i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)

...and now for something completely different. Hand-embossing is the brave new frontier I'm exploring lately. This piece involved several layers of embossing on creamy Arches text. The title, of course, is a reference to the ee cummings poem....

River of Fire card

No text on this one, just the beautiful serendipitous design. Sometimes words aren't needed.

Etsy store up and running again

Ok, I've officially resurrected my Etsy store to carry my new greeting cards, some original 2d works, and other papery goodness as-yet-unimagined. There's not much there just yet, but I'll be adding things at a reasonably steady pace, so do check in from time to time.

A. A. Milne card

Other than Winnie The Pooh, I hadn't read much Milne. He wrote all sorts of other things, you know, in particular mysteries. I recently began perusing the works of his available on Project Gutenberg, and came across a collection of essays-- some whimsical, some serious, all written in his characteristic style-- called "If I May". The quote featured on this card originates there, in a narrative piece written in the second person plural about luring a friend away from work to go on a day-long springtime walkabout through the countryside.

Of course, there are many times when one may wish to leave the road. Sometimes all one requires is a little encouragement.

Chekov greeting card

Well, I know, when you think 'greeting card', probably 'Anton Chekov' is not the first author you would think of to contribute text. Nevertheless, I did this as an ACEO earlier this year, and thought that the text could make an unusual card-- one perhaps to be used when getting in touch again with someone temporarily lost. Or just to send to a Chekov fan. Better yet, a Chekov fan you haven't communicated with in some time. (A Chekov fan would like this kind of thing, trust me).

The text reads,

"At times one catches a glimpse of cranes on the horizon, and a faint gust of wind brings their plaintive, ecstatic cry, and a minute later, however greedily one scans the blue distance, one cannot see a speck nor catch a sound; and like that people with their faces and their words flit through our lives and are drowned in the past, leaving nothing but faint traces in the memory."

Thank you card

I was planning to add the greeting cards to the Paypal Storefront, but I'll tell you. That dang thing is worthless. First of all, it freezes my browser halfway through adding an item (a process that doesn't involve that many steps, so it's kind of amazing that it does this so faithfully). Then yesterday, as I tried to add a greeting card, it persistently disagreed with me that the URL for my photo led where I said it led. So I couldn't get a photo up, so I couldn't add the item. So when my browser froze, I gave up. I've decided to chuck the whole thing. I'm going to find another solution-- perhaps reopening my Etsy shop, perhaps finding a different type of shopping cart. When it's all up and running, you'll be the first to know.

Anyway, here is the next new design! This one comes with a hot pink envelope. Zowie!

Mosaic greeting cards

I'm pleased to unveil my new line of artist greeting cards based on my paper mosaics!

These are prints of the original work, mounted on a top quality white cardstock A2-sized card. On each I hand emboss a panel to frame the piece, and select an envelope to match. I kind of have a thing with colored envelopes-- I do use some white, but only if I don't have a colored one that will work. The envelope is the first thing the recipient sees, after all! The 'winter greetings' card comes with a pale, pale blue flecked envelopes. Both the cardstock and the envelopes are made from 100% recycled, acid-free paper. They come packaged in a resealable clear bag.

Stay tuned to see all the new designs!