shoddy paper

This morning I learned a new term - "shoddy fabric". 

In the photo is paper I made yesterday using recycle materials...including some cotton and rayon fabric remnants cut into tiny pieces and then blended in the blender to get fiber pulp. In the bowl is the wet pulp mix (looks like "shoddy fabric"), top left is the wet paper, and bottom left is the dry paper - dried quickly with an iron because I needed to see if it would dry as paper before making 60 sheets.

paper pulp and handmade paper

posted by peacenquiethomegoods 

20 sheet pack of handmade paper

blank book journal and handmade paper

Yesterday my first handmade (including handmade paper) blank book/journal sold on etsy...that gives me incentive to make a few more. And hopefully - more after that. These are the photos of the second one - made with a map of Ohio on the covers. Awhile ago I found a stack of old road atlases on the curb. The resources for paper making are abundantly found everywhere, for almost no investment. Except time, which I do have in abundance also - at this time.

blank book/journal covered with old map

blank book journal covered with old map

handmade paper ring bound blank book/journal

re-purposing junk...

Years ago I knew someone who would annually empty the contents of her house onto the curb for anyone to rummage through, and take what they wanted to. Then she'd start over. In a years time her house was full with things others had given to her, and she repeated the "annual emptying". While I love this idea hugely, I don't see myself ever going to quite that extent. I don't exactly have the trust level she did, but also some of the things I have are needed on a daily or ongoing basis. I definitely am not recommending this, but it was something that continues to amaze me every time I remember it, which I did this morning.

I know that many people place things on the curb for others to find and make use of. I do it myself on occasion. Mostly I offer things on craigslist for free, or donate to a non-profit (not Goodwill - they're for profit and mean to their employees) thrift store.

I don't know exactly HOW this is so, but finding useful junk is in my bones. I loved digging around in the town dump when I was growing up, and my current version of this is seeing what I find on my morning walks around my neighborhood. This may be an addiction, but some how also fueled by my love of the planet, and love of re-purposing things, and wise/responsible use of resources. I'm sure if we ever run out of resources the "gods" will provide other resources (that's what they do) but in the meantime, I do my (self-imposed) part.

(Sold 5-9-17) 20 sheet, handmade paper, art/dream journal

handmade paper art/dream journal - full frontal view

 The bookmark used to embellish the front of the journal was found on the curb.

maker/makery...

Like many other people on this planet, I love to make things. I sew, cook, bake, grow a garden, scavenge (mostly on the morning or evening before trash day) for things to fix up or use to make other things. I usually feel happy when I'm making something, or on the receiving end of an idea of something to make. This year I finally got around to exploring making handmade paper from household scrap paper. So, this blog is pretty much going to be about those various projects.

assortment of handmade paper - so far...