and Andrius actually had two weddings--one in Austin, Texas and one in Lithuania, where Andrius is from. These are highlights from their American wedding.



Ellen chose her “colors” because that seemed like a good place to start for an artist bride. She chose hues of hydrangeas: blues, teals, and greens. The wedding invitation introduced the color theme and the mood that Ellen and Andrius wanted to have for their wedding. The tactile letterpress invitation invited guests to come to the small chapel in the lower school which Ellen attended as a little girl and has many fond memories.

The couple welcomed guests with boxes filled with cookies from Sweetish Hill and sent them home with cds of Lithuanian music to remember the special day. The programs were covered in several different hydrangea-colored papers bound with satin ribbons. The bride’s cake wasn’t a cake, but rather beautiful pale-blue petits fours provided by their caterer, Eddie Bernal at 34th Street Catering. The bridesmaids picked their own dresses using hydrangeas as their guide for color. So everyone was awash in blues, greens, and teals ... except for one little accent. The shoes! Nice touch!



Such a lovely celebration! Thanks for letting me share these beautiful details from your special day!

Photography: Denise Prince Martin. Catering: 34th Street Catering. Flowers: West Bank Florist. Invitation and Program design: Cathy Heck. Bridesmaids dresses: Unbridaled

Read more...

Recent Work

I recently had the pleasure of working with a bride and groom who wished to highlight elements of their venue in their invitation. They are getting married in a Redwood Grove so in my idea stages I explored the idea of a Redwood tree and how it related to life. I wanted to include a Redwood and show its collossal structure without being limited by a small piece of paper. Thankfully the couple was open to creative ideas so we considered various paper sizes. We balanced a bold palette of chocolate brown and rich lake blue with a cream paper and combination of delicate script and a classic serif typeface. Here is the final piece! Enjoy!

Read more...