Etsy Again!

I received an email the other day from a Japanese TV Network (TV Asahi) that claims to be one of the biggest tv networks in Japan.  They are doing a program about the papermaking industry and want to include a bit about my moose poo paper, including photos from my blog.  I agreed but asked that they include a link to my Etsy shop in return.

Moose poo paper card from my Etsy shop

My Etsy shop, however, has been on vacation mode for several months.  So, once again, I'm responding to crisis and will be spending this week getting some listings back into my Etsy shop.

If you would like to learn more about the process behind making moose poo paper, check out my tutorial here. It includes links to the series.

Summertime and the living is...busy!

Summer is way too short!  We're lucky if we get 2 months of real summer weather so every minute I get to spend out on the water is precious.

That's me in my floaty chair!

Summer is also when I gather most of the plant fibres for my handmade paper.   Rather than give up any time on my lake, I take the plant stalks with me out on my floaty chair and, as I drift happily in the sunshine, with a nice cold beverage beside me in the cup holder, I strip fibre.

Stinging nettle fibre stripped from the stalk.

July was super busy this year so I'm making up for lost time.  I can make the paper in my studio anytime but it's a very messy process so I'm glad for the nice weather to do it outside.  The fireweed and stinging nettle are already almost too dry to strip easily so I'm a little frantic to gather as much as I can now. 

Paper drying in the summer sunshine.

It won't be long before the flowers I need for my natural dyes are faded and gone, too.

Goldenrod blossoms for natural dyes.

With so much pulling at me to be outdoors, it's a challenge to find the time to spend indoors in my studio.  But when I do, I've been having a great time making jewelry and trying out new techniques.  I'll share more on that later, including some sage advise about chemicals and common sense! 

Check out these links for complete tutorials on making handmade paper from plants and dyeing paper pulp with natural dyes.

Handmade Paper Dyed with Wildflowers

I get into a bit of a panic at this time of year.  All of the wildflowers that I like to use for dyes seem to peak right around the same time.  My work area is overflowing with pots and bowls while I frantically cook down plant fibre for the paper, prepare the pulp for dying and process the dye plants.

This post will introduce you to the craft of dying paper pulp but, for more in depth reading, there are some wonderful books available on dying with plants. Many of them focus on dying wool rather than cellulose fibres but I'll list my recommended resources for dying your handmade paper with plants.  I must admit that I'm rather slapdash when it comes to dyeing but I get the results I want.  If I don't get exactly the same results every time, that's okay by me.  But if you want to duplicate your results, take good notes.

Arnica flowers

I won't be covering dyeing with mushrooms but I've included a resource on dyeing with them.  Some beautiful colours are possible with certain kinds.  I have a friend who used to collect mushrooms for me when he was doing forestry work and I got reds, oranges, and a gorgeous deep blue from some of the specimens he brought me.  You would be amazed at all the maggoty creatures that reside in mushrooms, though!  The dye pot was swimming with them.

When I play with plant dyes, I generally use corn husk and recycled paper pulp.  The corn husk pulp is a pale green colour and doesn't compete with the dyes.  Some of the other plants I use in my papermaking have a lot of natural colour so the dye colour doesn't show up as well.  For information on papermaking, click on this link for a tutorial I posted last spring, Make Your Own Paper From Plants.

Cow parsnip

PREPARE YOUR PULP
You can use plant fibre pulp mixed with recycled paper pulp, plain paper pulp or pulp made from purchased fibre such as cotton linters or abaca.  Keep the pulp wet while you prepare your dye materials.

Wet paper pulp after pre-mordanting with tannin.

MORDANT

Before dyeing your cellulose pulp (plant  fibre, recycled paper, etc.), most dyes require that the plant based fibres be soaked in a solution called a mordant.  The mordant binds to the fibre and then the dye binds to the mordant.

There are various methods for mordanting pulp but this is the one I use.  I first use a tannin solution as a pre-mordant and then I use an alum solution as the mordant.  The alum doesn't readily fix to the pulp on its own so the tannin is used first.  You can purchase tannin and alum from companies that sell natural dyes and from some papermaking suppliers but  I make my own tannin solution from willow bark. You can also use oak galls or staghorn sumac.  The tannin can be used alone as a mordant but I haven't used that method.

I strip the willow bark for papermaking but before I process it in soda ash to make pulp for paper, I simmer it in plain water for an hour or so to extract the tannin.  I strain it into jars and fill right to the top before covering with lids for future use.  If mold grows on the surface, just skim it off before using. 

Jars of prepared tannin solution.

Pre-Mordant

Prepare your tannin solution.  Add more water if required.  I like the tannin solution to be strong enough to colour the pulp a pale tan colour but not so strong that it interferes with the colour of the plant dye.  I've found that if my plant dye is strong enough, even when my pulp is a dark tan colour, it still dyes well.  The basic formula is to use bark equal to about 1/4 of the weight of the pulp to be mordanted but, as I said, I'm pretty cavalier about the whole process so if the resulting colour is a bit lighter or darker, that's okay.  Since I just boil up a bunch of willow bark at one time, I'm not measuring for a particular dye session.

Add the paper pulp to the tannin solution and soak for 8 to 24 hours.  The longer the soak, the more tannin is absorbed.  The pulp should be a pale tan colour.  Strain it and save the tannin solution.  It can be used again until it no longer colours the pulp adequately.

Yarrow

Mordant with Alum

I mordant my fibres once with alum after the tannin solution but you can do it twice for stronger colours, if you wish.  The alum is used with washing soda to make it less acidic and it also helps to make the fibres more absorbent.

The amount of alum and washing soda you use depends on the weight of your fibres.  Once again I must confess to being less than scientific about my process and I usually estimate the dry weight of my fibres.  Your alum should weigh 20% of the weight of your fibres and 6% of the weight for the washing soda (or 20 gm of alum per 100 gm of fibre and 6 gm of washing soda per 100 gm of fibre).

Dissolve the alum in boiling water in a large stainless steel pot.  Fill the pot about 1/3 full of hot water.  Dissolve the washing soda in boiling water and add to the alum solution in the pot and stir well.  Carbon dioxide releasing will cause bubbles to form (they'll overflow if the pot is too full).  When the bubbles have subsided add the pulp to the pot and add enough water to cover them.  Heat to a simmer, turn off the heat and leave the pulp to soak for 8 to 24 hours.  Strain and rinse the pulp but reserve the left over solution to use again.  I usually save the remains from a couple of batches and then add them together for the third batch.

Goldenrod

WILDFLOWER DYE
Now the fun begins!  I love the time spent outdoors collecting the flowers for my dyes.  Many wildflowers will result in some hue of yellow, from greenish to orangey.  Modifiers can be used to create a range of colours from one dye plant.  There are books and information on the internet that tell you what colours to expect from many common wildflowers but often the information is about colours on wool, which can be quite different.  I enjoy experimenting.

Be careful not to disturb rare or endangered plants or to spread noxious weeds.  Some plants will render a rich, gorgeous colour in the dye pot but the cellulose fibres don't pick up the colour, even with the mordant.  I tried strawberry blight and it made a deep pink solution but it didn't dye the fibre.  If you're looking for a sure thing, then use plants that are recommended by other dyers and follow their instructions.

I use the same process with all of the wildflowers I collect for dyes.  Collect as many flowerheads (or other plant parts that you wish to try) as the weight of the pulp you are dyeing.  Pour boiling water over the plant parts in a glass or stainless steel bowl or pot and leave to steep for an hour or so.  Sometimes this is enough to extract the colour but I usually add more water and then simmer in a stainless steel pot for an hour; then strain out the plant material.

Add the pulp to the pot of dye and simmer for an hour (less if enough colour has been absorbed).  Strain and rinse, reserving the dye liquid if you wish to add it to another batch or for a lighter shade of the colour with the same solution.

From left to right (yellow is dyed with wildflowers, green is the same dye as the paper to the left but modified with iron):  cow parsnip, orange hawkweed, goldenrod, yarrow

MODIFIERS
Modifiers are chemicals that are added to the dyed pulp to change the colour.  There are several common ones that are used and each affects the colour differently.  The only one that I use is iron.  I make the solution by soaking rusty nails or other iron bits in a solution of 2 parts of water to one part of clear vinegar for 2 weeks or more.  My current solution has been sitting in my studio for over a year so it's quite strong.

After dyeing the  pulp with the plant dye, I put it in a stainless steel or glass bowl, add some water, and add a couple of tablespoons (all very scientifically measured, of course....not!) of the iron solution.  I stir until it changes colour (with iron it is called "saddening" the colour).  It results in a duller colour which is often quite beautiful.  The yellows turn to varying shades and hues of green.

Then I make paper and wait for the final results.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  After dyeing and modifying, strain and rinse the pulp.  Check with your local environmental authorities for disposal of any chemicals, including alum, washing soda and iron solutions.

RESOURCES
My very favourite book is Wild Color by Jenny Dean (Watson-Guptill Publications).  Highly recommended for beginners to advanced dyers as her information for dyeing cellulose fibres is so comprehensive, yet easy to follow.

A Dyer's Garden by Rita Buchanan (Interweave Press).  Wonderful information on growing your own dye plants as well as some info on dyeing.

Home Dyeing with Natural Dyes by Margaret S. Furry and Bess M. Viemont (United States Department of Agriculture No. 230).  There is a lot of information packed into this small booklet.

Mushrooms for Colour by Miriam C. Rice (Mad River Press).  Some gorgeous colours are possible with certain kinds of mushrooms.

The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing by J.N. Liles (The University of Tennessee Press).  In depth information on dyeing.

SUPPLIERS
Dharma Trading Company   Even their catalog is fun.
The Papertrail A Canadian company but ships internationally
Maiwa Handprints A Canadian company.  They have an extensive supply of books and materials as well as lots of good information.

Make Your Own Paper from Plants

I have been making paper for over 15 years and I love every step, from wandering around outdoors scoping out the plants to removing the finished sheets from the drying rack. It is so satisfying to use something free and renewable to create something beautiful.  Collecting plants for papermaking opens your eyes to more of our world. The desire to learn more, naturally follows as you seek to identify species suitable to the craft.

Collecting iris leaves about 15 years ago.

I first made paper in a weekend workshop taught by an instructor through an Emily Carr College outreach program .  We used cotton linters, abaca, and Japanese Kozo fibres.  Before the weekend was through I was already thinking about local plants that I might try on my own.

Swamp grass:  collected dry in late fall on left, dried fresh in summer on right

In this step by step tutorial, I'll take you through my process of making plant fibre paper, from start to finish.  See the bottom of this post for a list of supplies and materials.

Collecting More Plants for Paper

Fireweed blooming in late summer

I'll be doing the papermaking tutorial soon so here is a bit more information on collecting plants.  

Never collect fibre that you cannot identify and do not collect plants that have been identified as noxious weeds in your area.  Some plants can be irritants and some can be deadly, even to handle (water hemlock for example).

My goal is to provide basic instructions, making it as simple as possible for you to start making your own paper.  For more detailed information, there are some excellent books available.  Half the fun of making paper from scratch is making your own discoveries.  If you find a plant that is safe to use and you think it might make a nice paper, go ahead and try it.  Cost is negligible.

Gathering Willow

It was a glorious day yesterday so, even though I had plenty of projects on my list needing attention, I let myself be side-tracked.  As Jo Packham said in the current issue of Where Women Create, "you will never "find" the time to do all of those things that inspire and nourish your creative soul...you simply must MAKE the time..."

Willow heart card on handmade willow paper

My handmade paper supply needs replenishing after a busy winter of card making and soap wrapping so it's time to start gathering materials. I love Mother Nature's Craft Store, where everything is free! 

Starting this month - free tutorials!

Teaching has always been one of my favourite ways of sharing my art so, starting this month, I will be offering free art and craft tutorials on my blog.

In no certain order, here are some of the planned projects.  Topics will be divided into separate tutorials for each technique, where applicable.

Natural Dyes from Your Yard and Garden 

Creating dyes and applying them to cloth and paper.

 Working with Concrete 

Stepping stones, bird baths, benches and  planters.  Making your mixes from scratch and producing beautiful art for your yard and garden.

Making Handmade Paper from Plants and Recycled Paper 

From choosing and processing your plant materials to methods for forming and drying your handmade papers.

Creating with Your Handmade Papers 

Make beautiful and functional pieces from your selection of handmade papers.

Textile and Paper Art  

Most of these techniques can be applied to textiles or paper.  Low water immersion dyeing, batik and other resist methods, devore', marbling, silk screen, block printing, nature printing.

Basic Soapmaking 

Make your own natural vegetable oil based cold process soap.

Beautiful Body Butter and Lip Balms

Use the basic formulas as the starting point for your own unique blends that address your own skin care concerns and preferences.

Pressing Flowers in a Microwave

'Follow' my blog for updates and schedules. And spread the word!  Everyone is welcome.

Moose Poo Paper - The Final Chapter

The moose poo paper is finished so I have started making cards for my Etsy shop.  I am using digitally altered photographs of moose that my husband and I have taken and some that have been contributed by my friends, August and Margaret Meutzner.  The photos are printed on handmade paper.  Each card varies slightly due to the type of handmade paper used for the print and the embellishments used.

The rest of the moose poo paper series can be found here:
Moose Poo Paper - Chapter One,
Moose Poo - Day Two, 
Moose Poo Paper - Chapter Three,
My Moose Poo Paper is USDA approved!






































My friends told me last night that they have collected 5 gallons of moose poo for me!  I haven't found much on my property this winter as it keeps getting covered with snow.  The moose have been regular visitors, though, so I'll find a lot in the spring.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.

Moose Poo Paper - Chapter Three

After the moose poo has been boiled for almost 3 hours, it is strained in a paint straining bag and thoroughly rinsed until the water runs clear.  At this point, all that remains of the moose poo is the fine willow fibres and bark.  Now I put these plant materials in a bleach solution and let it soak for several hours before rinsing thoroughly once more.

This is the plant fibre that remains when the processing is completed.  It has no odour.

Next I mix the fibre with paper pulp that I make from recycled copy paper or other good quality paper.  The fibres that the moose has 'processed' are too short to make good paper without the addition of the recycled paper pulp.

Now I'm ready to start making moose poo paper.  The fibres are added to a water bath and with my mold and deckle I scoop some out of the water at the same time as I make a back and forth motion with the mold.  This is called "throwing the wave."

The water is drained off and the newly formed sheet of paper is released onto a smooth board.  This method produces nice flat sheets of paper with one smooth side.

The sheets of moose poo paper will be left on the board to dry for a day or two and then I'll make my cards.

Moose Poo Paper-Chapter 2

I got up early this morning so I could start processing the moose poo before I leave for work. It must have been old moose poo I used last time cause this stuff does not smell pleasant while it's simmering away in a soda ash solution. The lid is on tight and the window is open but it's not helping much. It's hard to describe the smell but it's not what you might think...just strongly organic.

I think I'll close my studio door tight and go do something else for a while.

Moose Poo Paper - Chapter One

I didn't get chocolates for Valentine's Day, but I did get moose poo...which kind of looks like chocolates . My husband startled a moose the day before when he was walking to his workshop, so he knew right where to take me.


Most women wouldn't be thrilled with this particular gift but I am. I want to make moose poo paper. I made it years ago and people are still asking for my moose poo paper cards. I originally got the idea from a Somerset Studio magazine article (Vol 1 Issue 4) about Matuvi (elephant dung) paper from Africa. I was intrigued, but since we don't have elephants in Canada, I had to come up with a different source. Moose were a natural choice since they are frequent visitors to my home, they are large, producing plenty of raw material, and they are herbivores.

The moose in our area feed primarily on willow which is a material that I often use in my hand papermaking. The fibres from the moose poo are considerably shortened, though, so recycled paper is added for strength.

The moose poo will be sterilized and processed to remove all the impurities that are unsuitable for paper and for handling. Surprisingly, the moose poo does not smell unpleasant while it is being processed, unlike some plant materials that have the smell of rotting silage.

I make moose poo paper because it is a novelty. And talk about recycling! There is something quite wonderful about making a useful and beautiful product out of such a base material.

Stay tuned!