This is a custom-made padfolio for a custom who emailed me a sketch of the design that she wanted. I was able to do what she asked and included the teal design, a place for an 8.5 x 11 inch tablet/notebook, a pen holder, a sleeve for loose papers, and a business card holder. It also has her initials hand-stitched on the front and closes securely with a heavy dut snap.
This is a custom scrapbook that I created for a dear friend whose son is getting ready to have his first birthday. I included all the elements that she asked for including the state of KY and a star for where he lives, his name and birthday, and the scripture that was given to her and her husband before he was born. It is made from reclaimed leathers, has recycled, archival pages inside, and is hand-bound.
Spring finally came!! I feel like we can take a collective sigh of relief that we all survived the long winter. I don’t mind being a bit of a hermit and going into deep internal work mode for a few solitary months, but I do miss the sunshine and all the bright colors that come with this time of year. For me, spring means jumping into outdoor art festivals, which I officially kicked off a couple of weeks ago. It was the most fabulous beginning of the season at Cherokee Triangle Art Fair in Louisville with gorgeous weather and winning an honorable mention award. There was something incredible redemptive about this for me. I love that show—the location, the ease, the friendly people. However, I’ve had a few hard times with it. A couple of years ago, my tent was literally mangled by a storm that came through, and last year, I wasn’t even able to make it as my car overheated on the way out of town. I cannot fully express my gratitude as I drove my new, reliable car to the show this year with my sturdy tent in tow. I do not take these things lightly as you can see I have gone without. Doing so has deepened my appreciation. I’m looking forward to several fun shows coming up and a couple of bookbinding workshops this summer. Hope to see you around!
These journals were created in celebration of the state of Kentucky! While I've considered making state journals for awhile, it was my long-time friend and fellow Kentuckian, Megan Morgan, who really pushed for me to create these. We both have done a bit of travelling and living elsewhere, but have surprised ourselves at how we continue to be drawn back here. I've heard similar stories from others who grew up in this state. There is something magical about the hills, the rivers, the pastures, the people. There truly is a growing KY pride, and these journals are meant to celebrate that.
I created this scrapbook for a long-time friend who is living in Kansas for a bit. She wants to make her son a scrapbook with photos, notes from school, drawings, etc. They will all fit nicely in here. His name is on the front within the state of Kansas...and just for fun, the dot of the "i" is about where they live. I'm excited to see it once she has it all put together!
"Lovers don't finally meet somewhere, they're in each other all along." -Rumi
Every wedding is as unique as the individuals that are being celebrated. These wedding guestbooks are just as unique. These in particular are currently for sale here and are also examples of the kinds of wedding guestbooks I can create. I also make these types of books for engagement parties, baby showers, family renuions, etc. The name plates on the front can be customized and can be on the front of the book or on the first inside page. Please let me know if you are interested in a custom-made guestbook at reimaginedbyluna@gmail.com.
Want something nice and simple to carry your tablet of paper and pen in? Introducing this new design for a 5 x 7 inch pad plus a pen! It is made from reclaimed leather and closes with a leather tie or heavy duty snap. The sleeve on the left will fit a folded 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper, and there is a place for business cards. On the right, there is a pen holder and a holder for the pad of paper. It will come with both a pad of paper and pen. The particularly nice thing about this design is that because the leather is soft, you can fold both the flap and left side back so that you can easily hold it in one hand. It is great for note-taking as well as having notes available during a presentation or meeting. I offer the 8.5 x 11 size as a custom order. Just contact me if you are interested!
Photo albums are priceless family heirlooms, and, while many photos are kept digitally now, it is nice to keep that hand-picked selection collected in a way that can be easily enjoyed. You can add your photographs to these with photo corners or acid-free adhesives. The leather is carefully bound so that the pages expand with the addition of your photos. This ensures that the photo album's shape stays in tact and does not get bulky. It closes securely with a leather strap and handcrafted wooden piece or bead. These photo albums are truly one-of-a-kind and would make a beautiful family heirloom. 
This is a Custom Wedding Guestbook for an upcoming wedding. The bride's mother went on a treasure hunt and found the perfect book. She asked for several of the additions, including cutting out some of the book's pictures and including them throughout the book. The wedding is going to be earthy with a flair of vintage. Also, the couple met on a trip in South America; hence, the tribal and tropical aspects.
This is a Custom Large Refillable Journal created from reclaimed leather and a very special closure. It closes with a button made from one of the customer's Jacob sheep horns. She is a shepherdess to that breed and wanted to include a piece of her in the book. It turned out so lovely, and she even sent me a couple extra to use, which was very cool of her.
Here is what she had to say about it: "A great job on this custom made journal! Melissa used one of my sheep horn buttons for part of the closure. Such a nice touch to what will be a daily used item. Highly recommend this shop! THANK YOU!!!"
"The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor; he took my measurements anew every time he saw me, while all the rest went on with their old measurements and expected me to fit them."
-George Bernard Shaw
It’s interesting how the way I write or what I write continues to change. In grade school, it was very much a diary, pretty factual—this is what the day held and this is how it made me feel. In high school, there was much more poetry, and, yes, even song lyrics. The poems were generally raw and vacillated between being incredibly overt to vague and symbolic. It was all deeply personal. I moved on in college to writing quite frequently in third person. If you happened upon one of my journals, you may have thought I was writing a series of short stories. These actually happened. They were my life and those of you who were a part of it had nicknames. I distinctly remember the pretty boy, the best friend, and the activist. And then I just began to write. it. all. I wrote what happened, how I felt, how I thought others perceived it, how I hurt, what made me happy, what I wanted to do, what I wanted to quit doing, what my waking and sleeping dreams were, who I wanted to be and how I
thought I could get there and on and on. I included gratefulness and grief, hopes and rude awakenings. The writing still continues to change. The journals as of late have become deeply contemplative. They are frequently filled with words that others have written—numerous quotes, advice from sages of many cultures and times, thoughts from a variety of topics that pique my interest. I write bits of gratitude, persistent questions, vivid dreams, curious prayers mostly consisting of "You know better...Thy will be done", and subtle whispers that I’m learning to listen to. I record the details of life that I feel like the Divine continues to use to get my attention, to wake me up. I want to take note and not forget these small steps that I am trusting are leading me to Source. I am breathing all the lessons in deeply and breathing out the heaviness and history that I once thought I had to carry. Everything is new. Each moment is new. The writing remains a reflection of change, a reminder of growth, and motivation for deeper discoveries. How have you seen your writing change? How has the way you reflect and record changed?
Ed Lawrence put together a collection of 120 photographs, each one taken from one of the 120 counties in KY. He began a kickstarter campaign to gather the funds to publish it and wanted to offer hand-bound editions for those who pledged over a certain amount. We ended up creating five limited editions of his photographs that were printed on archival, handmade paper and then hand-bound to reclaimed leather. The closures were created by another artist and have the recipient's names on them. While I was only involved with the hand-bound book aspect of this project, it was still quite an undertaking. I have to say that these are the thickest books I have bound so far. I'm incredibly pleased with how they turned out. While these handbound books were a limited edition, the published copies of Kentucky 120 should be available in March. They will be available at Morris Book Shop in Lexington, KY among other places. You can contact Ed Lawrence for more details at edlawrencephotography@gmail.com.
SOWING LIGHTNING
Seize
Bolts of lightning from the sky
And plant them in fields of life.
They will grow like tender sprouts of fire.
Charge somber thoughts
With unexpected flash,
You, my lightning in the soil!”
― Visar Zhiti
This design was a custom sketchbook that a couple wanted to gift their friend with. The recipient loves purple, and Lady Gaga (hence, the lightning), and has peace, love, and equality tattooed on herself. While it was a delight to create, I couldn't shake how large these lightning bolts were. They definitely felt electric! It began these ongoing thoughts regarding electricity and charge and shock. All of these can be quite helpful in waking someone up....like REALLY waking someone up...on a deep, deep level. I am grateful for these moments, the ones where I'm forced to see truth and deal with reality. When I allow it, it urges me back to my center where I am ultimately wanting to live from anyway.
Happy New, Super Moon and New Year! May it be bright and real as we transform into yet truer, better versions of ourselves. Many Blessings!
One of the really beautiful things as of late is all the stories I am hearing in regards to these little book ornaments. This season in particular, people are sharing why they are purchasing a memory book ornament. Some are literally in memory of people's passing, some are to commemorate a child's newfound love for reading, and one person's son is a brain cancer survivor and finds writing to be therapeutic. Many are going to grandkids from their grandparents. All of them are being purchased with great intention and good will...and I'm sending love out with each one of them and to each of you this holiday season. May we all be conscious of each other as we prepare for, navigate, and enjoy the holidays.
I'm excited to be included in Kentucky Monthly Magazine's 2013 Holiday Gift Guide! You can see the whole gift guide here.
This is a custom turkey feather journal created from reclaimed leather, handmade paper, and turkey feathers. Turkey Medicine is particularly significant for me so creating this journal definitely felt like a sacred task.
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
-Berthold Auerbach
Things have been non-stop around here with art shows back-to-back. Still, that is no excuse for having not taken a before picture of this journal...well, I guess I kind of am using it as an excuse ;) Let's just put it this way: This is a custom-made journal that was made out of a lady's favorite purse that had fallen apart. I used the outside leather as well as some of the lining and combined it with walnut brown leather to create this one-of-a-kind journal. In a sense, she will continue to get use out of her purse (such a great color!) as she begins to record her dreams and reflections in her new dream journal.
