SerendipityArt

Today I went to the Book Arts Festival at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. It was really fun! I was trying not spend money with the holidays right around the corner, but oh well…I had a very things I "needed".

I wanted a new journal -- something sturdy, made with handmade, thick, watercolor paper pages. I also wanted to look for some interesting handmade papers to use in my collages. I love the small selection that they have in their gift shop, but I figured the Festival would bring in a whole lot more vendors…and I was right!

I have a method to my shopping maddness…the first step is to get my bearings…I made a quick lap around the various booths. There were several booths of people selling chapbooks – handmade books of poetry, self printed on incredible paper. There was a woman printing personalized letterpress stationary on the spot and another young woman selling illustrated, framed poetry. The Book Arts store had all the usual wonderful stuff…some incredible books on bookmaking, hand lettering and papermaking, but also a nice selection of marbled paper, a few zines and some cool new wrapping paper. I like the funky deco designs the best.

I ultimately settled in to find what I’d come for…first some paper. What was in the Store was stuff I’d seen and been buying for a while. I was looking for something different…so I went back to a booth in the workshop. Mary Holland, from Shoreview, Minnesota was back there with a very nice assortment of marbled and paste paper items. However, what really caught my eye was a very nice selection of marbled sheet music!

The swirling patterns are rich and elegant, and the color combinations are atypical. The sheet music is printed on machined paper and is modern (versus vintage) which means it will stand up to the rigors of altered book and or mail art work. She was selling these 8.5 x 11 sheet for $1.50 each or 5 for $5. Now, that’s not inexpensive, but I wasn’t looking for cheap…I was looking for awesome…and I found it! I bought 5 sheets of paper, but only because I am watching my extracurricular spending…plus Mary said that if I needed more, I could call her and she’s pick some awesome colors to ship to me out here in sunny California!! I am adding Mary to the "Out and About" section of this blog, but she doesn’t seem to have a store, so if you want to buy some of her incredible paper just give her a call and she’ll pick out for paper for you.

Mary Holland

Shoreview, MN

651.482.9036

mholland24@excite.com

After I left Mary’s booth I headed back to my dream booth. The first time I went to the Cave Paper booth I was so overwhelmed I had to walk away pretty quickly. I saw 4 books right away that I actually said I NEEDED to own, which is an out and out lie! In an effort to gain some self-control I had to walk away to clear my head.

The handmade books are incredible! First of all, the binding is really cool. I’m sure it has some official name, but I don’t know it. What I do know is that the book I bought has ultra think watercolor paper, the binding looks delicate, but its sturdy and the cover is an incredible textured, treated paper that seems to be moisture resistant, which is practical. The book I bought was $36. I plan to use it as a travel journal. The cover is a slipcover to the book block so I guess if the cover is as sturdy as it seems I could just order a replacement block and use the same cover over and over again. However, I really do like the color assortment so I’m thinking I may just collect every shade.

Cave Paper sells paper products to shops all over the world, but you can also buy online at their website. The site also gives a better overview of their papermaking techniques and shows the full color palate. I think everyone should buy a Cave Paper journal either for herself or for a friend this holiday season. I’m adding the landscape 9x6 journal to my wish list. I love the fold out pages and hope to get a Cloud Sky cover!!!

I’m putting Cave Paper in my "Out and About" section as well…please check out their stuff and if you place an order be sure to tell them I sent you! YEAH!!!

(612) 359 0645