flight paths for paper birds

Can it be made of paper? #1. Beads

Here is the first in a series of posts - asking the question: can it be made of paper? (Spoiler alert - ususally yes).

I’m starting with an easy one – beads -  which actually had a surprising number of steps when I wrote them out. 

The short answer? Yes. Yes, yes yes. Beads ahoy! Here's just one of quite a few ways they can be made. 

I make beads from paper pulp.

Paper Pulp Beads

1. Shred your paper. Here I have shredded the scrap paper my friend Josh Donellan created when he made his awesome spoken word ep with his band Poetry is Dead (at that link you can see a video of these very same paper scraps being created when they made their ep - which comes on a usb hidden in a secret compartment of a book! so cool). 

2. Dissolve your paper in water, by mashing it up and rolling it around in your hands. Get squishy!

3. Squeeze as much water out of the pulp as possible.

4. Add your cornflour glue (directions here, and don’t forget your drop of clove oil!). Get extra squishy and slimy again!

5. Shape your bead! Roll it into a ball, mold it into a heart, or bird, or anything you can imagine that is basically a version of a lump. 

 

(what? I would never make glue or paper in the good china that my grandfather gave me... (unless I had already broken it somehow, oops)). 

6. Add a hole to your bead, by poking a knitting needle through it.

7. Leave it to dry for a few days. If you lay it out on newspaper it will dry faster as the paper will draw out some of the liquid.

8. Decorate! with paint, tissue paper (cornflour glued on, this is my method of choice), other decoupaged paper…

9. Once dry, give them a coat or two of protective varnish.

 

So preeeetty.

10. Assemble! In the manner of your choosing. And never need plastic beads again! 

Yay! Recycled paper beads! I always get lots of comments when I wear mine around - they are so bright and fun. 

Can it be made of paper? heck yes. 

Tutorial - best 2 minute cornflour glue!

I use mostly cornflour glue for my paper projects - because it is amazing, cheap, absolutely non toxic (since the ingredients are edible!), and environmentally friendly.

The only time I use PVA or other glue is for gluing things other than paper (for example, gluing fabric on to cardboard). For example, all of the recycled paper flowers and garlands were made with cornflour glue. Because paper can absorb glue so well, it really doesn't need more than cornflour.

Especially when it's super sticky best cornflour glue!

Here's what you need: Cornflour and water, plus things you already have in your kitchen (bowl, spoon, kettle, microwave/stovetop & pot).

First, you mix a heaped tablespoon of cornflour with a little water - maybe 2 or three tablespoons.

plus water =

Then you boil your kettle (with the minimum amount of water, because you won't need much, and that saves energy!)

Add a medium trickle of boiling water to the cornflour, maybe about 3-4 tablespoons, and stir. This is so the mixture doesn't heat up too fast and get lumpy.

Next, add enough boiled water that the mixture starts to thicken. It will go an almost translucent white, and be the consistency of custard. Stir thoroughly.

Sometimes this is gluey enough for use - I sometimes leave it at this stage for adding to paper pulp, where the paper fibres add some adhesiveness themselves. If you want it stickier, for example, if you are making paper flowers, so are going to be gluing together petals at a center point, just zap it in the microwave (or heat on stovetop in pot).

Usually 30 seconds in the microwave or a couple of minutes on the stovetop on high is enough to have it fully heated - it will be completely translucent, almost transparent, and have bubbles rising. Stir thoroughly!

And then you have finished glue! Allow to cool, then dive in to the craft/art project of your choice! If you have leftovers it will last in the fridge for a couple of days, you can zap it again to get it to warm up and get stickier again - but it won't feel as lovely as it does freshly made. I like to make it in small batches, so I get to use the fresh stuff often.

*** To clean up the bowl, soak in cold water, then wash all of the bits of glue off by hand. Don't put into the dishwasher, as the heat will just bake the glue on - with soaking it will all just fall off!

****Update - if you ever have problems with little critters eating your paper things, or things growing mold (usually only a problem if it's been raining for days) mix a drop of clove oil in the finished glue - it shall kill those spores and deter those appetites! 

Handmade Fiesta - End of year at Reverse Garbage!

You are invited to the opening of...

On: Saturday 30 November
Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm
Where: Reverse Emporium at Reverse Garbage, 20 Burke Street, Woolloongabba

Featuring: 
gorgeous up-cycled creations
Live fusion of hip hop, soul, funk, jazz and sonic explorations by Astro Travellers!

Free finger food
Free craft activities
Cash bar

It's probably pretty obvious how much I love Reverse Garbage*, one of my favourite organisations ever, as it is run by lovely people, AND caters to both my arty and environmentalist desires. If you love RG, or the idea of RG, you could come along to their end of year exhibition to support them (and get some environmentally friendly and local-artisan-supporting Christmas shopping done)! 

 

 

Reverse Emporium at Reverse Garbage celebrates re-use, handmade and eco-conscious shopping with their festive exhibition, Handmade Fiesta.

 

The exhibition brings together over 25 talented Brisbane creatives who salvage, re-use and up-cycle materials to create unique, handmade and sustainable works and wares! The exhibition will showcase a diverse range of items including garlands, mobiles, decorations, jewellery, artworks, wall décor, wearable items, soft furnishings, soft toys and home wares.

 

Handmade Fiesta opens on Saturday 30 November, from 6.30-9.30pm. The opening event will feature all the usual perks alongside the exhibition such as a cash bar, free finger food, free craft activities, a live set by Astro Travellers and late night warehouse shopping.

 

 Handmade Fiesta runs from Saturday 30 November – Tuesday 24 December 2013, open Monday to Saturday from 9 to 5pm.  Reverse Emporium, Reverse Garbage 20 Burke St Woolloongabba.

 

I am one of those 25+ creatives! I will have things including...

Recycled paper flower garlands (and some single flowers on long stems), colour palette necklaces with recycled paper beads (everything is recycled paper, I'm going to stop typing that), confetti and other bowls, cards and avocado on toast fridge magnets, and fruit salad fridge magnets (the watermelon needs some pips)! And more! Good eco stocking stuffers!

 

More about why RG is awesome:

 

Reverse Garbage Brisbane is a not-for-profit worker run co-operative that promotes environmental sustainability and resource reuse.

We collect high quality industrial discards, diverting them away from landfill and sell them at a low cost to the general public.

 *I think I could tag all of my posts Reverse Garbage, because my craft projects either involve materials from RG, or wares going to the RG gift shop

BrisStyle market debut - wrap up

I went to the BrisStyle Indie Markets at Brisbane City Hall last Saturday, as a stallholder, which was very very fun. It was also very motivating, as when I have visited the markets in the past, everyone has a very professional and creative set-up, and I really had to lift my game. I was happy with the result though!

Almost all of the displays were made from recycled paper and cardboard too, and the barrel is from Reverse Garbage.

The banner will eventually have birds holding the ribbon up, I just have to draw, make lino cut, and print them. I was thinking then the print could be used for bags made from reclaimed and recycled material, and maybe patches. It's going to be something like:

The BrisStyle markets are lovely - so many creative people to talk to, and customers and browsers who are looking for high quality handmade things. It was very craft affirming! (Really, it's just very nice to have people say that they like the things you make).

It was also a bit dangerous to the wallet, with recycled silver jewellery, vintage style clothes, lovely ceramics, gorgeous toys.... I resisted until right near the end, but then bought a dress made from vintage fabric which wiped out my profit. But I have been telling myself that the dress was a present from my savings, and my profits actually went to the donation I just made to the Typhoon Haiyan relief fund.

For me, this disaster is an extra reminder to buy secondhand and recycled when I can, and take other actions to reduce my impact on the environment, because overconsumption (is one thing that) drives climate change, which is taking lives through storms like this, and other extreme weather events.

I won't be at any more markets this year (most probably.... I am 97% sure), but I am contributing stock to Reverse Garbage's Handmade Fiesta, I will post more about that shortly!

Brisstyler!

Hey! I just joined Brisstyle, the lovely organisation of crafters that hosts some very cool markets around Brisbane. Hopefully I will make it to one of these soon!

So I have spent all afternoon taking nice photos of my wares for my Brisstyle profile.

Since they took so long, I'm going to share them here too! They are also a good roundup of (some of) the things I am making right now.

Recycled paper gift/storage boxes, and bowls! (this bowl is decorated with confetti made for a wedding, which we were not allowed to use at the wedding - sadface, but it means I have enough for about 10 000 bowls - happyface!)

Colour palette necklaces! Recycled paper and waxed cord. These are my favourite thing to make right now. I'm going to have to do a separate post on them I think.

And the other necklaces I'm having fun with - fabric covered beads (need to think up a snazzier name for these). Small solid recycled paper beads tied up inside tubes of vintage, reclaimed or scrap fabric. So many possibilities! (and making these beads is very mindless - it's my relaxing non-thinking craft task).

I'm also hoping to sell garlands made with recycled paper roses, Mt Cook lilies, daisies and poppies, as seen in this post about wedding decorations. woo!

Different versions of the things pictured here are also available at the Reverse Garbage gift shop also (except the gift box - that's brand new!).

Hope to see you at a Brisstyle markets sometime soon!

 

2 ruffled crochet things in shades of green

A while ago I bought a lot of acrylic yarn from Reverse Garbage, in these great big spools. I snagged a range of greens, and have been making many green things since. Some of these things have ruffles.

The ruffles I've used are roughly from this cushion tutorial.

But I didn't want to make just a cushion. First, I made a tea cosy out of the pattern.

Tea party!

Short tea cosy tutorial:
I made two rectangles for the sides, instead of working in the round.

To make the rectangles, I started with two chains as long as I wanted the rectangles to be wide, which was long enough that together they easily wrapped around the widest part of the teapot

Clearer instruction: Measure around the biggest part of the teapot, add about 3cm, then divide by 2. Make 2 chains of this final length.

Then from each foundation chain I just worked down in the ruffle pattern.

When I'd made two matching rectangles, I sewed the sides together (inside out)- leaving gaps for the handle and spout.

After turning it right side out, I threaded some yarn through the tops of the rectangles, and pulled the yarn through, to gather the top of the tea cosy tightly (I left a small gap for the top of the teapot lid to poke through).

And Voila! a tea cosy.

Then I decided I needed more green ruffles in my life, so made a cushion, more closely following the pattern above.

I stuffed my cushion with wadding from Reverse Garbage - they usually have heaps! I don't know what I would do without Reverse Garbage (I'm such a groupie). It makes sticking to my rule of not buying new stuff SO much easier.

If I think of other things that could do with some green ruffles I will probably make those too.

(yay for instagram filters - so fun! though they make all my other photos look kinda boring...)

Paper flowers!

In April this year my friends Jessie and Paul got married, and I made decorations!

 

As usual, paper was 100% recycled, glue was cornflour, yarn for stringing was from Reverse Garbage. The only new materials used in the whole thing was the paint I used to dip dye the paper.

 

 

 The flowers on the garland are: roses (small and large, cream and yellow), Mt Cook lilies (white with yellow centers), daisies, and poppies (cream and yellow), with some leaves as well.

 

Roses and poppies:

 

Lillies and daisies:

 

Here are the tutorials I used for the roses and poppies (including templates! I simplified the poppies, because those ones took too long). I made up the Mt Cook lilies and daisies from a calendar that the bride gave me, of New Zealand flowers (coz she’s a kiwi).

 

The paper came from used office paper, out of date environmental campaign materials, and op shop books that either had pages missing or were ridiculously unscientific self help books that I found offensive. They were fun to cut up!

 

For the wedding ceremony I made a bower, with 5 strands of tightly bunched flowers hanging from a bamboo frame – the strands are about 1.2 – 1.5 meters long, starting shorter at the edges, with the longest in the middle. The frame is just over 2m tall. The bower is free standing, with the frame sticking out of heavy market umbrella bases, so it can be used inside or outside, even in parks where you can’t stick anything in the ground. For the reception I made 150 meters (!) of garlands with the flowers spaced out, to hang across and around the party space.

 

I am offering the bower for hire for weddings, so if you live in Brisbane and are getting married (or know someone who is), contact me at annancooke(at)gmail(dot)com for more info! 

 

I’ll have to put some conditions on this, like they cannot be used outside if it is raining! I might also ask for a bond on them. And still have to settle on a price… they did take me a LONG time to make.

 

I also have some garlands for sale, with flowers spaced out about 20cms apart. I have three 5 meter garlands at Reverse Garbage at the moment, and am going to make some more for other markets soon!

 

Oh! and the photography on the day was by the wonderful Carmen and Matt from Chaordic Creative photography, follow the link for some photos from the day! (note, garlands for sale are twice as dense as the ones in the photos).

< 

Nautical flag cushions!

Last year I had a brain wave about a present for my friend Rachel - it took a while to put into action, but I was very happy with the results!

Presenting - Nautical Flag Name cushions! Rachel has the perfect name for this project - 6 letters, all different.

I adapted the idea from this tutorial on the purl bee, about nautical flag napkins, and made them into simple cushions. I also made the cushion inserts using wadding from Reverse Garbage (of course!). All the fabric was reclaimed too - mostly scraps and offcuts of fabric that I collect from op-shops and friends.

I think this is one of the best presents I have ever made!

Here they are in their new home

Pre inserts:

 

and the tags for each cushion, so she can keep them in order!

Nasturtiums: real and paper

I love nasturtiums - (note to self- try and design a bowl with flowers as well as leaves)

Here is one of my nasturtium bowls, and the inspiration for it.

There is one of these bowls currently available at Reverse Garbage Brisbane, in their gift shop (as of Sept 2013). More to come about other items I have in the shop!

Babette blanket and other yarn things made

blanket before assembly - I found pictures of this blanket at the purl bee, though they seem to have disappeared now, but it is a great site for ideas!

Pattern is available here (though I didn't use a pattern, just muddled through on my own)

Blanket after assembly, plus knitting, plus booties!