paper weekend

 this old fabric was a dress.
my dress, actually a jumper. 
i wore it my first year back to work full time in 1994.
that year i worked at st lawrence university bookstore,
 staying until i realized i needed
a somewhat larger income.
so i went to grad school to become a teacher.
this dress was a favorite, simple, cotton, comfortable.
i once slid down a very steep stairwell at the bookstore.
it had a wooden slatted slide rigged for the days that boxes needed 
to be stored in the basement,
pushed down the slide to storage and
where the framing room was (my job).
jenny challenged me to slide, and i did. in this dress. she still tells the story.
this weekend it became a nice edition of paper.
 it was an expensive garment for me
 the tag says c p shades
it's quite blue after beating, 
but this sheet doesn't show up the color well.
the blue is like the blue below
and the pale yellow paper is milkweed fluff-seed fiber
another gift from gin petty.
a few precious sheets.
there looks to be severe cockling, but it's not that bad
the bright sun brings out the ripples.
the gold is more like this,
rich, buttery, with a wonderful rattle.
the blue edition is still drying,
a nice, soft cotton rag paper.
 thursday morning it was snowing hard
snowed all day, too.
 quite beautiful, cold,
but today it's in the 40's and the snow is melting away
 i didn't realize that porcupine has been eating red pine

 this winter, 
leaving a small urine spot
 and a happy trail
behind the paper mill and into the woods.
 at zone 4 the print studio next door has this posted
 i like it alot.
and i'm still messing with this image
and i ran a piece of linen paper through the printer with it.
it's not a success at all, but i really like it,
even in the bright sunlight early this morning.
~~~ 
sunday morning paper results:
three stages of paper
1. very thready with a soft hand
2. pulp beaten longer (15 minutes more) with a bit of the old pulp mixed in
3. full beaten, soft hand, but more paperish



(handmade, handspun) paper on (handmade) paper

this is the first one
lokta on flax
it reminds me of what jude hill calls a long cloth
an accordion 
and then more have followed
inspired by off-cuts of beautiful handmade papers
and bowls and houses
and landskeins
encolsures for long books can be lovely, too
as well as essential to their protection.
a harvest that continues to become
books and book objects.
a half dozen here.
a valentine came from catherine michaelis
may day press
the event of the week
(besides the *procedures*)
was meeting a bald eagle
on the roadside in the snow
head turned, 
those strong eyes are looking straight at me.
the camera gave out and the phone had to suffice,
there's a barred owl that likes hunting at the place i call home
i just missed seeing it again today.