Etsy announced their winners of the first ever Etsy Design Awards and I'm happy to share that my WONDERS OF SEA & TREE ketubah was declared the winner in its category Festive Celebrations!

“We’re constantly looking to uncover the latest trends emerging on Etsy, and the Etsy Design Awards were an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the highest quality items created by talented makers around the world.”

-Dayna Isom, Johnson, Etsy Trend Expert and competition judge.

The Etsy Design Awards (or Etsies for short) sought to highlight sellers who “truly embody the spirit of Etsy," an artisan marketplace boasting thousands of talented and skilled craftsmen and craftswomen. Naturally for an introvert artist like myself it is a bewildering honor to be considered one of "the very best of Etsy!"

I certainly didn't feel like it when I applied. Truth was, I was in a slump. I was reading articles and workbooks by creative business coaches and filling out branding questionnaires and suddenly this Etsy Design Awards opportunity appeared in my inbox. I only applied not after reading the pitch, but after reading the application questions. I found myself thinking the questions over and decided that if I was going to answer them for myself I might as well send them on for other people to read. I'm sure my fellow winners will agree, the questions in the application form helped me remember why I create my art in the way that I do. How satisfying it is and how connected I feel to my craft. I honestly felt a weight lifted off my shoulders with every impassioned answer I gave. My answers helped me and my business before I ever knew I was chosen as a finalist!

Awards are recognitions of qualities you want to celebrate and encourage in the whole community, not just the recipient, so being chosen as an Etsy's Design Award recipient is not only a boost to my confidence as a creator - it's validation by my community. I’m so humbled and thrilled that Etsy agrees there is room in this modern world, in this wedding industry, for these handcrafted artworks.

The Festive Celebrations category's tagline is For all things wedding that are the life of the party. This is a perfect description of what a ketubah is! A ketubah is nothing if not a celebration of a couple's shared life, their hopes and dreams. It is a true keepsake ~ displayed proudly on the wedding day and at home to always remind spouses through hardships and happiness the strength of their love and commitment to each other.

The Wonders of Sea & Tree papercut ketubah perfectly embodies the renewed spirit of this ancient wedding artistry: highly decorative with elements of both land and sea, it illustrates the merging of the bride and groom's lives together. Creatures of legend surround the marriage pledge and bestow a sense of adventure and excitement onto the wedding vows. Both worlds come together to create a design lush with symbolism and color that honors the sacred wedding vows and celebrates the the sentiments that inspired the wedding union.

I began making papercut ketubahs to celebrate the love pledge between lovers in a modern style that both honors the tradition of the ketubah’s craftsmanship and celebrates all modern love stories. At their core, all my papercuts begin with the story my clients share, of how they met and fell in love. The craftsmanship I put into creating them makes the sentiment behind a marriage covenant just that much more special and heartfelt, and I aspire to make each of my tactile artworks as enchanting as the love pledges they frame.

I'm honored to share that WONDERS OF SEA & TREE papercut ketubah is an Etsy Awards Finalist!

Etsy's been a bright guiding star in my life. It has steered me into this ocean of freelance opportunity and exciting community I never would have adventured to on my own. Etsy has empowered me to live a life I would not have dreamed possible and I AM SO GRATEFUL!

I discovered Etsy in 2007 when searching for cupcake-shaped pin cushions. Down the rabbit hole I went! I was earning a BA in illustration at the time and told EVERYONE about this site. I opened my own tiny stationery shop on Etsy then and I'm pretty sure most of my class followed suit, listing their posters, paintings, and art dolls. Several are still active today - check out TushTush and Tosya!

A full time independent creator and business owner, I am an Etsy success story. This small crafters marketplace changed my life for the better! I’ve witnessed it grow over the years as I’ve grown. It connected me with other artists, shared stories of success and advice, showed me opportunities and encouraged me to be brave. I opened WOODLAND PAPERCUTS in 2011 and found a life worth living - full of creativity and heart.

Thank you Etsy editors for picking one of my ketubot for your first annual awards! And guys - go take a look, there are so many great artists on the list and beyond - just writing this I searched for my old shop and discovered a collection of new makers!

"I think I'm quite ready for an adventure!"

WONDERS OF SEA & TREE was nominated in the Festive Celebration category - for all things wedding that are the life of the party. This category is a perfect description of what a ketubah is! And this ketubah specifically embodies perfectly the renewed spirit of this ancient wedding artistry.

A ketubah needn't be boring, traditional, or closed off and secretive. It's a celebration of love - it should be shared! On Etsy I found likeminded artists who were trail-blazers in this niche industry. With the help of Etsy we shared the ketubah with a wider audience than ever before. No more unimaginative designs and low-quality prints, here you found story-tellers that created with care and a personable touch. I believe I was of the first few to sell papercut ketubot on Etsy, breathing new life into this dying artistry. You couldn't find a handmade papercut ketubah in an open, young style anywhere else but Etsy! Discerning Jewish, Quaker, and Artistic brides and grooms found us on Etsy and I'm thrilled to see this niche category has grown so much!

To Order Your Own 
W O N D E R S   O F   S E A   &   T R E E
Contact me HERE | Go to MY SHOP

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Wedding photos by Tristan Crane Photography

With the start of the 2017 wedding season, I've decided to overhaul my shop. I usually do this every year in some small way, removing unpopular designs, updating prices, and rewriting shop policies. This year the need for me to review the shop became more urgent a few months back, when Etsy introduced a new tags system that really messed up my listings, and for some reason completely stumped me. *I originally continued this sentence by a rant about my technical diffuculties, but actually today I figured it out, so there - I am not that challenged!* In short, it's time for A SHOP UPDATE!

Given the nature of an independent shop full of handmade art, I am in a unique position to be spontaneous. So yesterday (April 30) I decided I was going to have a sale. A BIG OL' SALE. A sale so big, with so many designs, I had to put the shop offline for the day so I can update all the listings! - THAT'S HOW BIG. Curious yet? I hope you are! NEARLY ALL THE DESIGNS ARE REDUCED IN PRICE! And get this, I plan to keep this sale going until the end of the month!

So if you're in the market for an upscale, quality, handmade ketubah, that is also personalized and has a fast, quick, 3-10 days turnaround - LOOK NO FURTHER! AND -

E N T E R   M Y   S H O P

I'm happy to announce that I'm officially accepting custom design commissions again!

Months ago I had to take a break from custom orders after I completely burned out. I was constantly sick from one thing or another, and my output went way down. Any creative would tell you that feeling down means creativity goes down, and oh boy it did. If I wasn't bedridden from some mysterious cause, I was so exhausted I found it hard to concentrate. I felt like I let my clients down and could not balance life / work commitments properly. I felt overwhelmed. Something had to give and I decided a break to recharge was in order.

I'm glad to say over the intervening months my health has improved, I got my energy back, and I am confident and excited about the new designs my clients and I will create together this year! To make sure I don't burnout again, I'm going to ease into this with only 2 open slots a month. So, without further ado,

To Order Your Own 
C U S T O M   H E I R L O O M   K E T U B A H
Learn More HERE | Contact me HERE

For previous orders gallery go  HERE

For previous client feedback go HERE

There's a lot to say about 2016, but like the rest of the world I can succinctly say it sucked. Sucked bad. For me personally it's been a year of growth, one very painful at the start but steadfast at the end. Around the world it was 'terrible' capped off with 'I give up on you, humanity'. I gotta say that feeling overwhelmed me too in November. But since this is a work blog, I've decided to focus on the positive and send off 2016 with a winner:

As I make all ketubot bespoke, this design had many personal touches added to it with every couple, from colors to elements. Here are a few beautiful examples of its past evolutions:

Apologies! Apologies for my absence! When Summer rolled around I put my head down and took it day by day, and I'm happy to say I made it through another Wedding Season! Yay!

I would celebrate with a pint of Ben & Jerry's coffee ice cream, but I live in the sticks and there isn't a yummy tub anywhere. Torture!

There were no big life changes during this time (sorry for the lack of juicy gossip), BUT there were plenty of beautiful ketubot that I've been privileged to be commissioned to do. (Maybe big moves and overseas adventures will come next year.)  

It did feel like all these months were a single never-ending, whirlwind month. And luckily I have (some) photographic proof! I'll be editing photos this week and hopefully new content will be up later this month. See you then!

I wrote about my assistant taking over managing my schedule on CHIC LA VIA, which has been a welcome experience. She's been tracking my hours and says that considering how long each ketubah takes to complete, I earn on average $6 an hour. So... not good?

As a result she's urging me to first change my production process to be kinder to me, and second to change my pricing structure so prices will reflect the time I invest, but the difference won't impact your wallets so much as my process.

Confused? So am I! There's a lot more that goes into pricing any product than the bottom line, apparently. Breaking my process into production tasks and what each costs is a bit more than my artistic head can handle.

In the end what this means is that there will be a price change come April. Orders submitted before April will not be affected.

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• I am taking orders from date JULY 20 and onwards. 
• Custom designed ketubot however are only from AUGUST, and I have two slots open. 
• The turnaround for my shop ketubot is 10 days from the booked date to shipping, so if you need your order sooner get in touch and I'll take another look at my orders calendar. 

I am not a stranger to the investment of time and money (and sweat!) involved with custom framing artwork. I've market-researched, haggled and schlepped my papercuts and art prints to many frame shops close to home and faraway (as much as 4 hours drive even! It was worth it). So trust me, I know how frustrating it can be do find the best frame to showcase and protect your prized possessions. Not to mention trusting a new frame shop with my artwork (I'm a control freak, if I could, I'd stay and hover over them when they worked on my frames). 

I get asked a lot by clients if I can recommend a reputable and trustworthy frame shop or advise them how to get their ketubah framed when it's time to proudly hang it at home. I can now happily recommend a great frame shop for all US customers that has experience framing papercuts and knows how to showcase them to their outmost magnificence. And it's online!


Now instead of hauling your ketubah to the frame shop, and being overwhelmed by thousands of frames and mats at different price points, you have a streamlined service that has curated the best aesthetic and quality options for you. The whole process is completed from home. Even better! WOODLAND PAPERCUTS will include a coupon code with all US orders for our clients only.

EACH CUSTOM FRAME INCLUDES: Hardwood frame moulding in your choice of black, white, natural wood, antique gold, or antique silver, cut to the shape and size of your ketubah | UV-shielding plexiglass, which protects against 89% of UV and 92% Light transmission | Custom Cut 4-ply white mat with bevel edge | Archival acid-free backing | Protective paperback finish | Wall bumpers | Hanging hardware + nails | Gift wrap, display and care instructions

March was super busy in the studio, full of custom orders and new papercut designs. Some are already listed in the shop but I failed to update the blog at all throughout the month so I look forward to sharing them with you here. The support and encouragement of all of you has been amazing and pushed me forward when I felt completely overtaxed, I'm so honored by your requests and proud of all the commissions I've done! My gratitude is unending, THANK YOU!

After being so immersed in my work last month I might as well been chained to my desk (I haven't seen sunlight, you guys!) this month I decided to consciously invest more time outside of the studio. Sit on the balcony for 10 minutes in the morning, leave the apartment for dinner, go back to regular training sessions at the gym... anything, really. The hope is that I'll get more energized and focused at work, and so far it's been working. I rearranged the studio (it feels so much bigger now!), surprised my parents with plane tickets to Europe for their 30th wedding anniversary, and actually took 2 days off to spend with my family without having to follow it with a 96 hours work day in order to catch up.

April and May are already packed, especially since I scheduled a small hiatus at the end of May. This will be my first break since I opened the studio. The hiatus will hopefully coincide with my sister's estimated delivery date. Yep, she's pregnant! First kid, it's going to be so weird to have another living entity added to my world.

The wonderful and terrible thing about running my own business is that I am learning as I go. One thing I'm still improving on is my orders calendar. If you know me than you know I have absolutely no concept of time. I don't know whether an event happened last week or 3 months ago without help and I definitely don't know how long a task will take me. Being constantly up for more days straight is proof-enough of that. I like to think of it as one of my endearing quirks, I'm an artist! A free spirit! I don't need clocks and time frames and deadlines! ...My assistant despairs of me.

Well, it's not an overhaul like I was talking about in this post, but it's getting there. The blog now has a more informative sidebar, the navigation moved to the top of the page (and it scrolls down with you so you can navigate at ease), I added a footer, and new pages are up. Yay!

I am still working on filling up the KETUBOT page with galleries and adding more in (what do you think about METALLIC KETUBOT, FLORAL KETUBOT, and STUDIO PHOTOS?), but what I'm most pleased with is the FAQ page where prospective clients can now find immediate answers to their questions. Also - my texts, fonts, and color options files!

If you have ideas for more improvements and information you'd like to see on the site, please let me know!

It's pretty quiet here the past week. Or should I say, it feels quiet. Like a blanket of snow is muffling sounds, keeping out emails, to-do lists, and deadlines. I don't remember if it was this way last year. Either way, I like how 2013 is winding down, and I hope 2014 will pick right back up come January.

In the Jewish culture pomegranates symbolize beauty, wisdom and above all prosperity. Not coincidentally, pomegranates are a popular choice in Judaica art.

When I was a small child, there was still a fading tradition to exchange Sweet NewYear cards at Rosh HaShanah. The cards always featured quaint little nostalgic scenes of children and gardens and cherubs and flowers. They were so strangely foreign, with papercut details and glitter embellishments. Anyone else remember them? By the time I was in 6th grade they were history. I still think of those cards, though. They were my first glimpse of grossly decorative art that featured Jewish elements but wasn't Judaica art in the least. Not any style of Judaica that I was familiar with anyways. Nouveau Judaica, as it were?

My point is, I think that's what I strive for. A decorative art influenced by my culture and religion but with a modern, global twist to it. So even if a local won't see anything familiar about my papercuts, others will read some visual cues in them and attribute them to modern Judaica in some small way.

And on that note, I'd like to introduce the Pomegranate Garden ketubah! This design is a departure from my usual work, leaning more towards the traditional decorative style, but there's a beauty in this full symmetrical pattern that's mirrored in the symbolism of the pomegranates.

Being 16X16 inches big, this ketubah is based on an older, smaller design I made two years ago. The couple who contacted me to create this larger version loved the ivory and gold coloring of my Seven Species ketubah, but colors are completely customizable for each couple.

Last year lasercut greeting cards I collaborated on with the magnificent Sarah of Candyspotting went to the National Stationery Show in NYC (you could find them in the Crow & Canary booth, they represent Candyspotting LLC). They sold well and can now be found in various paper shops across the US.

Sarah invited me back this year to try my hand at more, now for occasions like Mother's Day. Here's a sneak peak of one of the cards that will debut on May 19-22 at the National Stationery Show in NYC!

Thank you everyone for being so patient and supporting me during my cross-country move! I've been up here for 4 weeks now, but it still feels like the first. I don't know what I thought, but apparently I forgot that moving from a one room studio to a 3 rooms apartment means I'll have a lot more space to fill (I never said I was a minimalist). Trouble is - I have no furniture! In some ways I miss my old tiny studio, it was cozy and I knew where everything was. Those of you who follow my instagram account (@woodlandpapercuts) have already seen the the photo above of my new bare studio (well, bare for me). I set up a bed and my studio desk but the rest of the place is still piled with boxes.

Read more about new changes to WOODLAND PAPERCUTS >>