Thursday, October 3, 2013

2013 Swatch Swap Samples on their Way

Last year Khandroling Paper Cooperative was able to participate in the 2012 Swatch Swap. 




I made simple kozo sheets while on retreat in August 2012--cooked on Khandroling with pond water and soda ash, then hand beaten outside on a picnic table, made with a small Lee McDonald mould and deckle and then pressed in an antique book press before air drying.  I called the results "Plein Air." I wake up early, so each morning I walked from Rinpoche's cabin where I was doing retreat down to the beaver pond where a silky little lady met me on her morning swim. After breakfast at the camp kitchen over looking the pond, I liked to beat the kozo a few minutes every day. 




That's us on the left -- a real plain jane paper.  



This year I was able to offer some of our experimental calligraphy paper made with Kozo, Ping Tang, and linen beaten in the hollander beater with sacred substances and recycled texts from Tibet. The wet papers were pressed in our antique iron bookpress then restraint dried for several days. The results are good but we are still in the  experimental stage.


For the 2013 Swatch Swap, here is our recipe:



Khandroling Paper Cooperative Calligraphy Paper Recipe



Kozo and Ping Tang beaten for thirty minutes in Mark Lander’s Critter with added inclusions of sacred substances from Tibet and recycled Tibetan texts and prayer flags. Previously beaten linen was added. Sheets made with a custom-made mould and deckle approximately 23” L x 6” W, the size for traditional doorway mantras. Each sample stamped with our KPC chop.







The two end sheets are fiber left-overs one of a kind or failed pulp painting but, nonetheless, robust for a cover!





Now cooking Kozo for our  Festival of the Hills papermaking this Sunday.

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