This past week I’ve been mixing up paints and making paste papers to adorn journals and jotters for my upcoming shop launch on Etsy. The act of making paste papers is like finger paintings for adults, so needless to say it’s super fun. I love using Hahnemuhle Ingres for my paste papers because it absorbs the pigments and becomes wonderfully malleable during covering.
After the initial pass of the base color, I then add the additional design elements. I love using simple tools to create the designs, such as brushes, scrap board and my fingers. For this series of paste papers, I also carved some handmade stamps into linoleum. This was a new technique for me, but I dove right in, choosing simple irregular half-moon shapes.
I’ll be launching my shop in mid-March, so stay tuned to see how these paste papers get transformed into journal covers.
As a non-bookbinder, it’s nice to see more of your process and find out how you make those cool patterns. Excited to see your Etsy shop!
Well, you’ll have to come visit the bindery and make some paste papers with me!!
I’d love that! Thanks!