today

finally, after many months of imagining, the nut boxes are finding their way to my etsy shop.

upholstering nutbox interiors with a vintage jacquard. smoother than the wool felt i created with previous boxes and more accepting of jewelry and my wooden books without snagging on the woolen fibers.  the fabric and shells love each other.  i can tell because they are smiling at me:)  

cut and paste

my kids and i have been busy cutting and pasting clues for a birthday surprise for the hubby/dad. this is how it looked...

the surprise....a bicycle trip, just the 4 of us, around angel island in the san francisco bay...and new wheels ie. a bicycle built for 2. (the tango:)

so hard to keep secrets from the one you love and share so much with but we did it and we are all in love with our new ride. such a letting go of control and finding trust with each other when paired on a tandem. it feels big and important to find myself in that place.  i feel a bit of a child in that back seat.  

first, lots of practice riding together before embarking on our angel island visit...:)

listening

listening to this and feeling at home here.

doing

Tiny books have been on my list of explorations for my etsy shop for too long.  Today I am finishing up a few made from natural weathered droppings I have found on my daily walks.  So many free gifts available to me if I chose to see it that way.  I have been sitting on these weathered findings for years now,  tucked away in my tiny book making materials box.  Such a relief to finally move forward in this way.

Same innards as the tiny leather ones but these are tree covered with magnolia pod wooden buttons I crafted, semi precious stone bead and hemp tie cord for securing the book closed.  They will all fit within the walnuts I am about to embark upon and will be sold as a tiny team for one's own imaginary wanderings or secret messaging.

tea

planning for more nut boxes...so today i am tea staining silken ribbon. rooibos, black and very berry zinger are part of my morning cup:)

Tiny Books

finishing up some tiny accordion style books. cotton paper,vintage book end papers, antique repurposed leather, hand cast bronze button and silk ribbon wrap for closure. Was intending them for inside walnut boxes instead of scrolls but I am rethinking that.  Will be listing these tiny treasures by the end of the week.

currently reading

published in 1927.  so clearly written and simple. 

published in 1911.  so much to savor here.  so rich and complex.

still finding such peace and delight in old children's books. they will be my "go to" for summer reading.

leftover piroshki dough with exhausted yeast made a fine pizza last week.  cheddar cheese, tomato, chicken, scallions and garlic dill compound butter.  The crust tasted remarkably of those cheese crackers shaped like little fish. very crackery.

golden forks and spoons not the way i planned so i will return to bronze with no overlay paste. no need to gild the lily anyways. bronze is good and so ancient.  it meets the tiny tree dropping better with a more natural feel.