The Ancient Art of Paste Papers

As many of you know, Paste Paper is one of my favorite things to create & teach, as it is a process one can get lost in, that connects the artist to a deeper place.

P.S. Here’s some Student Testimonials from prior workshops:  “Susan is delightful!”…….”one of the most encouraging and inspiring instructors I’ve ever had”……”Susan’s combination of rigor and playfulness was absolutely perfect for me”….”lots of experimentation”….”Playful spirit”……..”Great workshop!!!”….”Susan is fantastic. I enjoy her knowledge, skills & beautiful energy!”

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Mendocino Art Center “Open Secrets”- 5 Days of Handmade Books!

Kathleen’s blizzard book. The button is a dremel tool cloth wheel. (How cool is that?!)

The finished blizzard books look like lusciously painted wallet portfolios.

Carolyn, gluing away!

Gwen shows us the wonders of Tyvek.

Kathleen in a blizzard book & paste paper reverie.

Carolyn’s beautifully textured accordion book.

Carolyn used Mendocino moss on her bird’s nest!

Amber crystal beads sewn into the center spread.

Gwen’s colorful accordion book with pockets housing many treasures.

We love adding baubles and beads.

Kathleen freaked us all out with her gorgeous inked-over paste paper.

Kathleen incorporated pockets, die-cuts, sewn-in pamphlets and more.

What a full summer it has been! A few weeks back I spent a lovely week on the coast at the Mendocino Art Center teaching a Book Arts workshop entitled “Open Secrets.” What an incredible experience. The class was wonderful- it was an intimate group which led to a lot of collaboration and creative discoveries. The chemistry of the four of us was perfect and to say we bonded is an understatement! The MAC staff and other workshop faculty and students who were also there only added to the fun.

We made paste paper, accordion books, sewn-in pamplets, learned pop-ups, tried some various transfer techniques, but the biggest nut to crack: learning to make Hedi Kyle’s blizzard book. This is an ingeniously designed origami-like folded book that has no stitching or glue. There are pockets that can be used as such, or folded open to reveal hidden gems. It was a folding, collaging, creating, paste paper-ing extravaganza.

My handmade Brag Books AKA accordion with wrap-a-round covers

These sweet little books are so fun to make, they are almost like a wallet, with an accordion book inside. I made a bunch for my family to use as brag books. What a wonderful way to keep snazzy pictures of cute kidlets (OK, and cute others) handy.