Beautiful Handcut Paper Art

I've recently stumbled upon this lovely shop in Etsy, which is filled with beautiful, seemingly simple, but very intricately hand-cut paper art, by a fellow named Joe Bagley.  He is a self-taught artist (an archeologist by trade), who has been creating and selling these fine pieces of art for several years.  I find his largest pieces of the leafless trees most fascinating - the kind of art that changes and gets more interesting the closer you move towards it, or the further away you get.  It makes me want to pick up my x-acto knife and start cutting...very carefully.

The Sorrows of Satan - Handmade Journal

This one-of-a-kind book is upcycled from a vintage 1895 edition of "The Sorrows of Satan, or The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire", written and illustrated by Marie Corelli. What a great title, don't you think? I've included the first and last chapter of the original book, a wonderfully melodramatic illustration, and a listing of other books published at the time, interleaved between 60 blank sheets of recycled, acid-free, 24 lb. white paper.

This would make a great journal, sketchbook, or just conversation-opener in your local coffee shop!  Visit my Etsy shop for more info...

Filmakers - This book is for you!

This wonderful book, which was published by Eastman-Kodak in the 1930's for home moviemakers, is chock full of awesome photos from the 1930's and 1940's.  Since it's geared towards amateurs, the pictures are of family life of that period, including many of families, their children, traveling, and sports.  Most of the pictures are black and white, but there are a few that are in brilliant color (see below).  Throughout the book you'll see a husband and wife (who I like to call Fred and Ginger), dressed in 1930's attire, sitting in their living room, talking about this book, and the great tips and ideas they're getting, and how excited they are to improve their home movies.  Their dialogue is very amusing, such as:

She:  "And just who is it in this family that handles the camera like a garden hose?"

He:  "Don't interrupt, please."

Check out my Etsy shop for more details about this book and others!

Vintage Hardy Boys Journals

I recently discovered a stash of classic early Hardy Boys mysteries from the 1930's and 1940's, which I will be transforming into new journals soon.  Here are a few pictures of one I have finished called "The Secret of Skull Mountain", published in 1948.  All of the books have one illustration, usually depicting the brothers in dire straits, as well as the first and last chapters of the original books.  Visit my Etsy shop for more info about this book and others.