Taking Inventory

I'm ready for the Park Silly Sunday Market, June 27th, in Park City Utah. Here's a photo of my large journals, small journals, boxes and paper that will be available for sale. I'm the featured artist and I'll be making paper all day. I hope you can join me...

How Much?

I've always been a "dump and pour" cook. It's probably why most of my baked goods don't turn out. Baking is more of a precise measure, while cooking is a little here, a little there, adjust to taste, texture and desire. "How much?" is question most frequently asked when it comes to paper making...how much paper do you need to make pulp? Much like cooking, it's not an exact measure. The following is an estimate of what I use in my paper making journey.

I usually use paper that has been shredded by an office machine shredder. On occasion, someone will give me paper that hasn't been shredded and I tear it up into tiny pieces, by hand. I place a good handful of shredded paper (about a cup and a half) into my blender.

Next I add about two to three cups of tap water. (Don't panic, my tap water isn't this cloudy. I took this picture after making about four batched.)

I turn my blender on the liquefy/blend setting. Here's the most important factor in making pulp... DO NOT let your blender run for more than 20 seconds at a time. You WILL burn the motor up. I know from first hand experience. I'm currently on my second blender. Sometimes during the blending process, as the paper turns to pulp you get the feeling that nothing is happening. You don't see the "swirl". When that happens, I just add another cup of water.

Making pulp isn't an exact science. But it is a lot of fun. The pulp I made today turned into 40 sheets of paper slated for packaging, later in the week.

I'm still madly preparing for the Park Sill Sunday Market event. I'll be the featured artist on June 27th. All day long, I'll be making paper in my booth and sharing this fabulous hobby with everyone who stops by to say 'hi'.

Check out the Market....it's going to be the most exciting event to date for me!