Creating With Handmade Papers

This is my first post for the Arnold Grummer's Papermaking Blog.  I will be posting a project the second and fourth Monday of the month from now through June.  Just a little information before discribing the project I have to share.  I would consider myself very fortunate to have had a little history with the Grummer Family.  Several years ago I was very happy to work at a CHA show with the Grummer Family in their booth demonstrating paper casting along side Arnold himself showing the wonders of making your own paper.  It was a delightful experience to work for them and with them. Learning how to cast paper and make sheets was fun and I used both forms in design work and personal projects through the years.
I am so very happy to have reconnected with Kim and Greg and to help share ideas for paper making and paper casting.  My hope is that the projects I create will give you the desire to try your hand with this medium or help you think "out side the box" with what you can do when making handmade sheets and casting of paper.

While considering an idea to share, I went through my stash of handmade paper supplies.  There I found several samples, that I made a while back, just playing around with different inclusions and seeing what results I would get.  That is where I started this little project.  Handmade papers are unique and beautiful on their own, but, I have this tendency to play around and experiment with other things I love to work with and see what happens.

Starting with three different papers, I then used inks, paints and cutting dies and embossing folders to cover a plain paper mache box to make a one of a kind container.  Using two of the plain sheets of paper I used embossing folders by Sizzix to make the impressions.  Then I lightly applied Ranger Distress Inks in different colors to the flowered sheet to make the design stand out.  The handmade papers made nice embossed designs.

I then took another sample and brushed it with green inks and spritzed it lightly with water to made the inks bleed together. (NOTE: I used a small mister to spritz on water and then dryed the paper by pressing with a craft iron. It is important to use water sparingly in this process so not to make the papers fall apart.)  Leaves were die-cut.  The edges of the leaves were highlighted by applying a darker shape of green to the leaf shapes.

To create the flowers, I used the lavender tinted papers.  Again two colors of Distress Inks were applied with a foam applicator randomly to the papers.  Here I took some Distress Paints and spritzed them with water to thin them out.  Using a foam applicator and a tapping motion, the paints were applied randomly also.  The water thinned paints caused the inks and paints to mix together, giving the paper a mottled affect.  (NOTE: The dampened papers with need to be dryed using the same method as mentioned above.)  Flowers are die-cut from these papers and the edges are also highlighted with ink.

Strips were cut from the "dot" embossed papers for the bottom of the container and applied with glue. A circle for the top was cut from the "flowery" embossed paper and glued to the top cover.  A length of decorative trim was glued around the edge of the lid.  Put the flowers together with paper brads.  Glue the flowers to the lid in any desired arrangement, add a button or other embellishment to the center of each and finish by glueing the leaves into place around the flowers.

I feel that the embossing, inking and painting added some nice affects to the paper, while still allowing the textures and inclusions and base color of each paper to show through.

What better way to give a gift to someone you care about then by creating a special container!

NOTE:  I saved all the small leftover pieces for another time of mixing up some pulp for more sheets of paper.  You never know what it could create!

This month you can use the COUPON CODE: LOVE20 and save 20% on your entire order, so head over to the website and place an order today so you can create some wonderful handmade papers for yourself or for gifts.