fragile as leaves in fall

I've been scanning pictures from my family photo album, and I find myself charmed by the actual photos themselves - the faded borders, folded corners, even the yellowed glue on the back. With everything now digitized, we're losing the presence that actual photographs have - instead of being objects to hold, they're now only images to observe. What can be done?

Luckily, I came across these fabric brooches and necklaces via Poppytalk and was instantly smitten. And you can see why! Created by jewelry designer and stylist Miranda van Dijk at Puur Anders in the Netherlands, these leaves are created by imprinting digitized images on unbleached cotton. Their tactile, faded quality is part of their charm - they remind me of sentimental flowers pressed in old book. Fragile yet precious.

Although these pieces are part of a collection called "Hidden Memories", Miranda is also taking custom orders. These would make a thoughtful gift, especially for Mother's Day!

Memorial Photos

Most memorial pics are solemn and serious, formal sit-down portraits with the life sucked out of them. Is that how we really remember people? For me, it's those casual snapshots that hold the most personality. By transforming them into art, it's possible to elevate and honor the candid moment into something meaningful and fun.

Emmie Bean can transform that favorite snapshot into art. I love the humor (and even cheekiness) of this images. What a great way to immortalize the small yet significant moments that truly capture our favorite memories.

If you know someone who's recently gone through a loss, a gift certificate for one of these works would be a truly thoughtful gesture - much more unique than a bouquet of sympathy flowers, and also less expensive!

Memory Silhouettes

I have always loved silhouettes. As portraits they are abstract yet surprisingly intimate. With silhouettes, I find myself noticing the neglected - a curvature of a chin, the sweep of an eyelash. The subtleties we took for granted are suddenly realized.

(According to Wikipedia, Etienne de Silhouette was a French finance minister during a severe credit crisis (sound familiar?) He created cut paper portraits as an alternative to expensive and frivolous portraitures. Silhouettes were popular from 1790 until 1840, when photography took over as a primary means of remembering.)


Etsy's Diffractionfiber creates elegant sewn silhouettes. Just send a picture of someone in profile (strange how we neglect this angle, even with the abundance of photography!) You can order a brooch made from eco-friendly felt and cloth, or a pillow.


Le Papier Studio also creates customized silhouettes as group portraits, as well as these lovely lockets.


This is the essence of memory at its best, and I hope that we all take the time to make silhouettes of those we love while we can.