You can find basic information about The Art of Hand Block Printing here.
If interested, you can do a google search for a more in depth explanation of this traditional textile technique that involves hand-carving wooden blocks to create intricate patterns onto fabric and various surfaces using natural dyes.
Disclosure: I'm not an affiliate, don't receive a commission for the product. Just sharing my honest appreciation for the product.
I used double-sided holiday scrapbook paper from the Carta Bella Collection to cover both the notebooks and to make the dust jackets. I added tuck spots to the front and back covers of the books and inserted holiday theme tags in each.
Makes a thoughtful little holiday gift!
If you'd like to know how to make your own, check out The Posh Paper Lady.
You can view a short slide video below:
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/home-for-christmas
License code: DBPOLBUSYTPYWH6N
Snail Convention
While researching 'snails' I learned something rather astonishing...at least unbeknownst to me.
There is a snail slime extraction market industry. They harvest mucus from snails for a variety of uses, particularly cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
"The global snail slime extract market was valued at USD 555 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 850 million by 2032. Key growth drivers include rising consumer demand for natural skincare and the proven efficacy of snail slime in skin repair and anti-aging"... According to 24marketreports.com
Wow! once again...who knew?!!
I love these beautiful William Morris design papers from Pepin. They make such elegant covers for these handmade top-spiral notebooks, which I bound using my Cinch Book Binding Machine.
Each decorative paper was carefully adhered to bookboard that I cut to size, creating sturdy, durable covers designed to last.
The collection includes two reporter's notebooks (also known as tall spiral memo pads), each measuring 3.75" × 8.25". They contain 40 lined, cream-colored sheets (80 pages).
The smaller notebook measures 4" × 5.5" and contains 36 unlined, cream-colored sheets (72 pages).
These notebooks are perfect for journaling, note-taking, lists, sketching, or tucking into a bag to carry wherever inspiration strikes.
As a kid, I spent hours drawing. We didn't have much, but we always had a pencil and paper.
I've always loved the look of loose watercolor with pen and ink (aka line & wash) and have experimented with them a bit over the years. Hmm, maybe it's time to pick up the pencil and brush again...
Seeing it jogged my memory. I remembered winning an earlier award back in grade school. We were assigned a project to use leftover scraps of colored construction paper from a previous project to create a brand-new piece of art. They liked my 'scrappy art'!
No wonder I'm so good at 'scrap busting' !😊
I used double-sided scrapbook paper from the Carta Bella Collection to cover both the notebooks and to make the dust jackets.
Makes a thoughtful little gift!
If you'd like to know how to make your own, check out The Posh Paper Lady.
You can view a short slide video below:
For the two books that measure 4 inches square I've used high quality double-sided Japanese Shibori Origami Papers. The smaller book that measures 3 inches square, I've used a collection of Origami Papers from Yasutomo featuring unique designs created by Artist Karen Elaine.
Liberty Grove Paper Arts has an excellent video tutorial if you'd like to make your own Origami Frame Book.
Below is a short slide video of the three books.
I received this Hand Block Printed Dishtowel Set as a gift. I love the colorful designs. They're 100% cotton and made in India. You can...
