How should I use my plantable place cards at my wedding?

I have had many a bride find my shop, love my plantable papers but then feel stumped how to incorporate them into their wedding or display them. Here's a shout out to some talented people who have had clever displays to get the ideas rolling for you. I have punched holes in flat cards and added a string so that brides could attach tags and cards to trees, around mason jars and to a small favor bags. One bride got some low flower boxes and planted wheat grass in them, then tucked the pieces of paper standing up into wheat grass. She used different colors of plantable paper to indicate the dinner choice for each guest. I have also had brides use my miniature envelopes so they could tuck a small piece of plantable paper inside each, then use them as place cards. For that same couple, I made full-size cards and envelopes that matched the name cards, and the bride and groom used them as thank you notes to bring the theme full circle.

I loved how one couple used smooth river stones to anchor their handmade paper down against crisp white napkins at an outside wedding:

Most recently, Pauleen Vacca — who owns a full service event and marketing firm in Rochester, New York — purchased my seeded paper for one of her clients and came up with this clever way to display them:

I love getting photos from customers who show me how they use my products. If you have been a customer of mine, please send me your pictures and I will give you a shout out here!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful men who have the great honor of being somebody's dad - and mostly especially my dad! Hope you all have a great day and don’t get too many ties…

Pressed flower art

Sometimes I discover art before I try to make it. I opened up a flower press today because I felt like fooling around and making some on my Petal People, which are little figures made out of pressed flowers then mounted onto my handmade paper. When I opened it, I saw the prettiest composition of colors, shapes and textures that I had to take a picture! Not sure if it comes across in this photo or not but it was so pleasing I wanted to frame it as is.

The world wide web

It amazes me what the internet has done for my life, how many people I can reach and who can reach me because of it. Every so often, I google my work and my name to see what will come up. (A few times I have found copyright infringements for my photos or work that I have had to shut down. Yikes!) But this time, I found only really good, happy things associated with my work.

I found a blog from a bride who used my plantable paper tented cards for her wedding. The video she posted of her vows to her husband made me tear up. Check it out on the bottom of her blog at http://www.100layercake.com/blog/2012/01/27/intimate-arizona-wedding-jackie-brandon/

I saw glances of the tented cards that I made in that same video (here’s a screen shot) and it made me smile to see how I had a hand in such a special day in someone’s life. So cool.

One of my customers purchased some of my miniature plantable paper flat cards and envelopes to use as part of a gardener’s gift basket with all kinds of wonderful things from New York State. You can see my purple plantable paper card and mini envelope on the top of the Gardener’s Box here:

http://www.bountynewyork.com/products/gardeners-box

I found how one of my customers used my paper products for labels for their business and embossed my plantable paper. The end result was really lovely:

http://lilfishstudios.blogspot.com/2010/03/playing-with-packaging.html

I found lots of interviews I have given over the years and blogs about my work. This one cracked me up because it looks like it is in Greek:

http://fridge.gr/7138/trash-treasures/plantable-paper/

If it were not for the internet, then the only way I would reach people would be to travel to them. It used to be that I could only travel as far as the most affordable craft show within driving distance from my home to reach people. Now I look at my stats in my Etsy shop just to marvel at views from India, Australia, South America and China. I can’t imagine what the internet and technology will provide in the future and how my great-great grandchildren will shop and find people. I just hope someone will still be making handmade paper the old-fashioned way!

Happy Mother's Day!

To my mom and all the hard-working mothers doing what they love and raising their kids.

Women's Studio Workshop

I wish I took better advantage of my education when I was younger. I was lucky enough to go to a 4-year college but I wish I had taken more classes outside my major concentration than I did - namely art classes. As an adult, I have been back to school a million times, taking undergraduate art courses as well as adult education workshops (where I stumbled upon papermaking two decades ago!). One of the places I attended a few years ago was so valuable for advancing my education in the papermaking field. I discovered the Women’s Studio Workshop in upstate New York and took a weekend workshop there. It is one of the few places in the country that I have found with dedicated papermaking workshops and an incredible studio with everything you need to make all kinds of paper. (The other place is the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Taking a week-long course there is on my Bucket List! And if I do go, I will go out of my way to eat at Tupelo Honey cafe in downtown Asheville. The homemade biscuits with honey butter and blueberry jam are heavenly. The shrimp and grits are even better!)

Food always makes me digress....

I really loved my experience at WSW. It was afforable (unfortunately, it is a lot more expensive now) and I learned so much. It was incredible having access to the papermaking equipment they have in the studio: 2 Hollander beaters, a hydraulic press, a vacuum table, stack dryer and an outdoor cooking facility for fibers and dyes.

This summer, they are offering the following papermaking workshops:


* Paper and Place

* Handmade Paper and Encaustic

* Sculptural Papermaking: Unusual 3D Techniques

* Mold Making for Casting Handmade Paper or Clay Objects

* Paper + Dye: Japanese Papermaking and Natural Colors

I am most intrigued by the The Paper and Place workshop. Here’s the description: “Exploring the process of hand papermaking yields opportunities to incorporate natural materials directly into paper art. Participants will construct 2D and 3D works of paper, choosing materials that become part of the content. Paper pulps such as linen, flax and abaca provide a neutral palette for mineral colors, natural dyes, and plant and seed textures. Students will learn how and where to harvest and collect plant fiber locally (and grow their own). A variety of artistic papermaking techniques will be covered, such as using a deckle box, embedding plants, wet collage, and creating simple book forms. Colors will be derived from mineral and plant sources. The emphasis will be on creating unique works of paper that reflect elements of the natural world.”

Sounds exciting and inspiring. Almost as much as those Shrimp and Grits. Now where did I put that recipe?

(Photo courtesy of Women's Studio Workshop, shamelessly lifted from their website)

Papermaking list serve group

If you are a serious papermaker and haven't heard of it, you should check out the Yahoo groups papermaking list serve group. There are people from all over the world on it and you can ask questions, share knowledge and even buy and sell your papermaking-related supplies. For me, the greatest aspect of being a part of the group has been joining in the annual Swatch Swap. A brave soul in the group volunteers to organize it and then all participants send in a predetermined number of swatches of paper with their recipe attached. The volunteer leader puts it all together in a book and sends each participant back a book with one of every swatch in it. My Swatch Swap books have a special place in my studio and I go to them for inspiration... or just to stroke all those lovely papers. Even if you missed out, you can still get your hands on one of these highly-prized books. The annual Hand Papermaking auction is on now and there are a couple of Swatch Swap books up for auction as part of the fundraiser. Check it out here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-Swatch-Swap-Books-2010-and-2013-/291127983757?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item43c8947e8d

Good luck at the auction!