Play date at the studio

These photos were taken at my studio a few weeks ago. They are by a friend who was visiting. 

I don't often talk about the loss of our son in this space, but my studio was the setting for a small get together of other Infant Loss parents. They were at the studio to create holiday ornaments for our "missing" children. Since this is a difficult time of year for most of us I thought that having an informal get together to decorate the heart ornaments would be a good way to not feel so alone and isolated with our emotions as well as create something for our babies (whenever I get together with other infant loss parents I sort of view it as a play date for our son, Kai... we parents down here on earth getting together and talking about our children and our children up there past the clouds getting together to play). 

Like the ornaments I made to give away last year, these were made of paper pulp that I cast in heart moulds. I set each child's name and birth/death date in the little mini Showcard press in 14 pt. Bernhardt type. I printed their names on some handmade paper and then we attached them to the fronts of our decorated heart ornaments. The woman that took the photos is also an infant loss parent. I think it's a blessing that I can use my creative knowledge and my studio for gathering such as this. Thank you Valerie for the beautiful photos of my studio and all the support over the past almost three years.

clockwise starting at the top left: my hands setting type on the mini Showcard press,   two children's names set and ready to proof, a tray of type ornaments, some wood type.