Who knew collage and decoupage could be so fabulous? Laurie Vanina brings new delight to the idea of handmade

Our latest discovery among artists whose work is both decorative and functional is Laurie Vanina of San Francisco. We first saw her work at V. Breier's gallery on Sacramento Street, which closed due to Virginia's retirement last year. Since then, we have been in touch with Laurie, eager to include her work among our favorite fresh finds.
This week we received our first collection of her simply beautiful boxes, frames and clocks in decoupage and collage. We are delighted by the right-out-of-the-chute response. . . yesterday afternoon someone purchased one of Laurie's photo frames, barely two hours after she brought them by.
What most intrigues us about her work is how fresh and lively it is, and the amazing dexterity she brings to it. Each element of her petite masterpieces reflects the sensibilities of an artist trained in painting and drawing at California College of the Arts. Of course what we like best is her use of paper from a variety of sources, including old books, vintage wrapping paper, postcards and old letters.