Free plantable wildflower paper kit!

I've really gotten into making plantable paper lately, so I thought I'd pass along the fun.  I'm including a free  plantable wildflower seed paper kit in every Going Green Paper Making kit ordered - while my supplies last. 

Included are instructions, ideas for using plantable paper, planting directions, and of course, a nice variety of wildflower seeds.  Going Green Paper Making Kits are available at Elizabeth's Flowers as well as leaf petals.  Enjoy!

Give me a hand...

 This is a handmade paper imprint of my youngest son's hand - we did these for a Mother's day project a few years ago in his first grade class.  This was made with the 5 x 7" mold and deckle from the Wooden Deckle Paper Making kit - which just happens to be this month's Mid Month Give Away, which ends at noon today (central time).

Directions for making handmade paper hand imprints (try to say that ten times fast) are available on my leaf petals site.

There's still (a little) time to win a free Going Green paper making kit for the Mid Month Give Away.

New bookmark size mold and deckles

What's this, you ask? 

This is a 2 x 7" mold and deckle for making bookmarks.  I have been trying to locate one for years, but no one seems to make them.  Now Bob, my craftsman makes them for me, along with the 5 x 7" mold and deckles featured in my Going Green Paper Making Kits. 

I just got the bookmark mold and deckles in last week, and I'm looking forward to making some fun handmade paper bookmarks with the kids for Christmas gifts this year. 

Finished Batik on Paper

Here are a few of the paper batiks I completed last week, after I removed all of the beeswax.  They certainly ended up being interesting pictures to say the least!

The first picture (on the left) was my attempt at drawing/painting with wax.  Now you know why I create my flower pictures by gluing flowers, rather than trying to draw or paint them!

The other two pictures are nature prints, the larger is hosta leaves, and the other picture is a print of geranium leaves on a piece of my handmade paper.  As expected, I found that I definitely need to make my handmade paper stronger in order for it to withstand the batik process, because I lost some of the surface layer while trying to remove the wax.  But, in the places where there was no damage, the effect is wonderful.

I'm really looking forward to experimenting more with batik on my paper this winter. 

Last night I went to my last Paper Batik class at at the Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, and this time I brought along some nature prints I made, to use as a background for my batiks.

Starting at the top left, the ginko print, and the two tall hosta leaf prints are on rice paper.  However, the bottom left geranium leaf print, and the black hosta leaf print on the lower right are on my handmade paper. 

I usually don't apply a lot of pressure to my handmade paper, so it tends to be on the soft side (applying pressure to freshly made hmp compacts the fibers, making the paper stronger), so I was curious to see if my hmp could withstand the repeated coloring and waxing involved in batik. 

When I got to class, I applied alternating layers of colors and wax to the prints. Because the pieces needed to dry thoroughly before removing the wax, that still needs to be done.  I plan on showing you the results next week, and I can't wait to see how they turn out myself!

Have a great weekend!

Making free handmade paper...

I had the privilege of being a guest blogger on Mariel and Jessica's "Or so she says..." blog this weekend.  I wrote a brief tutorial on making "free" handmade paper with 100% recycled paper.

The tagline for "Or so she says"  is " a daily dose of great ideas" and that it is!  Check it out, and see if you don't find a great idea or two to inspire you...

Going Green Earth Day Journal Project

Two weeks from now will be Earth Day, a day set aside to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.

I like to put my own spin on it, and focus on the beauty and wonder of our earth. More importantly, I like to reflect upon the awesomeness of the God who created our earth, with gratitude.

This Earth Day Journal project is a great activity for kids and adults alike, and is made from 100% recycled paper! The cover of the journal is made from recycled junk mail, using the Going Green Paper Making Kit, and the paper earth is made from scraps of blue and green paper, and believe it or not, tin cans!

I will be making this journal with some of the kids in my life, and I will be encouraging them to fill their journals with expressions of thankfulness for the world around them, as well as ideas about how we can take better care of the earth God gave us.

Here are your instructions for making the Going Green Earth Day Journal Project. Enjoy!

Making paper bowls

I signed up to teach a series of paper bowl making classes at the gallery in October, only to realize that I have sold or given away nearly all of the paper bowls I've made in the past. I'll need examples!

So here's what I was doing this morning. In the silver bowl at the top is what used to be watercolor paper scraps from a friend that I've recycled in the blender. I also added some CMC for added strength.

Then I applied a light coating of Vaseline to the inside of the other two bowls. In one I laid several hosta leaves, vein side up, and then applied the recycled paper pulp into the bowl, on top of the leaves. In this picture I was only part way done - I actually applied the pulp up to the rim of the bowl. In the other one, I placed a number of colorful yarns and fibers into the bowl first, and then added the pulp.

As I applied the pulp, I pressed it down with a sponge to soak up excess water, and to strengthen the bonding of the recycled paper fibers. There are other ways to make paper bowls, and I'll post some of them soon.

These bowls will take several days to dry - I'll show them to you then.

handmade hand

Here's a quick scan of a hand print handmade paper project I did in my son's first grade class on Friday. It was a lot of fun, and the kids seemed to be amazed with the paper print of their hands.

We used the 5 x 7" mold and deckle from the GoingGreen Paper Making Kit, which was the perfect size for their hands. Basically we pulled a white sheet first, then aligned a second green sheet on top it it - as you can see my aim was a little off on my son's hand! But, thankfully a quick trim will take care of that.

Full directions are available on how to make this hand print paper project, just in time for Mother's Day!