Somebody get me a cocktail

March 21, 2015March 13, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Today is one I’ve been waiting for—in a few hours, a dear friend and her husband (and first Bermuda visitors) arrive and tonight we’re celebrating her 30th birthday. So it seems an appropriate day to blog about cocktails!

This month I’ve been painting a lot—reviving a love for watercolor I’ve had since childhood. A few weeks back, I started a series of classic cocktails sketched with pencil and illuminated with watercolor. I love the opportunity for both wet work—where the colors mix into each other—as well as layering transparent color on top of an area that has already dried, to create the illusion of glass.

The original paintings are now available in my etsy shop and I think they’d make the absolute perfect art for a home bar or even your kitchen! I’ll probably keep adding to this collection—do you have a favorite cocktail I should paint? Leave a comment below!

Drinks are on Me

February 7, 2015February 4, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

Though I’ve been hard at work on the new collection, I found a little time to reprint our sold out beer, wine and drinks coasters! I’ve got four sets of each in stock (unless I decide to keep some for myself…). Get them here!

The SOLD Project

July 9, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

The SOLD Project is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering individuals to stop child prostitution before it begins. The organization twofold: They’ve just finished filming a documentary in Thailand for four months to help raise awareness about human trafficking and have in place a growing prevention program. The Prevention Program is made up of 1) Scholarships 2) Mentorship for every child that is sponsored 3) After School Programs including sports, art, English, and tutoring 4) Human Trafficking Awareness Programs at the school starting in every 6-grade classroom to teach the children about the realities of human trafficking and prostitution.

It’s sad that in this world, the prevention of children being forced into prostitution is a cause that needs fighting for, but it does. To that end, illustrators, photographers, painters, collage and other artists have donated their creations to help fund this project. The artists’ statement: “We believe in the power of art to communicate, to touch, and to transform the world we live in. We also believe in affordable, accessible art, and giving back our profit of sold art to a cause that we find to be worthwhile.” Visit The SOLD Project’s etsy shop, buy a beautiful piece of art and help make this world a better place.

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!

Clear Mountain Craft

December 15, 2008 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Clear Mountain Craft is a beautiful union between Andre, a master glass artist, and Kristin, a phenomenal ceramicist. Creating work that is both functional and beautiful, she creates a variety of ready made and custom pieces. I particularly love her glaze work because it is exactly what I always used to strive for when I was working with clay in college but could never achieve — letting the glaze move and mix and do all the beautiful things melting glass can do while staying where it was put.

Poppy Bowl Nesting Set in Brown and Turquoise