2007

Just last night I discovered this lovely website for the first time. I was tidying my studio and rewarding myself with peeks at new blogs after each task accomplished. I was drawn to the name “Artsy Mama” because I used to describe myself as “artist mama” in the early days of my Internet-joining-of-groups. My sons won’t call me “mama” anymore, except on special occasions to please me, or if they are attempting to cajole me into something. I hope that Kari (Artsy Mama) still gets to hear that sweet word everyday in her colorful, creative home.

I am in a “clearing the decks” mood in studio and home and Life these days, and don’t have a project to share or artwork to offer. So my Artful Blogger party favor will be some photos of my studio…..most especially the quote that I have been pinning my hopes on as I spend my days freshening up our home.

I made these “paper curtains” to cover all the little boxes of found objects and piles of handmade paper that I keep in this old, ink-stained school desk. The large stamps are some I used to use with my boys when they were young, and the smaller stamps are part of my hand-carved alphabet.

This whimsical bird sits on the shelf that I look at from my desk-when I am not staring out of the window or at the computer screen! On this shelf I have creations and gifts from many of the amazing women I have been graced to meet. This beauty was made by the gentle hands and heart of my sister-in-law Lisa Smith.

The wondrous painted box is from my another of my sisters-in-law-Chiara in Chicago….the cup from dear Dori who knows my love of brown & white crockery….and the picture peeking out from behind you might recognize as the delicate and lovely work of Katie Estvold.

This is a tiny bit of the view from my wrapping area and you can see a glimpse of the handmade paper-chains that I will be offering on my website in the near future. The wispy branch is some sort of plant from our upper meadow, gone to seed. It reminds me of an autumnal fairy Christmas tree and one day I hope to adorn it. You can also see a little doll in a cup. She guards the first dollars I received in exchange for one of my creations when Small Meadow Press began. She was the last doll I made one Winter Solstice before my sons and I gave up our sweet doll-making altogether.

I will leave you with another view from my wrapping desk. I have had this picture since I discovered Green Tiger Press in the early 1980’s when I worked at a wonderful bookshop in Williamsburg. I still have the catalogs of their remarkable stationery and books, and when I think of them, I realize what an unconscience influence they have been on my own little business and the artfulness of my life. This illustration by Cooper Edens has meant many different things to me over the years…just now it speaks strongly to me of holding onto creativity, which can be so elusive…but winged and gorgeous when our arms are wrapped around it.

Wishing full arms to all of us!

I am alone at my mother’s home-by-the-water, having put her on a plane to Italy early this morning. She asked me if I would like to be going with her, and surprisingly I said that I would rather not. I am glad to be in this empty house, with the grey-blue water out the window, tending to things. I am on a little “business” retreat.

There is much to plan for Small Meadow Press in the days and months to come-deciding what items to keep making and what needs to be let go…envisioning a new design for my website …continuing to try to find truly recycled and tree-free papers to take the place of the ones that have been recently discontinued….pondering how to keep it all fresh and meaningful after five years in business.

This is one of my Ribbony Notebooks (I shall offer this design on the website soon-the “ribbon” is some vintage corset-making material, part of a big lot I won on ebay in my constant search for alternatives to petroleum-based ribbon). These notebooks are amongst my favorite offerings as they are so versatile and friendly and inspire creativity. I have spent a little time this summer and hope to spend more,gathering articles and pictures that I have gleaned from magazines of summer activities, food, possibilities (cutting and pasting-mmmm). I taped in an accordian-folded set of my calendar pages for the summer months and have been writing down the summery things we do. So often, I find, a season can be over and it is all a bit of a blur and I am not sure that we did “enough” of the things that make that season Itself….I am hoping that this little record will help me to look back happily. I also paper-clipped in a list of the tasks I hope to get to (we shall see!).

Now, I really must get to thinking and also to being quiet and receptive to new ideas and directions. I would also like to ask for your contributions to my “refurnishing” of Small Meadow Press. I know what is pulling me these days, and without going into details at the moment, it has to do with not creating unnecessary things, things that will just sit in a drawer unused. It has to do with watching the way the world and our way of being in it changes and accepting that to a certain degree and creating lovely things that serve us today. It has to do with wanting what I make to strike a better balance between the machine-made and hand-made. It has to do with wanting to make things that help us with all that is most important to us-staying connected with loved ones, crafting a sweet daily life, taking care of business….things that are simple and meaningful and helpful.

I would be interested to hear if there is anything paper and inky that you have imagined, but haven’t found…anything that you have wanted to make for yourself to fill a need but just don’t get around to making…anything that might be fun for me to think about. I will tell you that I am sorely tempted to make a true calendar/planner, but have yet to think of something both widely useful and doable for me to fashion in quantity, in my studio. So we shall just have to wait and see about that. Pour out your paper hearts to me in the next few days, it will be so nice for me to check in to see what you have sent! And as this is an ongoing project, beyond these few precious days alone, just add your thoughts here whenever they come to you.