Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Frei.
Hi Carly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I first started folding books and making book art as a way to relieve the stresses that came with being a middle school art teacher. On top of my passion for art, my husband and I have always been environmentally conscious about our impacts on the world around us, from intentional composting to using LED lights. This is one of the reasons that I wanted to work with old books. The librarian at my school had inventoried all of her library books and put the books that had not been checked out for a significant amount of time into a separate pile. She asked me, the art teacher who would always take any unwanted or donated goods, if I wanted to use them with my students to make art. I, of course, couldn’t bear to see all of those books thrown away and I gladly accepted them and used them in my classroom for art projects. This helped me realize how many old books exist that no one wants anymore. That was the point when I started collecting old books that would otherwise be recycled or thrown away.
My desire is to extend the lives of these beautiful old books and give them a new purpose. While I loved being a teacher and sharing my passion for art with students, it continued to be so emotionally demanding that it started to affect my health. After some deliberation, I made the difficult decision to stop teaching and that is when I decided to take the opportunity to explore something I have always loved, making art! And that was the start of my deep dive into the world of book art and the foundation of my small business, Fiction Reshaped.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My book art journey began with folded book art designs. I fold each page of the book to construct a design, including symbols or letters visible from the front of the book as it sits open on a shelf. Upon first glance, most people think that I cut the pages, but I am only folding which retains the book volume allowing it to fan open as it is displayed. As I worked with the books I expanded my repertoire with more ideas and projects. I currently design folded book art, flower bouquets, magnets, greeting cards, stickers, and literary prints. I also create custom art. Often people will ask if I can fold a name into a book or personalize an old book that has a special meaning to someone. I love that custom work produces one-of-a-kind art pieces imbued with deep significance to each person. I craft everything by hand from each individual flower to every literary design. I am a one-woman team so there are definitely times when it feels overwhelming to get everything created for certain events or holidays, but I love that when someone buys something from me, they now own a unique handmade work of art.
When working with recycled vintage books there are miscellaneous fonts and sizes, illustrations, different colored worn pages, and not to mention, many creative stories. This allows me to have fun when making book art since each page and book tells a different story and can be shaped into unique art pieces that highlight those distinctive stories. I love feeling like I am continuing a book’s story through the physical manipulation of the materials. Hopefully, people can appreciate the whimsical elegance that my recycled pieces bring to any space.
I love creating work for everyday book lovers, art enthusiasts, and special events. I have made flower bouquets and arrangements for events and weddings. Helping make someone’s wedding day or anniversary extra special is one of my favorite parts of being an artist. Recently a customer asked me to design hair clips with book flowers made from one of her grandma’s old books. It was such a joyful challenge to make something that I hadn’t before and I loved that the customer was able to have a piece of her grandmother with her on her wedding day.
Any big plans?
I’m always looking for cute little gift shops or bookstores to host my book art and I hope to continue finding wonderful shops to sell my work. I think it is a great way to support other small businesses and to also have my art seen by a wide audience. Artists and small business owners are all in this together and I truly appreciate working with so many supportive independent shops. I am also excited to continue creating custom work for weddings and other special occasions. I loved personalizing every part of my own wedding and I am thrilled when I can help someone else do the same for their special day.
Another thing I love about having my own small business is that I get to meet so many creative people. I draw inspiration from other artists and their creations, so I always look forward to meeting other makers and expanding my network. After meeting other artists I immediately start a lengthy mental list of new and exciting things that I can try in the future. It has been a whirlwind of hard work so far, but I am delighted to continue making art and selling Fiction Reshaped pieces to spread the joy of handmade art to everyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fictionreshaped.com/
- Instagram: @fictionreshaped
- Facebook: @fictionreshaped
