If Only...

my writing desk and creative spot could look this good!







I can dream though and in that process create some pretty things that I might use and not just look at, right?

Not so long ago Somerset Life Magazine had a challenge in the back of one of their issues that I decided to try. I do not usually spend the time doing these "challenges" but this one I felt was practical and useful (I am so practical ~ too much so, sometimes). It was also fun and creatively stimulating to work on something that I would not necessarily sell in my shops ~ not having to be concerned with what buyers might want. That, and the fact that my letter to the editor saying that I would be working on this project was published in their most recent issue. So I got busy.





I have always loved the tradition of buying new school supplies in early autumn, whether or not I am even in school. This year, however, the Somerset Life challenge inspired me to create some “school supplies” for myself and my workspace.

Although I have a passion for colour, I chose to use a palette of neutrals ~ mocha, bronze, silver, taupe, cocoa, graphite, rust, cream, ivory ~ and a combination of textures ~ organza, grosgrain, pearls, twine, mother of pearl, paper, wrought iron, hand made paper, chicken wire ~ for my supplies.



I grabbed an old and dark brown masonite clip board with a silver tone oxidized clip on which I tied a soft and shimmery organza fabric bow (left over fabric from my wedding dress), a dangly pearl earring, and some checkerboard grosgrain ribbon stripes.





That rusty wrought iron medallion is a remnant off of a vintage garden gate. I have used it here it as a paper weight on top of some sheets of my hand made cotton rag paper.





For the pencils, I snatched a tarnished silver cup out of our cupboard and tied a grosgrain ribbon around it to use as a pencil container.

My art eraser has corrected many mistakes, and I stamped it appropriately with the word, “oops.” I wrapped a couple of plain charcoal coloured pencils in twine and topped each with a delicate mother of pearl button.



The ornate gold vintage frame became a desk top inspiration and memo board when I attached two layers of chicken wire to the back and used miniature wooden clothes pins as clips. I also added the pretty mother of pearl buttons to the mini clips.








I made the one of a kind paper booklet (and sell these in my Etsy and Art Fire shops). The cover is a giclee print one of my original gouache designs on watercolour paper. The inside cover has a hand cut scalloped edge pocket for the enclosed giclee print bookmark adorned with ribbon and twine. The pages are acid free sketch paper and tracing paper. I have hand bound the book with a floppy grosgrain bow. For more details on my booklets, here is a recent post I wrote about them.






This collection turned out so lovely that I decided to submit the photos to Somerset Life and then they wanted me to mail everything to them. So now they have a pretty desk and mine still looks crazy.


Perhaps this will inspire you to make your desks pretty too ~ just for you!


Ciao amici,

Suzanne

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