PAPER EMBELLISHMENT WORKSHOP with Randi Parkhurst

Randi Parkhurst's lovely embellished papers

Our May Meeting will be with Randi Parkhurst, who will be teaching a Paper Embellishment Workshop. At this point in time, the classes are filled but there is always a possibility of a last minute cancellation if you would like to be on the waiting list. Please contact Dolores Guffey for inquiries.

We would like to extend an invitation to our members to attend the meeting and book exchange from noon until 1:00pm on Saturday, May 10th. Randi will have her incredible structure "Patience" which she will share during this time. To see a video of "Patience" go to vimeo.com/7694315 , but better yet, come and see it in person. We will be at the Arcata United Methodist Church for the workshop and meeting located at 1761 11th Street, Arcata.
 
You can see more of Randi's creations at:
http://www.parkhurstpaperarts.com/ and click on her portfolio.
Randi Parkhurst's lovely embellished papers

Decorative Papers at the Library Kiosk

Humboldt County is ablaze with the colors of spring: daffodils, rhododendrons, tulips, clematis, flowering cherry trees. The Library kiosk is displaying decorative papers whose colors would match our gardens outside. Book artists love decorative papers and if we can make our own, even better. It's fun to play with texture and color to create one's own unique papers.The papers can then be used to cover books, embellish pages, or add accents. The kiosk includes a number of techniques. Here's hoping you will be inspired to create some of your own.

MARBLED PAPERS:

ALCOHOL INKS:

PASTE PAPERS:

 DECONSTRUCTED SCREEN PRINTING:

 

 WAX RESIST:

 

METALLIC STAMPS:

HANDMADE, DYED PAPERS:

 

Paste Painting Fun

Everyone combed and rolled and stamped and sloshed paint to their hearts' content at our May paste painting workshop, and many gorgeous papers were made. Unfortunately, the thought didn't occur to take pictures until it was time to start packing up and papers were being removed! Only a tiny fraction of what was made got recorded. There were some really beautiful paste papers.

Ellen posted more about the workshop, with more photos of papers, on her personal blog. As well as pictures, that post also has links to suppliers for the decorative rollers we used.

We haven't been able to identify the makers of several of the paste papers. If you see yours and would like to be credited, please let us know.

Paste Painting Workshop in May

Please note: we are meeting in a different location and at a different time!  

• We'll be having a general meeting, which will include the book exchange, at 11:30am, Saturday May 11. The workshop will start at 12 noon.  
• We are meeting in the Social Hall at Arcata United Methodist Church on 11th Street, Arcata. 

This month we are having a special paste painting workshop with Ellen Golla. Unlike many of our workshops, this one required preregistration. To all of you who've signed up, thank you! If you aren't enrolled and would still like to come, please get in touch with us. If there's been a cancellation, we might be able to accommodate you.

Participants will each get a starter kit, to keep, that will include a plexiglass worktop and supplies for making stamping, patterning and rolling tools (and whatever else you can think of). You'll also get to try out an assortment of tools that will be available for use during the workshop. Papers, both plain and colored, plus a few sheets of non-paper Wet Media Dura-Lar and Tyvek will also be provided.

You don't need to provide anything. However, if you have tools or papers you want to use, feel free to bring 'em! 

Also, there are some things that, while not required, will be helpful to have on hand. These are optional, but recommended:

• Scissors (especially recommended--please bring if possible)
• Craft knife and cutting mat
• One or two paintbrushes. Brushes will be provided, but you might want to have one or two of your own for blending colors on your paper. High-quality synthetic house painting brushes from the hardware store are ideal. Sash brushes with angled bristles are particularly nice, but regular-shaped brushes are fine. Low-quality brushes are not recommended, as they shed and will ruin your design. Foam brushes are ok, but real ones generally give better results. 

Additionally, you might want to keep an eye out for extra tools to paint with. These can include:

• Toothbrushes
• Old credit cards
• Rubber and foam stamps
• Silicon spatulas (that you won't use for food)
• Anything else made of silicon (rubber dog and horse curry combs with interesting patterns, for example)
• Whisks and other cooking implements with interesting shapes (again, not ones you'll actually cook with)
• Wood graining combs and rockers
• Decorative painting combs
• Painting knives
• Plastic toys (textured car wheels, old legos…)
• Sponges
• Anything with an interesting shape or edge that can withstand paint and is washable

If you don't come up with anything, don't worry--an assortment of these will be available to borrow at the workshop. As you can see, paste painting is a perfect pastime for the hoarding fetishists among us. It's time to empty those junk drawers.

Also, please keep in mind that paste painting is messy. Wear comfortable old clothes and/or bring an apron.

Prodigious Paper Painting

We had a great turnout of about 25 members who painted, pasted, stamped, and drew, resulting in some really fantastic papers. Sandy Vrem and Michele Kamprath coordinated and led the workshop. One of the wonderful things about a workshop is that members inspire each other with their very different creations. The photos below will show you some of the techniques used and the slideshow (YouTube) that follows will show you some of the results. Enjoy!

Ladies, start your scissors!

Some of the roller stamps

Not-roller stamps

Acrylic collection

The stamp and the results

Marie painting a" rolling pin" stamp

Printing with flip flops!!!

Custom cut roller and results

Paint palette

Washing acrylic paints off stamps—a must!

Bubble wrap stamp

Bubble wrap print

Sandy assisting Katy with her papers

Card created from painted papers

More cards

Printed Paper with Acrylic Paint

Presented by Michele Kamprath and Sandy Vrem 

Join us for this fun and playful workshop where we will spend time stamping and decorating papers with metallic acrylic paint and gel pens that we can then use to make cards and other projects. We will share with you techniques we learned at a workshop given by Cheri Aldrich at the Newport Paper Arts Festival, Spring 2011. The March workshop will include instructions for creating beautiful text weight papers decorated with commercial and handmade rubber stamps, sponges, bubble wrap, screens, feathers and other found objects. We will use black text weight paper with metallic paint along with markers, gel pens and colored pencils to highlight our designs. After we have created decorated papers we will use them to make cards or an accordion book to display our work. We will  bring in samples to give you ideas of what you can do with your beautiful papers. Note: Don’t buy anything for this workshop; we will have lots of stuff you can use.

Materials to bring if you have them:
• Old toothbrush for washing stamps
• Small water container for washing stamps
• Old towel or paper towels for drying stamps
• Stamps, handmade and commercial screens, sponges, etc.
• Anything you can use for textured stamping
• Foam brushes for painting stamps
• Meat tray or other container for your paints
• Metallic or acryllic paints
• Roller
• Sharpies, colored pencils, gel pens (white gel pen looks great on black)
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Apron

Materials we will bring:
• Black and colored text weight paper to decorate
• Cardstock for cards
• Paper for an accordion book
• Paper to cover work surface
• Foam brushes
• Containers
• Some acrylic paints
• Materials for stamping texture