I fell in love with handmade paper in Florence, Italy years ago. I’ve collected books and popped into paper shops for years. When I retired to Homecoming, I decided to give it a try and ordered a simple deckle box and mold kit, dug out the old blender, and started playing. I made pulp out of anything I could find – junk mail, gift wrap & tissue paper, leaves, grass seed heads, etc. I started making notecards and envelopes and had fun decorating them with flower petals and leaves. A local gallery now carries them and people love getting them as gifts. I recently expanded to creating abstract art with paper pulp, dried leaves and seeds and my first work is carried in that same gallery. I’ve held a class for local children and my nieces and nephews. It’s a fun way for me to “recycle” and create something beautiful from nothing.
