I am sponsoring a special interest, foraged plant fiber swatch swap, for intermediate and expert  papermakers. Not every hand papermaker makes paper of this sort, I know, but this could be the time to try!. Sheets must be made of 100% plant material you collected yourself, preferably near your studio, but on your travels is also ok. Naturally, if plant collecting is something you are not physically able to do, then use material someone collected on your behalf. More than one person can collaborate on a submission, receiving one return package.

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It is the simplest type of swatch swap:

1. Sign up to make 5 sheets of paper, which you will cut into swatches. Size: American letter (8.5 x 11 ") or European A4 (210 x 297 mm.).

2. When the sign up is closed, you will be told how many participants there are. The maximum will be 38.

3. From your 5 sheets of paper, cut one swatch per participant, plus two extra..The size of the swatches will depend on how many participants, so you will be told when the sign up is closed.

4. Mail the swatches, with your name on the back of each, to the provided address. Send your contact information and recipe for the paper you made on the google form whose link you will be sent.

5. Pay the fee, either by paypal or through the store on this website.Links will be provided on the google form.

6. Each participant gets mailed an entire collection of swatches submitted and the accompanying information.

 

Take Note:

• If you are not in the USA, send swatches cut from sheets closest to 8.5x11 inches that you normally make. Since the swatches will not be mounted in a book, you do not have to stress over the dimensions, if you are close.. 

• Write your full name on the back of each swatch. I will not do that for you, and I will not include or return swatches that  are not labeled or illegibly labeled, nor sheets that are not cut. Please give your name written in the English alphabet, even if that is not your native alphabet.

• Fees: For submissions from the USA: $15. If you are not in the USA, send the same amount of money, in American dollars, as you paid to mail the submission, plus 10 dollars.

• The google form asks you to send identification of all plants used, with scientific name and common name. Tell us which plant parts were used, when collected, and any other preparation of the pulp. Tell us what methods were used to make the sheets themselves. 

• You may color or otherwise mark your paper to your liking, but please do not use religious or political symbols or text.. Please make the 5 sheets more or less the same.

• Please do not send swatches made, or partially made, of commercially acquired pulp, fibers or linters, or recycled paper or beaten rags. Even if you collected paper or textiles as trash.

• To Comply With the Law: Do not send paper with seeds or soil included. Do not send paper whose pulp has not been boiled in alkaline solution. Do not send paper with insects, insect cocoons or the like. Basically, do not send paper that could cause plant diseases or infestations when distributed.

• Do not send paper with glitter.

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Please do not send special requests, inquiries about rules, etc. I'm sure you can use common sense to answer for yourself any questions that arise. Please meet the deadlines. These kinds of swaps can otherwise generate hundreds of emails, and to be honest, I just don't have the bandwidth to do that much emailing.​