Because summer has passed without enough cool stuff

[ladyday]

Today we are making paper! :-) So far so fun. We've mastered a method and now it's all about the volume, baby. Except we need more dry felt. Our paper is turquoisey/gray/sparkle paper. :-) Mr. Blue has made paper jillions of times at school, so it's all a bit old hat for him; he's mostly sitting it out.  Miss Thing is stirring in more blue coloring

Comments

[goodjoan]

Are you drying it on the felt? Try making it on the screen, then pressing it with a sponge to flatten and get some of the water out, then transferring it to the felt, put it in the press for a few minutes if you are using one, then while it's still damp, stick the wet paper onto a sunny window. It will stick, dry, then peel off and you can wring out the felt and use it over and over. Another side benefit, the side pressed to the glass will be mirror smooth while the other side will be bumpy and 'natural'

[ladyday]

We weren't drying it on the felt, but we were rolling the paper betwen 2 pieces of felt and layers of newspaper with a rolling pin in lieu of a press. The felt got really wet. The glass idea is an awesome one! Next time we'll do that. A totally smooth side would be nice. We used plastic canvas and plastic aida instead of a screen. My only wish is that it had a frame, but we found that squishing the pulp between two pieces of plastic canvas helped smooth it out before we pressed it.

I don't think this is the last time we'll be making paper, so I appreciate the input.

[goodjoan]

Audrey got a little National geographic (I think) paper making kit a while back and that comes with exactly 2 little clothes to dry/press with. It was silly to try to press 1 sheet of paper at a time. Then I remembered seeing the paper on the glass window (a mirror would work too) on some kid show a million years ago. so we started doing that and skipped the little screw together press that came with the kit.

I love the idea of using a plastic canvas for the screen! When we made paper the last time, Eli wanted in on the fun and it was a pain to juggle 'turns' with the little screen we had. I may have to go get some plastic canvas! My biggest problem was that the paper would often stick so firmly to the screen that we'd have to wreck one of the corners getting it started to get it to peel off onto the fabric!

[si_anenome]

Sounds like fun! I have never made paper... good to hear it is something that can be old hat. (You could probably make paper out of an old hat...)

Mr. Blue? How did he get that name? Reminds me of the song by Yaz. Must go find that on iTunes.

[ladyday]

Travis really likes Yaz.

E.'s middle name is Blue. :-) We were hard pressed for a name that we both liked, and then I (I confess, I was thinking about the show thirtysomething) said "Ethan" (which at the time was NOT the most popular name in Washington state!!! But it would be, oh yes. There are *4* Ethans going into 6th grade next year at our school alone. I had no idea I'd be naming my kid the "Jason" of the new millenium.) and then Travis said "Blue." and that was that. Blue's my favorite color, too. Travis started calling Chloe "Miss Thing" when she was a newborn. No one knows why he did, but it suits her sometimes.

[si_anenome]

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