Kimz Krafts
Using mostly vintage books and paper, I create practical, usable new books from old. Sometimes I will harvest and use the original book cloth which has naturally aged to cover a new book. I hand colour, print, collage, sew and decorate vintage book pages, which are then used in the book. I will hand dye paper using natural dyes like tea or avocado skin to give a vintage look. I recycle pages from old exercise books, ledgers, and interesting pages from books. The foxing and age-worn marks, like those left by rusty paperclips, or the residue of sticky tape, are all meant to be there.
My work features collage, mixed media, mono-printing and a lot of hand dyeing/colouring. I have developed a method for making faux leather from card which I use as the cover on some of my books. There are ‘found’ elements such as tickets, postcards, beads, vintage lace and charms. I source materials mostly from second hand shops and antique markets.
The books I make can be used as diaries, notebooks, wedding planners, etc.
I also make decorative pieces using a variety of papers, like globes, mobiles and sunbursts. I use vintage comics, book pages or my own scanned collage designs, sometimes embellished with vintage text from books, broken jewellery and gilding wax.
Each piece is handmade and unique. I don’t make things in a production line style. Although the folded paperwork does have a regular look to it, the finished pieces are still ‘one-offs’. Generally, my books have a botanical theme with vintage tones, but occasionally I make bright/vivid pieces.
I live in Pembrokeshire in the beautiful village of St Dogmaels. I enjoy exploring the local beaches and countryside for inspiration.
Commissions – contact to discuss.
Contacts
web: www.kimzkrafts.co.uk
Etsy: KimzKraftsShop
YouTube: KimzKrafts
FaceBook: KimzKrafts
email: KimzKrafts@gmx.com
tel: 07521 325 959
