A few posts ago, my fellow bastard Tina Seamonster wrote about upcycling with those old t-shirts that just aren’t wearable anymore. Now I have yet another crafty recycling option for you- make paper. At the Pyramid Atlantic papermill we can make paper out of everything from junk mail to your old New Kids shirt (if you can let it go). No need to cut down virgin forests for your crafts- there are plenty of fibers that can be recycled. Most plant fibers can be used to make interesting paper, and the opacity changes depending how long the material is beaten in the Hollander Beater. In short, longer fibers are cut down in the beater and then pulled into sheets of paper.

A few months ago we had a group of kids at Pyramid who cut up their old jeans to make a pretty bluish paper. Also, old cotton t-shirts can be cut up and recycled into new paper, the color either determined by the shirt dye or added later if the fiber is white. In a class I took, we cut up a variety of shirts, and the strong red of one shirt mixed with those others to create a pretty pink.

Like yarn, paper can be made of many sustainable fibers like bamboo and seaweed. Check out this sweet journal made from recycled seaweed. Kozo (also known as Mulberry) is often used in handpapermaking, creating a beautiful translucent paper. The fibers can be harvested without killing the plant, thus creating a renewable resource.

Bamboo is another reusable fiber that we often use at Pyramid Atlantic to make paper, but don’t worry, there is still plenty for the pandas!

For a quick, clear look at the Hollander Beater and Handmade paper, read Ray Rich’s page at http://www.sumi-art.com/my-hmp.html

In 2001, I adopted Lily, a fat 4-year-old cat who followed me around the shelter, quickly convincing me of her sweetness. She was always a great craft kitty, never messing with my projects, even when they involved string! All those late nights staying up sewing and painting, Lily was there keeping me company. She became an excellent big sister to my dachshund puppy, even cleaning Frankie’s little face. Suddenly food-loving Lily stopped eating and seemed to have a rattle in her lungs. At the vet I got the worst news, Lily was diagnosed with extensive cancer in her lungs. When Dr. K showed me the x-rays I broke down, the mass was so clear. I brought her home with the plan to make Lily comfortable and hoped that she would pass away peacefully in her sleep. Starting Saturday Lily started hiding out in my closet under the shoe rack, which was not a good sign. She had always been such a social cat and was pulling away, she knew it was the end. I felt crazy, constantly checking on Lily, watching my sweet fat cat waste away. For the next few days I didn’t leave her side, horrified that she would die alone if I went out.

At some point I decided to make a cameo pin with Lily’s picture as a tribute to her beauty and life. I found some gorgeous green velvet from my fabric stash that reminded me of her huge luminous eyes. I spray mounted a photo of Lily on the velvet and then added a loose ruffle of black, as a reference to the classic Victorian cameo. Finally I attached two vintage Bakelite blossoms and crystals beads at the centers. There were a few glue marks on the velvet that I couldn’t remove that bothered me but I tried to ignore them.

Crafting the pin gave me something to keep me busy, which I desperately needed. Both the process and the end tribute helped me work through losing my friend. I wore the brooch for the next few days of work, it helped me feel closer to my kitty while I was away. We all have our own ways of remembering our loved ones, often striving to translate our feelings into physical displays. I think that creating a shrine with a pet’s favorite toys can be a step in the healing process. For me crafting the pin was part of my mourning and a way to remember my sweet cat, who deserved a tribute much bigger than I could ever give.

Hi, Sarah Levine here. I’m the newest edition to the Crafty Bastards Blog and work at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring as the Office Manager/Publicity Coordinator. Pyramid Atlantic is a non-profit contemporary arts center dedicated to the creation and appreciation of hand papermaking, printmaking, digital arts, and the art of the book. We have extensive studio space that artists can rent as well as workshops, residencies, and a beautiful gallery. We invite artists from all different backgrounds to check out these traditional art forms and use them in their own contemporary work. Find out more about what we do at http://www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org

I started working at Pyramid Atlantic in January and am exploring all the art forms we offer. But up until last week, my closest experience in the Papermill was my mini dachshund peeing on the floor. Luckily Gretchen Schermerhorn, my co-worker and director of the papermill is forgiving of pups and an excellent teacher. Along with some fun classmates, I took Gretchen’s “Hollander Beater Unveiled” class where we learned how to make a variety of pulp, pull paper sheets, and press them.

After learning about different fibers and some background on papermaking we prepared to make a cotton rag pulp. We cut up orange, red, and white fabric into 1″ pieces, a pound total, which is a lot of cutting! I will skip the explanation of how exactly the Hollander Beater works because it’s somewhat extensive and it’s been a long day. So dot dot dot, after about 1/2hr in the Hollander beater we took it out and strained the pulp. Next we “pulled” the pulp through deckles/moulds (often made from picture frames). It was really fun and a bit wet and I think the whole class enjoyed the feeling of dipping our hands into vats and pulling sheets. I am excited to see how the different sheets come out. The class used about 4 different types of fiber to make our pulp. The different types of fibers and the length of time that they are beaten leads to a variety of paper thickness and appearance. Some of the pulp was thinner and very difficult to work with, sticking to the mould, but produced beautiful translucent paper. There was a bunch to clean up but we all pitched in and got it done.

Since I’m among crafters I probably don’t have to explain why someone would want to take the time and effort to make their own paper when they can just buy it. Even though computers and the digital age has done away with lots of paper, when you think about it, paper has been very essential to society. We record our history, beliefs, hatreds, loves, cures, stories, etc on paper. Even though I recycle like a fiend, I gotta have my paper and am not a fan of digital books and I don’t keep my diary on-line. There will always be something special about the tactile experience of books and written letters, and making your own paper makes it even more unique.