Erinzam News

I’ve been working on a selection of earth-friendly goodies lately. In order to reduce my large collection of paper, linen thread and book cover scraps left over from other projects, I created a new group of “Recycle Bin Books”. Each one is completely different. They make me think of little patchwork quilts. A few are currently available for sale on Etsy, with more to be posted throughout May.

Another attempt at recycling studio scraps culminated in a series of mini collages. I had several screen printed tags left over from a previous project and thought long and hard about how to recycle them without actually dumping them in the recycle bin. This project turned out to be extremely healthy for me, as I wasn’t concerned about how they turned out. I just went for it and had a great time cutting, gluing, drawing and writing little phrases. Of course, some of them turned out terrible, but others I like quite a bit. A selection of the better ones are posted online here.

Please feel free to post links to some of the eco-friendly projects that you are working on lately! I’m always interesed in new ideas and love to see what others are creating.

This is my first scientific approach to market research! I’m working on a collection of recycle bin books and applying found signage lettering to the covers. Just for fun, I went through the first names of people who ordered from me within the last six months and tallied the frequency of the first letter of each first name. The results? Letter J came in first with 20 occurrences. Letter M was right behind with 19. Other popular letters to begin one’s first name with include K, S, A, L and C. The letters U, X, Y, Z and F were not too popular… although Z is still one of my all-time favorites.

Yesterday I received the best surprise ever… a ceramic hedgehog that’s not only handsome, but it’s a rattle and a whistle too! I’ve had my eye on this little handmade cutie for some time. It was created right here in the Los Angeles area by fellow Etsian, MaidOfClay. Thank you benben for this smiling little pal!

I’m multitasking! This time, several of the projects that I recently completed involved the wonderful Print Gocco. Once you start a print gocco project, it’s hard to stop making more and more!

Project number one is a new business card. Ben and I are both setting up a booth with our goods at a local festival in May (this is our first booth experience and we’re super excited!). Thanks to tax season, we have very few funds to dedicate to this venture, so we’re getting creative. For a new business card, I used sheets of acid free chip board. We already had stacks of these that we use to ship with our prints to keep them stiff. I decided to create a design that related to my books and drawings… like part of a page pulled from a sketchbook. I combined scans of my own handwriting and sketches with the font Cyclone (I promise I had no idea I was once again using a Hoefler & Frere-Jones font when I selected it!). I left space on the back to write in extra notes and information. My favorite part is the graphite color, which is a mix of black and silver inks. I like the little bird walking on the page line like a tightrope, too. The fun parts are done now! I do still have stacks of them to cut down to size, which isn’t quite so fun.

Projects number two and three are mini tag books. I really liked the vintage inventory tags that I previously used to make into little books, but my supply ran out. I decided to design my own, made to be filled out with information directly related to the content of the book. The little squirrel book was an idea that I just couldn’t resist. Ideas and sketches are the little nuts that you squirrel away into this book.

I must admit, this is the very first time that I have ever used one of my own books that I made! I have always used sketchbooks and journals that I received as gifts, etc. Sounds kind of weird, I know. I’ve been carrying around one of the little inventory books and so far I really like it. Right now I’m thinking of using one for the car to log gas and maintenance, one for recording my purchases, and of course one for sketches and ideas!

Both of these are currently available in my Etsy shop.

Oooh la la! I’m so happy with these new frames that arrived from American Frame. I chose a special one for each of these six new original paintings that will be available for purchase on Thursday and Friday.

I can smell the sweet smells of spring already! Here are a few sketches inspired by the pretty flowers popping up everywhere.

This is one in a series of six new paintings that I just completed. For the first time, these 6 in x 6 in panels combine my collection of discarded library books with acrylic paint and rub off lettering. I plan to post both the originals as well as prints of them on Etsy within the next two weeks. In the meantime I’m waiting for their frames to arrive. I’ll post an update once they’re up and available!

At the start of the year, a fellow Etsy artist requested a custom weekly planner/sketchbook for 2008. I struggled to begin until I chanced upon some great inspiration by designer and artist Amanda Hawkins. She created her very own organizer and planner pages, which are available for download from here. Amanda’s fantastic approach to her own planner helped me to finally overcome my artist’s block and inspired me to create something exciting. Forget DayMinder!

I designed a weekly calendar page, complete with a system for stamping in the dates and the phases of the moon. I printed these pages onto a substantial drawing paper and interspersed various sketch papers and envelopes between each week. My hope is for each week to present a surprise and inspiration to the owner. The cover is machine embroidered canvas covering book board. The snap closure allows for expansion as items are added to the envelopes throughout the year.

I like how this project turned out so much that I almost considered creating one for myself. After remembering how much time it took, I changed my mind. I think I’ll stick to my current system/mess of little pieces of paper and sticky notes for now.

Here they are! Earlier I mentioned a special project that I worked on in conjunction with the online shop, Three Potato Four. We came up with a set of three little books made from inventory tags. I screen printed numbers onto the covers with a Print Gocco, lined them with special papers and bound them using a pamphlet stitch. Each set is bundled in a little handmade muslin bag. I think these would be fun for grownups too!

Here are a few more cute items available through Three Potato Four’s brand new Kids section:

In January, my younger brother and only sibling, Brett, died in a single car accident. He was an amazing person and an extremely talented musician. He is missed so, so much.

“HAYS — Brett Anthony Zamrzla, age 24 of Hays, died Tuesday, January 22, 2008, the result of an automobile accident. He was born March 21, 1983, in Salina, Kansas the son of Bruce Anthony and Jeanette M. (Gustafson) Zamrzla.

Brett was a 2002 graduate of Chapman High School and attended school in Sylvan Grove through his sophomore year. He attended Fort Hays State University, where he was involved in many music activities. His love of music led him to be a part of music activities in the Hays, Ellis County and Dickinson County communities. Brett was a member of regional and local bands and he gave percussion music lessons. He was also a personal assistant for DSNWK in Victoria.

He is survived by his mother, Jeanette M. Zamrzla, of Hays; a sister, Erin L. Zamrzla and husband Ben Schlitter of Santa Monica, Calif.; grandparents, James and Eleanor (Clark) Gustafson of Smolan, Kan.; one uncle, Larry Zamrzla and wife Shirley of Salina; and two aunts, Virginia Clapp of Hays and Rhonda Toal of Hillsboro, Kan.

He was preceded in death by his father, Bruce A. Zamrzla; paternal grandparents, Anthony and Edith Zamrzla; and one uncle, Gene Clapp.

Memorial services will be 10 a.m. Friday, January 25, 2008, at the Covenant Church, 102 S. Washington in Lindsborg. Inurnment will follow the services at the Rose Hill Cemetery, rural Lindsborg.

The family will be present to greet friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brock’s North Hill Chapel, 2509 Vine, Hays.

Brett’s family respectfully requests that you honor him by “paying it forward.” Please consider who might best receive the gift you have to give — flower, food, service, music, money, art … — and give it in loving memory of Brett. If you’d like to let us know what you’ve done, please send us a note (205 E 25th Terrace, Hays, KS 67601). May the peace of Christ be with you”