Making Paper
I learned to make paper about 30 years ago and since then have learned to marble paper, make books, etc. and I love it. I make a lot of my own sketch and watercolor books and I make special journals to give as gifts. I also teach papermaking and bookmaking workshops and have just finished a 3 week class with a group of ladies who mostly quilt but play around with many other mediums as well. I've worked with quilters before and they are naturals when it comes to paper and bookmaking.
You can make paper all sorts of ways but I like using up old junk mail, old unfinished watercolors or scraps of art papers, etc. You don't want to use newsprint or magazine sheets because they just make a gray goopy mess instead of a nice fibrous pulp.
I took a lot of pictures of the process but apparently erased them from my camera thinking I had already downloaded them (I love it when I do stuff like that, don't you??)
Anyway, the finished sheets looked like this. Many people added dried flowers, threads, etc.
When we made the books we used the paper we had made to cover cardboard to make the covers. On the inside many people used contrasting or coordinating sheets of paper. Some used pictures from magazines and calendars like these.
After measuring and tearing all the pages to make the signatures, or insides of the books we began to stitch.
We made coptic stitch journals, most of which were 5 x 5"
This one used lovely blue paper inside.
This is the binding, showing the lovely stitching.
And here is one of the completed books.
It all just made me want to get back to making paper and books again!
