I've been trying the past couple of weeks to use up some of my paper stash to make room for all of that new paper I ordered. I know, I know.... I should use it before ordering more, but I get attached :)
I ordered some Shizen cotton rag paper about three years ago and I certainly used some of it, but I still had some that was just sitting hidden in my supply closet. I decided it was time for it to see the light of day in some new art journals. This paper is made from recycled cotton rag in India. It is thick (200 gsm) and soft with a little bit of texture from the screens it dries on. It has beautiful deckled edges too. They were large pieces that have to be torn down into smaller sheets for bookbinding. And best of all, these lay flat for easy work and are a perfect size for travel.
I have used this paper in a journal of my own, so I've done a fair amount of media testing on it. It is outstanding for stamping, pencils, oil pastels, acrylics, charcoal, inks and water brush pens used with watercolor pans. It does not do well with extremely wet watercolor techniques. It will bleed through. I still make use of the other side of the paper, but I wanted to put my findings out there.
Summer time is a point where I'm taking a break from shows and it's too hot to be outside, so I spend a lot of time working on new products. With this latest batch, I've gone back to some earlier supplies and covered them in batik cotton fabric. As you can tell, I tend to get attached to textiles too. I'm slowly getting through them, but I also add to the collection at times too.
Hope you enjoy the new stock and I'll be adding more items in the next couple of days!
Michelle
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