Preserved Sunshine | Pastel Pumpkin Bouquet Bookmark

Like a bouquet pressed between pages, this bookmark blossoms with soft pastels spilling from a white pumpkin. Handmade on recycled cardstock with eco-friendly inks, it blends seasonal artwork with an original story, turning the Pumpkin Bouquet into a delicate bookish accessory.

Product Details

You choose 
Option One: 1 bookmark (No sleeves or tassels)
Option Two: 1 Bookmark, 1 reusable sleeve, 1 tassel (assorted colors)

• Dimensions: 2" x 6"
• Original artwork was created as a watercolor painting
• Printed in small batches using vibrant pigment-based inks
• Ships with 100% recycled, reused, or reclaimed materials
• Origin: Paper made in U.S.A, printed in U.S.A., sleeve and tassel made in China

About the Paper

• Finish: Matte
• Sustainability Notes:
• Heavy metal and chlorine free
• 100% recycled
• recyclable
• biodegradable
• Made with renewable hydroelectric power (not energy credits)

About the Artist

Shannon Marie strives to capture real, beautiful, every day moments printed with the earth in mind. Every piece has an original story created to go with it. The story acts as a reminder to slow down and enjoy the small day-to-day moments. It is her hope, when you look at this bookmark, you will be encouraged to do just that, and that you will have peace of mind, knowing it was made in an eco-friendly manner.

Story

Preserved Sunshine

Snip! She remembered the sound well. The scrape of the shears took her back to a place she hadn’t visited in a long time. Careful to leave the flowers pollinators actively bounced across, she selected her blooms for drying. Subtle as a warm breeze, her mind drifted toward much younger years while she worked.

Every spring and summer it was the same. I’d carry the oversized woven basket while Grandmother harvested bright fragrant flowers. She would gather like blooms together, wrap the ends in jute, and hang them to dry. Her walls and shelves were filled with these aromatic adornments. This act imprinted on my senses forever.

In time, the nights began to cool and the sun went to bed sooner. The chill of the mornings lingered longer, the blooms faded, and the gardens grew dull.

A lover of beauty, Grandmother couldn’t allow the gloom of colder days to dominate her quaint house. Climbing deep into the cellar, she’d return with a stout yet plump pumpkin. Cutting and scraping, she’d carve out the pumpkin. Wasting nothing, she’d gently roast the seeds filling the home with a delicious aroma. Scanning her walls for the perfect arrangement of preserved sunshine from the spring and summer blooms, she adorned her carved vase.

With each color and texture thoughtfully arranged, she centered it on a freshly laid tablecloth and runner. Suddenly the room was alive once again, featuring blooms of yellow, pink, and purple, bursting from their squat vessel.

Pulling from her past, she sat at her own table, with the preserved scents of the recent seasons before her, reminded that endings, too, can be radiant.

"Some memories are realities and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again."

 -Willa Cather, from My Ántonia