UNBOXING: Owlcrate March 2022 – ARTISTIC OBSESSION 🎨🖌

Hi! It’s been a while but a little over a year ago I started my personal blog and discontinued this blog. I realized that there really isn’t anything stopping me from doing both and since I’m getting back into book boxes, it’s time to come back! I’ve missed book blogging and interacting with other readers so much so I can’t wait to hear from you all again!!

As my first post after forever, I thought I’d do a fun unboxing of one of my favorite original book boxes, Owlcrate! For those who aren’t familiar with

I was really excited about this box because I was super intrigued with the book’s premise and I’ve been wanting to check out this particular author since she published her debut novel last year.

First off, here’s a preview of everything that’s in this box, then we can dive into details!

Owlcrate Mar 2022: Artistic Obsession

What’s in the box?

🎨 DOSAB booksleeve with art by Tiara L’Hommedieu/@bloodydamnit

This one is inspired by Karou from Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, and I love the quote on the other side! Which speaking of, I really need to finish. Years ago, I stopped while almost halfway through the final book and I just haven’t gotten back to it yet… but I will, I will! I love the quote featured on this and I especially liked how Karou’s bright blue hair is lighter than how I’ve seen it illustrated before. For some reason, it totally slipped my mind that she’s an artist so maybe I’ll have to end up rereading the entire series to make sense of it all!

The quality of the fabric is also great as I think it’s waterproof. As for the size, it should fit 300-400 page hardcovers.

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🎨 An Enchantment of Ravens art print album by @stellabookishart

I really appreciate this item because I haven’t seen it included in other boxes before, super functional especially in context of bookish collectors because we get so many art prints from different boxes and pre-order incentives. This is perfect because Owlcrate just sent a beautiful Howl’s Moving Castle print in their February Among the Monsters box, which is THE perfect size to fit in the album sleeves!

🎨 Night Court embroidery kit by Four Seasons Fox

Inspired by the beloved ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, this is also another unique book box item, with a beginner-friendly mountain pattern featuring three colors!

Owlcrate was nice enough to provide a detailed PDF pattern and a video tutorial too!

🎨 Sticker sheet by Isabel Ibañez

Featuring quotes from Wintersong, The Kingdom of Back, Woven in Moonlight (artist’s work!!), and Henry Matisse, this is such a beautiful and artistic collection of vinyl stickers!

I was only familiar with the Wintersong quote since I read it previously and loved S. Jae-Jones lyrical prose.

🎨 Age-defying face mask by Fiction Bath Co.

I was hoping this was going to be a bigger item or even an art print since The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorite classics, but I think this is such an appropriate item to include. And while we’re on the topic, for Grishaverse fans who has witnessed Ben Barnes defy age, in case you didn’t know he actually played Dorian Gray in the 2009 eponymous film. I’ve seen it and I think he performed brilliantly!

_{because I only need minimal excuse to use this gif}

To go with the art theme, I’m sharing one of my favorite quotes from the novel:

As for being poisoned by a book, there is no such as thing as that. Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. That is all.

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

🎨 Great Library of Summershall literary luggage enamel pin by @heyatlascreative

This one is straight from the pages of A Sorcery of Thorns. This pin actually makes me want to pick the book up – should I????

You may or may not be surprised to find out that the literary luggage pins are what made me restart my subscription to Owlcrate (I think my last box was from over 2-3 years ago). I think this has to be my favorite book box collectible yet and I was really excited that I won the January 2022 box and got my first collectible pin inspired by Red London (from V.E. Schwab’s ADSOM series) for free! I can’t wait to complete my collection at the end of the year!

And last but not least….

🥀A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson🥀

Owlcrate’s edition has an exclusive cover by Franziska Stern/@coverdungeonrabbit and a matching author letter. It also has beautiful dark/rose-red edges that perfectly fits the book’s atmospheric/gothic plot and cover. Inside in an intricate signature page is the author’s stunning signature (it’s probably one of the prettiest signatures I’ve ever seen!!) There are exclusive foil stamps on the front and back of the hardcover case, illustrated with roses which are significant elements to the plot. On the reverse side of the dust jacket is art depicting Myra and August in a wintry landscape by Salome Tatlodze/@morgana0anagrom – she’s one of the artists I’ve been following on IG for a while so I was really excited about this.

Owlcrate edition vs Regular Edition

Owlcrate’s curated playlist perfectly suited to the gothic romantic atmosphere of A Forgery of Roses

I started reading it and I’m more than halfway through. It’s a bit more slower-paced than I expected but it keeps me guessing and I’m intrigued enough to keep going. I hope the resolution is worth it!

And that’s a wrap!

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I do! Thanks for unboxing with me!

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Here is a comprehensive list linked to Amazon* of all the titles mentioned in this post:

• A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson
• Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson
• Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
• An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
• How’s Moving Castle (animated film ft. voice of Christian Bale as Howl)
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Wintersong by S.Jae-Jones
• The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
• Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (2009 film starring Ben Barnes)
• Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

_{*As an Amazon Associate, I get a mini % of sales price every time you use my link to make a purchase. Thank you! ^_^}