Oomphasis » cutouts http://oomphasisdesign.com Adventures in mail enhancement and other paperlicious goods Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:31:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Mystery of the box labeled "misc" http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/06/mystery-of-the-box-labeled-misc/ http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/06/mystery-of-the-box-labeled-misc/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:46:00 +0000 Sarah http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/06/mystery-of-the-box-labeled-misc/

Since the addition of a new printer, I’ve been slowly reorganizing my workspace. Slowly.

As I’m reorganizing, I’m coming across all kinds of things I’d almost forgotten about: mainly supplies for various projects I’d intended to start. I have a growing pile of fabric I had bought for some sewing projects that were never started (although when you see this, you’ll know why it’s probably better that way). I have boxes and wood, yarn and canvas boards, and of course lots and lots and lots of paper. And then I came across this:

It’s a box labeled “Misc” full of greeting cards I’d saved from our wedding. This in and of itself is odd because (a) I don’t save cards unless they’re really, REALLY good, (b) the box is purple with butterflies and glitter (someone gave it to me, I do not buy purple glittery butterfly things), and (c) I don’t label things “misc” unless I’m in a really desperate organizational pinch and must, against my better judgement, create a box of actual miscellanea. So what I’m wondering is, why didn’t I label it “cards from wedding” or even just “cards”? Besides, I had another box half-full of other wedding-related paraphernalia: a few favors, returned RSVP cards, announcements, calendar pages, et cetera that had been intended for photographing at the very least; based on the sketches and notes included in the box, I had intended to make some sort of artist’s book. (Incidentally, *that* box was labeled “wedding stuff.”) Why would I not include the cards with these other items? Clearly they were intended for a very separate, very special project of their very own.

I can’t for the life of me remember what in heaven’s name I had planned on doing with these cards, but I *know* I didn’t save them for sentimental reasons; I specifically remember editing from the collection the cards that I had deemed — to put it delicately — aesthetically lacking. Knowing me, this means I had intended them for some greater visual purpose. Maybe I thought we’d just frame them up and hang them in the hallway or something, which is weird but I don’t put it past me. Stranger things have ended up on my walls.

But at this point, when attractive storage space in my studio/guest room is at a premium, it boils down to two options: (a) throw the cards away, or (b) turn them into a new cutout project at a larger scale, like 11 x 14 or 16 x 20, and maybe in a series of three (or a triptych! — oooooohhhh).

Which one, I wonder, will I choose?

]]> http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/06/mystery-of-the-box-labeled-misc/feed/ 1 The pursuit of paperliciousness http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/05/the-pursuit-of-paperliciousness/ http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/05/the-pursuit-of-paperliciousness/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 15:18:00 +0000 Sarah http://oomphasisdesign.com/2008/05/the-pursuit-of-paperliciousness/

I have quite a few projects going on lately. Most are self-imposed. Well, I guess all are self-imposed, except for my job, which — I’ll grant you — I chose over say, fast-food or retail, but only because I like to eat. My numero uno choice is to stay at home and draw and print and cut paper all day.

Speaking of cut paper, it’s been a while since I’ve done any of that — paper cutouts I mean. Currently my studio is taken up with a queen-sized air mattress guest bed. My sister-in-law stayed overnight a few weeks ago when we ran a 10K together, and I just left it up because I knew we’d be having guests again relatively soon (next weekend). Plus it’s been a good spot to spread out all of the laundry as we switch from winter to summer wardrobes.

You haven’t seen any of my paper cutouts here because I haven’t done any since I started this blog. But this is what some of them look like hanging in my hallway:

From the top, they are Stratalicious, Swiss Miss (Friendship liquefied and piping hot), and Sweet 100. Last October all three were hung in a show called “Fresh Produce” in Cumberland, in which all the artwork used food as either subject or medium. Which is why mine are all about food, although food is a constant source of inspiration anyway. Some day I’ll start doing the potato prints I keep talking about and will complete the circle: food as medium, food as subject. Food in my belly.

I have ideas and sketches for a few more: one inspired by the sailboats I keep seeing out on the Chesapeake Bay, and another inspired by the reading I’m going to do at my friend’s wedding this month in Savannah, Georgia. Maybe I’ll be inspired by Savannah, too. And, what with summer well on its way, I’ll no doubt have tons of inspiration for all sorts of new projects, right in my own backyard — literally — in the form of herbs, fruit/vegetables, flower and birds. Maybe even bugs; I’m not really much of a butterfly or dragonfly kind of girl, but honey bees and ladybugs are some comely garden friends!

But this weekend — ahh, this weekend — besides meeting with A&R about their wedding invitations, and traveling to Baltimore with Jen A to visit our wonderful, wonderful graduate English professor, and cooking birthday dinner for Keith on Sunday (yes, Mothers’ Day), I’ll be crocheting like mad to finish up two projects I’m giving as gifts (yes, for our mothers). No paper. No cutting. But soon. Soon I will be paperlicious again.

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