Book Sculpture Valentines

You might remember the captivating birds that book sculptor and photographer, Bronia Sawyer, created from cut and folded pages. They went on to a gallery in Beverly Hills after being noticed here - not too shabby! Her newest work is a Valentine-themed collection for the windows of Waterstones Booksellers in Solihull, England.

Bronia and I stay in touch across the ocean via Twitter (@BroniaSawyer). She's currently preparing pieces for a gallery in Belgium, the Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, and the Solihull Art Complex. There's also an upcoming exhibition in Leamington Spa, England with her brother who paints, and she's planning another stop motion film in the style of the short animation on her website. Busy gal!

And yes, Fab Friday is supposed to be just one photo that especially caught my eye during the week, but I simply couldn't decide... each is romantic and alluring.


All Things Paper Facebook links this past week included:

Siba Sihabi's latest work, Istanbul Twilight, is rolled felt instead of rolled wallpaper, but equally stunning.

You might recall the fab paper couture of Lia Griffith. Lia shared templates and instructions for making realistic paper roses.

These sparkly jewel cardboard rings look like fun and what a clever name, Tiphony, ha!

Lastly, the folks at the lovely paper goods shop and blog, Omiyage, kindly featured a roundup of my Valentine tutorials.

Enjoy the weekend!

Baby Shower Decorations

I've been happily anticipating this post for quite a few months... ever since learning that a couple I know are expecting a baby girl on Valentine's Day. How perfect is that?! A shower for them and little Miss Emersyn-to-be, a.k.a. Emmy, was held recently, and of course I wanted to get involved with paper-y goodness when it came to the decorations. Here's a close up of one of the bunting letters to get things started...

Cecelia Louie, whose name might be familiar to you via her fab paper quilling, is also a die cut designer. I showed her a photo on Kiss and Punch of a bunting I liked... Cecelia ran with the idea, creating this beautiful garland. I'm so glad it will live on as decor in the baby's nursery too.

And ever since I first laid eyes on her adorable baby animal die cut favor boxes, I knew they would be perfect for the shower too. Bright and fruity had been selected as the color theme, so Cecelia rounded up cardstock shades in raspberry, lemon, and lime. Look how cute the boxes are all lined up, awaiting the guests. Animals on parade... just as sweet as the treats inside!

While we're talking babies and nurseries, Anais of Etsy shop Galerie Anais in France creates paper collages that feature all sorts of adorable and on-trend images such as birds, owls, and curly branched trees. She then turns the collages into paper or canvas prints. I had given a pair to the parents-to-be for Christmas that are already hanging in Emmy's room.

Here are a couple more party pics because we all like to peek at buffet tables, right? Guess how many {paper} diapers were in the centerpiece...

(The strawberry cupcakes were delicious.)

The answer is 73. Newborn-size diapers are so very tiny - I'd forgotten!

Paper Garments - Julie VonDerVellen

Lest you think this site has suddenly turned into a fashion blog, let me assure you that everything you see here today is composed of paper... handmade paper fashioned into garment replicas by Julie VonDerVellen.

Julie created extraordinary collections titled Memoir Ensemble and Recollection-Tailored Narratives while in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (MFA, 2010), adeptly weaving the storyline of each article of clothing into its very fabric.

She explains, Significant moments — personal stories and those of friends and families — are interwoven into handmade paper crafted from recycled cotton clothing.

I can recall exactly what I wore in each moment. My closet overflows with memories. Whether I remember the situation first, then visualize myself in the clothing I wore – or if I glance at the clothes, then place myself back into the situation – the garment tells the story.

The pieces are developed from journal entries, then designed with expressive typography and stitch patterns that reflect the tone of the story.

Julie has perceptively keyed in on something most of us can relate to. I know I have vivid "first" memories of certain articles of clothing... favorite suede shoes (oh how I wanted to keep them looking out-of-the-box new that first day of fourth grade), the first day on the job in a crisp nurse's uniform - anxious, but excited - and the sleek, black dress I borrowed from my sister the night I met my future husband.

Do you have a special clothing memory?

Visit Julie's website to see many more incredible garments and to read the intriguing narrative that accompanies each one.

Quilled 2012

You might remember a gracefully quilled alphabet that sailed around the internet not long ago. It was made by Sabeena Karnik of Mumbai, who recently posted this beauty on her Behance page. Sabeena, a graphic artist, illustrator, and calligrapher, does mighty fierce paper cuttings as well, so don't miss those.

Hey, it's still January... let the New Year celebrations continue!

All Things Paper Facebook links this past week included:

Pretty book page teacups
Beautiful collection of repurposed books
Gigantic flowers
The Crimson Poppy makes it to the Golden Globes and Oscars!
Gorgeous rolled paper textiles
Little paper cubes

Remember, the giveaway for three copies of the new book Quilled Birds, Bugs & Butterflies ends this Sunday, January 22.

Have a great weekend! I'm already looking forward to seeing you again on Monday.