Sentimental Repurposing: Books

I'm a big fan of repurposing, especially if it's sentimental. My grandfather was a great reader, I have many fond memories of browsing the wall of books at his lakehouse. When he passed away, I held onto a few books that either held memories, or were especially beautiful. The rest, I believe, were sold at the estate sale.

Now I wish I had held onto all of them, so that they could've been transformed into something amazing like this Book Rug by Pamela Paulsrud (via Recyclart). How awesome is this?

What do you do with the uncovered books once the spine's been removed? Something simple like Restoration Hardware's uncovered book bundles would be a very easy DIY project. These books sans spines are wrapped with twine, the warmth of the pages adding texture to any shelf. Very nice indeed!

all because ...

I'm inspired by this picture garland, created by Pearl at Vintage Pretty - what a charming way to keep the ones we love close to our hearts at all times. Pearl used a popsicle stick to rub the vinyl lettering onto the walls, creating a meaningful and lovely message. She attached the photos to string with mini clothespins, held in place on the wall with screw loops. Gorgeous!

an urn made of summer skies

In memory of someone dear, textile artist Patricia Bown has created this lovely knit urn cozy. With a deep blue base reminiscent of summer skies, crocheted flowers and butterflies skim the top, adding an element of light-heartedness.

Along the side of the cozy Patricia chose the favorite colors of her beloved. These colorful stripes remind me of a layer cake made from spring days.

It's very challenging to bring light and cheer to an urn, and Patricia's piece is a wonderful example of the possibilities. Her work is inspired by nature and the sea, and I'm especially fond of this sea urchin collection:

everything sounds better on a doille

Such sweet words, made even sweeter with this handcut doille by CrystalT, who takes custom orders. Turn your words of encouragement into something that can be framed (or at least beautify a comforting cup of tea.)

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!

ammo urn

Just had to share this vintage ammo box I bought on Etsy, which I believe will make the perfect readymade urn. I love the bright red paint and the little "bomb" on the side. What do you think? It's gotta be perfect for somebody, right ... ?

random acts of remembrance

I honestly don't know how graveyards came to be perceived as places to dread. My neighbor recently buried his mother in a nearby cemetery, and in my opinion he summed it up perfectly when he said that cemeteries are places filled with love. Everybody there was cherished by their family, with hopes that their memory will live on.

These Memento Mori pieces by Lady Lavona capture that sense of magical remembrance. Each tintype is a portrait of a different person. Who were they? How were they remembered by the ones who loved them? And how does our looking at these portraits - remembering them even though we've never met them - bestow upon them a certain immortality? Are they thankful to be remembered?

When this you see

After being inspired by 19th century memorial needlework, I asked Jessica Marquez of Miniature Rhino to create a special needlepoint. I already have a couple of her needlework constellations, which I adore.

And here's what she did! Don't you agree that the vintage-inspired stitching is absolutely gorgeous? Look at the detail of the flowers:

This piece is so sweet and versatile, with enough space for a special memento between the phrases Remember me/When this you see. Jessica included some thread for sewing on small tokens. Here's the needlepoint with a lock of my grandmother's hair:

And here it is with the Order of the Eastern Star pendant that belonged to my great-grandmother:

And finally, a sprig of lavender that my mother gave to me:

This sentimental needlepoint is handmade, and can be passed on between generations, giving us a lovely opportunity to remember those we love every time we see it. It also would make an awesome gift. Thanks Jessica!

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not the stars

For me, when it comes to words of comfort, packaging is everything. I love the toughness of this distressed wood plaque, available at Patina. The nice thing about these plaques (there are lots) is that they become design elements in their own right. The words almost become secondary to the composition, so the message is there waiting for you when you choose to read it.

What I remembered about you

Of all the endangered species, I'm campaigning to save the written word. It's an increasingly rare thing of beauty, and holds much more meaning than helvetica or ariel ever can. And that includes Braille - physically touching words seems like the most intimate way to communicate. Here's a letter from my blind aunt, written to me when I was a child. (The fact that my grandmother wrote the "interpretation" is a bonus.) I took advantage of January's grazing light to take some pics - behold the beauty of the raised dots, like little pearls on paper.

(Speaking of vintage paper, my friend Ashlee Temple made me this lovely gift, an antique library card drawer filled with sheets from a vintage book. I've been tempted to pull out the sheets and try to read them, but they are much more lovely this way, don't you think?)

As communications become increasingly digitized, here's an option to keep in mind - Juliet's Quill can take any recipe and transform it into calligraphic cards, or even a decorative dish towel. As mothers and grandmothers around the world take up Facebook for posting their recipes, this handmade artistry's a lovely way to preserve the love behind the words.

swim with me my sister, when I die

How many songs can you think of that explore the mystery of death with beauty and grace? I can think of only one artist, the insanely talented Antony Hegarty.

Antony and the Johnsons' new album, Swanlights, is my new favorite. The lyrics are so sweet and earnest. Neither heaven nor hell, just a hopeful song that kindred spirits will find one another in the next world, and that looking upon one another's faces is all we'll need.

What about you? Have you thought of what song you'd like for your own service?

new urn cozy!

Here's another gorgeous urn cozy by Pondhopper. This is my third one, and there will be four more unique designs on the way. These cozies are designed to cover the plastic boxes that store ashes, and I think they're a lovely alternative to what's out there. If you choose to scatter the ashes, these cozies can be used to store mementoes.

This one is made from antique upholstery. I love the gently worn fabric. And the details are amazing. It has a vintage feel, and for me reflects the beauty of a life well lived, and a memory well cherished.

Here's the first urn cozy that Pondhopper made for me:

In this Modern Mourner project, these urn cozies truly capture the sentiment of how I feel about mourning. Pondhopper's cozies are handmade, and unlike anything out there. The cozy above contains my mother's ashes, and it sits on my shelf in my living room. I feel as if my mother is nearby, and the beauty of this design captures my sentiments - the affection and love I feel when I think of her. I truly hope this idea catches on. I am so thankful for Lorraine at Pondhopper for making these for me, and understanding the significance of honoring those we've loved and lost. They are still part of our lives, and always will be. They deserve something beautiful.

Haunt me, then!

It's November. When the wind howls and the landscape grows forlorn, I turn to my favorite book, Wuthering Heights. All those things we're supposed to fear - chilled isolation, feverish dreams, even loss of a beloved - suddenly become romantic to me. Death cannot stop true love.

Here are a few Wuthering Heights finds ...

Sand Evening Regency Dress by Cream Cake Costumes, perfect for wandering the windy moors.

Vintage Wuthering Heights Confetti, by ddeforest

Wuthering Heights Family Tree by Lizzy Stewart.

For me, ghosts are a measurement of our loss. When we haven't lost anyone, ghosts are scary, something to be feared. But when we've lost someone we truly love, suddenly ghosts become a fantasy, a forlorn hope of one last encounter. The best ghost stories, in my opinion, are love stories.

when vintage attacks!

I'm devoted to sentimental items that can be repurposed. Those small, everyday things we take for granted and ultimately become invisible, yet play a big role in our lives. Don't throw them away, make something meaningful. Monty Monty not only repurposes everyday vintage items, he reinvents them.

I first saw Monty Monty's work at the 2010 Handcar Regatta, and just discovered this new round of amazing assemblages from the show "Dangerous Toys and Other Forgotten Oddities" at the Quicksilver Mining Company in Northern California, on display through November 14th. I love the mix of domestic and the dangerous here - knives become toys, and toys become dangerous objects. An unexpected mix of menace and memory.

Below is Matt's Heartley, one of Monty Monty's memorial sculptures. An assemblage of many unexpected yet meaningful objects, some that belonged to the deceased, including his graduation ring. And of course, there's a "heart of gold" right in the center.

Monty Monty is available for commissioned work, please take a look here if you're interested. Here's the artist at the 2009 Handcar Regatta.