MoonShadow Press

Wander & Ponder: Poems & Art

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Things that can spiral:

- staircases

- pasta

- negative thoughts

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Something I am slowly realizing:

Perfectionism is not a good friend. 

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Sorrow has bore holes in my heart that are now wells for hope.

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A Goal for Living Abundantly No. 1:

To chase Delight, not Perfection.

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A Goal for Growth, Openness, & Perseverance:

To hold onto hope tight enough to provide steady light, and loose enough to illuminate more than one possible path.

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Chalkboard walls & colors! I love my MoonShadow Press Studio!

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As much as I love free candy, there is a lot about Halloween that I'm not into- like blood & guts & body bits. This can make decorating challenging sometimes. However, this year I found some amazing inspiration from the blog, The House That Lars Built. They sided with a more Taxidermy Museum approach, making the bookworm/science geek in me do a happy dance.

To add my own spin, I added some Apothecary Spook to the arrangement. Old books, bell jars, a crow, glass vials, a lone skull, a set of scales, candlesticks, & greenery. Basically, if Shakespeare & Edgar Allen Poe were in charge of Halloween decor, I'm pretty sure it would look like this!

PS. I almost didn't include the skull (even in styrofoam they freak me out), but I'm glad I did.

PPS. List of places I found almost all of these lovely objects: Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Target, Goodwill, Marshalls, my front yard.

www.moonshadow-press.com/blog

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“Eternity sits in our hearts”

A Phrase Poem based on a verse in Ecclesiastes, hand stitched into a 4″x6″ photograph of the Roman Forum. 

Stitched photographed for sale HERE on Etsy.

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A tiny cabinet full of treasures:

I found all of these objects washed up at a beach in Italy. The cabinet is a perfect home for them, keeping them safe and visible. 

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Something to keep our words afloat.

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Rooted & Established.

A Phrase Poem based on Ephesians 3:17 is hand stitched into a 4″x6″ photo collage (photograph & vellum).

For sale HERE on Etsy! 

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The Story that Wrote Itself (2012)

In Florence, there was a paper goods shop that would occasionally leave free things outside on a windowsill. One time I picked up a few old pamphlets. I don’t remember why now, but I started painting one of them with black gesso. As my brush slid across the pages, certain letters started emerging from the paint, refusing to be covered. The more I painted, the more letters appeared. It was as if it was writing its own, secret story. 

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There are lots of stories woven into this wall display! 

From left to right: a photo collage combining two images from an art history text book, a hand stitched photo collage, an old Italian political pamphlet, a collage combining images from a Florence guide book, an etching from my thesis, a drawing of a painting in the Uffizi Galleria, a tiny map of Florence, and two pictures of my best friend! 

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Bear/Believe/Hope/Endure

A Phrase Poem based on 1 Corinthians 13:7 is hand stitched into a 4″x6″ photograph of a door in Cortona, Italy. Such a wonderful shade of blue! I’m pretty much decided it is my favorite color.

For sale HERE on Etsy.

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Twine & Push-Pins = perfect wall display! 

I tried out The Caldwell Projects’s Geometric Photo Display. Click HERE to see the whole tutorial! 

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Posters look beautiful as a stand-alone pieces or as a part of a larger wall display.

I found this gorgeous block printed paper at a shop in Florence, Italy. The detail is stunning and I love the bold pattern. 

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Snapshots of Italy & friends hung in a simple way - with just white electrical tape on a chalkboard. Forgoing frames gives a casual and intimate feel when showcasing photographs.