Sunday 12 March 2017

Taking Old and Making New

I made three more frog bookmarks with my inked watercolour paper.  This paper is very special as it is 100% cotton rag paper mould-made more than 50 years ago in Somerset, England!

As I had inked up 2 sheets of paper,  I didn't want to waste my lovely vintage paper by making gift tags that would end up in the bin so I made a few simple bookmarks with a lovely stamped message:

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

Edited to add:

Some of you may be interested to read the information that came with the paper pack.

'This fine-art paper is a step or two beyond the usual quality of papers found in pads and sketchbooks.  Just touching it you can feel the quality and craftsmanship which is almost impossible to find in modern product today.

This paper was made in the 1950s or 1960s by a company called W.S. Hodgkinson & Co in a place called Wookey Hole in Somerset, England.  Paper had been made at this mill from at least 1610 until 1972 when production came to an end.

In 1965 the mill's in-house artist saved a few large piles of paper, just minutes before they were due to be re-pulped and converted into South American currency.  He owned them until 2016 when we acquired them on his retirement.'

Source: vintagepaper.co.uk

11 comments:

  1. A very clever use of the sequins for the frogs eyes - they make me smile!! And the sentiment on the bookmarks is lovely xx

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  2. these are lovely Simone. I can understand you want to make something that will last with your special paper xxx

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  3. They're lovely Simone....wish I could be more like nature!
    V x

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  4. How wonderful! I love the frogs and the bookmarks with the thoughtful quote:)

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  5. Love those book marks

    Julie xxxxxxx

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  6. Meant to say..... Very interested in the paper, as I live in Somerset

    Julie xxxxx

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  7. Lovely idea to makes something pretty to keep with that very special paper....and a good quote to keep nearby! Love the little frogs too.
    Happy week, Simone.
    Helen xox

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  8. I love your frogs and bookmarks, Simone. That paper sounds fabulous, made even more beautiful by your inking process. xx

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  9. What an amazing life this paper has had. Isn't it lovely to know people understand the value of something as "mundane" as paper and cherish it? I love that it found its way into your artistic hands and through your blog has given us all joy.

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  10. The frogs are so cute, and the vintage paper so beautiful that it calls for attention :-)

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  11. Wookey Hole is such a great name isn't it!
    Love your happy frogs.
    Lisa x

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