Wednesday, August 13, 2008

There Wouldn't Be An Arnold Without A Mabel

By gumshoe

There was a time in Arnold and Mabel's lives when everything went haywire. Arnold and Mabel both lost their jobs in the same year.

When Mabel was later hired with a salary and bennies, she said, 'Arnie, why don't you take your paper demonstration on the road? I'll support you!'

So they bought a van, had it painted, and Arnold toured the country giving demos and lectures at the likes of the Smithsonian in DC, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and conventions and trade shows all over the country.

As way leads on to way, soon there were books, products, invitations for tv, and links to people that brought Arnold's excitement about paper making to lots of kids and teachers and families.

It never would have happened without Mabel, the visionary, chief fan and bankroller. Thanks, Mabel!

Happy 85th birthday, Arnold!
Happy 60th anniversary, Mabel & Arnold!

http://www.arnoldgrummer.com/resources/send_card.cfm

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

A Gift for My Sister

By Rebekah Gelinas

When my sister announced that she was getting married last spring, one of my first thoughts was, “What shall my wedding present to her be?” I wanted to do something thoughtful and fitting, and it didn’t take long for me to decide that I should make her shower and wedding invitations out of homemade paper.

I got to work – picking out the perfect paper, the colors of carnations and angel wings, the shades of glitter and sparkles, the style of envelopes. Knowing that this paper would be used to invite people to a wedding, to none other but the joining of two souls, I made sure each paper-making act was done with care and with love. As I pressed the flowers, I pressed my prayers along in with them. As I blended the mixture of water and recycled paper, of glitter and flower and fern, I also blended in all my unspoken hopes and dreams for their future together. Wringing the paper dry with sponges allowed me to soak up all the memories of my sister in all her singleness, my baby sister, and to leave them, fresh and clean, to stay in my own heart. I remember the sun beating down on me and on the paper as I let it dry, this paper that would capture the bittersweet music of my spirit in a very permanent way, this paper that would reflect all musings on what it meant to say goodbye and hello to my sister all at once, this paper that would bring glimpses of beauty to each person who received one.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Studio 1, Nashville TN

By Pat Pickett

April showers bring May flowers, goes the familiar saying. Recently, this became a reality for artists in Studio 1 who were challenged to provide art as a graphic for the Invocation at the Annual Parents and Guardians Meeting at Clover Bottom Developmental Center in Nashville, TN.

Making seed flowers was not only a creative answer to the challenge, it also produced "inside showers" as one person discovered how much fun it was to loosen the cap on the pop bottle and let the pulp, water, colored paper and seeds fly all over friends, floor, tables, and walls!

These artists create all kinds of art during the year. However, the goal is multi-dimensional for Studio 1, an art studio housed in the Developmental Center. Studio 1 is an extension of pastoral care and is guided by the chaplain/artist. It is in this place that persons may explore all kinds of media, using anything from sheep fleece to recycled paper. Using a variety of materials to create something of beauty with little help, can be transformational.

These artists do not allow their disabilities to cloud the issue. While giving voice to their spirituality is the goal, individuals are beginning to experience a new kind of independent self-expression. A fantastic by-product is often an object of beauty. For the most part, this is all the staff sees. Those who have experienced the spark of creativity which touches one's very core know there is much more.

In the summer of 2007, The Frist Center for Visual Art in Nashville, TN called for entries to an art show featuring artists who live with disabilities. There were 465 entries from across the state of TN. On November 15, 2007, the art jury made the selection of 52 for the upcoming show. Nine of the entries are from Studio 1. This show runs May 16 through September 14, 2008.

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Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Paper Making at Earth School

By Cracked Pots

On March 25, 2008, twenty-eight students from the Franciscan Montessori Earth School in Portland, Oregon, learned to make paper from a local artist, Laurel Ann Bower. Laurel is a member of Cracked Pots, a Portland organization where the artists use recycled materials in their artwork.

Assisted by seven adults, the children made 71 sheets of paper in two hours, utilizing recycled Starbuck's gift bags and colored copy paper, and other recycled materials, including Easter basket "grass," coffee grounds, eggshells, and potpourri.

The sheets of paper made in the class will be used as covers for the auction booklets for the Earth School's fundraiser in May. The children also plan to decorate the auction booklet covers by gluing sunflowers seeds onto the covers, so after the fundraiser, the seeded paper can be recycled once more.

Recently, Mother Francine, the woman who started the school thirty years ago, and her friend (a donor) were walking through the school. Mother Francine's friend was so impressed with what the children had made, she is going to provide papermaking equipment for the school!

The children are still talking about how much fun they had making paper that day. Laurel Ann says that makes her happier than if she had won first prize in an art show!

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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Where Everyone Is Successful

By Students at Visions Unlimited

“Where Everyone Experiences Success” is the motto of the students at Visions Unlimited located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The students are 18-26 years old with developmental disabilities.

We use recycled paper and other products to make our handmade artwork, whose special qualities make it so unique. We find that with paper making, everyone can participate.

We use the handmade paper to produce invitations for both our prom and graduations along with a wide variety of note cards.

One year we made 150 invitations for the local credit union. The community is excited about what we’re doing.

Some of our creations have been less than successful; however we just laugh and try again.

There’s a label on each product that indicates which student has helped make the paper. The label reads “Handmade Especially For You”. This acknowledgement gives the students a great sense of pride.


PS:

Andrew has been making paper for 4 years.

Dan is enjoying his first year of paper making.

Even though Joe and Andrew like rival teams (MSU Wolverines and the MU Spartans respectively), they work well together making paper!

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Crossing Media

By Kathryn Semolic

It was really exciting to have a professional weaver and a professional potter in my last papermaking class. The best part for me was watching the ideas bouncing back and forth.

Being a painter myself, I had plenty of dyes, and white and colored pulps set up with a turkey baster for creating pulp paintings. The other artists did enjoy that, but more for the idea than the practice of painting. It turned out, not surprisingly perhaps, that the weaver loved using her fingers to layer pulp over the embroidery threads I had laid out in hopes she would use them. The result is a vibrant sheet of red and turquoise paper with threads which appear to be stitched in. She will hang this piece in her living room and was inspired to make a piece for her living room when the potter in the class had begun a pulp painting for her own.

The potter loved making paper, said she would continue on her own, and spent some time with the Arnold Grummer brochure and discussing supplies for her order. Once she noticed the molds in the catalog, and fell in love with the dragonfly, I got her set up to do some casting. She made some perfectly cast pieces, all pure white, and then got back into working with color. For her living room, she pieced together a lovely dragonfly in jewel-toned tissue papers which she laid directly on top of a soaking wet sheet of pulp. The tissue held together beautifully throughout the drying process and seems to have melded into the background.
I found it very stimulating to watch these artists try their hand at a new media and to see how their chosen media influenced the work they did with paper pulp and Arnold Grummer's supplies.

Both these artist said they found it very stimulating for their creative juices to step outside their comfort zone and try something new. Both said they had always wanted to try their hand at paper making and both were very satisfied with the experience.

I guess, I'm not the only professional artist who enjoys spending their free time making paper.

http://kathrynsemolic.com/blog/2008/01/20/studio-play-day-paper-making.html

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Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Poinsettia Paper

By crafty kim

Even tho my dad is famous for making paper (yep, Arnold is 'Pops' to me!), my mom and I both love to make paper, too. We get a big kick out of recycling.

This year we turned our white Christmas ‘green’ by recycling my poinsettia plant.

Christmas card envelopes, gift wrap, leaves and flowers all went into the blender.

Our papers turned out in various shades of white, pink and red. Some sheets had 'flecks' of petals and leaves, some had larger pieces depending on how long we ran the blender.

The red in the petals darkened a bit, but you can still tell we used a poinsettia plant.

Mom is a prolific card maker. She turns her paper into cards for the hospital, her church, and the paper museum in town. I'm using mine for Christmas thank you notes.

We had fun turning our white Christmas ‘green’!

Directions for the project are at the link below.

www.arnoldgrummer.com/project/cards/projectPage.cfm?c=5&id=192

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Saturday, December 1, 2007

Earthy Paper Stain

By louise spell

Several years ago I started making hand made paper. I thought I wanted to make it colorful like the colors in natural wool thread. The colors did not turn out just the way I wanted and so I experimented with other color sources. I tried coffee grounds, walnuts, tea, and red oak bark but I found that pecan shells produced a very dark stain which developed into the earthy colors that I love.


Pecan shell stain is easily made and changes to exciting colors with a little creativity. I boil the hulls, I would say for forty five minutes, then let them set in the hot water until the stain looks rich and strong. Then I strain out the hulls with a large strainer. I beat the paper in the stain water and let it set for a while before dipping my mold in.



Many times I use watercolor paper in the blender to make my collage paper. It has a good texture and absorbs the stain all the way through. Many times I choose a quilt pattern for my inspiration. I like to make the border darker which makes the design of the collage pop. Multiple colors are used to give it character and variety. Sprinkling darks throughout the collage enhances the look and brings out the other colors.

www.louisespell.blogspot.com

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Thursday, November 1, 2007

A.C. Art Club october mtg

By gumshoe

The A. C. Art Association in West Allis, WI is 75 years old. It began when workers at Allis Chalmers (famous for tractors) discovered a mutual interest in art and formed an artist community. When Allis Chalmers closed, the group went on meeting at City Hall.

The AC Art Club has 40 active members and meets twice a month. At the first meeting a member or guest teaches a technique or art concept to the group. At the second meeting, one member brings their portfolio for a local expert to critique. Everyone gets to listen in and learn.

This month A.C.ers met at the area's premier art store, Artist & Display, who hosted an after hours class for the group. (Check out the link below).

Arnold Grummer gave a paper making workshop and everybody got to make several sheets. Members collaborated on choosing fibers, metallics and botanicals for their paper. Maybe handmade paper will show up in someone's portfolio review!

www.artistanddisplay.com

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Thursday, November 1, 2007

Science club spring project

By H.O.P.E. reporter

Hi everyone!

The H.O.P.E. club at North High School in Appleton WI is committed to saving the environment. H.O.P.E. stands for Help Our Planet Earth.

The club meets after school and works on projects that affect the environment locally or generally. The club is advised by Mrs. Connie Roop.

H.O.P.E. club recently focused on recycling. Many of the meetings were dedicated to learning about paper, what it is, and why and how it can be recycled. Arnold and Mabel Grummer were guest teachers and came to many of the meetings. They were terrific!

Everyone learned to make paper and had lots of fun recycling. After making TONS of paper (not really), the group decided to turn handmade sheets into cards to sell for a fund raiser. Crafty teachers shared their craft supplies and helped with the project.

H.O.P.E. Club raised more than $400 with handmade cards. They sold Valentine's Day cards, and later in spring, Mother's Day cards during bake sales in the cafeteria.


The club used money they raised for field trips and a prairie they're installing at the high school.

Mabel Grummer, a former teacher, wrote up all of the activities so other groups could adapt H.O.P.E. club's paper and card making program for their school or group.

Feel free to click on the link below to download the curriculum. Use any ideas you like, and Help Our Planet Earth!

http://www.arnoldgrummer.com/resources/teacherCorner/freeCurriculum.cfm

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Saturday, September 1, 2007

Edgefield art show

By cracked pots

Hi Everyone!

Here are some pictures of the Cracked Pots art show at Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon. For those of you who don't know, Edgefield used to be the county poor farm. It was turned into a hotel, restaurants, a winery and brewery, and golf course, and hosts a number of events throughout the year. To be in the art show, you have to use at least 75% of the materials. have to be recycled. I used mostly Oprah magazines and Starbucks bags for my handmade paper.


I didn't make much money, but learned a great deal about displays and traffic flows for retailing. I had a wonderful time and did a lot of networking with the other artists. Next year I will concentrate on seeded handmade paper items - people loved them.

Ed (my husband) burned the copper and wood on some of my garden signs and the ones he burned were the only signs that sold. He's pretty smug about that!


For the Artists' Challenge, I made (with a great deal of Ed's help) a wacky giant bird feeder that could be seen from outer space. The challenge was to use CD's and/or coat hangers in the piece. I used the CD's for the tabletop.

It was a wonderful experience and I am already planning for next year.

Laurie Bower
Cracked Pots

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