| THE EPISTOLARIAN |
The book is here, and I am still catching my breath.
I am happy. I am celebrating. I am also quite tired, as if I have just given birth to something that has been growing inside me for many months. The thing I carried for so long is here now, and you are about to meet it.
Your excitement helps me take in what has happened. Your messages and kind words make the moment feel real. You are welcoming the book into the world, and in doing so, helping me celebrate it, even while my body is still learning that it is no longer in labor.
A book is an interesting thing to send into the world. For years, it belonged to me. I knew every thought inside it, every idea I shaped or fought to keep, and all its sibling ideas, saved for later. Now it will pass into your hands, where I hope it may become a trusted friend.
To share one’s work is to release it from the private world in which it was made and let it enter lives one cannot know. It is exciting to imagine what it might become, and vulnerable to accept that its meaning will now be shaped by others.
The Collector’s Edition of The Handwritten Life comes with a crescent moon seal, an image connected to the book’s final chapter. The moon hangs above the ocean, a small, bright shape against the larger dark ocean.
| The Collector's Edition: The Handwritten Life |
 |
 |
To me, the crescent represents the partial nature of what we see: only a sliver of the unchanging, whole moon. It reminds me that the reality we experience may be just one small part of something larger.
Today, a different seal makes its debut: the Great Horned Owl, framed by a crescent moon. The engraving wasn’t ready until this week, so its arrival alongside the book is pure chance. Somehow, the timing feels perfect.
| The Collector's Edition: The Handwritten Life |
| The Great Horned Owl Seal |
 |
The Great Horned Owl is a sentinel of the forest. It watches through the darkness, witnessing the forest while we sleep. In a way, it stands at the edge of mystery, a creature that seems to know what remains hidden from us.
The shared crescent links the two seals, but each carries its own meaning. One belongs to the book and its final chapter. The other arrives just as the book enters the world, like a watchful companion. Both seem to speak of what endures beyond what we can see. Even in a moment of vulnerability, there is a greater, unseen whole.
| The Great Horned Owl Seal |
 |
Mark your Calendar: Upcoming Live Sessions
My weekly live sessions are now scheduled for Mondays at 9am Pacific (12pm Eastern), each with a specific topic so you can plan ahead and join us. If you're unable to attend live, I'll also post the recording for you to watch later.
- October 26th - The 10 Antique Seals I Would Never Sell
- November 2nd - Holiday Correspondence: What I Send, Seal & Give
- November 9th - The Collector's Cabinet: How to Build a Meaningful Collection
- November 16th - The Artist's Eye: What Makes a Wax Seal Beautiful?
- November 23rd - Inside the Hastings Atelier: From Drawing to Heirloom
 |
A Home for Your Pennies
 |
I am delighted to share that the Hastings Reliquary Collection is now available for preorder! Each piece has been thoughtfully designed to give your treasured Hastings Pennies a beautiful home, transforming your collection into a display of miniature works of art. Quantities are limited, and preorders are expected to ship around the New Year. I cannot wait for these beautiful pieces to find their way into your homes!
There are three beautiful sizes to choose from:
- The Portrait Reliquary, 3.5" × 5", holds up to 29 Hastings Pennies
- The Hexagonal Reliquary, 6" across opposite corners, 3" per side, holds up to 48 Hastings Pennies
- The Grand Portrait Reliquary, 5" × 7", holds up to 70 Hastings Pennies
 |
The Second Generation Helix Edition
The Helix Edition Étui is featured many times in The Handwritten Life as part of the story of how my work has evolved. Like helix, each return in season is an elavation.
The étuis interchangeable pennies let collectors build a personal set of seals around the images and meanings they’re drawn to. The Étui brings those pieces together in a form made to carry and use. With it being in the first edition of The Handwritten Life, it also marks this special moment.
| The Hastings Étui |
 |
The Persephone Penny Pawn
The Persephone Penny Pawn is a small Étui created to hold a single Hastings Penny. Each comes with the exclusive Persephone Penny, a design available only with the Pawn and not offered separately.
|
|
| Collect Here |
Étui Borders You Might Like
Discover the Étui borders that are still available to collect, each featuring its own distinctive design and character.
Just Two Hastings Pennies Remain
Only two Hastings Pennies are still available. Each was crafted in a limited quantity and, once sold, will not be returning.
If one has been on your list, now is the time to add it to your collection before these final pieces are gone.
Newest Collection: The Desk Jewelry
Discover a collection of beautiful objects that bring a touch of elegance to your desk. From decorative treasures to pieces that celebrate the art of correspondence, each item is chosen to make your everyday rituals feel a little more special.
Discover More Desktop Jewelry Here
Collector Wax Seals You Might Like
Explore Kathryn Hastings’ collection of Collector Wax Seals, inspired by the art, mythology, history, and symbolism of the past. Each design is thoughtfully crafted as a small work of art, made to be collected, treasured, and passed down through generations.
Discover More Collector Wax Seals Here
With love,
Kathryn
