Jewelry. Art. Cupcakes. Magic.
Some people have been asking to see photos of my studio, so here you go:
This isn’t all of it; I do metalworking and beading elsewhere. But the bulk of my work takes place here.
My inspiration wall: fashion, tattoos, enamels, illustrations, and retro images.
And my little lightbox, where I photograph almost everything.
My friends and I were discussing local places to buy statioary, when Sean asked, “Why not make your own stationary?” But of course! What has transpired has been a frenzy of cutting, pasting, and drawing, such that I’ll never need to rely on outside sources again. It’s an easy, quick little project that allows for lots of substitution.
skill level: beginner
time: roughly 15-20 minutes
materials: lame envelope and card, 1 piece of cardboard (something like a cereal box will work fine), paper to transform into your stationary (junk mail, catalog pages…I used an out-of-date atlas), X-acto knife, cutting mat or a large-ish old magazine that you don’t care about, ruler, pen, rubber cement or glue stick, scissors or butter knife, double-sided tape, adhesive labels.
For the envelope:
1. Make the template for your envelope by carefully prying apart the glued edges of your mass-produced envelope. Flatten. Place the envelope on top of your cardboard, which should be on top of your cutting mat or old magazine. Carefully trace around the envelope, and cut out your template from the cardboard.
2. On the cutting mat, place the paper that will be your new and improved envelope (outside of the envelope down). Lay the template on top of that, and either cut around it with the X-acto knife, or trace with pen and cut out with scissors.
3. Using the back of the blade on your scissors (or the non-cerated side of a knife) and a ruler as your guide, lightly score each side of your envelope to form flaps. See the red lines as a guideline:
Fold along the scored lines.
4. Glue the bottom and side flaps together, using a glue stick. Or just tape them. See your old envelope for guidelines of where to glue.
5. Now, you can either place double-sided tape along the edges of the top flap, or make your own self-lick adhesive. I haven’t tried the self-lick stuff, so I’m not going to endorse it here.
6. Slap on those adhesive stickers where the address and return address go.
For the card:
1. Lay your lame card, open and flattened, on top of your exciting new stationary paper (I used cardstock–handmade paper would be lovely). Trace with pen and cut with scissors, or break out the X-acto again.
2. Score and fold.
3. I rubber cemented some details from my atlas onto the cardstock for a handsome accompaniment to the envelope.
Presto!
Two mechanical malfunctions left me grounded at the Denver International Airport for 11 hours last week. I was too tired to read the work-related stuff I had brought along, and knew from experience that I was beyond the point where drinking coffee was going to be beneficial. What to do? I whipped out my camera and documented the ensuing hours:
What struck me most was the largesse on display everywhere: a rainbow of Crocs, a notable astronaut presiding over the Jamba Juice, the astonishing amount of sugar available. Businessmen getting their shoes shined while talking on their Blackberries, throwing around phrases like “face time”. The overall submission to this neon otherworld, where we were all a captive audience.
I love glimpses into people’s lives. The old postcards that I’ve collected whisper their recollections from generations gone by, and I can’t help but imagine the circumstances and lives entangled in these missives. Here are a few from my collection:
Greetings
Date Nov 22
Still with You in Thought and Wish.
From “Lilac Corner”
Don’t worry over Alcie [?] Monday morning
My dear boy. If it’s as dark when you get this as it is here this morning you won’t be able to read this. It’s raining dreadfully. I just got your card written Friday you should get one from me this morning. I cant hardly wait morning until the mail gets here. Rev Boyan [?] didnt come yetsterday we had another sample I am feeling good only a little nervous of course I am glad you got the slippers Mrs. Lilly said yesterday that Alcie [?] has the grippe but dont worry for Fread R is attending him and he was able to eat yesterday You see he took cold one day last week but it isnt pneumonia and he wasnt any worse last evening Of course I will keep on praying and so many others are to Mrs Brown said yesterday she had all last week. Well I must stop hope you can read this I wanted to say so much more
Lovingly Fanny
Addressed to recipient, “c/o State Sanitorium.” Stamp removed. No cancellation stamp.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
May Santy find you with a smile and very
merry hearted,
And may that smile shine all the while
till Christmas has departed.
Dear cousin: –
You will spend Christmas far from home this year, hope you will enjoy it.
Hoping you are well and wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Lovingly
Emma.
1 cent postage stamp. Canceled by stamp that reads, “CHRISTMAS SEALS STAMP OUT TUBERCULOSIS.” Mailed December 20th, 1923, from St. Louis, MO.
PIVOT ROCK, IN THE BEAUTIFUL OZARK REGION -2
Did-you-get-my telegram?
Dear Bess:
Just stopped in this town for supper. Expect to arrive in city at 12:15 tonight. Boy am I tired. Two girls on our bus had a pick fight & one girls nose was bleeding like mad. Will have to hurry as I have a grilled cheese sandwich to eat & only have 20 min. Will write a letter tomorrow. Love Bob P.S. B. good.
Printed information about the postcard:
“THE LAND OF A MILLION SMILES”
A wealth of attractive camping grounds, pastoral scenes of unsurpassed beauty, prosperous dairy and fruit farms, mountain scenes of rugged, verdure clad charm, massive and picturesque overhanging bluffs, good roads winding thru forests, purling streams, countless enchanting spots, good fishing, thrilling golf, up hill and down hill.
1-cent postage stamp.
Sent at 8 p.m. on July 9, 1938, from Springfield, MO
P.C. 32-Edgewater Hotel,
Panama City, Fla.
Hi Mother this is our hotel here right on the Gulf of Mexico
Dear Mother
Here I am writing you a few short lines to let you know that I am allright.
I hope that you are not mad at me as I am haveing a good time Spice Marjolig [?] and I are together. So dont be mad. This is a swell place.
Love, El. [?]
1-cent postage stamp. Mailed in October (year illegible) from Panama City, FL.
TURTLE BACK ROCK, PINE MT., OVERLOOKING PINEVILLE, KY.
Well here to you kid I fell for you the day I met you I go to town Sunday Bob Rego [?]
1-cent stamp. Mailed at 8 p.m. on September 22, 1934, from Pineville, KY.
The other evening, I viewed almost every collection from New York Fashion Week which had been uploaded at New York Magazine (the only exceptions: the Project Runway contestants, and Tommy Hilfiger). While I cannot recommend such a massive sartorial dose in one setting, I did see a few patterns emerge amidst the sea of Very Hungry models:
What I learned last year at a lecture on the fashion industry is that these “new” trends were in the pipes for a while–well before the economy tanked. Look books circulated at least a year ago featured the sheer fabrics, head coverings, and palettes I’ve seen in the past few weeks. I’m not sure how I feel about designers letting themselves be guided by these prefabricated suggestions. Like a good Project Runway challenge, it could provide the raw materials to stretch their imaginations in new directions. But why this desire to be in concert with all of the other designers looking at the books and thinking, “Ooh, see-through fabric, great idea”? If you’re a famous designer, you can slap your name on a potato sack and people will buy it for thousands of dollars–why the safety net? This I do not know.
At any rate, amidst the sea of banality, some favorites did emerge for me. Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Erin Featherson, Frank Tell…all in all, I saved 160 shots from the shows to my NYMag Fashion Album (when NYMag fixes their album-editing feature, I should be able to share them with you).