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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Paper Making at Earth School
By Cracked Pots
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!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Where Everyone Is Successful
By Students at Visions Unlimited
Andrew Smerecki
Dan Green
Joe Rex and Andrew
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
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
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Poinsettia Paper
By crafty kim
mom's vase and flowers
my thank you
mom and pops
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
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Earthy Paper Etain
By louise spell
my paper collage
I use pecan shells
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
Judy and Ralph make paper
Ralph's finished sheet
Arnold demos pulp painting
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
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Science club spring project
By H.O.P.E. reporter
H.O.P.E. Club members
Making paper with the lunch crowd
Valentine card sale sample
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
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
