The Sunday Paper #578

October 26, 2025

I’ve been typing about Making Zen for a couple of weeks now, and it is finally here. Tomorrow, October 27th, we’re kicking off a really fun week of workshops, creativity, and connection with the Making Zen retreat. Six presentations will be available for viewing each day this week, and they’ll each be available for 24 hours for anyone who’s registered for free to the retreat. My own presentation is A Trio of Woven Notecards and it’s happening on Wednesday, October 29th – but check out the other days for all the other fascinating topics too!

If 24 hours of access seems like it’s just not enough, there’s also an option to purchase the VIP Pass, which gives you lifetime access to all 30 workshops, as well as a special gift from each of the presenting artists (my gift is how to make a Hexagonal Weaving, pictured below right). If that’s something you’re interested in, it’s a good idea to get that now – it’s currently on sale for the Early Bird price of $97, but once the retreat starts tomorrow, it goes back up to the regular price of $147 USD! If you want to join in on the fun, you can get all the details for the free ticket and for the VIP Pass here. Wishing you a week full of creativity, and please share your weavings with me!

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I’m a big fan of envelope art, and Mic Diño Boekelmann’s work is a delight. Central to her work is the manila envelope—a humble vessel reimagined through process, memory, and material transformation. Through hand-cutting, layering, and dialogue, Boekelmann infuses these envelopes with ancestral narratives and the energies of belonging.

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Artist Tony Orrico works on his project at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm.

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Origami tessellations are a fascinating form of folding that create repeating geometric patterns from a single sheet of paper. These patterns have both relaxing and challenging aspects to them and make great snowflake-like decorations for windows. Whether you’re brand new to origami tessellations or have been folding them for years, Advent of Tessellations is a chance to enjoy 25 small projects (with video tutorials released over 25 days) that gradually build in difficulty so you can learn tessellation folding skills and have fun while doing it! Each tessellation is folded from a hexagon and this year you can even get sheets of hexagonal paper that are perfect for this size of pattern. Sign up to join Advent of Tessellations for free, where you’ll also find a list of supplies and how to get them.

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I’m delighted to share the online catalog of the Legacies in Paper exhibition at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta (on view through January 30, 2026). A print version will be available soon. The catalog features an essay by Bridget Donlon.

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Paper Tidbits

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About Our Sponsor: Madonna Yoder explores the infinite possibility of origami tessellation design and provides lessons and supplies for making these patterns through her business, Gathering Folds. She has created over 700 designs since 2018 and teaches aspiring origami tessellation folders how to fold tessellations at all difficulty levels by teaching the skills and theory behind all tessellations.

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