BIO
My name is Christie, and I am the artist and owner of Mermaid Cove Art. Ever since I was little, I loved to create.
I enjoy finding vintage textiles with a story and re-purposing them into something new, and am an avid vintage clothing lover! My shop is an eclectic mix of handmade goods and Vintage clothing. 5% of my profits from Etsy sales are donated to the ACLU.
​
My Etsy shop was open a few years ago to share what I create and to help financially supplement my multitude of hobbies. In that shop, you can expect to see hand-made junk journals, hand-Bound journals, handmade Christmas heirloom quality ornaments, and perhaps in the future, art prints, ephemera and paper packs for art journaling and mixed media work.
​
My more recent hobby and favorite activity is making Christmas ornaments because I love tiny things, and after some experimenting I've become really fond of making moth ornaments.
I am a big believer in finding sustainable ways of working, and do my best to find textiles at thrift shops and antique stores. I'm always very happy when a design that I have in my head is successfully created, and this ornament is definitely one of my most successful designs. As a result of this ornament being my own design, made from scratch, and made using hard-to-find fabric, each moth ornament is one-of-a-kind and not something that you would be able to find anywhere else. I made my moth ornaments with the idea that they could be displayed year-round, not just around Christmas, so you can enjoy them as art pieces or sculptures if you prefer. I really enjoy making these, and hope to continue improving and making even more intricate designs.
​
As for my junk journals, I am taking a (possibly permanent) break from making junk journals but do still have a few available in the shop. They are different from most others that you see because I like to use colorful paper, and I love to incorporate fabric into my designs. I love to mix old and new materials. I strive for my journals to look whimsical, bright, ethereal, colorful, and fresh with unexpected print and color combinations and textures.
​
You will see a lot of fabric on the outside of my later journals, and sometimes even on the insides. I have a particular soft spot for ornate lace. I always do my best to use really unique materials, and to shop with small businesses and artisans for my materials if I can't find them at the thrift or antique stores. For example, some of the charms I use to decorate the outside of my journals are from a local seller who hand picks and imports her beads.
Some of the paper I use is from antique books and magazines that are no longer in print.
I especially like to purchase and repurpose old clothing and books and integrate them into my journals or even on the cover, giving them new purpose, and saving them from becoming trash.
All of my junk journals mix in regular white mixed media paper with colorful paper of different colors, textures, prints, and sizes. They can be used for anything from traditional journaling, to art journaling to sketching, to scrapbooking.
​
Each of my junk journals are lovingly and carefully curated - from choosing the materials that will make the cover, to choosing the paper and ephemera that will be used inside, to the order that the paper will be placed in the journal, all the way to the addition of pockets, flip outs, and tuck spots inside, it is all pre-planned and hand-done. The journals I make are generally each based on a theme. So far, my favorite theme to explore was "Moonlight". For that journal I used a dark blue velvet and black beaded lace on the cover, and it was filled with black, silver, and blue paper.
​
I hope that you enjoy looking at my page, and exploring. In the description of each of my junk journals on my Etsy page, you will find a direct link to a youtube video with a junk journal flipthrough of that specific journal so that you can see exactly what you will be getting. On tiktok you will be able to see moving examples of my ornaments.
​
Junk journals have many uses. They can be used as travel albums, scrapbook journals, or as regular journals. You can even use them as unique wedding guest books if you like!
I've also started selling journals with plain white paper inside for those who want something a bit more traditional. They are good for sketching and work well on-the-go due to their compact size.
​
If you are interested in more modern or designer clothing, check out my poshmark shop where I keep a curated shop of the prettiest things that I find while I'm searching for textiles to repurpose for my ornaments.
​
Thank you for checking out my page. I look forward to meeting and interacting with all of you! :)
​
​