Stacks and Gifts

Seth Apter's latest collaboration on The Altered Page, is the admission of our proclivity to stack. Hop on over to his blog to check out the myriad ways creativity can be piled! I immediately thought of the paper I use to protect the drawing table. Once a project is done I add the paper to the pile accumulating on a side shelf and tear off a new piece.



Yes, it's brown kraft paper, but, the sheets are also a journal in a sense. I can leaf through them and see what I was working on, sketches and doodles, stamped images, holes sliced out, lists, color experiments and a host of other information - phone numbers, names, dates - because having two teenagers necessitates the answering of the phone while working in the studio.



It also serves as alternative, readily-available gift wrap - what's better than recycling?! After I finished the box (below) I wrapped it with the paper I'd used and tied it with recycled sari ribbon. It may look a bit odd, but people who know me expect something a bit out of the ordinary. And, usually spotted with paint.



I gave this box to friends who had a baby several weeks ago. The one I'd made before was a deep earthy color and my daughter, though she loved it, pointed out that it didn't exactly look very 'baby gifty.' I agreed and made another that complemented the color scheme they used in the nursery.



I love lace and bits of trim and the myriad ways they can be layered to create subtle depth. And, fibers have to come into play somewhere, so, though you can't see them without enlarging the photo, there are charms tied and dangling at the back of the box.

I hope you are having a meaningful week with enough bursts of joy to fuel your creative process!