About the Materials I Use
I love to combine the earthy feel and rustic texture of natural fibres with rich vibrant colours.
Paper is my main passion, but I also love to use fabric, yarn, buttons, beads and other materials.
Handmade Paper
I am always on the hunt for beautiful and sustainable handmade papers and I use a mix of these in my work.
Some of it is paper I make myself from junk mail and other scraps, using traditional hand-mould paper-making techniques. I love that no two pieces are ever exactly alike.
I also love that being able to make my own paper means nothing is wasted - most of the offcuts and scraps from my paper projects are re-pulped to form brand new sheets of paper!
In addition to my own handmade papers, I also use a variety of others, including the gorgeous Nepalese papers made from Lokta fibres, and elephant dung paper which is handmade in Sri Lanka.
I also use paper which is handcrafted in Tasmania using ingredients such as hemp fibre, recycled denim, apple fibres and even wombat poo!
Recycled Paper and Card
The cardstock and box board I use inside my book covers, bookmarks and other items is genuine 100% post-consumer-waste recycled material.
The natural grey-brown paper I use for pages inside my standard spiral notebooks is also 100% post-consumer-waste recycled paper, made here in Australia by Ecocern.
The white paper I use for book pages is also 100% recycled. It is 70% post consumer waste / 30% recycled mill offcuts. It's made in Europe and is chlorine-free.
Not all the paper I use is 100% recycled or secondhand. I do occasionally have to purchase new paper. But I always try to source paper with as much recycled content as possible.
I also keep brightly coloured magazine pages, and any paper such as wrapping paper or craft paper offcuts that are given to me. It's all about trying to reuse every bit and reduce waste as much as possible.
Hemp
I use hemp thread to bind my hand-stitched journals. Not only is hemp super strong and very eco-friendly, but it comes in a huge variety of beautiful colours.
If you want to learn more about this amazing material and why I love it so much, you can read more here.
Other Materials
I take great delight in giving new life to things which might otherwise be discarded and am always on the lookout for bits and bobs I can use in my work. Op shops and places like Reverse Garbage are treasure troves to me!
I love to incorporate secondhand buttons, old pieces of jewellery and beads in my work, as well as fabrics scraps and salvaged yarn.
I also make my own beads - each one individually rolled from a strip of handmade paper, a page from an old magazine, wrapping paper or even junk mail!
Using natural and recycled materials not only gives my work a beautiful look and feel, but it also means you can feel good about buying it too :)