tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45728440625939942142024-03-16T11:36:45.043-05:00Secret Leaves paperworkssecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-12071152190224937432015-02-03T16:53:00.000-06:002015-02-03T16:54:32.011-06:00Alas, a fail from BloggerAnyone who knows me knows I heart Google. Google is one of the few companies I tout to anyone who will listen. Which is why it's so distressing that I (along with many others, if Blogger forums are an indication) have 'lost' most of the images on this blog. Apparently, the problem has something to do with linking the blog to my Google+ / Picasaweb album account. If you delete any of your web secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-79801712181678910372013-12-29T16:33:00.001-06:002014-06-20T16:31:03.735-05:00Ghost MotelAbandoned places, roadside attractions, cabin, motel, Yosemite, California
Two summers ago, my husband Michael and I visited Yosemite National Park in northern California. It was one of our best trips ever, and Yosemite proved to be one of our favorite national parks. On the drive between our cabin and the park, we passed this deserted and forsaken roadside motel. Since we share a love of secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-71884418590754245902012-03-17T12:05:00.004-05:002012-03-17T17:27:52.351-05:00Keeping a good friend in my thoughtsAssemblage, curiosities, wood box, cigar box
A treasure box of curiosities I mailed to my friend Pam. Nothing precious, or even particularly meaningful. A little handmade envelope, a kraft paper jotter, a tiny card, some seashells, a polka dot feather I found on a summer walk, some vintage buttons, scraps of French lace, a starfish, vintage jam labels. Just to let her know I’m thinking of her.
secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-24435369124863430342012-01-27T23:54:00.001-06:002012-02-06T13:28:21.515-06:00Sorry state of my studio  The sad state of my studio right now.   Oh well. Might as well have a glass. Sharon  secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-47885264119186096182012-01-15T16:38:00.006-06:002012-01-15T17:02:17.242-06:00Awesome Austin Part 2 -A month and a half later, here is the follow-up post on Austin, Texas. While we were there, we did a lot of shopping on South Congress. Of the many fine retail establishments we visited, my favorite was Uncommon Objects. I had run across this amazing shop when Secret Leaves was still selling wholesale and fell in love with it immediately, so I was excited to visit in person. The unusual antiques secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-12043510626815106922011-11-24T09:40:00.004-06:002012-01-15T14:06:57.576-06:00Awesome Austin Part 1 – Hotel San JoseAustin, Hotel San Jose, Jo’s Coffee, Home Slice, Woodland, South Congress
Earlier this month, my husband Michael and I spent the weekend in Austin with three other couples, celebrating his sister Vicki's birthday. It was the first time I'd been to Austin and I liked it a lot. Because we didn't have a car, we weren't the masters of our own destiny, so there were some things we might have done secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-80034891900482720172011-10-01T08:15:00.001-05:002011-10-01T08:23:15.489-05:00Anna Wili-Highfieldpaper sculpture, paper artist, bird sculpture, paper art I have been meaning to post about this artist’s work for a long time. From the Sundance Channel, here is a lovely interview with Anna: You can read more about Anna and see more of her beautiful work here. Sharon secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-16235183266722014852011-07-09T21:15:00.002-05:002011-07-15T21:27:22.189-05:00Bliss in the studiomake a book, book binding how to, sketchbook, recycled Last weekend, for the first time in ages, I was able to play in my studio. Not only that, I made something -- something I like. It was NOT an easy project, and I'm happy I stuck with it. I made a longstitch book with a leather cover cut from a pair of old motorcycle pants from the 1930s. It is the second book I've made from these pants. You secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-6161649832772902782011-04-18T19:48:00.001-05:002011-04-18T20:19:03.777-05:00I heart vintage cigar boxesvintage cigar boxes, vintage typography, packaging, lettering, graphic design, design inspiration Look what my wonderful co-worker and friend Gerry gave me! This is not all of them. Oh no. This is a just a fraction of the bounty. Go get yourself a cup of coffee. This is going to take awhile. Cremo. 5 cents straight. 3 for 10 cents. I love the excise stamps. I secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-12408276778195102222011-03-15T12:06:00.005-05:002011-04-29T23:34:45.388-05:00Dana Tanamachi - exquisite chalk letteringcool lettering, typography, retro lettering, signage, chalk, chalk lettering, Dana Tanamachi
Look at this:
You can learn more about Dana and see more of her incredible work here.
Sharonsecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-72156840183879884302011-02-22T20:59:00.004-06:002011-02-24T16:24:02.380-06:00Iain and Rachael's big daytravel theme, ideas for a vintage wedding, guestbook, wedding pictures
Since Spring has sprung (sort of) and love is in the air, I thought I would post about a beautiful Scottish wedding I had the pleasure of being a (very small) part of. Rachel Boyce (now Mrs. Iain McCallum) contacted me last summer about doing a map-covered guest book for her wedding, which was to have a vintage travel theme. secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-43901328972883383902011-02-13T20:33:00.005-06:002011-02-22T21:09:16.173-06:00Esther Howland - Mother of the American ValentineEsther Howland, Valentine, handmade Valentines, history of the Valentine card
Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and being that I am a purveyor of paper goods myself, I thought it would be fitting to do a post about Esther Howland, who is known as the "Mother of the American Valentine.
Esther was born in 1828 in Worcester, Massachusetts. After her graduation from Mount Holyoke College in 1847,secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-39152637907209170972011-02-06T10:37:00.004-06:002011-02-13T20:45:24.153-06:00Accidental Mysteriesvintage photographs, vernacular photography, John Foster, Teenuh Foster, Accidental Mysteries
John and Teenuh Foster have amassed a fascinating collection of vernacular photography, which can be viewed here. Following are a few examples from their collection:
And here are a few from my collection:
John Foster also has an excellent blog. Until next time...
Sharonsecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-47965455843567760452011-01-29T19:31:00.014-06:002011-02-13T20:44:51.649-06:00Bookbinding | papercrafting tools - Teflon folderbookbinding, paper arts, paper crafts, cool tools, bookbinding tools
If you are a paper crafter or book artist, you have most likely heard of the bone folder. I have a bone folder, but haven't used it once since I purchased a Teflon folder. The advantage of a Teflon folder is that, unlike a bone folder, it doesn't leave a shiny spot on your paper.
The Teflon folder is used for burnishing. If secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-7728480990125617262011-01-23T20:58:00.007-06:002011-01-24T12:20:18.801-06:00Closed chapters and fresh startsHello all. I want to let you know about some changes to Secret Leaves and to this blog. I don't think I've mentioned it here, but 8 months ago I took a full-time job. I am working in the Office of Public Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis (which also happens to be my alma mater) and I love it. The downside has been that I am finding it far more difficult that I anticipated to continue secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-49862159134792346212011-01-02T17:14:00.003-06:002011-01-02T17:24:06.789-06:00My Hipsta studioMy friend Ria, of My Mommy Manual, visited the studio last week with her little ones. The kids and I made books while Ria took Hipstamatic photos of the studio. Here are a few of them:
Pretty cool, huh? For more information on the Hipstamatic iPhone app, click here.
Sharonsecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-24736662215450862472010-11-08T20:32:00.005-06:002010-11-08T20:40:07.009-06:00Missouri Botanical Garden Green Art and Craft ShowThis weekend, November 13 and 14, Secret Leaves will participate in the Garden Gate Shop Green Art and Craft Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The event will run Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upper level of the Ridgway Visitor Center.
If you've never been, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a wonderful place--one of my favorite places in St. Louis. And the gift shop, the secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-89335214806747840982010-10-17T12:02:00.003-05:002011-02-22T21:09:16.175-06:00An Etsy treasury or twoI have been featured in a few Etsy treasuries lately, which inspired me to create a couple myself. Here is my second treasury, Inkadinkadoo, which I like quite a bit. The theme is, of course, ink.
Here are a few highlights:
Pen and ink drawing from Nan Larson
Vintage ink bottles from Sushipotparts
Vintage ink bottle from TwoVintageAvenue
Here's a look at my first secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-13710086530274188802010-09-19T19:11:00.004-05:002010-09-20T07:28:56.162-05:00Missouri Botanical Garden - one of my favorite placesLast weekend, we had company visiting from out of town. As I always do when I have out-of-town visitors, I took them to the Missouri Botanical Garden. And why wouldn't I? Within walking distance of our house, it is one of my favorite places not only in St. Louis, but one of my favorite places, period. I didn't take many photos this trip, but I did get kind of fixated on dragonflies in the lily secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-8817430581212732452010-09-04T09:56:00.004-05:002010-09-04T10:02:37.795-05:00Ode to the LakeLast weekend, our extraordinary friends and neighbors, Jan and Connor, lent us their newly purchased lake house for the weekend. It is at Lake of the Ozarks, a sprawling resort area in central Missouri. Lake of the Ozarks was created when the Osage River was dammed, resulting in a large reservoir. Over the years, it has been heavily developed, with many high-end hotels, upscale homes and secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-12658358414152747362010-07-19T21:07:00.004-05:002010-07-19T21:18:56.877-05:00A steampunk-ish journal with some history and romanceYears ago, I purchased a pair of 1930s leather motorcycle pants at an estate sale. They were jodhpur style with canvas-lined pockets and they laced up at the waist like football pants. The leather was a rich, warm brown, beautifully weathered and worn. They were wonderful. For a long time now, I have been wanting to make a leather journal out of them and I finally did. The journal/sketchbook was secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-35858960724034242342010-06-08T22:44:00.002-05:002011-02-22T21:09:16.179-06:00Scrap Journals in the Etsy shopI just listed two Scrap Journals in the Etsy store. For those of you not familiar with the Scrap Journal, it is a hand-bound, recycled journal with bits of vintage ephemera for its pages. It is a relatively petite book at 4 1/2 x 6 inches.
The first one has a lovely color scheme, which is echoed throughout the interior pages. The graphics on the old sheet music cover are pretty fantastic too. Besecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-62382779354083300692010-05-27T16:46:00.002-05:002011-02-22T21:09:16.180-06:00Around the studio todayHere are some photos from around the studio today. No beauty shots, just some snaps of how it looks right now. Wide shot of the studio. Click to view larger. Bookcase full of old books. Some I will keep and some will be made into journals or other projects. That's the leg of my tripod extending into the picture. Top of the bookcase with two small collages, one completed and one insecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-15923718843717898952010-05-15T12:18:00.001-05:002010-05-15T12:20:50.371-05:00Faded picturesI shot some photos for my friend Jen earlier this week. The lovely (in every way) Julie Malone was kind enough to model. Here are a few of them (click for larger view):   I'm slowly learning to use my new camera more effectively and my Photoshop skills are improving. Jen's beautiful cashmere pieces can be found here.  Sharon secretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572844062593994214.post-3410290290118695692010-05-09T19:16:00.002-05:002010-05-09T19:27:49.246-05:00My neighborhood sings in the SpringI have a confession to make. My neighborhood is ugly in the winter. There, I said it. Rows of red brick buildings, sooty ice and snow on the ground, the trees bare...but my neighborhood sings in the Spring. Flowers everywhere! Trees blooming and then leafing out in green. And a healthy dose of pride of ownership in evidence. I wish Spring could last longer, but perhaps its fleeting nature is whatsecretleaveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02936372418431412749noreply@blogger.com7