August 1, 2025
Before the book review I wanted to let you know why I’ve gone quiet for a bit… I took July off to work on a passion project that brought me a lot of joy!
I’ve been teaching myself the art of *Cyanotype for 3 years and after some requests, I’ve decided to release some limited edition prints of my work. The shop (Poison Blue Prints) is officially open on Etsy, and there are 12 prints to choose from. (I am releasing more as the spirit moves me.) It seemed most fun to start with the birth flowers of each month because I like to make decisions based on fun.
Each flower was either grown by me, or sourced from a local flower vendor. I kept it local and woman owned. All the pressing, drying, chemical mixing, and printing was done by hand over several weeks. By me. A local woman.
If the spirit moves you, please click the link to take a look. And if the spirit does not move you but you want me to be happy, do it anyway!
*In case you don’t know what a Cyanotype is: Cyanotypes are created using Potassium Ferricyanide and Ferric Ammonium Citrate. Mix these chemicals together and you can use them in a photographic printing process that produces a vibrant cyan-blue print.
Did Corinna peek into my home and observe my family get-togethers? I think so! The staff that waits on the royal family simply adore arguing. They can bicker and pick at each other without tiring. They can argue about who is better at getting the tangles out of the king’s beard, a comb or a brush (comb, duh). They can argue about which spoon is best for serving noodles (Um… a fork? Who would use a spoon!?). They even argue about fonts. I do love to argue about a good font. But who doesn’t? Once they start to argue with flowers, it’s decided that things have gone far enough. It’s time for a competition to see who the best arguer is! But, due to arguments, the competition never gets started. They are so engrossed, they don’t notice the approaching storm until lightning hits the king’s beard and it starts a fire! Now there’s no time to argue. They must form a fire brigade, douse the king, and trim his scorched beard! Of course, this doesn’t stop them from resuming arguing as soon as the danger is past, but at least we know they can work together when necessary.
Bits and Pieces: The art was made using watercolor, ink, pencil, and gouache, and it was enchanting. Corinna has a talent for overdone hairdos and magnificently large hats. The best spread was one arguer arguing (at? with?) some rocks.
Not Sure About: Why the king was so helpless. Bro, you grew the beard. You deal with it.
Favorite Part: The overly large hairbows the children wore in their updos. It reminded me of my very small niece, who is never without a bow. Even if she’s only wearing cowgirl boots.
