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Saturday, October 24, 2020

Names of Mary Bookmarks (and Etsy Shop Announcements!)

I'm kind of a jack-of-all-trades girl when it comes to crafting. I like to watercolor, letter, sew, make jewelry, draw, embroider, and more. I kind of bounce from one media to the next, and about a year ago I decided I wanted to learn how to do block carving and printing. It is a challenging process that is wide open to style and interpretation, and I have really enjoyed learning and growing in skill while learning something new!

Over the past few months, I ended up created a collection of carvings honoring Mary under some of her various titles and names. If you follow me on Instagram, I've been sharing carving and printing videos along the way, and I'm so excited to have all of these prints to share with you! 

Seeing all the images of Mary together inspired me to scale them down to little postage-stamp-sized, and I made these bookmarks, which would be a nice thing to use during this last part of the Month of the Rosary and to remind you of Mary's role in a Christian's life all year long. Print on heavy cardstock and stick it in your favorite Bible or journal!

Click here for a free printable set of Marian bookmarks:

Maybe soon I'll do a how-to post about what I've learned about (and from) block carving, but I'll just share that it has been a very prayerful process overall. The slow work and attention to details gives you a lot of time to think as you work, especially when carving a holy image.


The inking and reveal of the first print is just so satisfying after all of the work- so much cooler than hitting "print" on a computer! ;)

And the texture, inconsistencies, and little mistakes of the prints that make them one of a kind are really fascinating as well. I often have a hard time choosing a "favorite" or master print from a printing session because there are different things I like about different prints.


And because art is meant to be shared, I added a whole Marian collection in my Etsy Shop available today! Everything here on my blog will always be available for free, but I don't always do a good job of letting my blog readers know when there are new things available for you on Etsy. I hate being "sales-y," but I know that we are all thinking ahead to Christmas shopping, and I thought you might like to go check out these prints and bags as you work on your gift list.  

You can find my Etsy Shop here and below is a little preview of a few of the items:

The Names of Mary Collection includes prints, totes, zipper pouches, and stickers of: 
Our Lady of Guadalupe, The Immaculate Conception, Stella Maris, The Immaculate Heart, The Sorrowful Mother, The Holy Family, Our Lady of  Częstochowa , The New Eve, Our Lady Undoer of Knots, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Fatima, and The Spouse of the Holy Spirit


The black and white really looks great with a variety of decor, and I am loving how mine look on the gallery wall I've set up in my bedroom.


The block prints are all hand printed, and contain unique inconsistencies, making them one of a kind:


Besides prints, I also made some little zipper pouches for pens or all those pesky tiny things floating around your purse or diaper bag:


These generous zipper pouches, which I love for journals and art supplies:


And there are several versions of these tote bags (13x13" with a 3.5" gusset and 9" drop on the handles- not too big, but plenty of space to haul things!)


And I just love these super cute vinyl stickers:


Also next Saturday, 10/31/20, I'll be restocking my popular stamps, which are the heart of my shop. This will be the last restock before Christmas, and I'll be honest that they usually sell out quickly. I'm advertising the restock as opening at 9 a.m. CST, but I'll let my blog readers know that I'll have the listings up and ready at 8:30 a.m. if you want a little head start. :) Set an alarm now!

I hope that these things help bring a little faith and beauty into your lives!

9 comments:

  1. I am in awe! The wood block prints are simply beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your gifts with us! From one Catholic school teacher to another, my deepest thanks - I really enjoy using many of your creations with my firsties! :)

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  2. You are so talented. I love them! Missed seeing you in person this year. Hopefully things will be back to normal next year. God Bless!!!

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  3. You are amazing. i love your stamps. Have you ever thought of doing a stamp (face of Jesus with the thorns like Veronicas cloth) we always do a stations of the cross for Lent and I have looked for a stamp for the kids to put on cloth to take home. But nothing has worked very well. I did try making a stamp out of a foam plate it was okay but not really!

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  4. Hello, Katie! Thank you again for sharing all these wonderful resources. Do you have any plans to restock the stamps?

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    1. Hello! I do...I just keeping waiting for a more open window to dedicate to it, and haven't found the time yet this year. I hope to get stocked up this summer and would like to do a sale around back to school time. I do love the stamps, they are just aren't my top priority right now!
      If you want to make sure to not miss them, you can send me a message on Etsy. I save those messages in a specific folder and give those people a heads up when stamps will be back. I also will announce on Instagram. Thanks for your interest!

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