Linocuts and Block Printing!

I have developed a new obsession:  Block Printing!! My discovery of this art form sprang as an offshoot from my my obsession of all things Printmaking - Letterpress, Screenprinting .. it seems it was only a matter of time until I stumbled across Block Printing.  The basic concept of Block Printing is an amazingly simple one: hand carve something onto a block - ink it up and print it.  I find it amusing - having a background in "girly crafts", stamping, scrapbooking, etc, to see what a wide crossover there is between the more masculine, gritty starving artist world and the overly perfect, posh crafting world.  In my opinion, this is where block printing lies- the crossover.  Block Printing - the ambassador into the more artsy aspect of stamping.  Block Printing - the tatt'ed up and bohemian stepbrother of Rubber Stamping.  I bought this Speedball "Easy Carve" block along with a set of Lino Cutters (aka scoring tools for my stampers out there) and a Baren (aka pressure tool) for a total of about $10 yesterday and got to work.  I wanted to create a chevron background block print (aka stamp) for La Beaume Paperie business cards.  I was pretty worried, considering I have about zero skills in carving, but it was pretty easy and I am very pleased with how they turned out!!



Oriental Poppies

Today I finished a really awesome little bouquet for a client - Red Oriental Poppies - and I can't get the Wicked Witch of the West out of my head... "Poppies... Poppies..."! In creating these I used three different shades of red/orange, starting with a very deep orange at the top, then a salmon color, and finally a bright, true red.  For the centers I used black PAPYRUS tissue paper and fine champaigne glitter.  The client was very happy with them and I was as well.  There is just something mystical about oriental poppies. 

 

 

Red Paper Poppies

Our First Ever Blogger Post!! (and 6 months of La Beaume Paperie)

La Beaume Paperie is EVER so proud to announce we have now been operating for 6 months - and I personally feel like we are off to an amazing start.  What started as a tiny exercise in brand-building for a teensy St Louis craft fair has somehow grown into a booming little local business with a growing client list (and lots of awesome new friends!), a pretty impressive portfolio of completed jobs and victories, and hours of pure unadulterated bliss at my crafting table! After a few akward false starts in the web design/blogging arena I find myself pretty hesitant to "dive right in" (and I have also "found myself" an awesome web design company - who are working on designing a webpage for the Paperie)... But, I feel like we have got a lot of positive and exciting things to blog about and I am pretty much chomping at the bit!!

So with as little additional ado as possible - La Beaume Paperie's biggest project in an official capacity thus far-

        Handcrafted Paper Flower Centerpieces

              for a St Louis Wedding

Working with the bride-to-be in designing these centerpieces - I have to admit- might  have made me a little bit envious;  I found myself wishing I could "do it all again!" Her design ideas were so excellent and defined, regal and yet - so awesomely edgy and current!! She was naturally eco concious as well as eager to have most of her items designed and created by local St Louis artists/crafters.   Both the ceremony and the reception took place at http://www.moulinevents.com/ - an incredible historic building- originally a brewery, with tall exposed brick walls, rustic wood pillars and dark hardwood floors.  A stunning "Deep Pacific" shade was the prominent color featured in the reception design, along with a mixing of lighter navy shades, ivory and gold.  The outstanding invitations, designed and created by the amazing Abbie Takes Pictures in St Louis - were printed on a creamy ivory linen  in this incredible poster style layout, with vintage typography being the main design element. The defining touch was an area on the invitation advertising "Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing to Follow" that really gave the invitation a roaring twenties Dance Hall feel. Lastly, the invitation featured a small vignette of two navy, vintage inspired lovebirds which was repeated throughout the reception design- on everything from the escort cards to the tiny navy lovebird shaped paper "petals" strewn across the cocktail tables

The bride (who, by the way is the utmost SWEETEST bride I have ever encountered, EVER!) was very much interested in alternative centerpieces and decor, and loved the idea of locally handmade paper flowers in place of fresh flowers - she loved the idea of the sustainability of paper flowers that she could use after her wedding day as gifts or personal decor.  Together we designed two seperate types of centerpieces to be staggered throughout the reception tables - one type for height and the other for detail - the Mixed Navy Hue Poms - made of custom dyed coffee filters- which stood about 2.5 feet high and really added a substantial pop of color to the tall loft-style room, and Paper Rose Centerpieces - to be arranged in navy-ribboned clear glass vases with 2 dozen paper roses made from the wedding invitations and complementary papers, and also approximately 1 dozen additional paper filler flowers. 

Words fail me in attempting to describe the awesomeness of this event!! The bride was stunning in a handmade birdcage veil and fishtail gown.  The bridesmaids carried local (etsy) handmade clutches in tones of blue, and, in my humble unbiased opinion (!), the centerpieces really helped to define the awesome complex and eclectic feel of this amazingly executed evening.