Coffee Dyed Paper

One of my favorite things about the Internet is that it allows me to connect with like-minded artist from all over the globe.  One of my favorite book artists is Liz Constable and I’m very fortunate to have received her new book “DIY Notebooks made easy”.

In it she describes how she creates the amazing paper she uses in her notebooks, so I just had to give it a try.

coffee dyed paper
Dyeing Paper in Coffee

The longer the paper sits in the coffee, the darker it gets.

drying dyed paper
Paper drying with cookie cutter shapes on top

If you place things on the paper while it’s drying, the area under them will be lighter.  It looks like I finally found a use for all those cookie cutters I bought years ago and never used.

coffee dyed papers
Stack of dry papers

Here is a stack of the finished product.  They smell as amazing as they look!

liz constable's book
DIY Notebooks made easy

To learn more about this technique, as well as how to make some amazing notebooks, head over to www.bookartstudios.co.nz and order a copy of DIY Notebooks made easy.

I Am Not a Hoarder

There is a difference between being a hoarder and a collector.

collection of random beads
My Bead Collection

A collector is discriminate.  The things that a collector finds and keeps have meaning and value to them.  They have a distinct purpose and are seen as useful.

random tags and paper scraps
Random tags and paper scraps

To an artist, ordinary objects take on extraordinary meaning.  Where some people see just trash, we see something that we can create something with.

various found objects
Various found objects

These items we collect are not just for us to hold on to.  We give them new life by giving them new meaning and purpose.  We turn them into works of art.

prayer beads and yarn
prayer beads and yarn

So, don’t call me a hoarder, because I am a collector.