Do you love paper? I do, deeply. Whether a new notebook, beautiful gift wrap, handmade paper, or a new ream of cheap drawing paper, it all has the power to get my happy paws going. A couple of weeks ago, by sheer fluke, I happened to see that a course called Paper Love was about to start. Taught by Rachel Hazell, a UK book and paper artist, it looked like the perfect opportunity to get my beloved book-making tools out of their box and get back in touch with my passion for book-making.
Honestly, I'm also hoping it will inspire me to sort out and tidy my paper hoards. There are parts of my tiny studio that are organised and I can reliably find key tools and certain supplies. There are bits that move around the flat, like my favourite pens; some paints and brushes are in constant migration. There are also some black holes of mystery. These frustrate me no end, but they also yield treasure: magazine images, found paper, choice bits of rust, and the occasional lost pen.
I'm a bit behind because of travel and family obligations, but I've been reading the lessons and Rachel is very generous with information and inspiration. I'm caught up with last week's assignments, see below.
Reflecting on paper
Selections for a little book of found paper
Experiments in texture