Silk Paintings

May 21, 2009May 21, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 3 Comments

Instead of hanging that painting on your wall, why don’t you wear it around your neck? I love scarves, and these two artists are creating truly beautiful ones.

Angela of Muse Silk Paintings has a self-professed pattern obsession and loves the way the silk allows the ink to move between her resist lines. She has some really great info about her experiences with the craft on her blog. I love the fluid quantity of her work and how she allows the medium to do what it wants.

scarf

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Mary of True so in Love is a full time artist (see her other etsy shop) who recently branched out into painting silk. The lovely line quality shown here carries throughout her work. The name is a play on “trousseau” as a collaboration with a lingerie designer is in the works to create one-of-a-kind hand painted silk lingerie pieces.

Kiln work

May 19, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

While shopping for housewares on etsy the other day I ran across Alice’s kiln work shop. Alice got her start as a glass artist experimenting with small torchwork beads and marbles. She eventually yearned to move on to bigger and better pieces, so she bought a kiln and taught herself the rest!

First she cuts appropriately sized pieces of glass for the base and decorative elements of the piece. She stacks them and fires them in the kiln to fuse them together. A single piece may be fired several times as design elements are layered on. When the flat blank is complete, the piece is returned to the kiln for shaping. This time the piece is placed across a form. As the temperature rises, the glass slowly slumps to take the shape of the mold.

Of what inspires her, she says, “I think I just enjoy being around glass. It feels good to the hand; it’s cold & smooth sometimes—rough other times; it’s a solid and a fluid . . . . There are so many techniques to learn and styles to dabble in that I find that just playing around with the glass tends to yield more fun projects than I could ever complete.” Keep playing, Alice, your work is beautiful!

Fruit Fly Pie

May 16, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

owls

I harbor a small obsession with owls. Luckily, Fruit Fly Pie ceramics has just the fix for me! Wendy’s etsy shop is chock full of planters, vases, dishes and more modeled after this whimsical animal. They’re slip cast from vintage ceramic molds and finished with non-toxic, lead free & food safe glazes. She also offers a variety of other vessels made from vintage designs — from cupcakes to turtles — including this adorable deer!

A Alicia Accessories

May 10, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Anna Alicia’s etsy shop is filled with fantastic clusters of felt flowers to adorn everything from your clothing to your home. Each bloom is made by cutting individual petals and sewing them together, then assembling the flowers into an elegant mass.

Of her work, Anna Alicia says, “I wanted to make something that could really change an outfit but that could also be worn in lots of different ways. I’m hugely inspired by Japanese craft, in particular Kanzashi flower hair accessories, and also by vintage fashion and jewelery.”

I love the delicate sculptural quality of the pieces, but by far my favorite aspect of her work are the fantastically unexpected color combinations she creates. “[They] are key to my designs, and I’m always intrigued to see which are most popular. My color inspiration comes from all over — painting, fashion, nature…” she says. Keep ’em coming — your pieces inspire me!

Shop Local: St. Louis

April 23, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Full of little shops and restaurants and seemingly very supportive of the handmade scene, St. Louis is on my short list of cities to explore. In the meantime, here are a few of the talented folks who make the city their home.

Wallpaper Patterned Scarf from the Bungaloo

The Bungaloo is a screenprinting studio plastering everything from tee shirts to journals with its intricate and beautiful designs. Each piece is screenprinted by hand and totally fantastic!

Bella Luna‘s etsy shop boasts a bevy of pampering goods — from candles to lotion and soaps. Owner Shannon began making soap as a gentle cleansing alternative for her children who suffer from eczema and has branched out from there!

Mr Owlie - Brass Owl Pendant Wearing Monocle Steampunk Necklace by INdosteam

INdosteam is full of jewelry made from bits and pieces found at flea markets and vintage shops. The designs are inspired by the steampunk movement with an asian influence. I love this little owl!