First Octopus Sculpture

Octopus SculptureSince around 2003 I have been tinkering with copper sculpture. My brother introduced me to it and neither one of us has set it down since we started. I must say that, while I know my work is pretty cool, my brother’s is amazing. He is my biggest inspiration!

Ready for a challenge, I set out to create something outside of my comfort zone during the summer of 2013. So I thought, what about fluid-looking legs? That would be something. So this octopus crawled out of my imagination once I poked at it with a stick. I remember sitting on the lawn in the shade, cutting and twisting up wire and thin sheet copper next to the garden during the day. To form the head of the octopus I wrapped sheet copper around an apple that fell off the tree. Never underestimate the objects around you when creating art, I sure don’t! I was able to destroy the apple to get it out, then I pounded the hollow sphere into a more octopus-head-like shape and punctured it to create eyes. In the evening I took it inside the shop and soldered it together.

These are some copper supplies that I commonly work with… hollow copper tube, thin sheet copper and a thicker sheet copper, and various gagues of copper wire.
Copper

The octopus was made completely out of copper wire and the thin version of sheet copper that I have. It’s so thin that I need to solder it carefully because if I apply too much heat for too long it will burn through. The following photo was taken while I was making another copper product I love to create – copper orchid pots – and not the octopus.

Soldering Copper

It’s on my list to take more photos and video while I work on copper creations in the future. You bet that another octopus is on the list.

Tool Love : Handmade Scissors

Last year, my best friend introduced me to these scissors. http://www.ernestwright.co.uk/

I thought they were really cool….

Then she bought me a pair as a special gift! I proudly own the paper cutting scissors.

Handmade Scissors For Cutting Paper

They go perfectly with my Etsy shop, as I cut a lot of paper for the bottom stash spot liners in my hollow book boxes, as well as thank you cards and shipping labels. I’m pretty good at keeping things for a long time and I’m for sure aiming to make these scissors be no exception to that. I’m making sure to only cut paper with them!

Handmade Scissors For Cutting Paper

Handmade Hollow Ring Books

Harry Potter Ring Holder Book With Purple Ribbon - Handmade

Over the past few years, I have been making a few hollow book boxes designed to hold wedding engagement rings but this year I really expanded my line. It all started with a green book titled “Circle Of The Day”, but now I’ve added many surrounding the topic of love. And a few cult classics in there!

Unbreakable Vow Harry Potter Ring Proposal Hollow Book Box With Ribbon

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – Cut to “The Unbreakable Vow” on Etsy

Making ring books is really fun because I get to search for interesting books to use and do a lot of custom orders. I love to focus on the fine details and deliver something that adds even more to an already astounding moment in other peoples lives. Check out some of my most popular ring holder hollow books, such as Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince which shows off the Unbreakable Vow chapter, or Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows that is cut to The Wedding chapter.

Harry Potter Deathly Hallows The Wedding Heart Cut Ring Holder Hollow Book - Handmade

Harry Potter Deathly Hallows The Wedding Heart Cut Ring Holder Hollow Book - Handmade     Harry Potter Deathly Hallows The Wedding Heart Cut Ring Holder Hollow Book - Handmade

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Cut to “The Wedding” on Etsy

The Book Of Love features my handmade heart shaped cut out that is very popular.

Heart Cut Out Hollow Book - Ring Holder for Engagement Proposal

Heart Cut Out Hollow Book - Ring Holder for Engagement Proposal

The Book Of Love With Heart Shape Cut Out on Etsy

All of my hollow books are handmade by me! I cut them by hand and then detail them until they are smooth, adding multiple layers of clear glue to the inside edge of the stash spot. A free-floating stash spot design is available for some books, otherwise I more often cut the back 1/2 inch or so of a book and glue that down, adding a decorative liner to the bottom of the stash spot. There are many custom options! Different books, cut shapes, loose pages or not left up front, stash spot liner papers, magnets added for secure closure, ribbons to tie rings to and many different colors to choose from.

Heart Cut Out Hollow Book - Ring Holder for Engagement Proposal

Custom Heart Cut Out Hollow Book

Can you tell I love making hollow ring books? ‘Cause…. I do.

Strawberry Brooch – Handmade Felted Wool Accessory Inspired by strawberry fields

Strawberry Brooch Wool Felt Handmade Needle and Wet Felting

The other year when I was out picking strawberries I got tremendously inspired to make wearable straweberries and vines. It has taken me awhile to get around to actually making any strawberry items, but I’m happy to show you one that I did complete…. a strawberry brooch!

Strawberry Brooch Wool Felt Handmade Needle and Wet Felting

I combined wet felting and needle felting techniques to create it. It is made up of 100% soft merino wool + the pin and some thread that I used to stitch it together. It’s 3D art that can be worn on clothing, on a bag or purse, etc. This item can be found here in my etsy shop.

Premium Hollow Book Boxes: Poe, Hobbit, Little Women, Ring Holders, Hearts, Two Book Stacks

Edgar Allen Poe Hollow Book Box – A great place to store secret treasures! This handmade box is made out of a real book.

Edgar Allen Poe Hollow Book Secret Booksafe Magnet Closure Edgar Allen Poe Hollow Book Secret Booksafe Magnet Closure

“Edgar Allen Poe – Complete Tales and Poems” includes magnet closure so the book stays closed when upright! The dust jacket is on the book. It is a LARGE hollow book with the stash spot measuring 7.5 inches x 4.5 inches x 2.2 inches deep.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Handmade Hollow Book Box! Bright purple and gold. This book is beautiful, compact yet can host a deep secret stash spot for hidden valuables.
Little Women Handmade Hollow Book Box

Little Women Handmade Hollow Book Box
Magnet closure is easy to install in this book – use this custom order listing to have me create one for you today!

The Hobbit – This classic in a large, beautiful print has been decked out with black velvet lining the stash spot.
The Hobbit Hollow Book Handmade Booksafe

Tomorrow Is Forever – Vintage black hollow book circle cut to hold a ring! Black textured paper lines the stash spot. Option left open to include ribbons to tie rings to.

Tomorrow is Forever Ring Proposal Hollow Book Box Handmade Tomorrow is Forever Ring Proposal Hollow Book Box Handmade

It’s such a neat title, isn’t it?

Harry Potter Half Blood Prince Hollow Book Ring Holder Proposal Box – Cut to the Unbreakable Vow chapter with a ribbon to hold rings.
Harry Potter Unbreakable Vow Engagement Ring Hollow Book

This is the inside of a recent custom order heart shape ring holder with ribbons. It turned out even better than imagined. The book was small and blue with gold detail.
Heart Cut Out - Custom Project
I want to cut more hearts!

Neverending Story Circle Cut Ring Holder Proposal Engagement Box with Ribbons – This beloved children’s classic The Neverending Story has been transformed into something new!

Neverending Story Hollow Book Ring Box Neverending Story Hollow Book Ring Box

Finally, I’m happy to announce that I am making multiple stacked LARGE hollow books! Here is one of my favorites so far, made with two Harry Potter books. The Harry Potter Hollow Book Two Stack Large Secret Storage Box!

Harry Potter Double Stack Hollow Book Harry Potter Double Stack Hollow Book

Harry Potter Double Stack Hollow Book

This one is made with vintage books:
Two Book Hollow Book Box Handmade

This one is also made of vintage books – blue mystery ones!
The Secret Journal of Doctor Hudson

Double Stack Large Hollow Book Double Stack Large Hollow Book

Making hollow book boxes (and seeing myself get better at it over time) is really enjoyable.

Spring Time Soap 2014

Soap Heart

Soapmaking is a blast! I really have come to enjoy it… the process of making the soap, smelling and admiring it, and of course using it myself. That’s the #1 reason why I love soapmaking so much – I use the product all over my home, especially in the shower. My favorite out of all of the batches of soap I experimented with this spring was a spearmint patchouli bar with spirulina algae powder in it which makes it look green, naturally. I used essential oils in all but one batch of my soap (that one was balsam fir scent and it was worth it, a favorite of the men who I’ve gifted it to) so they are super natural and healthy. My “Essential” batch includes tea tree, lavender, spearmint and eucalyptus essential oils – some of my all time favorites and common germ fighters. My scrub bars are so, so scrubby.. they are perfect for scrubbing dirt off after running around barefoot during the summer, and scrubbing bug spray and sunscreen off at the end of the day. I didn’t share many scrub bars this time around. I gifted out most of the soap I made this year because it was so fun to!

Here are a few of the soaps I photographed and listed in my shop. They will help fund the next batch! I keep getting better each time I make the soap so I’m definitely going to keep making it.

My soaps are available in my Etsy shop – in the Soap section!

Handmade Felt Soap
A handful of “felted” soaps. I wrap the bars with soft merino wool in bright colors, then rub it around under water which felts the wool around the bar, creating a washcloth-like effect right on the bar. It helps the bar keep longer and you use all of it up! They are super pretty to have around and make really unique gifts. I like to use them on my face!

Felted Soap
I made this new idea I had floating around for awhile… a felted “soap on a rope“. I made one for myself to try out too. Wrapped in the wool is the Spearmint Patchouli bar. Since it can be tied up it can dry out real well in between uses, prolonging its life. (Did you know that wool is naturally slightly antibacterial?)

Handmade Felt Soap Felted Soap

One other thing I experimented with was coffee. I ground up coffee beans and put the grounds in the soap. It works “ok” and doesn’t look all that pretty. I’m going to use it up myself and refine the recipe.

What would you like to see in a bar of soap?

Needle Felting Update (3+ Years!)

Needle felting is something I have enjoyed since I first picked it up well over 3 years ago. Over this time I have made many things! One of the first things I ever made was a rabbit with real cat hair on the outside, followed by owls. I am continuing to make owls, snowmen, woolly worms, bees, mushrooms, custom cats, mice and more. It is a goal of mine to make more new needle felted characters this year. This last year I did some really neat projects so I feel the need to keep the ball rolling. I want to share with you a couple of the new snowmen I felted this month, as well as some of my all-time favorites. (New owls at the top of the post!)

Snowmen – January 2014
Needle Felt Snowman
Needle Felt Snowman
Needle Felt Snowman

Custom creation – July 2013
Custom Needle Felted Character

Woolly Worms – Spring 2013
Needle Felted Woolly Worms

Mushroom Cluster – Spring 2012 * Favorite
Needle Felted Red Amanita Mushroom Cluster

Sammy Cat with Real Cat Hair – June 2012 * Favorite
Needle Felted Cat Figure with Real Cat Hair and Wool

Owls – December 2012 * Favorite
Needle Felt Owls

I do have a walrus started 😉

Oak Leaf Handmade Out Of Copper

Copper Oak Leaf Incense Cone Burner Decoration
Copper Oak Leaf Incense Cone Burner Decoration     Copper Oak Leaf Incense Cone Burner Decoration

This sculpture of an oak leaf is designed to be decorative as-is or used as an incense cone burner. I made it by hand by cutting an oak leaf shape out of sheet copper, carefully bending the leaf a bit and then I soldered on a wire stem. Each time I make one they get a little better. I am looking forward to making more!

An Even Ten

Hollow Books
Custom order of 10 hollow book boxes for groomsmen!

Here is the awesome feedback I received about this set from the customer:

We are using these books as groomsmen gifts and know they will add the unique touch we were looking for. She really made an effort to seek out each book to connect with each of their personalities/interests. The books are beautifully crafted and overall a great idea. Her communication throughout the process was much appreciated–overall a great experience and purchase! 🙂

To see more information about my book sets check out this section of my Etsy shop.