I have met some pretty amazing individuals over the years. But these two that took the time to gift this and create this, I honestly don't have the words. This post is about those two...Catie & Suzy.
I while back I had gotten a shipping notification from my friend Suzy of Paper Harbor Co. I hadn't ordered anything, so fired off an DM asking if there was a mistake. She strung me along saying that there were some odd things happening with PayPal shipping and that maybe or maybe not there was something coming. I was of course intrigued, so added the tracking number to my tracker. After a few days, it said it had cleared Canadian Customs and was on route to Italy. So, I figured it was indeed a PayPal shipping error and forgot about it. So when a packaged arrived in my mailbox from her I opened it in excitement as I had no idea what it was. Inside were two bundles.
This is the first one....
The packaging alone...🖤
Imagine my surprise, when I realized it was a gift from Catie, created by Suzy!
There is a story behind this, and the letter says it all! Catie saw how much I adored the one she had purchased and shared in a post on instagram and new right away, I too would love one. Seriously, who does that?! Catie does!
This little bundle of vintage joy, is just that - pure joy to me! The detail Suzy put in to it, is....simply, so me! She put so much thought and details into it that were meant for me. Not to mention, that Catie gave Suzy full creative freedom and that she did. Let me share with you just how creative Suzy is....
The base of the journal is a manila (approx 6.5x9.5") envelope that she added a piece of acetate that was included in her 'close out box' from my old shop. When I filled hers it was with full intensions of her getting challenging items, she did good! Then album is about 5x7.5" when closed (as above) and has 16 (not including acetate and envelope covers) sheets of miscellaneous vintage papers including ledger sheets, envelopes, cheque stubs, receipts, book pages and letterheads. All sewn down the center and then junked up to my kind of vintage paper heaven!
The addition of modeling paste (or drywall mud) mixed with paint, and put through a stencil...yum, texture! Not only that, but the tissue and washi tape are dreammy! I adore how she did the closure - sewing the two unique ribbons together and creating a buckle...heaven!
Here come a boat load of photos for you to soak up some vintage glory...
The label, torn ledger sheet and paint splatter (or maybe Tim Holtz Distress Oxides)....🖤
This journal is full of interesting pockets, and of course, the pockets are filled with more vintage goodies! She sure knows my likes - the labels, washi & gafer tapes...just everything! If you look at the one below, she has sewn duplicate receipts together - wow!!
This page, is an old used envelope, again stuffed with ... an altered Tim Holtz Found Relatives card, junked up with vintage tags and lace and ribbon!
And it just gets better, it is a flip flop criss cross page!
This one, a sewn piece of an old map, yup - you guessed it, filled with tickets and tags.
The details of the vintage bits and pieces are endless! Sewing on a flap from an envelope, stamping, folding to create a pocket...oh, and need I say the vintage photo?!?!
It is never ending...the unique papers, ticket and attachments make me so happy!
Check this one out, she's folded and stitched an old waybill to create pockets to tuck in these vintage price tags!
Interesting point to note, when I was taking all these photos for this post, I discovered that this page was a tip in!
Like, look at the details, the ledger page is from 'W'!! Seriously, every time I look at it, I see something new. Again, the details and the ideas are endless.
Note the divider in the last page pocket, it too was the 'w'!!
Hard to see in the photo, but even the photo is taped down with aged tape!
Suzy knows how much I love papers with writing on them, the history is amazing! But she was sure to put lots of plain as well so I could add my own touches! 🖤🖤🖤
Currently, I have it propped up on my desk so I can look at it regularly. It makes me happy in so may ways, not to mention, inspires me to create.
🖤🖤🖤
Speaking of creating, you too could create something as wonderful as this. Although Suzy is no longer making these - she has many of vintage papers, ephemera and so much more on her Etsy Shop and also is known to have regular sales on Instagram @paperhaborco. You can read all about Suzy's journey with the journal on her post here.
Now, let me tell you about Catie! This amazing artist in her own right, reached out to me on instagram over 4 years ago. I was fairly new to Instagram at the time and was leery of sharing anything personal, but when she reached out, something told me she was a keeper. We direct messaged each other relentlessly and finally exchanged phone numbers and then text and called each other a lot! Would you believe, just from looking at a photo and her asking where I was from (as she thought it looked similar to where she lived), we discovered where were a mere two and a half hours apart! You too should check out Catie's instagram feed - the girl has mad skills in each and everything she touches! You can find her on instagram as @fivefingerartstudio. She's made journals of her own, can create magic in her art journal, canvases and just about anything she touches and her stitching....amazeballs. The girl continues to blow me away with her talent and inspires me on so many levels. Here is a small peek at her talent via her feed on instagram:
You're welcome! 😉
Fast friends we became and still chat regularly. We have been fortunate enough to actually meet in person. We've spent time at each others homes, crafted together, tormented each other and are each others biggest cheering squad!
My wish now is to get down to Suzy's and meet her in person and of course get her to come up to Canada! Sadly, she doesn't live as close, she's a mere 2900+km away.
With the new age of social media, it is a very interesting thing to meet such amazing humans over the internet. One thing for sure, Instagram has introduced me to two wonderful 'insta friends'!
p.s. wondering what was in the second bundle, check back friday!
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