Wedding Album Calligraphy

Another trend I've noticed and been doing quite a lot lately is calligraphy for wedding albums. Newlywed brides are inquiring if I am able to do their names and wedding dates in calligraphy on the first page of their wedding album - and of course I can!

Wedding Album Calligraphy: $15

This is a great, unique idea post-ceremony that can really help you remember the day. For those brides who are putting together their own album rather than ordering an album from their photographer, this is an even more special touch. I've done wedding album calligraphy on two Rag and Bone photo albums, which are gorgeous quality that I highly recommend if you are shopping for the perfect album to remember your big day. 

If you haven't gotten married yet but don't want to forget, we can also do this before the wedding! This bride also had me do some wedding reception signage in calligraphy, and left her album with me to complete as well.

Add your names and wedding date to your album!

I couldn't have been happier with the finished product: the album was in neutral earth tones with a small tree on the back corner cover, so I recommended a rich brown ink that would complement the album without being too harsh, like black ink would. She also loved the look of all lower-case letters, which was also an option.

Interested in adding a special touch to remember your wedding day? I've worked with brides from NYC to Utah, so contact me on how to get started today!

Ash Tree Makes Alzheimer's Donation

After The Ash Tree was featured in South Shore Living, we received a great amount of feedback and publicity for our 6 In the Shipyard store location. One email specifically caught my attention - it was a woman who had read the SSL article and was wondering if I would be willing to make a product donation to an Alzheimer's raffle event. Being the charity-focused person that I am and always wishing I could give more, I said "YES!"


This particular fundraiser is going to be held, in April 2011, at the 99 Restaurant in Wareham to support the Alzheimer's Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (ASCCI). They had written me in the hopes that Ash Tree Designs would like to participate by donating a prize for a raffle to be held at the event. 

"Dining for a Cause" Event: April 2011 at 99 Restaurant in Wareham, MA

In an effort to raise awareness, the woman's daughter, Amanda Sullivan, has organized this "Dining for a Cause" event after her grandfather passed away over a year ago from Alzheimer's (...and she's only in the 7th grade!) In addition to the gift donation I had made, I just wanted to raise awareness about this event to the local subscribers to my blog. This is an excellent organization, and the event itself has 100% of the proceeds go to Massachusetts local programs and services that help an estimated 10,000 people living with the Alzheimer's disease on the Cape - including:

• Memory Screenings
• Family Support and Education Programs
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Caregiver Respite Programs

I hope that you are able to make it to the event - for more information about the charity, please contact Catherine Oldham, at 774-487-3663 or email catherine@alzcapecod.org to inquire about what you can do to support this great cause.

Included in the Ash Tree donation was a great gift bag with a large handmade journal, handmade necklace with a beautiful glass drop pendant, and a pair of handmade rainbow quartz earrings - all in a "green" theme for the Spring!


The Ash Tree has a long history of volunteering and donating time and items to charity events. If you are interested in featuring Ash Tree products at your charity or event, please contact me with event information and I'd be happy to set something up!

Ash Tree Featured in South Shore Living

The Ash Tree was so pleased to see that we were featured, along with the other 5 women of 6 In the Shipyard,  in the March 2011 edition of "South Shore Living". Citing Ash Tree items specifically, the article wrote:

"...Shoppers can find creative gifts designed by Ashley Osgood of Ash Tree Designs, who specializes in wedding calligraphy, handmade jewelry, recycled sail products, and handmade journals..." - South Shore Living "Shopping and Style" March 2011 Edition

It's so cool to see that our hard work, dedication and products themselves to be featured and acknowledged in a real publication. We are getting ready for what we believe to be a very successful Spring and Summer season at the Hingham Shipyard store location, and we hope that you can join us in the women-driven business initiative.

I will also be selling unique Ash Tree items at the upcoming Museum School of Fine Arts Sidewalk Sale in the first week of May for the 4th consecutive year - so be sure to stay tuned for more details!

Thanks again to all my supporters, friends, and supporters - I couldn't have done it without you!

Read the full article feature here at South Shore Living.

Handmade Travel Book

Travel Journal and Souvenir Book, $20

Need the personal book to keep all of your traveling memories and souvenirs in? I have the perfect solution!

A client came to me last month and inquired about my Before I Forget handmade book series. She loved the travel paper, and was looking for a gift for her boyfriend, who was looking for a way to document his travels. With a few design tweaks, we came up with the perfect page template for a Travel Book.

The left page is where all of the details of your trip are recorded: there's enough space for a quick weekend getaway, or use several pages to document a big European vacation! You can write where the trip was, places visited, the date you traveled, and much more in the lined notes section.

Page Detail: Record all of your adventures on the left page!

The right page is blank except for a "pictures and souvenirs" heading at the top. You can get a lot more creative here, add ticket stubs to the museums you visit, quick sketches of what you see, etc.An elegant-looking scrapbook-on-the-go!

The custom item is in my Ash Tree Designs shop, but I have the template and you can order this for your very own! Check it out, and let me know what you think :)

Looking to make your own handmade book project? Have a certain theme in mind? Email me!

New Location for The Ash Tree!

The Ash Tree's unique products can now be found at our new store location, 6 In The Shipyard. The new shop, now located in the recently opened Hingham Shipyard Launch at 18 Shipyard Drive in Hingham, has been a smashing success so far in the holiday season.

Though we wished we could have moved in earlier to capture more of the holiday rush, the traffic and business has been excellent. 6 In The Shipyard represents six different vendors that each bring something unique to the table, and I am proud to be doing business with them.

I have been able to contribute my online marketing knowledge in the design of a new website and blog, as well as setting up a 6 In The Shipyard Facebook Page and Twitter account. At the shop, I have all of my merchandise, and will use the venue as an experiment when designing new jewelry or pieces of art. Currently, I have my jewelry (and famous handmade earrings!), handmade books, recycled sail wallets and sail bags, embroidered necklaces, Purple Heart merchandise, seaglass rings, seaglass necklaces, and much more!

Also included in the "Six" are Dock This Way Embroidery and Design, Camilley's Closet, The Pink Poppy, Soul One One, and Sea Glass Photography. For more info, be sure to swing by the 6 In The Shipyard website to view products from each of the vendors, visit their websites, and check out the guest blogging and *wonderful web design work* provided by yours truly!

Contact me for more information!

Golden Ivory Handmade Blank Journal

Golden Ivory Handmade Journal, $12

Purchase a handmade journal for yourself or as a gift: this medium sized notebook is made with metallic golden paper squares contrasted against a soft floral ivory spine.

Actual book size measures 4 1/2" wide by 5 3/4" tall. Inside, it has 65 unlined pages, which are made from 100% recycled cream lightweight paper - perfect size for notes or sketching on the go. I made this book after seeing the gold square paper while on an art-supply adventure. I know. Art supply self-control issues.

Seriously though, I'm really happy with the end result. I decided not to play it safe on the inside, and instead line it with a beautiful textured hunter green handmade paper. Creating handmade books has been a passion of mine since taking Book Arts in my last semester at the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston. I fell in love with the meditative process, the process of hand sewing the signatures. My favorite part is covering the binder's board with my selection of handmade paper to make the book's cover. 

There's something about making hardcover books that is so satisfying. I guess it's the substantial quality and durability that I'm attracted to. I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy - maybe, but I'm damn good at making books.

Browse my Handmade Books available at The Ash Tree, if you don't believe me. And if you have a personalized project that you'd like to work with for a gift, holiday, or any other special occasion, contact me for a free quote and to get started!

Before I Forget Series: Handmade Books

Medium Handmade Journal, $12

New handmade journal and notebook series now available online at Ash Tree. The concept started while I was studying abroad in Italy: I am really into writing into Journals to keep memories, and I remember how important it was for me to write everything down while abroad.

Once I got home, I found that there was a lot that I missed, and didn't want to forget. Most notably was speaking Italian, which I was speaking every day and now don't anymore - so I made a smaller book with content in my Book Arts class titled, "Before I Forget", and used a typewriter to type up the phrases that I used most often before I forgot.

Handmade Daily Agenda from "Before I Forget" Series, $15

Then I saw this paper while shopping for art supplies, and was inspired to create a journal line out of it, and title it the "Before I Forget" series. The decorative paper is meant to capture the feeling of being away from home, writing everything down to remember it, and writing letters to those who aren't with you. I've made three books so far: one of my Daily Agendas, a medium-sized blank journal, and a small journal.

Small Handmade Sketchbook, from "Before I Forget" Series, $10

The paper is 100% recycled cream paper, which is ideally best with pen or pencil if you are thinking of using it as a sketchbook. The inside of the agenda is lined with recycled navy paper and speckled with 2 cent stamps. Inside the medium journal is bright red paper, and the smaller notebook has bright blue paper. Second editions of my handmade books are soon to follow!

Goldfish Handmade Books

Another personal edition favorite, the Small Handmade Goldfish Book, $8 I remember when I first bought this paper after walking by it every day in the school store my last semester. I've made now 3 books with it, none too grand in size because of the intricate, tiny details of the bright orange fish in the pale blue water. This inside is lined with a lighter orange paper, which looks amazing against the pale blue water.

I've started an edition line with these small books: the first edition sold immediately at the Sidewalk Sale in May 2010, and I was so fond of the style that I made another. This actually was a product of recycling: after folding enough signatures, I realized I didn't want the book to be quite as long, so I cut the excess off and decided to make a book out of that.

As a result, the book can be used vertically, for to-do or grocery lists, or horizontal, which is great for quick, short writing - notes or for poets on the go. And it's size makes it great to throw in a purse, or even pocket.

I love not only the design of this particular edition, but also its size: I plan on making quite a few more color variation and themes. Trying to find a precious, handmade gift for a reasonable price? These mini notebooks are perfect! Get started on your personal book project today..

Handmade Book With Japanese Screenprinted Paper

The latest online sale was a custom made handmade book that was modeled after a listing my my etsy shop, Handmade Journal, $16. The book was requested in an A5 size, which is pretty close to the original listing. I just shipped it to the customer in Taiwan.

This is one of my favorite handmade books, and I was actually inspired by the papers I used for the cover. While shipping for unrelated supplies, I picked out these two toned Japanese papers that go so perfect together and made this blank journal out of them.

The book is covered completely in a soft blue-green paper embellished with metallic gold dragons. The front cover is also embossed with a strip of pale blue paper with metallic gold leaf decorations.

The inside pages are made with 100% recycled paper - I chose a cream color to match the tones of the cover and I felt it was less harsh on the eyes. This particular, medium sized journal measures 5 3/4" by 7 1/4" with a little less than 200 pages. Available in smaller and larger sizes.

These journals with the cream paper are my signature handmade book, and come in many different color themes. Also be sure to check out my Daily Agenda editions to help keep you organized.

Contact me to get a custom made book today. Don't forget that the holidays are coming up... :)

Listography: Live Your Life with Lists

While idly browsing through Blick a few days ago, (which I must stop doing. Damn those art stores so full of awesome) I was checking out one of the cool tables full of funky products - you know, full of amazingness I DON'T need.

Anyway, I saw this book called "Listography", which is an illustrated notebook that prompts you to fill in entries in the form of lists. I keep a journal personally, but I liked the idea of having suggestions to guide you in recording your life at this point in time. I actually thought of my little sister, who graduated 8th grade and is now heading into Archbishop Williams High School (My high school, btws) - she's really not a journal-keeper, and I thought this would be a unique way to preserve a piece of her thoughts and dreams at this point of her life. Aw, look at me :)


I made Olivia a handmade book, bound some blank cream paper covered in coral-orange and turquoise. I really liked the contrast of the complimentary colors, especially lining inside with a beautiful deep navy paper. And since I do calligraphy, I figured I could give the book a personal touch by not only making it, but also writing out some lists for her to fill out. Not sure if this idea is mass-produceable, but for a one of a kind, personal piece I thought it was perfect.


In coming up with inspiration, I found this website called Listography.com. It's so cool! You can create your own lists, edit them, and have the chance to really sit down and think about what's important to you, what memories you value. There's also the lame lists like "to-dos", but you can also browse other people's profiles and get inspired from their lists as well. It's fun to do when you're bored, and there's a random "generate list topic" option if you don't know where to start.

The books are definitely worth picking up and flipping through at a bookstore. The cutesy illustrated look is not exactly my style, which is why I made my own, but I really do love the concept. As an artist in this instance, do you feel as though borrowing this concept is okay?

My username is aosgood - look me up and let me know what you think of my lists!