One day this week I used my new 8.5" x 11" pour handmold to make recycled paper. I made about 12 sheets in 4-5 hours. You can left click on any photo to view a larger image.
The box of shredded bills, ads, recipts, etc.
My papermaking supplies set up (taking over the eating area):
The pulp (recycled paper plus party napkins for colors beyond grey and I also added some mica flakes which don't show in the photos) in the handmold:
The wet pulp formed on the screen and the wooden mold removed:
The paper after the initial removal of water (several sponge-fulls):
The completely dried paper (after hours between couch sheets and under heavy weight):
[the photo shows a lighter hue than it actually is]
I also played around with additives to make the paper more interesting.
Using dried flowers:
Gold dust (hard to photograph):
The tan (left) has scrubbed corn husks and cotton pulp added. The red in the middle has some flower petals. The blue on the end has some sparkle fibers (hard to photograph).
The purple on the right has iridescent flakes (hard to photograph).
These are the scanned images of my first batch of artistamps (faux postage). I used inks, rubberstamps, paper punches, and markers. The "62" stamps also have some glimmer mist sprayed on them. I recently learned of artistamps and since I love all things associated with letter writing, mail art, or postage stamps; I had to make some. 
Just a quick, short entry. I want to blog more often so I am trying different ways to do so. This is a photo at one of the Ohio State Parks I went to with a girlfriend a couple years ago. We went in the fall so the trees are brown or losing leaves. I miss being near large bodies of water.
One day this week I used my new 8.5" x 11" pour handmold to make recycled paper. I made about 12 sheets in 4-5 hours. You can left click on any photo to view a larger image.
My papermaking supplies set up (taking over the eating area):
The pulp (recycled paper plus party napkins for colors beyond grey and I also added some mica flakes which don't show in the photos) in the handmold:
The wet pulp formed on the screen and the wooden mold removed:
The paper after the initial removal of water (several sponge-fulls):
The completely dried paper (after hours between couch sheets and under heavy weight):
Gold dust (hard to photograph):
The tan (left) has scrubbed corn husks and cotton pulp added. The red in the middle has some flower petals. The blue on the end has some sparkle fibers (hard to photograph).
The purple on the right has iridescent flakes (hard to photograph).
I've always been partial to woodwork and wooden items. While in Peru, I saw several wooden doors that really caught my eye.
Some were more intricately carved than others.
When I decided to participate in an ATC / LTC* swap with a theme of doors, I chose to replicate one I had seen in Peru for my LTC. I hand carved the rubberstamp and colored the paper to appear more "wood-like" before stamping the image.
