Using the fibres

When I start a project, that will include plant material, I always photograph the plants and use 

those colours as a starting point.

When embedding plant material into handmade papers it's so important to 

remove as much of the organic stuff as possible - using the cellulose matter only. 

This is because that stuff will ruin the papers when it naturally breaks down and 

deteriorates the papers from the inside. 

So.... I pigment the abaca, gampi or kobo with pigments, referring back to the photos, 

to add colour!

Then - after the project is done - it's playtime!

 

Finishing up with the Bluebells

 Here is the card and papermaking manual/informative booklet...

all done and also sent out copies to those who collected the leaves for me!

Time to make: Bluebell leaf papers

As I don't have a garden since I moved to North London - I asked for donations of Bluebell leaves from friends gardens' (not wildly growing ones) and in return I will send them items made with the resulting papers.

Let the experimenting begin!

Drying : Cooking with soda ash