The Song of the Papermakers
I got really lucky when I first was getting into papermaking. Shopping around on eBay one day I entered ‘paper maker’ into the search field. Scrolling down the results I … Continue reading
Two Papermaking Podcasts For You
A friend recently commented on the two interviews I’ve posted to the blog so far. He enjoyed them and suggested I look into sharing interviews as audio files, too. I like … Continue reading
Hollander Beaters-Helping Papermakers Since the 1600s
One way that fibers are made more flexible before papermaking is a refining process called beating. Pounding and/or shearing action works to separate the fibers for the first time, or further refines fibers … Continue reading
Finger Painting, But Better. Much Better.
Paste papers have decorated the covers and insides of books since the days of Shakespeare. Bookbinders could take a bit of unused paste, add some pigment and inexpensively enhance their work with … Continue reading
People Posting About Paper
On Monday I posted several tweets I enjoyed from the week which met with positive response. Today I’m posting links to several blogs I frequent, along with the descriptions from their … Continue reading
Making Paper for the MCBA Winterbook
Summer is great in Minneapolis. There are flea markets, concerts, outdoor films and art festivals, restaurants galore and miles upon miles of bike trails to help you get around. Despite all … Continue reading
Video: Handmade Flax Paper at Cave Paper
Last summer I worked at Cave Paper in Minneapolis, MN. The mill opened in 1994 in the lower levels of an old warehouse near the banks of the Mississippi and ‘Cavelike’ is … Continue reading
The Transformative Power of Papermaking
In the fall of 2011 I was in a pretty rough place. My grandmother was in a car accident that put her in a month-long coma and eventually resulted in her death. … Continue reading
Treasure Box
For four hours every Wednesday afternoon I slip into the calm of the college archives to work with the Thomas M. Cook collection. Thomas graduated from SUNY-ESF in 1935 and … Continue reading
The Friends of Dard Hunter Conference
Many of you reading this know a thing or two about Dard Hunter, I’m sure. For those of you who are meeting him here, Dard Hunter was a craftsman born … Continue reading