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.) 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

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.  

Friends of ReMe on Ocracoke

Jean here.  Grab something refreshing to drink; put up your feet; and let me tell you about some of my favorite folks on Ocracoke.

In October, when we were on Ocracoke Island during our ReMe Retreat, Amy Howard was kind enough to join us for an evening of storytelling.  She shared many of her own memories about growing up on Ocracoke, and she also shared the most riveting details about the history of The Island.  It was magical for all in attendance.  

Amy is a direct descendant of the original residents of Ocracoke Island, and she comes from a long proud line of Islanders who honor their history by sharing their stories.  Luckily for us and for Ocracoke, Amy is also the Executive Director of The Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS).  

The OPS is dedicated to preserving Ocracoke Island's rich historical and cultural heritage.  They have a must-visit museum on The Island, and Amy and the other folks from The OPS maintain an active presence on Facebook that allows us to feel a part of things all year long. 

An aerial view of the OPS Museum. Photo 'borrowed'
from their Facebook Page.

During our visit, Amy shared news of The OPS's Annual Art Auction, she invited each of us to participate, and she distributed canvases to all who were interested.  The OPS and Amy are near and dear to our hearts, and participate we did!  Friends of ReMe arted their hearts out to contribute to the OPS.  

I was fortunate to be able to attend the auction in person this January.  What an experience!  The museum was packed to the gills; there was lively laughter and conversation; a frenzy of bidding on all of the amazing artwork; and a friendly competition or two as folks vied to take home their favorites.  By any measure, the night was a huge success, and I'm so grateful to have played even the smallest part in it.  

If you'd like to read more details about this year's OPS Auction, please view Sundae Horne's article in the Ocracoke Current by clicking this link.  The Ocracoke Current is The Island's Online Newspaper.  In their own words, "The Ocracoke Current is a source of reliable news and information for the residents and visitors to Ocracoke Island...It's like good gossip but verifiable."  What's not to love about that?!?

During our visit together, Amy also shared a bit of disheartening news with us.  The Hyde County School District, including Ocracoke Island, has eliminated Arts Education in their schools.  As a merry band of midlife artists who have each benefited from our own past and present arts education, this all but broke our hearts.

Happily, the good folks of Ocracoke did not take this news lying down.  Instead, Ocracoke Alive invited artists near and far to apply for the privilege of working with children in their school.  Ocracoke Alive is the driving force behind The Ocrafolk Festival, and in their own words, "The purpose of Ocracoke Alive, Inc/ is to enrich the Ocracoke Island community by encouraging and sponsoring cultural, artistic, educational, and environmental activities..."  (You can read more about Ocracoke Alive here, and the partnership that they established here.)

When I returned home, I immediately applied to be a visiting artist in their program, and I was delighted to be invited to participate during their first week in 2015.  The experience exceeded my wildest expectations!  (If you'd like to read more details and see oodles of photos, please visit my blog here.)

Our Flagship ReMe Retreats in May and October are firmly rooted in our Historic Soundfront Inn on Ocracoke Island.  It's the art that brings us together in this magical place, and the bonds that we form with each other take the forefront as we spend time together.  Amidst it all, there's Ocracoke.  The Island, The Beach, The Village, The Community, The Businesses, and The People; they shape our time together, touch our hearts, and are firmly rooted in each of our memories.  

The Ocracoke Preservation Society, The Ocracoke Current, and Ocracoke Alive, are run by some of our favorite Island Residents.  We're blessed to count them as "Friends of ReMe", and we encourage you to support them.  Each can help you to stay in touch with Ocracoke as you count the days until your next visit.   
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While our ReMe Retreat on Ocracoke in May is filled to capacity; a few spaces remain in October.  Reserve yours by clicking on the Paypal Link on the left side of this page.  Convenient payment plans are available.

Jodi's Memories of ReMe October 2014

Oh gosh you guys, it was really hard to follow up Jean's post from last week--she captured the essence of ReMe so well! Her recollection  truly put tears in my eyes as I looked back and remembered each and every one of our tender moments, and there were many.

  Here's a little look back of my own with some narration via a short video blog.  (I hope you can hear it--if not, you may need headphones! :)

Just as I said in my closing,  thank you to all of our guests from 2014--you made our inaugural year so out of this world.  It was more incredible then we could have every expected.   Behind the scenes we've been working for several years to put all of our ideas into practice, so to birth this 'baby' with all of you, just warms our heart and feeds our soul more than you can imagine.

Here's to 2015, we look forward to new memories and reuniting with old friends along with making new friends.

**If you'd like to join us during our flagship ReMe retreat this October,  check out our down payment button to the left of this post.  We offer flexible monthly payment plans to suit your needs.

As always, we welcome any questions you may have at reme@remeretreats.com