Day 6: Our Favorite Things-Art Supplies Series: Paper - Pt. Deux!

Welcome to Day 6 of
"Our  Favorite Things - Art Supplies!" Series.  

In no particular order; Jodi, Penny, and Jean will take turns sharing a few of
their creative must-haves.

Hello, gang -- Penny here, again.  Did I throw you with the title for todays post?  My love of paper is indeed voluminous -- quite worthy of spilling into another rapturous post.  Today, I am speaking specifically about handmade papers.

There is something of the luxuriant and exotic inherent in handmade paper.  Many of them have the feel of fine textiles.  The crisp translusence of rice papers offer myriad possibilities; while sturdier natural fibers in banana paper or Nujabi can easily be finished to mimic leather (!) If bold, vibrant color is your thing, there is a world of color at your fingertips as you peruse lokta, mulberry, and other handmade varieties.

I had the good fortune to meet a family of paper-makers on a trip to Seoul, South Korea in the spring of last year.  In the short time I was in their tiny, street front shop *practically a stall* I encountered fellow shoppers that included:  a mother and daughter buying HUGE sheets of handmade paper to cover the walls in their dining/living room, university students purchasing papers for art projects, and a handful of fellow lovers of the refined pulp.

Another of the many reasons I love handmade papers is for their versatility.  They make for lovely additions to many forms of creative expression -- collage, card-making, home decor, and *of course* book making.

Patchwork Papers
A sewing-themed collage with a background of handmade papers
"quilted" with smaller squares of seed catalogue illustrations.

Grass (2 of 3)
Collage on 300 lb. water color paper.

Handmade paper as book covers
highlight the construction of this journal.

So...  How about you? 
What is your favorite way to
incorporate the beauty of handmade papers
in your creative endeavors?

For your chance to win our Fabulous ReMe Favorites Prize Package, please post your answer to the question below, in the comments section.  You'll also earn an extra entry for each time you share this post on social media.  Just be sure to post a link to your share here for us to count your extra entries.  (All entries must be received by 12:00 Noon, EST, on September 3, 2015.) 

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It's not too late to join us on Ocracoke in October!

Please use the link on the upper left side of this page to register.

When the link disappears, we’re full to capacity.

Stick around as the countdown continues.  We look forward to sharing with and learning from YOU.  

Day 3: Our Favorite Things-Art Supplies Series: Paper!

Welcome to Day 3 of
"Our  Favorite Things - Art Supplies!" Series.  

In no particular order; Jodi, Penny, and Jean will take turns sharing a few of
their creative must-haves.

Hello, gang -- Penny here.  In the continuation of our current series, I'm excited to share one of my favorite things with you:  Paper!  I fully realize that, to many, this will come as no surprise at all.  I am known to be quite the Paper H.O. *Heartily Obsessed*  Today, I am speaking specifically about art paper(s).


Far and away, my favorite Art Papers to work with are those from Strathmore.  I work most often from padded stock.  This is for several reasons:  
    -  it is economical (allowing one to accumulate variously sized papers for customization without multiple cuts to acheive 'standard sizes')
    -  it is frequently available at local retailers (either through Art Supply outlets, such as Jerry's Artarama -- or through mass market retailers, like Michael's or AC Moore)
    -  it is readily available in many formats/finishes, and allows me to tailor the finished project to the job it is designed for.  My favorite papers for Art Journaling are Mixed Media and Watercolor papers; while a better/less bulky choice for writing and/or sketching is Hemp Charcoal Paper
    -  it is rather easier to store than larger/bulkier parent sheets of paper. 

Plenty of options in size, format,
and paper finishes

Speaking of parent sheets (or, whole sheets of paper -- often 22x30 in. or larger), when it comes to working from larger stock it is hard to beat the luxuriant feel and substantial structural flexibility of Stonehenge -- a 100% cotton, printmaking paper made in US.

Luminous, rich, and with a superb feel
Stonehenge offers limitless possibiltiies for the book maker.

So...  How about you? 
Do you have a favorite Art Paper that is your "go to"
when building a book or
working within a commercially produced journal?

For your chance to win our Fabulous ReMe Favorites Prize Package, please post your answer to the question below, in the comments section.  You'll also earn an extra entry for each time you share this post on social media.  Just be sure to post a link to your share here for us to count your extra entries.  (All entries must be received by 12:00 Noon, EST, on September 3, 2015.) 

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It's not too late to join us on Ocracoke in October!

Please use the link on the upper left side of this page to register.

When the link disappears, we’re full to capacity.

Stick around as the countdown continues.  We look forward to sharing with and learning from YOU.  

Sharpie Markers! - ReMe Retreats' Favorite Art Supplies - Day One

Today we'll kickoff the "ReMe Retreats' Favorite Things - Art Supplies!" Series.  In no particular order; Jodi, Penny, and Jean will take turns sharing a few of their creative must-haves.  In the following, we'll begin with Jean's Ode to Sharpie Markers.

Journal Page in Sharpie by Brittany Gabel.

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My sister, Janet, is 18 months younger than I am.  As the children of practical parents we often had duplicates of the same toys and clothes, and Mom and Dad would use a Sharpie Marker to distinguish our individual treasures.  This is my earliest memory of a Sharpie Marker at work, and for as long as I can remember, Sharpie Markers have been strategically placed around our home.  

Sharpies were sacred and taboo then.  Sacred, because they held the mystique of something reserved "for adults only".  Taboo, because our parents recognized the inherent danger of them in our creative little hands.  My coffee table, which was once my parents coffee table, still bears the mark of some of my earliest work underneath its top, a self portrait, strategically placed where I was certain that no one but me could see it! 



As I began to identify myself as an Artist, Sharpies played an increasing role in my life.  I used them in Artist Trading Cards, Inchies, and in other Mixed Media works.  Their bold mark making ability and the extensive array of colors in which they were available thrilled me to no end!

During my transition into the world of jewelry and metal arts, Sharpie Markers served as my earliest form of patina.  This was in the days before I knew that a patina was a patina.  I would color my finished metal piece with a Sharpie Marker and wipe ink from the high spots of the piece with a bit of alcohol.  This is a technique that I still use from time-to-time today.

Today, Sharpies rule when it comes to a resist in my metal etching!  When I travel to teach, I always bring several dozen, and  I generally keep two or three different colors and point sizes in my purse just-in-case I need them.  

Etching with a Sharpie Resist results in consistent deep results.

Journal Page in Sharpie by Patty Sieck.

And of course, Sharpie makes more than permanent markers!  There are water based paint markers, oil based paint markers,  counterfeit detectors, metallics...and neons...and highlighters... oh my!  

In closing, and for the sake of full disclosure, "Hi.  My name is Jean, and I'm addicted to Sharpie Markers."  

(Please respond together with, "Hi Jean!".)
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For your chance to win our Fabulous ReMe Favorites Prize Package, please post your answer to the question below in the comments section.  You'll also earn an extra entry for each time you share this post on social media.  Just be sure to post a link to your share here for us to count your extra entries.  (All entries must be received by 12:00 Noon, EST, on September 3, 2015.)

Please share your love of Sharpies with us.  How do you use them?  Which is your favorite?  Do you too fear a world without Sharpies?!?!?  

Thank you for visiting, and be sure to check back tomorrow for another chance to win.

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There’s still time to join us on Ocracoke in October!

Please use the link on the left side of this page to register.

When the link disappears, we’re full to capacity.