This book was created for a lady who is heading to Rwanda this summer to meet her adopted son. Her circumstance is quite unique and she is planning on making annual trips there. This journal is meant to accompany her and allow her to record her story. It is created from repurposed leather and archival, recycled paper. The lettering is handstitched, and the book is handbound.

Spring is in the air and with that comes lots of...weddings! Are you planning a wedding or know someone who is? I would be honored to create a custom guestbook for you or your friend. I am offering a Spring discount of $15 off to the first five brides who place on order with me.

For everyone else, "like" my facebook page, share this and sign-up for my newsletter to be considered for the April giveaway.

Offer is good through April 20th. The winner of the giveaway will also be chosen that day. Thanks for participating!

Eli Scarr filmed and edited this video.  He created it for consideration at the downtown Lexington Pavillion screening by the Lexington Film League on April 22, Earth Day.  Scarr has other community-themed videos on his youtube channel:  cineaste16.  His youtube video Clean Acres Farm was produced for Alltech's online film festival last year.

 

Coffee Bag Books are now available in hardback.  They are still light weight and a great size to carry around.  Each is unique and has a fabulous, handmade button out of wood on it.  Buy them here.

Have you heard of "imaginal cells"?  They are the cells that occur in a chrysalis during the time that a caterpillar is transforming into a butterfly.  These cells are completely different from the caterpillar’s cells and vibrate at a different frequency.   It makes me think about our "imaginal cells", the part of us that knows that we are more than we appear.  This is the aspect in us that beckons us to wake up, to see more, to step into our larger selves.  In caterpillars, these cells are initially attacked by the caterpillar's immune system and are seen as enemies because they are unfamiliar.  However, the imaginal cells persist.  They foresee that the caterpillar is more than it seems.  We are the same.  We are more than culture tells us, more than our families and teachers teach us.  If we want to be able to actualize all of this potential within ourselves, we need to become aware of our "imaginal cells" and give ourselves permission to transform. 

 

We all do it....going, going, going.  never. stopping.  until we collapse into bed at night and start it all over the next day.   I can speak directly to this because I also have this tendency.  The days can frequently feel so full that I jump out of bed on full blast, charging through everything I think I need to get done.  Then, the moment happens where I feel like I am struggling for air.  It will dawn on me-I haven't stopped to take a breath.  Our culture teaches us to do this:  To fill up every minute of every day with work and other people and good intentions and this and that.  We all react in our various extremes with some of us choosing the all-too-lethargic path and some of us multi-tasking our way through every moment.  For those of us who kick it into overdrive, STOP!  Just for a little bit...sit down.  catch your breath.  without the computer or tv in front of you.  just you and your thoughts and your breath.  I've found pausing to be helpful, especially when my days seem particularly busy.  It reminds me to actually live my life rather than rushing through it.  

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves-slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.  Only this moment is life." –Thich Nhat Hanh

"To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul."
-Simone Weil

 

Welcome to my first official e-reader sleeve!  

As of right now, I am only making these as a custom order so you can choose the color and type of design that you would like.  This one was a custom order with a flower design for a kindle.  The outside is leather and has a pocket that can be used for a charger, paper and pen, or something else all together.  The kindle fits nicely inside where it is padded with environmentally-friendly felt.  This felt is 100% tan wool with no extra processing.  There are no dye’s, and the wool is naturally flame retardant.  The kindle will stay in securely with a flap and leather tie that goes around a handmade wooden button.  Each will be unique.  Please contact me if you are interested in one.  These can be modified for any e-reader—nook, kindle, or even an ipad.

Feedback from the lady who purchased this:  

"I got this in the mail today, and it is everything I had hoped it would be. Thank you so much for a wonderful custom order!There is no where else I could have bought exactly what I wanted, except from this shop. Thanks agian for your time and effort, it is lovely and arrived in perfect condition."

 This customized book was created for a lady who wants it for plant data that she is collecting.   It has lined paper and alphabetical tabs.  The tabs will make it so that she can easily look up specific species, recipies, and the like.   The outside was a repurposed encyclopedia cover, and the inside paper is both recycled and acid-free.  

I just completed this custom Celtic book necklace. It is over-sized, and both the leather and the textblock are recycled. The binding is a combination of a couple of traditional binding methods along with my own interpretation. The directive was an extra-large book necklace with green leather and a triskelion. The request also included wanting something that was "distinctly Oesch". I really enjoyed creating this little treasure, which brings to mind Irish mythology and folklore.

Here is an excerpt from my interview with Bluegrass Boogaloo:

Apart from creating things, what do you do? / Is creating art your full-time job, or do you work outside of creating these magnificent items?
I create full-time, over-time, most of the time.  I also write and read quite a bit while enjoying a cup of hot tea.  I love frolicking through the woods, camping beneath the stars, and watching the moon’s travels.  I look for adventures on a somewhat regular basis, dance frequently, and research whatever pops in my head.

Please describe your creative process.
Oh, well, this changes frequently.  I have several lines of work now and tend to create what I need to fill orders, re-stock, etc.  Then, *bam*, inspiration happens and I’m researching new shapes and histories on certain images and creating something new.  This inspiration is more directly sought after when it comes to custom orders as I am working with a deadline; however, I appreciate the challenge and continue to be surprised at how fabulously it keeps “working”.

Check out the whole interview here.

"Life for me is sweet, simple, authentic and relaxed. I am content with myself and in love with life wherever it leads."  -excerpt from The Gypsy Ashram

Friends, 

I am thinking of you today and sending you so much love.  Remember that love comes and shows itself in a myriad of forms.  We are surrounded and deeply, deeply cared for.  Please take a few moments to read this heartfelt Valentine's Day rant.  It is for all of us who know and who wish to know that there is more love available than we are generally led to believe.  

 

Sweetheart Scrapbook:  Handmade Leather Photo Album

The first page can come with any quote or a personal message.  All of the pages are acid-free and perfect for holding photos of you and your dear one.

Photo corners work great for this scrapbook as would photo sleeves or acid-free adhesive.  

All of these can be found at craft stores.

Personal Photo Leather Journal

There is a pocket so that you can put in your own little photo or message.  Also has acid-free blank pages and can be used for photos, taking turns writing down memories, love notes, road trips...

Love Deeply Large Leather Journal 

Book Necklaces:  Key to My Heart

Great for teeny, tiny photos or small sweet messages...

Today, I received a phone call from a customer who had bought a leather book necklace a couple months ago.  She proceeded to tell me all about her budding romance, how she has waited a long time for a good fit, and how they've now found each other.  This is where the book necklace comes in.  She had some of their photos together printed smaller and also cut apart some of the photo indexes that had tiny pictures of them together.  Then, she put them all in one of these booklets, gave it to her boyfriend for Christmas, and told him that the key on it stood for the key to her heart.  He loved it!  He was so touched by it that he cried.  He hangs it on his rearview mirror so that he can look at it frequently.  What’s especially fun is that he made a book full of pictures for her as well.  She called today wanting several more book necklaces because she wants to make him one for Valentine's Day and plans on giving him a collection of these as time goes on.  So, these fun mini books can be used for more than just necklaces!  The sized she used it just a touch larger than the ones I currently make so just let me know if you want one this size.

 

 

I'm so intrigued by old text blocks and the appearance they create by simply being. It's almost like they transport you to a quieter time by their very existence. Text blocks are being used for all sorts of decorative purposes these days.  Even furniture stores like Arhaus are using them in interesting ways:

 When a customer asked if I'd make bookends, this was the first thing that popped into my mind:

If you are interested in any text blocks as bookends or otherwise, just let me know.

Not only are these iron buttons hand-crafted from by a Lexington artist, these iron buttons are also filled with Lexington history.  They are from iron rods that were in one of the barns at Hamburg Place.  While Hamburg Place is currently known for shopping, it was previously a well-know breeding farm for horses.  It was bought by John Madden in 1897.  Prior to this, he had tamed an unruly colt named Hamburg.  [Here is a little background on Hamburg:  His sire was Hanover, winner of Belmont Stakes and thirty-one other races and his paternal grandsire was Hindoo, a winner of the Kentucky Derby, the Travers Stakes and thirty of his thirty-five starts.  Hamburg’s dam was Lady Reel, half-sister to Domino and whose sire was Fellowcraft, a full brother to Spendthrift.]  Hamburg was purchased as a yearling by John E. Madden and proved to be one of the most difficult horses Madden ever broke.  Hamburg raced sixteen-times as a two yr old and won twelve of those starts.  Madden sold Hamburg after his first season, used this money to purchase land, and named it in honor of the horse that helped him buy it.  Madden went on to breed five Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winners and was later inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame and the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.  Hamburg Place continued to be a well-known horse farm until 1996 when it was sold to be developed.

References:
Thoroughbred Heritage Portraits 
Wikipedia John E Madden
Hamburg Place 

Any time I become intrigued with a particular animal, I like to explore what Native Americans, Shamans, and Healers associate with that animal.  This can be called an animal totem or animal medicine.  It’s fascinating as each animal has different characteristics to teach us.  Horses are no different.  Horses are one of the few animals that is said to have made alliance with humans early on.  They set us free to travel and transport and work the ground in ways that people had not been able to do before.  It is interesting to note that engines are still measured in “horsepower”.   They have often been associated with mystical powers, especially in various mythologies.  Part of this mystical power is intuition.  With this knowing comes a deep sense of knowing themselves.  There are many references to a horse’s dignity whether it is running wild and free or pulling a plow and the heaviest of burdens.  A horse knows that regardless of its domestication it can quickly become once again the untamed spirit it always was.  This is part of the horse’s teachings: to walk through difficult circumstances with ease and dignity, knowing that deep down we are always free.  This goes along with personal empowerment and tapping into your own inner power.  Horses demonstrate this whether they are racing or running wild or pulling a plow.   They are continually tapping into their power.  They teach us that what we need to access is right there within us.  Think about a horse galloping.  When you allow the horse to set its own pace, riding quickly becomes a pleasure.  It is teaching us to get in touch with our own spirit, allowing this part of ourselves to discover our distinct rhythm.  Doing so sets us free to really enjoy life.  Everything has a bit more ease in it.  Another aspect worth noting is the mother horse.  She gives herself fully to supporting her colts, which can be seen in the sway of her back when she is suckled.  However, she knows when enough is enough.  She does not allow more to be taken from her than is necessary.  We can learn a lot about self-care from the mother horse.  She knows when it is time to take care of herself and teaches her little ones when it is time to take care of themselves.  This is mostly done by example.  The lessons we can learn from horses goes on and on.  They have much to offer us if only we will listen a little more deeply.  The Kentucky’s state logo is “unbridled spirit”.   I love this!  It brings to mind a horse in its natural habitat, without the conditionings we’ve put on it.  That phrase “unbridled spirit” calls out to my gypsy soul…the part of me that continues to learn how to be untangled and free.  I am reminded that, regardless of what things may seem, I am free.

I dreamt about wings last night.  Large, gorgeous butterfly wings.  I was walking down a gravel lane in the woods along a creek, and there were two stacks of them.  Of course, I gathered them all up as carefully as I could.  Upon waking, I knew I wanted to share about wings today.  I've been interested in winged creatures since I was young.  Angels in particular. I recall a couple of years ago complaining about my shoulders hurting and saying that my wings were coming in.  When I was 18, I wanted wings tattooed on my back. I wanted big wings.  I had medium-sized wings my freshman year in college.  I wore them to dances, Halloween parties, and random get-togethers for years.  Last month, I found myself creating fabric cocoons, hanging from a branch.  Beautifully fragile.  Potential.  Waiting.  That was December.  Then on New Year’s Eve, I found myself desiring wings again.  I wanted to bring in the New Year wearing them.  While that did not happen physically, I did find that I wore them energetically.  If you were there, you probably saw them.  They were real in their own way.  What I didn't realize at the time was that they were setting the tone for my New Year's intentions.  Let me just say that New Year's is my favorite holiday. I love the symbolism of starting fresh and recreating who you want to be, letting the parts of you go that did not serve you well.  Usually, I reflect a lot going into January, and it's not that I didn't this year.  However, it was different.  I was quieter within myself.  I didn't rush into figuring out how I wanted to change.  I realized that what I wanted was intentions, and I meditatively waited for those to come.  Several came in soft whispers throughout the first few weeks of January.  Here are a couple that I want to share...

Intentions

Transform: This brings to mind the image of a cocoon as well as the wings that emerge from it and all the capabilities they offer.  This year, I want to give birth (and transform) into an even truer version of myself, embracing my own power and "bigness".  

Be gentle with yourself: I have a tendency to be a bit of a slave-driver towards myself and be too harsh a critic.  With this, I want to give permission to life being easier and not always something I have to fight through.  I continue to also become aware that I don't have to suffer anymore.

What are your intentions for 2012?

I just completed this custom design. Someone contacted me wanting to have the Anarchist's Tool Chest printed and bound. I'll admit to being a bit hesitant as I did not know what content a book like this would have. Thankfully, I proceeded with the e-conversation and found out that it has to do with using woodworking tools to create lasting furniture. This request was also just for the index which came out after the actual book did. I worked with a local printing company to print the inside, created the cover, and bound it.  It turned out quite fabulously, and the cover has a rustic feel that works so appropriately with the content.

 

This is the shirt that the bride's Maid of Honor surprised her with for her
bachelorette party.  Those are linen stitched letters on a fancy tank top.

The wedding banner turned out fabulously, and I just love how they placed
it on the front of their reception table.  

Custom Wedding Guestbook with the bride and groom's initials on the front.

Each of the tables at the reception had one of these mini books on them
for guests to write advice or notes in.  What a fun idea!