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28 April 2011

Making paper

My rough-and-ready method of making paper involves J-cloths instead of felts for couching and metal mesh instead of mold-and-deckle. It also involves patching with further pulp lifted via the mesh, where necessary. But as with "proper" papermaking, many variations are possible. Janet used spices for colour, and is adding another layer of pulp on top -
She and Karen took their wet bits of paper home with them, so I don't know how the spice-colours look when dry, but I'm sure she'll do something wild with them.
To the leftover pulp I added a page from a chinese book, chopped up with pinking sheers, and made a few sheets with threads laid between two layers of pulp. This is the wet-and-transparent version -
When dry, the paper definitely has two sides
Take a deep breath and pull out the strings -
Next steps and/or possibilities:
- put the bits of text only under the strings, so they are revealed when the strings are taken out
- dip strings in ink, so that the ink spreads through the wet paper
- make a long strip with long strings
- make these six sheets into a dos-a-dos book (this means deciding what to use for the cover)

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3 comments:

  1. Cate Rose28 April 2011 at 15:59

    I just saw this same easy way to make paper in a color book. I've made it with old way with a frame and a ginormous tub for the wet pulp, but that was 20 years ago. I'm intrigued by what you're up to to give it another go, the easy way.

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  2. Margaret Cooter28 April 2011 at 16:19

    A washing-up bowl is big enough (unless you want huge sheets of paper!) and one of those whizzy-sticks will blend up the pulp - right in the bowl. Yes it would be lovely to make paper the traditional way ... but quick'n'easy is good too. I'm glad you're going to have another go, Connie!

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  3. Julie1 May 2011 at 22:04

    Hi Margaret! I just started trying to make paper and I love it. I will look back through your blog to get your pulp recipe. My first sheets are quite stiff. Trying to figure out how to soften them a bit. You can see my post about my first try HERE. If you have any ideas, would love to hear them. Thanks in advance!
    Julie

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