Miniature Wisdom Books

I love making these tiny books! (all listed in my Etsy shop) The leather has been rescued from the landfill! Button closures formed with terracotta clay, some using hieroglyphic stamps. All are hand bound with artificial sinew. Pages are hand dyed and edges stressed to appear ancient. Most are under 2". Perfect for the most important wisdom words!

As you like it....

A lovely customer asked if I could do some faces in white, or a creamy ivory.... here's what I came up with. too bad I'm not so good at photography! They are all an ivory color, after many, many glazes.

Looking for her name....

Here are the faces I created using the stamp I made from the lacy moss (Lichen). They have a mossy green tint to them that didn't show in the picture.

 And here 'She' is.... But I can't seem to grasp her name yet. She's made of what I think are Cypress branches with seed cones clusters. I used the gathered Lichen for her body and hair. The fabrics were created from recycled silks gathered at Fabmo last week. The body of her dress was a designer fabric in the style of window coverings from Hearst Castle. Looks burlap-ish to me, but hangs wonderfully!

Can you hear her name??

Loving this Lichen Lace!

I am soooo in love! This beautiful, mossy, 'Lichen Lace', made an amazing stamp! I used one of those moldable foam stamps....

Update on the moss....

Ever since my excursion into the magical moss forest last Friday, I've been captivated by the mystical essence of this phenomenon. After my own researching, then putting it out on my Facebook page, I come to learn that this is actually not a 'moss' but a lichen.

Although it is a true lichen, Ramalina menziesii. is commonly known as both Lace Lichen and Spanish Moss, perhaps for its rather soft appearance and greenish color. Although its morphology is quite variable, generally speaking this lichen hangs from its host in long, branching strands that can reach up to 2 meters in length. If examined very closely, R. menziesii resembles an elongated, greenish-yellow piece of material with many holes in it. (http://online.sfsu.edu/bholzman/courses/Fall%2003%20project/R.menziesii.htm)

I don't know why this has captured me so!

Quick studio time....

Good morning dear friends.... I'm working in my Antiques & Art Store today, so I got up extra early to have a few hours in my studio. Here's a look at the "Sentiment Fragments" I painted this morning. I'm looking for a stamp that has small (tiny) sentiment words. Any leads?

 And here is Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home, and Gaia's Daughter, tucked into their travel case, on there way to Boulder Creek Antiques and Art.

Be still, my heart!

Look what I found today!

A forest of moss! Growing near Monterey!

Perfect for my Spirit Dolls!

'Gaia's Daughter'

DAUGHTER of GAIA seemed to create herself. Wrapped around an ancient river washed branch found in Yosemite Valley, she speaks to me of living consciously upon the earth. Wearing her modest jewels, she is elegant in her vintage, hand crochet wrap. Reminding herself, and us, of her profound connection with Nature, she wears a petrified fern as her featured adornment. Her petrified fern is molded from terracotta clay (also organically of the Earth), coated with layer upon layer of the wonderful Stewart Gill paints.

Her face and adornments are made from terracotta clay, still staying true to her organic nature, (not the plastic polymer clay). Painted with layers of Stewart Gill paints. Beneath her crochet wrap, she is dressed in layers of silks and hand dyed gauze.

She has a modest hanger on her back. And she measures just over 12" tall.

She is for sale HERE in my Etsy shop and will be shipped to you PRIORITY mail, nestled in a bed of silk scraps. I've found silk scraps perfect, lightweight, protection for shipping. And! you'll have a bounty of silks to play with.

Have a wonderful, blessed day.
Namaste.