Skip to main content

Starting my journey of making paper at home


Litter picking on a local beach is really where my journey began.  I decided to volunteer with primary school children to collect discarded plastic and the like.  I felt really proud of myself.  I had always wanted to operate a litter picker.  I really didn't expect to find much as I frequented this beach on many occasions and had never noticed things that weren't supposed to be there.

Within the first few hours we had managed to fill so many bags of rubbish that the local Council sent a vehicle to pick the waste up.  I found a sharps container full used syringes, so many plastic bottles and discarded balloons, bits of plastic that I was shocked.


I grew up with the Wombles of Wimbledon, who were ahead of their times.  Picking litter of Wimbledon Common, public funded signs and message telling you to take your litter home.  Under no account drop litter in the streets.  The one items that was commonly seen everywhere was discarded pull rings from cans of soda.  Then someone I dont remember who, invented a can of drink whereby the ring pull stayed on the can.  That one idea must have saved millions of tons of discarded bits of metal on the streets.

How I love paper, I love books, cards, the smell of new paper is like raindrops on plants or is that just me?  I started life working in a newspaper.  I can still picture the excitement when the newly published editions landed in the office.  The office junior (me) would grab a scalpel and like an expert surgeon, make an incision through the ribbon and open the wads of freshly printed paper.  Everyone would gather each week for this occasion.  Checking their adverts were right, seeing if there were no smudges.  

Therefore now I have gone full circle and want to start making my own paper.  I meant the actual paper not producing a daily tabloid.  I wanted to start this blog to document my journey, the highs and many lows to getting it right.  I do hope you can take the time to read this and let me know if I inspire you to stop using as much plastic and start your own eco walk.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Making paper and adding Turmeric

  Today I tried adding Turmeric to the pulp before couching (transferring the wet sheets from the mould).  I loved the idea of producing a yellow colour that is natural. The paper has a lovely shade of yellow and the fibres held together well. Holding the paper up to the light I was able to see how transparent it looked. The fibres had bonded well together and I was so excited to see the end product once the paper had fully dried. Paper on frame held up to the light I used the method of putting the mould and deckle into the tub of water and gently lifting it out of the water.  Lots of the water drained away back into the tub of water.  After lifting the deckle out of the water I carefully remove the frame.  This gives the deckle edge that I think is a wonderful look to handmade paper. I lay the pieces out on the window ledges, still on their cloths and waited 24 hours for them to dry out.  Once they had dried, I ironed them with a cool iron t...
Post a Comment
Read more

My first attempt

I made a screen using small chicken wire and a old picture frame.  I used packing tape to secure the edges. I used recycled newspaper, after squeezing out as much water turned the paper onto a tea towel Leaving to dry overnight on a window ledge.  The paper was thick and brittle and very grey. The deckle that I had made broke and I was not impressed with the thickness of the paper or the look and feel.  It was back to the drawing board to try something else.  
Post a Comment
Read more