Work of the Week: I’ve been stitching a lot lately – embroidering words about motherhood onto a skirt which will be completed early next month – stay tuned! I love this poem by William Stafford, which talks about  the threads that run through our lives. The Way It Is features a thread drawing that is trapped between sheets of handmade abaca paper. The poem is letterpress printed by Sandy Tilcock of lone goose press. 

© 2009 Helen Hiebert, The Way It Is, edition of 50, abaca/hemp thread, 18″ x 12″, $175

This is a fascinating story about the Venerable Sukyong, a Korean Buddhist monk who is one of the few artisans who can make these traditional paper flowers (jihwa) from  hanji, traditional Korean handmade paper. The tradition of making jihwa was on the verge of disappearing until Yeongsanjae, a Buddhist ritual, was included on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. This is a fascinating article, and those flowers – ooh la la!  

I guess they weren’t making paper the day this video was made (I kept waiting to see footage) but Waste Warriors has been recycling waste and providing jobs for over twenty years in Upper Dharamshala, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered (and the place where the Dalai Lama resides). Papermakers, check out that rag cutter!

Check out this model for a paper bridge that will be built to span a mountain stream at the top of the Grisedale Valley, under the shadow of Helvellyn, from May 8-18. The artist is Steve Messam, and the piece is commissioned by Lakes Culture as part of its Lakes Ignite 2015 programme highlighting the region as a cultural destination (so go!). The paper is being specially formulated by Burneside papermaker James Cropper. 

This news is a bit old, and perhaps you’ve heard of the mystery book sculptor. I find this story fascinating – here’s an interview with the (anonymous) artist. I love this quote: “It’s no secret that I would like everyone to have access to books, art, artifacts and the buildings that house them. Not just those with the money for a ticket”.

This is really clever. Jillian Bruschera’s Mobile Paper Mill has a new component, The Papermaker’s Pack. Read about and see it here. 

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About The Sunday Paper: The Sunday Paper is published by Helen Hiebert Studio. They keep saying that paper will become obsolete, yet artists, craftspeople, designers and creatives are keeping it alive and well. A healthy number of people are even making paper by hand (in some cultures they are still using age-old traditions). How cool is that? The Sunday PAPER is a resource for ideas and inspiration, all having to do with this amazing material. Each Sunday, I bring you stories and examples of people doing exciting, innovative, and beautiful things with paper, as well as links to interesting paperfacts I’ve unearthed from around the globe. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this paper, Papier, papel, хартия, Papir,紙, Papper, פּאַפּיר… and don’t hesitate to click on the link to leave your comments and suggestions!