In my last blog post I showed you a few steps to make your own paper pulp out of junk mail. After I made my paper pulp, I squeezed out the water and let the paper clumps dry, so I can have the pulp ready to go. You can also store your paper pulp in the freezer, if you have the room. I have made many things from junk mail paper pulp, I even rebuilt our tip out in the trailer we sold in Washington State! I took my paper pulp and re moistened it, and I added white glue and white clay ( Crayola Clay) and used it just like modeling clay. I also made some small tiles to show you, and I brushed on some extreme glitter mod podge on top of the tiles before sealing them with a water proof sealer. I love spar varnish because it totally waterproofs your paper clay, or cold porcelain clay jewelry creations. Shellac works well on things like pine needle baskets, but it does add a touch of yellow, which is not always what we are going for. I want to redecorate my back splash area with something simple but pretty.

I have also made my own paper which is really fun to do, and I will share what I know about that in a future blog;)  For these little tiles, I used some white Elmers glue to help the paper tiles be extra strong, but it is not mandatory. I then used an Altoid metal box lined with non stick aluminium foil, so I could just lift the tiles out and let them dry. You can use different shapes such as squares and hearts, which I have done with my art paper. If you are in a hurry to dry your tiles, you can put them in a very slow oven, about 125 degrees, or in front of a fan, they will dry according to the atmospheric conditions, moist air makes the process slower. These little tiles are like little bricks, very hard and durable, and what a fun project with children! I also have made a life size model of a woman I named Lucy, to model my jewelry, but I must rebuild her because I did not seal her, lesson learned!

                                     I do miss her, I still have her wire skeleton so I can rebuild her;)

I photographed the entire process, and I'll share it if there is interest out there! Paper is so useful, and recyclable and is just a great medium to work with. It is also a very kid friendly craft, non toxic, and imaginative. Have an adult seal up your treasures;) I bought a paper shredder to make the process easier, and then I blend the strips with a blender until the desired fineness is achieved. Some chunks of paper can be desirable if the look you are going for is rough, like my little tiles. You can also make impressions in your clay, with objects, or you can actually lay a dried flower on the top of the tile, and seal over it. The possibilities are many. Paper is actually a very forgiving medium to work with, and lots of times what seems like a mistake, is just another opportunity to experiment! If you are interested in making your own junk mail jewels, I will be happy to share whatever I can;)

After I made this particular paper, I took fresh morning glories and pounded the flower onto the paper, and then removed the plant itself, leaving the color behind on the paper. What fun that is to do! There are other ways to decorate your creations, such as stamping or stenciling, painting and embedding. Let your imagination soar! You do not need anything fancy to make paper, and making different shapes is quite fun, and I have a few tricks and processes to share if anyone is interested;) Paper is the perfect way to express yourself and have a lot of fun doing and sharing with others. Time to go, and find some flowers to press for future projects. Have a sweet day everyone, and don't forget to do something fun today!                                                                                                            

Tackling Plastic Trash With Long Term Solutions

As an artist and a photographer, I pay close attention to the world around me. I have wandered the wilds of Alaska and Washington State, Arizona, and now Oregon. They all have a lot in common. There is trash everywhere, and the plastic is not degrading, and is releasing toxins all the time. There are big problems with plastic trash, but the truth is we are dependent on plastics, they are ubiquitous world wide. So, it's time to start thinking differently. I have a low tech idea to put it to good use. I envision a plastic "brick" created by compacting the plastics into the desired shape of brick or unit, and then coating the brick itself with a thick plastic, creating a usable plastic brick. The plastics would be contained and used in a positive way. Imagine a fence or wall made of these bricks. Sun proof, water proof, maybe even fire resistant, lots of minds could make it happen pretty quickly. If we can do this, with a little time, plastics could be under control and useful. No one could ask humanity to give up plastics, they are too useful, but we can change the fate of used plastics and clean up the planet. I envision a simple compacting unit everyone could have, and I see balloons and candy wrappers, grocery bags, and many other types of plastic waste. You know, maybe the Sanitation Industry could do this, and I will ask them to think about it! We CAN make a change for the better without losing all that is good about plastics. Thanks for reading friends, be nice to each other!

The photograph here shows my dried paper pulp in little lumps, and I will be posting how to make it, and what you can do with it, and you can then show me what you can do with it! Have a Sweet Day