New Wallet

I made the duct tape wallet on the left 3 years ago just before I left on a trip for Ireland. It once looked shiny and new like the one I just made (on the right) yesterday. I think it was definitely time for a new one!

I used paper as the base for the construction and pieced it together bit by bit.

I have about a dozen library cards and an address book and a million bits of paper and such that for some reason I feel I must have in my wallet, so I need something pretty large. This wallet has a three tiered section for all my cards (below) and a large pouch opposite for my address book, receipts and cash.

I love the way it turned out! The great thing about duct tape is it lasts forever and is easy to repair!  Eat your heart out Kate Spade!!!

My New Website - Paper Musings

I am so happy to announce my website Paper Musings is up and running, although still in progress. You can find it at www.ccerruti.com (or courtneycerruti.com)  which used to point to this blog. Fear not, you can access my blog directly from my website. On the site you'll find a portfolio of work as well as the workshops I teach.  Oh, and any feedback is welcome! Enjoy! Thanks!

New Business Cards

front

My new business cards came today! I am pretty happy with the design, but the on screen color is much better than the printed color (no real surprise there). They'll work for a bit...or at least for the next 1000!!!!

back

Presents for Aaron

I celebrated my 1 year anniversary with my boyfriend, Aaron. I made him this little rabbit scene as we have decided were are "rabbits." I have made many things over the past year for him, some of which uses rabbit iconography. Other things are from fairy tales and bits of things we have said and discovered together over the past year. Here are some of the things I have made...

The second book I made for him. Its called "Melting Point," and is an altered book.


The text is from this "found" story. I cut out everything that didn't apply. What's left are these little fingers of conversations, spindly and fragile. It was spooky how appropriate the text was... from how we met to how we spent time together in the beginning, etc.

There is a semi transparent leaf after the text, and when you turn the page, you find a moth, which was our first sort of totem animal.

An Easter present...

A tunnel book made from a fairy tale Aaron read as a child from the Purple Fairy Book.

A card to cheer him up on a hard day.

Another Halloween Craft

A paper witch soars amidst the smoky clouds atop her black and orange striped bird. Moonlit stars sparkle in the black and white night. A burnt orange pumpkin houses this scene in its empty belly...a Halloween present for my Mom who's birthday we are celebrating tomorrow night.

Paste Paper Class

Taught a Paste Paper class at Paper Source in Berkeley on Wednesday night. I actually did some paper myself, whereas I usually just instruct and watch. I made a handful of 8.5 x 11 sheets and liked these pink ones. I was kind of in a woodgrain as plaid mood. They'd be great for collage or paper dolls! Also good for book binding and crafts!

More Halloween Witches

More Halloween witches....

I definitely have the bug!

Something stirring...

My favorite holiday is Halloween, probably because its always been a huge holiday for my family.
My Mom is obsessed with all things spooky, black and orange. My Dad said that when he and my Mom were dating she made him gather up a bunch of dead leaves to scatter on their front lawn for Halloween night; that was just the beginning...
Since I was a kid my Mom always threw these massive Halloween parties, fancy dress required, and after some years of months of planning and preparation she finally decided people should bring a dish too. The night of, she would force my Dad (who's idea of participation was to watch TV in the dark) to turn off all the lights for atmosphere,while my brother and I hurried outside to put fresh glow sticks in all the monsters' eyes my Mom had been building since August.
Every year the theme was different. The back yard was once the gondola hollows from Phantom of the Opera, complete with boat and characters and fog rolling in from a series of machines strategically placed in the yard. Another year Aliens landed, a 15 foot spaceship with racing lights parked next to the deck. A skeletal version of Titanic is to be remembered along with a 15 foot dinner party which sat among other guests, Monica and Bill right after their scandal.
The whole neighborhood was involved. People would help starting mid August in the construction of mummies, vampires and the like. One neighbor even constructed a massive Ferris wheel made of PVC pipe that actually spun and was lighted with Halloween Xmas lights for a carnival themed scene. Much to my Father's horror, the PVC monstrosity sat naked in our back yard for several seasons after.
These parties have since ceased after me going to college, and my Mom's energy burning out from years of constructing almost everything on her own. While neighbors helped, the rest of my family (me included) sat spectator side, offering glasses of ice tea intermittently throughout the hot afternoon. Her enthusiasm and love for the holiday is catching and I still shriek with delight at the first sign of Fall decorations appearing in retail and craft stores many months too soon.
Now as a semi-adult, I enjoy carrying on certain traditions. A trip to the pumpkin patch, the opening night for Halloween items at Gaslight Emporium, and of course Halloween paper crafts that I usually make for my Mom. My Mom was my teacher and is my partner in crime when it comes to all things Halloween. Afterall, she's the only person I know who has a lifesized butler who looks like he came from the Addams Family at attention in her dining room all year round.

I have been gathering Halloween things for the past week, and made this paper doll today. I hope to teach some workshops on Halloween crafts, and pass on the bug to all who want to be bitten.

What's for dinner?

I bought these beautiful beets to watercolor, but wound up cooking them instead. There was a recipe for goat cheese and beet tart from Martha (good luck finding it on her website, because I couldn't). The pate brisee recipe she has is wonderful and works for both savory and sweet pies and tarts. This dish turned our beautifully, and tastes pretty good too. The only odd thing is the purple beets are so shockingly magenta that when they hit the melting goat cheese, the dish turns hot pink. Slicing this up looks like left over birthday cake...not so appetizing.

Gotta love those Martha pics... I was seduced by these honey drizzled golden fritters in the current issue, little fried rosettes, honey and walnuts nestled in delicate folds. Mine don't look as dainty, but they are pretty delicious. They remind me of the loukoumades I would get from the Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church in the Oakland hills.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

So I'm about a week behind in my posts, but wanted to share some pics with you all from my visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I've been to this aquarium a dozen or so times, but never realized how amazing it is until I became and adult (if you can call me that). My reason for going there is always the Jellies. They are truly breathtaking!
It doesn't matter how many people are crowded around the tanks, seeing those glowing ghostlike figures as they float in the dark is always a remarkable sight!

watercolor melon

Another watercolor sketch. This one of a melon.

Mangoes!

I dropped in on Kate Weese's watercolor workshop yesterday and had so much fun. I could only stay an hour, and just didn't get enough! I picked out a couple of mangoes sitting on the table yesterday and stuck a post note on them "Do Not Eat, Want to H2O Color These."

I had the chance just now to sit down and paint the mangoes. I didn't have any watercolors here, so used gouache instead. I haven't watercolored before, but have used gouache a bit, and prefer it. I was also very interested in using salt which is one of the techniques Kate teaches in class.
I definitely could use some more practice, but I was pretty happy with the process. I need to learn patience and watercolor requires it, so it seems like a good thing to do right now.

I drew some paperdoll figures for my boyfieind's 5 year old, Nadia. She loved these! She and her Sister Mila (3) colored them in, and then Nadia and I punched holes in them to attach all the parts with brads. I recommend using a 1/8" or 1/16" hole punch and corresponding brads. Normal (1/4") brads are too large. You should be able to right click on the image below, and print or save to your computer in their full size. Enjoy!