Books Abound

The Sunday Paper #485

November 12, 2023

*** If you need paper – or maybe some project ideas to turn that paper into – I’ve got you covered! Scroll down to purchase a Handmade Paper Pack or The Art of Papercraft + a Handmade Paper Pack.

My week was full with an intern in the studio. Alyssa Roggow assisted me in making paper for an upcoming artist’s book (a woven paper alphabet). It feels daunting to have 650 sheets to make, especially when each sheet requires 3 layers of paper (that’s 1950 dips in the vat). We made a small dent, but more importantly got a system down. Now she’s off to do a music composing residency and will return for another week in December. I hope to pull a few more sheets on my own while she’s away, and I’ll continue designing the weavings for each letter of the alphabet (E is for elephant hide paper; P is for paste paper).

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Do you think that origami tessellations are really cool to look at, but way too hard to fold? Or maybe you don’t want to spend an hour gridding just to make another snowball in the trash can? If that’s you, then what you need is a series of small projects to gradually build the skills needed to tackle larger and harder tessellations.

With 25 daily tutorial videos starting on Dec. 1 that are designed to teach one new technique at a time, Advent of Tess can help kickstart your tessellation folding success with small wins that can be completed in under an hour and help you see the infinite possibilities available when you play with twists!

The challenge is free for everyone, the videos will stay available after the end of the challenge, a limited number of paper packs are available, and you can sign up now at and join the fun!

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I have long been a fan of Mary Merkel-Hess’ gorgeous basket-like rolled paper sculptures. She uses reeds, paper cords, and a mixture similar to papier-mâché to shape the organic forms.

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Join our Facebook group, The Paper Studio, where we flaunt it on Fridays (you’ll have to answer two questions, to prove you’re not a bot). I always enjoy seeing what others share, and I learn so much from in this lovely community: last week, Barbara Burns-Dore (@papergoddess) shared that she was sending mail art with an illustrated note to Love For Our Elders, a national non profit that fights loneliness with love for our elders.

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This is a fantastic video about small workshops owned by artisan families in Mexico City that transform ordinary cardboard and paper into create traditional Day of the Dead decorations.

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Paper Tidbits

I am a fan of Erica Spitzer Rasmussen’s work. She creates one-of-a-kind and limited-edition hand-bound books, which most often explore family stories and issues of identity. Her solo exhibition, Books Abound, is currently on view at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.
In 2021, I started a tradition – creating a list of my favorite paper resources. For 2023, I’d love to include your recommendations as well. Tell me about them here.

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Featured Projects

We explore a new technique each month in The Paper Year. Here’s the video featuring what members made in October, a Triangular Bag structure, designed by guest artist Claudia Lee. Member Terry Englehart turned some old calendar pages into these tall lantern forms. Registration for The Paper year opens 4x a year (Reserve your spot!) and will kick off with a free Zoom workshop on December 20th: details coming soon.

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About our Sponsor: Gathering Folds helps aspiring tessellation folders to deeply understand tessellations with courses focused on broad structures, theory, and folding skills so they can approach new patterns with confidence and even start designing patterns of their own.

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Products and Workshops:

Click on the photos to read more and purchase:

Handmade Paper Pack • The Art of Papercraft + a Handmade Paper Pack

Make a Book Light (12/2/23) • Red Cliff Paper Retreat: (8/26-30/24)

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Tell 3500 paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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