www.beetletongue.co.uk

Beetletongue Art and Photography has arrived! The website dedicated to my art and crafts and my brother's wonderful photography has finally landed. The basics are up, photo's, work for sale, all that stuff, now all we need is a logo....

As for the name, I took a leaf out of Cosmo Cricket's book and went on one of those websites that generates random names for use in books, role playing etc. I only hope now that the name proves memorable!

MS Found In A Bottle

I'm not entirely sure what to call this slightly odd set of pictures. I have occasional bouts of insomnia, and on this particular occasion I ended up doing the first drawing in the set, inspired by a magnet on my mother-in-law's fridge (a clown's head), and a Chanel ad campaign. After that it sort of snow-balled....
All drawings were made using printmaking ink, fine liners, and pencil on pages from the Selected Works of Edgar Allen Poe.

August Birthday Cards

It's Dave's birthday today, so I was up for quite a while last night attempting to make a nice masculine-ish card to give to him. In the end I took a card blank from one of the new Basic Grey card kits, and rather than follow the instructions with the pack I added embellishments of my own, including sticky lace, paper flowers and some big black sequins which I love.

I am aware that despite my best attempts this card is not in the least bit masculine ( Perhaps the pale pink card stock lets it down!) but it's a reasonable attempt given that I'm not good at creating cards for men!

A super quick card created about ten minutes before I was due to be at a birthday celebration, using gift wrap from Paperchase and die-cuts!

Old Work Revisited

Finally! I've been going through my sketchbook and I've realised I've got tons of under developed work I want to have finished by the end of the year. Of course it doesn't help that I'm so easily distracted but I WILL do it!

Here's a taster...


Both pages from my sketchbook, recent development of pattern and colour studies for painting of Lakshmi (see earlier post). I'm really just stalling for time, but the exploratory stage is necessary, even if it doesn't really need to be so detailed!


I'm still toying with the idea of painting with real henna. The process of Henna application does have a genuine meaning behind it, my designs are for the most part made up, (though I have been buying Asian Wedding magazines) so please let me know if I've inadvertently included any dodgy symbols!

Happy Birthday Pop-up Card

First I'll start by apologising for the image quality, I'm not the best photographer, and of the 112 photos I took of this card these are the best.

This is the first time I've properly experimented with pop-up mechanisms, despite meaning too for ages. Its also my first time using individual alphabet stamps- as evidenced by the slightly wonky text. I love wood mounted stamps, there's something so vintage and retro about them. On Saturday I even bought a set of gorgeous French butterfly stamps mounted on dark stained wood- Ooh La La!

The only major problem is I have issues lining them up easily, I have one stamp that's tiny- yet mounted on a block so big it would fit about four stamps on there. This is why clear stamps are much easier to use, but not nearly as satisfyingly chunky and pleasing to the eye.

Incidentally, I have a question or two for anyone actually reading this. There are a number of Inkadinkado stamps I would like, the Halloween ones, the little note owl, and Brenda Walton's designs, however I live in the UK and can't find a decent stockist anywhere! Please could someone point me in the direction of a site with a good range of Inkadinkado stamps, ideally UK based. Also while we're on the subject of stockists, does anyone know where/if I can get Eco friendly stamps (that I don't have to carve myself- I'm not to be trusted with sharp things!) with mounts made from sustainable wood. Thank you!!

Soo... the card. It is fairly simple in construction, a rectangle topped by a half ellipse, folded over. I covered it in a foam stamped vintage-esque paper ensuring the pretty swirl was on the front, and inside I used a nice sheet of recycled but not shiny wrapping paper from a place in Peterborough called Reba. The pattern is cherry blossom, I had originally thought to either make a birds nest pop-up, giving the impression of birds in amongst the branches, or a set of butterflies flying amongst the flowers.

However, given I'm a newbie to the world of pop-up construction I decided for once to do something simple. I cut the paper so that the butterflies would stand one centimetre from the back of the card- I've since realised two would have been better. However for a first shot this isn't too bad, and as usual its spawned about a million new ideas for future works!

As with all pieces I make with hand cut-outs (so gotta get that die cutting machine!) I use an emery board to smooth the edges and refine the curves. The scalloping around the cards was the result of a little cheating on my part. I have scalloping shears and a notoriously un-steady hand (probably need a scalloping punch too- the other half is going to love me!), so I made lots of cuts into white card, and sandwiched each curved piece individually between the backing and paper covering the card. I painted the scalloping with pearlised white and iridescent gold paint.

Because this card is intended for a relative who has lost their sight the challenge is producing something for someone who experiences things primarily through their sense of touch. I chose the pattern for the front of the card primarily for its raised texture, the larger butterfly inside the card is foil embossed, giving an interesting smooth contrast to the matt paper used on the pink butterfly.

As usual I was heavy on the bling, ribbons, bows, pearl brads and paper flowers all came out to play on this card- the more contrasting shapes and texture the better!

This is a bad photo, but I couldn't resist a little artistic pretension, after all it pays to advertise!

It's a Pretty Cage, but a Cage None The Less

I saw an advert in a magazine recently, the caption read "my hands are jealous of the work my brain does." This really resonated with me, I've frequently bemoaned the fact that I can't create as fast as I can come up with ideas. Sometimes the process drives me mad, there never seems to be enough hours in the day, and as for sleeping... such a waste of time!

Song Of Herself

I bought a new book yesterday, Frida Kahlo, Song of Herself by Salomon Grimberg. Its really very good, it gives a whole new insight into Kahlo's life, she truly was an inspirational artist.

On a completely separate note, here's something I've been meaning to add for a while, one of a number of tags I've been decorating in various ways. Once I've dug out the others they'll be joining this one so if you like it keep checking back.I made this using various K&Company products, including Amy Butler's Sola purses, and added PaperMania brads. The result is quick, simple and I think, effective.

At Prison Gates Only The Keys Sing

(my title quote is a piece of Surrealist automatic writing)

I love Surrealism. I love the art and I'm especially amused/disturbed/suspicious in equal measures by/about automatic writing. Truly, who can really come up with some of the quite profound madness the surrealist writers claim they did spontaneously? Take Andre Breton's "Nadja" for example, founding father of Surrealism he may be, but was it really "pure psychic automatism?" Perhaps that's why I paint and don't write for a living!

Anyhow, there is a reason for me posting today, and not just because I'm feeling argumentative! I was clearing out the spare room yesterday- not a place we usually venture unless we're feeling brave or compelled to try extreme sports- and I came across some old sketch books, one dedicated to a strange mixture of carousels (at the time I was trying to build one out of clear plastic-needless to say it didn't work) and Aboriginal Dreamtime stories. No I don't know why either. All the same, here's some pics- first up the Lyre bird from the story of the bubble in the stream.

In the spirit of honesty I should point out this is my version of an illustration I found in a book on Aboriginal Tales given to me by my dad called "Old Man Fire." (I believe its out of print now-I've had it since I was about six, but it may be available on Amazon should you be interested. Basically its a fairly frightening book telling children what happens after death, what can happen when you play with fire and the dangers of being too proud). All pictures that follow are my own- created in a similar style to illustrate other stories.

Dreamtime stories are very much ancient morality tales. Each tribe had their own set of stories, or "Dreamings" which related the stories of their ancestors who emerged from the earth during its creation. The "Dreamings" include tales about the land on which they lived.

It was believed that until the ancestors came the world was a flat silent place, the spirit of life asleep below the surface. Once the ancestors broke through the Earth's crust the sun came into being bringing light for the very first time. The ancestors could change form at will, becoming plant, human, animal or land form- everything was created from the same source. The ancestors travelled the land, their journeys created the landscape, the elements and celestial bodies, as well as new beings to populate the land. Eventually some grew weary and chose to become part of the landscape themselves, while others sank back into the earth to sleep.

The land on which the tribes lived was therefore very sacred to them, they believed that the "Dreamings" were passed to them from the ancestors dwelling on it as spirits in order to keep their stories alive, guide them to sacred areas and show them which animals they were allowed to hunt.

The Aboriginal people had a complex system of language, passed down through generations, and their art in most cases was created via a hierarchy. Each piece of work is composed of symbols sacred to the tribe, the most important symbols added by the most senior member. These works were rarely meant to survive, they served a temporary purpose, whether it be a hunting scene designed to draw prey to them, or to mark the death of a family member. The fact that so much did last is a testament to their skills as is the ability to survive the apparent determination to drive out their entire culture.

As with all Aboriginal stories there's usually a few lessons and rules to live by woven into the tales, warning against such things as pride, disrespecting ones elders or in the case of the story of the bubble in the stream-boastfulness. This is also the story of how the frog got it's voice. The short version of the tale is that the frog started life as a tiny bubble in a stream, but being more ambitious than the other bubbles it wanted more from life. The Great Spirit knew this, so the bubble became a frog. The frog wasn't finished though, he wanted to sing, and it just so happens the Lyre Bird was one of the greatest singers in the land, and so became the frog's teacher.

Having learned everything the Lyre Bird knew the frog became boastful, soon he was telling the other animals in the bush he could sing the moon down from the sky, and while they were gathered around to watch he started singing. Eventually his voice dwindled to nothing but a croak, while the moon stayed put. As punishment the Great Spirit refused to return the frog's voice and so all frogs are forced to croak in remembrance of their ancestor's mistake.

At first it does sound somewhat unfair to punish all for the mistakes of one, but the theory goes that everything we have ever been on the way to becoming what we will eventually be, we still are. We are made up of memories, of our families and ancestors and anything that has ever influenced us at any stage of our evolution- so it is not inconceivable I suppose that if you follow that way of thinking the punishment was merited.

How the cockatoo got its crest: It was once believed that the cockatoo was completely white, and as such was found ugly for having no colours. One day the cockatoo found three coloured feathers, and thinking that he would be accepted if he wore them he placed them in his tail. The other birds recognised the feathers as their own, and so attacked the cockatoo. In an attempt to escape he flew, flying so high he was burned by the sun's rays and fell back to earth with a yellow crest on top of his head. Perhaps this story shows that while sometimes wishes do come true, it doesn't always happen as we would think?

This is the story of how the Kookaburra got its laugh. Kookaburra was very fast and proud. So much so he would tell all the other birds just how much better than them he was, until one day the Emu offered him a challenge. Although Emus can not fly, they can run, so she offered him a race, one he was so confident he would win he offered her a head start. As soon as she began to run he realised his mistake and began to regret accepting her challenge, much less offering her the head start. With no other choice he began to fly-so fast Emu became a speck on the horizon.

Since Kookaburra was too busy watching for her he inevitably hit a tree, and realising he didn't recognise his surroundings he panicked. He began trying to communicate with the strange creatures around him, calling out loudly, but to them it sounded like laughter.

The Eagle and the Crow- a story about jealousy and revenge. There were once three friends- a magpie- Urrakuli, a crow named Wakarla, (both had white feathers) and an eagle called Wildu. They would share food, laughter and happy times until one day the magpie and the crow disappeared.

After two days of not seeing them the eagle went to find them, and was surprised to discover they were together. Enraged they would spend time without him he decided to exact revenge. He threw a party in a nearby cave, inviting all the birds in the area -including his friends. Once he had lured all the birds to the cave a great fire broke out, and great wings at the mouth of the cave blocked the only way out.

Eagle told the magpie and the crow that the eventual deaths of the other birds would be their fault, he felt betrayed and this was their punishment. After they begged him to spare the lives of the other birds the eagle relented, allowing them to fly to freedom in exchange for the lives of his friends. A fight ensued, and although both the magpie and crow escaped both left with their feathers charred black, and this is how their descendants are today.

Extreme, yes? Its interesting to note that the site this story took place still stands, and the cave is shaped like an eagle with its wings draped around the entrance- spooky or coincidence?

Blossoms and Glass Slippers

Wow! Two posts in one day, just to alleviate the guilt I feel at not posting for two months-and to prove I'm not a lazy arse! The following pictures depict a work in progress, Sengen, the Japanese goddess of the blossom and Mount Fuji.

I've finally found a way around my inability to produce a proper finished drawing. Since line drawing is not my area of expertise I've decided that my sketches should be done using thread. Initially I worked via a process of rough preliminary sketches before moving on to final pieces. This process has been pretty trial and error, sometimes it works, sometimes I end up with a pile of crap on my canvas.

For some reason the process of thread sketching works for me. I'm not sure why, perhaps because it feels as though each one could stand alone as a piece in itself, or maybe its because I can explore shape, form and composition while still using colour. Who knows? The odd thing about this piece is I don't actually feel that it would work as a painting, perhaps the composition is a little fussy, but in this medium it works for me.

So anyway, there you go, let me know what you think!

Cards Cards Cards!

Its been a while since I updated this blog, certainly less than I had hoped, but as with all creative people on occasion real life rears its ugly head. I've been dealing with some things in my personal life which has meant creatively speaking, things have been somewhat slow. I don't feel any particular compulsion to over-share on here, but I would like to thank the family and friends who read this for everything they have done for me over the last few weeks.

So.... in the spirit of saying thank you....here follows a selection of the thank you cards I've been making- just to show that no matter how absorbed I've been in the madness of my day to day life I very much appreciate everyone else's efforts.

First up, this was made using a selection of products from the "Mira Colle" range by Brenda Walton for K&Co. I may have mentioned before that I'm relatively new to scrap booking products, not being a scrap fan, and I can't quite remember what it was that got me hooked-although I think Amy Butler's Sola and Belle fabric ranges had a lot to do with it!

This card marks the first time I've used one particular range of products exclusively in a piece. Often I tend to combine bits of my favourite ranges, but Mira seems to fit perfectly. I started with a base from the Mira matte pad, (at the risk of sounding ignorant, does anyone know what a matte pad is actually for? As I've said I'm not a scrapper) since this card is intended for a visually impaired relative texture is doubly important.

I then began adding embellishments. Rarely do I plan my cards at length, I'd had a couple of packs of Mira Lantern Grand Adhesions that I'd been wanting to use for a while, so I went with the string of lanterns idea presenting in the packaging. The copper wire is secured by brads, both supplied in the pack (an idea I will definitely be borrowing!) and I picked lanterns with plenty of raised patterns to feel, and tassels and ribbons to finish.

Since my background choice reminded me of a hazy summer garden I decided to go with it, cutting and trimming Mira glitter stickers in gold, copper and red to create flower stems in the foreground. The flowers were created using Mira Mulberry paper flower brads. K&Co Grand Adhesions and brads are usually made up of three layers-in this instance I swapped a few layers around, and only used to top layers of some of the adhesions to create different depths.

I then finished the whole thing with a smattering of embossed paper dragonflies and a couple of pretty birds on the wire.

Close up of the lanterns: I fell in love with this particular set of Grand Adhesions right away. Each one comes painted, embossed or foiled with different pattern which are incredibly multi-layered. They are all finished with little ribbons or tassels at the bottom- undeniably gorgeous!

Ah, the lanterns are back again! Those of you who have read this on a regular basis (my condolences, but thank you anyway :-D) will notice the similarity of this card to one I posted on here a few weeks ago. You would be right in assuming its the same, I did a couple in a similar way, but when I saw it against my more recent efforts I figured it looked a bit unfinished. I'm still not 100% convinced the composition works with its latest addition, but I do know the intended recipients will appreciate it and that's what matters.

This is possibly my favourite- Brenda Walton's designs come out again, this time in the form of dresses from her Dollhouse chipboard alphabet, and a few bits of Mira Colle too. The Dollhouse range is one of those collections that I think works better when mixed with other pieces, use together and its all a bit too sugary. Having said that, the alphabet box these shapes came from is absolutely one of my all time favourites.

Like with the first card I used a patterned page from a K&Co matte pad (McKenna I think). I decided that in keeping with my current love affair with the wire suspended on brads combination, to follow a theme that popped into my head every time I went rummaging through my crafty bits looking for chipboard shapes.

It might be a little obvious, but the pretty little dresses from the Dollhouse box lend themselves perfectly to being used as part of a quirky domestic scene. I added small strips of brown paper to create clothes pegs, and like in the first card I used Mira Colle glitter stickers to create swirly flower stems. The flowers themselves are a mixture of silk flowers, Mira cut-outs, and cut-outs from the "Smitten" range with various metal brads at the centres. I fixed some of the flowers using foam pads, while simply gluing others flat to create the illusion of depth to the composition.

Close up of clothes: One of the occasionally great things about K&Co chipboard alphabets and shapes is that they are all double sided. I say occasionally because often I like both sides equally, which results in the need to buy two of everything (such a pity!) and sometimes I end up with a major case of too much to choose from. Luckily in this instance I feel I made a good decision!

Ordinarily I would have put the least heavily embellished shape in the centre (the one on the left) but as its shape was similar to the one on the right I decided to aim for a little symmetry.

Close up of flowers: As I've already explained how I achieved this look I just wanted to give you a closer look at the patterns on the flowers, which may otherwise be missed.

Close up of Butterfly: Just because they're pretty!

Death by Jam-Past Works

I do so love to see how my work has evolved...or not as the case may be. This is a selection of past works, commissions, sketches, random pieces, and the odd bit that may find itself recycled into something else one day!

Very old Geisha painting, based on a pair of Acupuncture trainers. In keeping with traditional Japanese art the original images on the soles of my trainers show the Geisha during a somewhat private moment ;-) and this piece is my slightly tamer interpretation of that.

One of many pieces based on my trip to Australia. I realise I probably mention it a lot but I love the country and I continue to be inspired. On future trips I would like to experience more of Aboriginal art and Culture- while I think its great that Aboriginal art is finding its way into the mainstream I think it would be a shame to ignore the meaning behind a lot of the work, and certainly it would be a shame to forget some of the incredible early work that survives.

While on my trip I saw a great deal of Aboriginal art, (though not nearly as much as I would have liked!) and possibly one of the most incredible places for me was an amazing area called Kuranda, a brilliant fusion of Dreamtime stories passed on from ancestors mixed with modern day materials- even the rubbish bins were functional sculptures!

While there I picked up some stuff on Aboriginal X-Ray art (and fed a kangaroo!) which became the background behind the picture above. It is based on one of the main characters in the Aboriginal Dreamtime creation stories- the Rainbow Serpent- who travelled across the Earth creating Valleys, hills, seas and lakes as she went. The Rainbow Serpent surrounds three fishermen- not to cause harm but to symbolise the process of creation, the link between her and all things.

The piece is made from various fabrics and embellishments such as beads and sequins and is hand stitched. Unfortunately a problem occurred over time with the fabric glue I used to attach the piece to the canvas frame. It would appear that during the drying process it sets white and rubbery and actually seeps through layers of fabric. I do intend to recreate this piece on a larger scale in time, and for that one I will secure it to the frame using tacks!

This piece was originally part of a wall hanging I made, which I later decided I disliked as a whole and removed my favourite bits. The inspiration behind this picture is very personal. It acknowledges a difficult period a few years ago and since I tend to find I don't really want to create pieces that force me to dwell on any issues I have, this is one of the few pieces that have reflected a point in my life as opposed to something I'm interested in.

I created this work from layers of fabric embellished with glass beads, garnet, turquoise, and moonstone chips and gold thread.

This piece reflects my love of Hindu mythology, and depicts Lord Shiva on a background of red satin. The image itself actually started life as a sticker I found at a market, I stitched it to the fabric then used gold sequins as accents, before then stitching the whole piece to some purple velvet and surrounded the image with a frame of red glass beads.

The two sketches above occurred during my obsession with Japanese art, in particular the work of an artist named Junko Mizuno, who's work manages to be both beautiful, colourful and really disturbing (oddly I can't eat while any of her work is in my line of sight). Eventually I began to realise that the style was so far removed from my own that it was better to admire than attempt to emulate.
This is my "Art Attack" piece. (For those of you that don't know, Art Attack is a children's art programme that's been going for years-and I enjoyed it immensely as a student!) Basically the idea came after watching the presenter demonstrate silhouette art, so I dutifully got some canvas, some yellow paint, PVA glue, and a pot of black glitter and this is the result. At the last minute I decided that the owl shape would be better stitched onto felt, but I still think it works. I got quite enthusiastic and carried away during the course of this piece, there were a few other canvases rendered in the same way, however it became quickly apparent that this was best as a one time only piece (though I regret not sending it in to the show).



The two pictures above were both created for use by Peterborough bird Club on the cover of their field guides. Both were hand drawn, rendered in ink and then digitally painted using a graphic tablet. The owl image is the most recent and I think shows a definite refinement of technique.


Two sketches again reflecting my love of Hindu mythology. The first depicts Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune and luck, surrounded by her symbols-elephants, the lotus, golden coins and a peacock. Lakshmi is a beautiful goddess and during the festival of Diwali she is honoured.

The second drawing shows Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas, mother of Ganesha the elephant headed God, and said to be the embodiment of all the energy in the universe. The story goes that Parvati created Ganesha from turmeric paste to prevent anyone entering her chamber while she bathed. Her consort Lord Shiva returned and was stopped by Ganesha, and during the ensuing fight Shiva used his trident to cut Ganesha's head off.

Parvati made him swear to bring her son back to her, so he vowed that because they could not find Ganesha's own head he would give him the head of the first creature he saw-which happened to be an elephant. Parvati was still unhappy and insisted that Ganesha be made head of the celestial armies and worshipped by everyone before beginning any activity.

Both of these drawings were intended at some point to make it onto canvas, an intention I still have, though I am currently unsure as to whether to do them as paintings or stitchings.

Commission piece from January last year- Beryl the Jack Russel surrounded by white lilies-the favourite flower of her owner.

Future Plans

Just a glimpse of future pieces I'll be working on! For a while now I've been collecting bits and pieces to alter, (this is just a selection) from lampshades to books, wooden bangles and all things in between. Over coming weeks I'll be posting pictures of these items in their newly altered state.

Several Deafening Chimes- Current Obsession

"The time has come the walrus said to talk of many things; of shoes and ships, and sealing wax of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot and wheather pigs have wings" Alice in Wonderland

The doll in the picture above (number four, Ruby-May) was very loosely based on one of my current favourite pieces of literature- Alice in Wonderland. I was inspired by a mixture of the queen of hearts and the Mad Hatter (I plan to expand on this theme in time). I'm not entirely sure where the Australian postage stamp fits into this, a flamingo would have been more appropriate, but note I did say loosely!

New Developments!

Wow! Its been a busy couple of weeks here, (which explains the delay in posting!) I currently have two "projects" on the go, one professional and one personal, both of which I'm unable to say a lot about no matter how much I want too!

Professionally I am cautiously optimistic, I've been contacted by an exhibition organiser via Etsy, who appears interested in my work and I should hopefully receive a brochure soon.

My creative output this past week has been sporadic at best. I have completed a couple more art dolls, and I've sketched a painting outline onto canvas but I seem to have spent much of my time writing up endless lists of what I actually want to do, resulting in me sitting there wondering where the hell I'm meant to start. (Not to mention incessant dwelling on the personal project I have going on!)

I have tended to do this a lot over the last few months possibly due to a severe case of creative block, but it is something I'm gradually phasing out. I had thought that I'd finally shaken it off, but it looks like there's still a bit more work to be done. When I get these blocks I just get so caught up with ideas and inspiration in an attempt to feel like I'm actually doing something, that the actual process of creating tends to pass me by. I can literally while away hours making my ideas lists- but I'm finally working through them.

The doll above is called Butterfly Betsie, and is number three in the series made in a similar vein to the others but with the added inclusion of cut up postage stamps and glitter. As a general rule I prefer super-fine glitter, not that stuff that looks like shredded tin-foil. I am begining to find that this project has taken on a life of its own- I'm planning all sorts of dolls even as I type, and I'm open to suggestion so please comment me with ideas!

At some point down the line I plan to branch out into altered mini-books and from there I had thought that it would be kind of fun to create a larger art book version of of my dolls. I'm one of those people that doesn't quite understand the point of scrapbooking but at the same time I love art books, especially ones with lots of hidden sections, tags flaps and pockets (my sketchbooks never close properly!). All in all with so much stuff buzzing round me head its unlikely I'll be sleeping much in the next couple of months!

As for the other stuff- in the best tradition of cheesy lines- watch this space!

Ornaments-Yule comes early!!

Ok, so not really, but it will creep up sooner than we think so for once I decided to start preparing early! As with the bags and boxes these are made of cardstock, decorated with ribbons and shiny things!

Cards, Gift Boxes and Gift Bags

I love Geishas!!! I was wondering round Lakeland one day when I spotted some Geisha silhouette cut-outs, and of course I had to buy them. This card also combines Amy Butler Sakura (meaning blossom) matt paper with a hand-stitched image of Oriental poppies. I'm really into stitching on paper at the moment- and I'm currently working on a picture of the Japanese goddess Sengen (the goddess of blossom and Mount Fuji) in a similar way.

One of my favourite boxes, it seems almost Oriental in style. When I started making these boxes and bags I got a bit carried away- as usual, and ended up with nearly 50 of them. I figure that if they don't sell I will simply use a few of them as wedding favour boxes. All boxes are made from cardstock, and embellished with cut-outs, ribbons, brads, rhinestones and charms.

Another favourite- I rather like the shape, and strings of pearl beads are my new thing of the moment!

The two above were originally made for the Ostara season, they are big enough to contain a few small eggs, but sadly we may have to wait for the next one now!

Take away carton! I like this shape so much I'm considering creating a set for Halloween.

Set of three boxes which turned out pretty but really quite small. I suppose you could put really tiny gifts in them but otherwise their purpose is purely decorative.
I love this shape, it opens from the bottom, and is decorated with brads, cut-outs and paper ribbon.

These are a good size, so much so I had toyed with the idea of making a few more and using them to containg altered mini- books and such. What do you think?