More papers from the 2013 Etsy Papermakers Guild swap

I promised some more of the excellent papers which were swapped among the members of the Etsy Papermakers Guild and I have five more to share today.  See the post directly below if you didn't see the first five.



Using Eastern style materials and equipment, Gayle Fitzpatrick sent this washi or hanji style paper.  It is wonderfully thin with a convincing crackle and snap when popped between the fingers. This paper would be a great vehicle for pen and ink, either calligraphy or sumi-e. More of Gayle's papers can be found at Papermaker's Etsy shop.


This embossed sample came from MaidofPaper. She created to basis with recycled papers and used a texture mat when pressing to create the embossment. The recycled papers give this paper a soft hand, yet it doesn't bring to mind "paper towel" like many other recycled pulps.  I can see this being used as an artistic matting around a photograph or an underlayment in the presentation of a letterpress sampler. This would also make excellent material for the collage artist.  I hope MaidofPaper can tell us where we can see more of her work.



Several more paper artists used botanical inclusions. These flower petals of the white shasta daisy are a very striking addition to the yellow recycle papers in this recipe by Betty Hendrick.  The recycled papers must have been of good quality because this sample has a nice tight feel with just a little weight, almost like a linen laid paper. The daisy petals are both worked into the pulp and laid across the face of the sheet, only one had managed to slip its bonds on our piece. This would make a wonderful party or even a casual wedding invitation. Much more of Betty's work at her shop.


While flower petals are pretty, the vegetable patch can be downright beautiful!  Who would have thought about asparagus paper?  Our Phred has made some mustard and lemongrass and even corn paper, but asparagus?  Wow!  Judy Dominic created this mixture of our old friend abaca and asparagus and cooked it all in a pretty traditional Western papermakers method then dried it on glass windows in the sun.  Yum yum, this almost looks good enough to nosh on.... So deeply flecked with green. What a great paper for writing summer sonnets, capturing the poetry of spring robins and jays, or just making your essential grocery list for the May Day Party. Please, Judy, tell us where we can see more of your papers!


Now who doesn't not like blue? This beauty of a sheet is from Betsy Dollar? (sorry if I have the name wrong)  Three layers of pulp sprayed thinly with a different coloration all add up to this gorgeous sheet.  A nice firm hand, eminently writable, this paper could be every persons diary or journal. In different colors it would be a riotous rainbow of a book.  Betsy, tell me what your Etsy store is named!

More to come in the next few days, the goodies just keep coming out of the envelope.



Etsy Papermakers Swap 2013

Well, our genius computer rabbit AlanT managed to get the scanner to communicate with one of the computers and ran up some scans of the beautiful papers Phred received in the paper swap.  So here's a few of the truly outstanding samples.

First off from the swap organizer ElenaMary comes this sweet pulp painting.  The paper is made from abaca (the interior fibers of banana stalks), tea leaves, tissue paper and junk mail.  It has some wonderful texture and the hand is so soft.  Thanx ElenaMary and I always love your interesting shapes.   You can see other creations from ElenaMary at ElenaMary's Etsy Shop


While we are on tea leaves and tissue paper, Barb at  Bbesigns used them and added recycled computer papers, confetti, tea bags and coffee filters to make this colorful fun sheet. the ragged (deckle) edges are a great part of the design.  I can see this great paper used in party announcements and other fun things.



The little hand written note above just barely hints at what is inside this paper.  The rest of the recipe lists lily leaf, evergreen, mimosa blossoms, fresh lavender flowers, almond blossoms, and purple daisy petals.  Such a beautiful mixture and what a great paper for those heartfelt notes to family and friends. More gorgeous flower inclusion papers can be found in Raggedrosepaperworks Etsy Store

For a number of years we have traded papers and glass work with Akua Lezli Hope. This paper comes from some of the hardest to work with plant materials, the yucca and the corn husk.  Both yucca and corn husk make for interesting colors and complexity and depth, but the real challenge is to get the paper to not look like a tamale wrapper.  Boy Akua has certainly mastered this technique. Mixing in a portion of abaca, this paper is nicely stiff but it is not as thick as cardstock and it has a nice smooth and soft hand.  This would make super announcement notes and talk about green!  Thanx Akua for sharing. You can find more from this multi talented person at Akuadesigns



The last green paper sample for today is this wonderful dark card stock created from canna lily, white cotton and that papermakers friend abaca. Patti didn't list her Etsy shop.

2013 Etsy Papermakers Guild Team Swap

The warren is a-buzz with looking at the new papers that Phred received as part of the Etsy 2013 Papermakers Guild Team Swap.  This swap was organized by Elena Mary Siff of ElenaMary at Etsy and supported with a Team Grant from Etsy to pay the return postage.  40 Papermaker Guild members sent samples of their creations and ElenaMary resorted and returned them to the participating members.

Phred submitted 20 some sheets of his orchid papers made from the dried stems and flowers of the orchids in the warren orchid house as well as 20 sheets from his banana plantation.  The banana papers were made from the leaves of the Oroco banana which grows naturally here.

The papers from the Etsy Papermakers are just extraordinary works of art and we will be scanning them and sharing them here on the next week.

Thanx to everyone who participated and shared. I'm telling you the asparagus paper, abaca papers, and all the others are amazing.