Most of the plant materials I work with tend to make dark papers. Western Red Cedar inner bark makes a lovely dark red-brown and most of the long leaves and grasses I use make papers that are shades of yellows, tan or greenish. I love the natural tones and shades and accept the fact that natural plant fibers will continue to change over time. … [Read more...]
Here’s What’s Cooking – Porch Paper Making
Hi Friends. I haven’t forgotten you are out there. In the midst of current affairs it is important to know there way more wonderful humans, like you, who are doing their best to be good citizens, good neighbors, good people, and to live creative and purposeful lives. Against the darkness of our political times, there are many examples of people … [Read more...]
Fireweed and Nettle Fiber Papers
It’s been fun and interesting experimenting with how to extract the cellulose fibers from various native, naturalized, and invasive plants that live in our gardens and all around our neighborhood. Because, like Stinging Nettle, Fireweed bast fiber was also traditionally utilized by the First Peoples of this region for cordage making, and it … [Read more...]
Plants Have Fibers – And Other Good Lessons
Thank you for looking at this blog. I haven’t been writing much this past year, for various reasons, but I hope to share more with you in the coming months. Last year was dedicated to working on some projects I’d started, but never seemed to have the time to finish, like the Suquamish-Indianola Storytelling Project. I learned that sometimes … [Read more...]
A Space to Work and Meet
This has been a year hasn’t it? Fear of losing family and friends to a virus that is transmitted unwittingly by those with no symptoms. Uncertainty. Misinformation. No work, or work from home. No school, or school from home. A daily bombardment from those in leadership who behave the opposite of how we hope to raise our children to behave. … [Read more...]
