Helen Hiebert's Blog

The Sunday Paper #575

October 12, 2025

We made Book Weavings earlier this week in a workshop I held on Zoom to kick of registration for The Paper Year, my online membership community. Tamar S. sent this photo with a note from Israel:

“l watched the replay of the paper weaving today, and sat weaving and cutting for hours. It was a great way to get away from the dreadful reality…”.

Watch the replay and learn how to make your own Book Weaving.

The Paper Year is now open for new members now through tonight, October 12th. Click through to read all about it and join us. And please reach out if you have any questions.

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Making Zen is a five-day online retreat that will take place October 27-31, featuring 30 workshops taught by different artists (including me)! Six presentations become available each weekday, and it’s totally free to attend those presentations for 24 hours. That’s a lot to take in, so there is a VIP Pass that allows you to purchase lifetime access to all of the presentations (plus some extra-special gifts for you contributed by each of the presenting artists). Below you see my offering: three Woven Paper Notecards for the free sessions, and a PDF with instructions for creating a Hexagonal Weaving for VIP pass holders (these passes are discounted now until the retreat begins on the 27th). Get all the details here. 

My workshop is just one of 30! Here are a few more pics featuring a small sampling of other offerings: Cyanotype Printing on Fabric with Madge Evers; Animated Mechanical Cards with Kelli Anderson; Embroidered Jeans with Kasia Jacquot; and Mindful Embroidered Mandalas with Donna Davies.

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I had the pleasure of interviewing Paulina Johnson on Paper Talk. Originally from Mexico City, via California, and South Carolina, she has been immersed in the fields of art and graphic design for over 20 years. She received a joint BFA from the Academy of Art University and the University of San Francisco in 1999. In 2017, she earned an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Johnson has been an ongoing educator and is currently an exhibiting partner at Pine Moon Fine Art in Steamboat Springs, CO. She lives and works in beautiful Steamboat where she enjoys the mountains with her husband, two growing boys and their pup Murray. Enjoy our conversation!

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I love this! Every Friday, the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence, KS opens its entire collection of prints, drawings and photographs to the public. Visitors can explore up close pieces that are usually kept in storage or behind glass.

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Join me, Nancy Cohen and Sara Garden Armstrong, for a free virtual talk about our show, Legacies in Paper, at the Robert C. Williams Papermaking Museum this Wednesday evening, October 15th. Register here. We will discuss the trajectory of our careers, our relationship with the medium of handmade paper, and our current explorations.

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Paper TidbitsIf you are in Vienna, Austria, or will be traveling there in 2026, check out the workshop schedule at the Papierwespe.The New Mexico History Museum is hosting visiting artist Julie Chen as a distinguished speaker on the contemporary letterpress and handmade books for the inaugural Palace Press Presents: Visiting Artist Lecture Series .The 2026 Taos Paper Retreat is now open for registration. The theme is Capture the Light, and the retreat will take place July 19-25, 2026 in Taos, NM (sign up by 1/15/26).The 2026 Red Cliff Paper Retreat is also open for registration, and the theme is Paper Weaving. This retreat is in my Red Cliff, Colorado studio, August 17-21, 2026.

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Author’s CornerWeaving With Paper is now available for pre-order on my website (and elsewhere). Thank you to everyone who has ordered a copy! Publication day is December 16th, so I will be shipping copies to arrive then. Please place your order through me by November 17th.All pre-ordered copies will be autographed.Purchase a special kit that includes 30 weaving papers in assorted sizesReceive a 15% discount if you order 2 or more copies.Join me on Zoom for a Publication Day Party on 12/16.

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Making Zen appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #575

October 5, 2025

I hope to see you tomorrow (October 6th) – I’m rolling out a double-header! I’ll be launching pre-sales for my new book, Weaving With Paper and talking about The Paper Year, my monthly membership program. Then, we’ll make a Book Weaving to round out the one-hour session. Click here to sign up for the Zoom session and get the supply list.

The Paper Year is a warm, encouraging, supportive, creative community, and registration is now open (through 10/12).

In Weaving With Paper, I share 30 unique paper weaving projects with step-by-step instruction and inspirational prompts for developing a daily practice.

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I had a blast with these lovely ladies in the studio this week. This wraps up my last Papermaking Master Class of the season. I’m so fortunate to have people flying in and driving over from places like North Carolina, California and Nevada (in addition to a short hop from Denver). We explored all facets of papermaking. Registration will open for next season’s courses soon. Apply to master the papermaking process.

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If you are in or near Iowa City, I highly recommend Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education, which showcases the fascinating world of movable books and paper technologies. Curated by Giselle Simón, Damien Ihrig, and Elizabeth Yale, this interactive exhibition invites visitors to explore flap books, pop-ups, tunnel books, volvelles, and books that use paper to make sounds while learning about their historical and contemporary significance. The exhibit contains historical examples of movable books and paper engineered objects as well as modern book art. My Pop-Up Hand Shadow Book is in the show. If you aren’t in Iowa City, click through to view the amazing resources that have been created for the exhibition (videos, words and an exhibit guide).

ul’nigid‘, by Rhiannon Skye Tafoya. Rosendale, New York: Women’s Studio Workshop, 2019. x-Collection [FOLIO N7433.4.T29 U4 2019], Special Collections and Archives, University of Iowa Libraries. Photo: Sara Pinkham.

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Sarah Rodriguez, an academic advisor for the School of the Arts (SOTA), recently collaborated with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to create artwork. Her paper collages, made alongside patients and nurses, will be on display in the hospital starting in 2026. “What I really liked about the project…were thinking about how art can be healing, and that some of these people are going through the hardest part of their lives,” Rodriguez said. “The idea that my art could help in any kind of way is just really powerful and meaningful.”

Sarah Rodriguez, Breaking the Surface, paper collage

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These ice books by Basia Irland (not paper, but books) are stunning.

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Paper TidbitsThe 2026 Taos Paper Retreat is now open for registration. The theme is Capture the Light, and the retreat will take place July 19-25, 2026 in Taos, NM (sign up by 1/15/26).The 2026 Red Cliff Paper Retreat is also open for registration, and the theme is Paper Weaving. This retreat is in my Red Cliff, Colorado studio, August 17-21, 2026.

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Author’s Corner

We’re getting closer to pub date for Weaving With Paper (December 16th). Pre-sales on my website are now open. The first 50 orders placed will receive a FREE weaving tool. 

I’m doing a few fun events leading up to the book release.

10/7: I’m participating in Spinning & Weaving Week, a 7-day celebration of the fiber arts hosted by the Handweaver’s Guild of America, Inc. I’ll be teaching a one-hour online paper weaving workshop this coming Tuesday, October 7th.12/16/25 is Pub Date! Save the date for the official book launch party on Zoom. Details coming soon!

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Paper Engineering in Art, Science, and Education appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #574

September 28, 2025

Are you looking for a creative community? The Paper Year is a warm, encouraging, supportive, creative group that will be open to new members October 1-12, 2025. Here’s a peek at what we’ll be creating over the next 3 months: a Papercut Profile, Slit Stars with guest artist, Cathryn Miller, of Byopia Press; and a Pop-Up Tree. And that’s not all. Click here to read more about The Paper Year and/or join me on October 6th to learn more about the program on Zoom.

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Check out this installation by Aprl Capalungan in The Philippines. The Parallels of Reconstruction <=> Deconstruction; Possibly, is an interactive, ephemeral paper installation retelling the possibilities of experience and ideas continuously taking shape and refocusing what preservation and/or transformation could be.

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Ann Wood creates exquisite paper sculptures. I love what she says about her process: “I developed my own way of manipulating paper as a material. I didn’t use any tutorials but developed my own techniques through experimenting. I don’t use the traditional crepe paper, but use many varieties of paper. Some are tissue thin, and others are lightweight cardboard. I’ve learned my own vocabulary with what each type of paper can do.”

Ann Wood, as seen on My Modern Met

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The Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland is holding its second annual Dress To Impress paper fashion fundraiser on Saturday, October 4th. Tony Williams talks about his hand painted paper garment that is quilted and hand stitched in this clip. This night of exotic and wild paper fashions and wearable art celebrates paper and print as fashion. Get details and tickets here.

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This has nothing to do with paper, but I wanted to share an article by my husband, Ted Katauskas, that’s in Outside Magazine. It is a fascinating account of a search and rescue/recovery mission that lasted almost 20 years and included our dog, Stryker.

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Paper TidbitsHave you had a chance to listen to my interview with Carole Kunstadt on Paper Talk?The 2026 Taos Paper Retreat is now open for registration. The theme is Capture the Light, and the retreat will take place July 19-25, 2026 in Taos, NM (sign up by 1/15/26).The 2026 Red Cliff Paper Retreat is also open for registration, and the theme is Paper Weaving. This retreat is in my Red Cliff, Colorado studio, August 17-21, 2026.If you’re in Southeast Ohio, Scout Ery (formerly of Paper Circle) is offering a Japanese papermaking workshop November 12-15.Join me, Nancy Cohen and Sara Garden Armstrong for a conversation that explores our careers, our relationships with handmade paper, and our current explorations, hosted by the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. We’ll be speaking on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 7 PM Eastern ( on Zoom). Free to attend—advance registration required.

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Author’s Corner

Join me for a FREE Zoom mini-workshop on Monday, October 6th to launch pre-sales for Weaving With Paper AND to kick off registration for The Paper Year, which will be open to new members October 1-12. Sign up and get the supply list here. The session will begin with a short, face-paced overview of The Paper Year, followed by a viewing of an advance copy of Weaving With Paper and my pre-sale offers. Then we’ll create a Book Weaving. Please invite your weaving-, book-, and paper-loving friends!

We’re getting closer to pub date for Weaving With Paper (December 16th). I’m opening pre-sales on my website on October 1st. The first 50 orders placed will receive a FREE weaving tool, and there will be other special offers if you pre-order from me. Stay tuned!

I’m doing a few fun events leading up to the book release.

10/7: I’m participating in Spinning & Weaving Week, a 7-day celebration of the fiber arts hosted by the Handweaver’s Guild of America, Inc. I’ll be teaching a one-hour online paper weaving workshop on October 7th.10/27-31: I’ve created a pre-recorded session featuring 3 ways to create woven paper notecards and a VIP lesson on hexagonal weaving for Making Zen. Get notified when registration for this free event opens.12/16/25 is Pub Date! Save the date for the official book launch party on Zoom. Details coming soon!

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Paper Mushrooms appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #573

September 21, 2025

Join me for a FREE Zoom mini-workshop on Monday, October 6th to launch pre-sales for Weaving With Paper AND to kick off registration for The Paper Year, which will be open to new members October 1-12. Sign up and get the supply list here. The session will begin with a short, face-paced overview of The Paper Year, followed by a viewing of an advance copy of Weaving With Paper and my pre-sale offers. Then we’ll create a Book Weaving. Please invite your weaving-, book-, and paper-loving friends!

Watch the video featuring the pillow boxes and flexagons that Paper Year members created in August.

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I had a lovely conversation with Carole Kunstadt on Paper Talk, whose works often invoke a metaphysical quality. They reference antique books, music manuscripts, maps and artifacts – deconstructing paper and text and using it in metaphorical ways. Through the manipulation of the materials – history, memory and time merge in a hybrid form. Born in Boston, Kunstadt spent her childhood in a small New England town, received a BFA from the Hartford Art School in Hartford, CT. and continued with postgraduate studies at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, Germany. Twelve years ago she re-entered a familiar landscape as in her youth, moving to the Hudson Valley, after spending 35 years in NYC.

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Join artist Paula Hartmann and cultural guide Katrin Schrimpf for an unforgettable 8-day creative immersion in the artisanal heart of Oaxaca. Learn traditional papermaking with Eduardo Santiago Gijón using native plant fibers like agave and corn husks, explore natural dyes, and take part in a paper jewelry workshop with a local Mexican artist. Paula will guide participants in creating poetic paper mobiles that draw on movement and craft traditions. Wander Oaxaca’s colorful street art alleys, hike ancient Zapotec trails, and enjoy rich cultural offerings like alebrije painting and a traditional cooking class. Stay in cozy, art-centered accommodations in both peaceful San Agustin Etla and vibrant Oaxaca City. Sign up for a Free Info Webinar on September 23rd. 

“This retreat was pure magic—calm, authentic, and full of inspiring people.” – Anne
“Each day was a new adventure into the art, the land, and the people.” – Rebekah

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In CONTEXT: Art, Books, & Freedom, artist and curator Meg Hitchcock brings together 15 artists whose work incorporates books and text. The artists diverge in their approach and content, from social commentary to political statement to literary allusion, but their common ground is their love of the printed word. The artists use books and text as tools of investigation, exploring the psychological impact of visual language while pushing the boundaries of our freedom to express views that conflict with popular opinion. (Please note: access to Columbia’s campus is currently restricted to Columbia ID holders – click on the link for info on visiting the exhibition).

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This is a fun read about a journalist’s visit to a commercial papermill in the UK. “Last Mill Standing: How I Fell in Love with James Cropper’s Coloured Paper” highlights the mill’s launch of Coloursource: a range of 50 signature shades that represent 50 years of colour development.

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Paper TidbitsOblation Papers & Press in Portland, Oregon (a 35-year old company, selling letterpress wedding invitations, greeting cards and paper goods to an international marketplace) is seeking an Artisan Handmade Papermaker, part time, wage commesurate upon experience. Experience helpful, training provided. Email resumé and cover letter to ron@oblationpapers.com.The 2026 Taos Paper Retreat is now open for registration. The theme is Capture the Light, and the retreat will take place July 19-25, 2026 in Taos, NMJoin me, Nancy Cohen and Sara Garden Armstrong for a conversation that explores our careers, our relationships with handmade paper, and our current explorations, hosted by the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. We’ll be speaking on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 7 PM Eastern ( on Zoom). Free to attend—advance registration required.

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Author’s Corner

We’re getting closer to pub date for Weaving With Paper (December 16th). I’m opening pre-sales on my website on October 1st. The first 50 orders placed will receive a FREE weaving tool, and there will be other special offers if you pre-order from me. Stay tuned!

I’m doing a few fun events leading up to the book release.

10/6: As mentioned above, I’m hosting a free mini workshop on Zoom to launch pre-sales for Weaving With Paper AND to kick off registration for The Paper Year, which will be open to new members October 1-12. Sign up here.10/7: I’m participating in Spinning & Weaving Week, a 7-day celebration of the fiber arts hosted by the Handweaver’s Guild of America, Inc. I’ll be teaching a one-hour online paper weaving workshop on October 7th.10/27-31: I’m participating in Making Zen with a pre-recorded session featuring 3 ways to create woven paper notecards and a VIP lesson on hexagonal weaving. Get notified when registration for this free event opens.1/6/26: Save the date for the official book launch party on Zoom. Details coming soon!

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Book Weaving on Zoom appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #572

September 14, 2025

I was given a few moments to speak about my work at the opening of the Legacies in Paper exhibition in Atlanta last week, and I spent part of the time talking about a new piece called Same/Not Same. The title has a double meaning:

1. All 39 components were created in the same way (a video is coming soon to reveal the process), but they differ by color (obvious) and shape (more subtle).

2. These pieces serve as a metaphor for all of us. I believe that we humans are all the same, and our differences are what makes the world beautiful. I have been confounded since a young age by the many troubles in our world that stem from how we view our differences.

Same/Not Same will be on view at the Robert C Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta through January 30, 2026. Join all me and the other two artists for a conversation that explores our careers, our relationships with handmade paper, and our current explorations. We’ll be speaking on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 7 PM Eastern ( on Zoom). Free to attend—advance registration required.

© 2025, Helen Hiebert, Same/Not Same, artist-made abaca, escutcheon pins, 15″ x 65″ (dimensions variable), Photo by Nancy Cohen

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Check out the opening credits for Queen of Mystery, featuring pop-ups by David Hawcock. Thanks to a reader for sending me this, and for digging deeper to find these credits: Pop-Up Book Designer: David Hawcock, Illustrator: Garry Walton, Compositor: Mark Ford, Titles Supervisor: Peter Haddon, Assosciate Producer: Savannah James-Bayly.

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Your Stories. Your Art. Your Book. You’ve carried your stories for years, now it’s time to give them a beautiful home. Join Nicole White on Monday, October 6th from 2–4pm MST for the Introductory Session of Creativity Memoir Studio Circle for Women. This live, online class is your chance to explore what’s possible and discover how your words, art, and memories can begin to take shape on the page. In this warm, welcoming space, you’ll start imagining the book you’ve always dreamed of… one that blends your stories, creativity, and life experiences into something meaningful, tangible, and uniquely yours. Your Voice, Your Stories.

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I’m looking forward to visiting the COllage exhibition at the Arvada Center this fall. The dynamic world of collage and assemblage comes to life in this exhibition through bold patterns, unexpected materials, and striking visual narratives. Far from random layering, each work reveals a careful design of elements—scraps, textures, sounds, and objects—brought together with deliberate intention. These artists use the act of layering to explore memory, identity, passion, and place, transforming everyday materials into powerful statements.

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Many of you know of Arnold Grummers papermaking supplies, and you may or may not know about his wife Mabel, who passed away recently at the age of 99.9. Mabel Grummer’s obituary is posted online and found its way onto TikTok and Instagram under @tipsfromdeadpeople. Rest in Peace, dear Mabel.

Paper TidbitsThe 2026 Taos Paper Retreat is now open for registration. The theme is Capture the Light, and the retreat will take place July 19-25, 2026 in Taos, NM.I interviewed Mabel Grummer (mentioned above) in 2018 on Paper Talk.

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Author’s Corner

We’re getting closer to pub date (December 16th). I’m opening pre-sales on my website for Weaving With Paper on October 1st. The first 50 orders placed will receive a FREE weaving tool. And there will be other special offers if you pre-order from me. Stay tuned!

I’m doing a few fun events leading up to the book release.

10/6: I’m hosting a free mini workshop on Zoom to launch pre-sales for Weaving With Paper AND to kick off registration for The Paper Year, which will be open to new members October 1-12. Sign up here.10/7: I’m participating in Spinning & Weaving Week, a 7-day celebration of the fiber arts hosted by the Handweaver’s Guild of America, Inc. I’ll be teaching a one-hour online paper weaving workshop on October 7th.1/6/26: I’m hosting an official book launch party on Zoom. Details coming soon!

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About our Sponsor: Nicole White is a best selling author, artist, clinical hypnotherapist, and creativity mentor who helps people turn their stories into beautiful, tangible books. As the former President of the Libros Book Arts Guild and a current member of the Santa Fe BAG (Book Arts Group), she combines a love of handmade books with a passion for personal storytelling. Nicole’s teaching style is warm, encouraging, and practical, helping each person find their unique creative voice while keeping classes small so everyone receives personal guidance for their one-of-a-kind project.

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Same/Not Same appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #571

September 7, 2025

I’ve been in Atlanta all week (I’m flying home today), installing the Legacies in Paper exhibition with Nancy Cohen and Sara Garden Armstrong at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta. The museum houses the collection that Dard Hunter traveled the world to assemble during the first half of the 20th Century, and there are exhibits dedicated to the history and processes of making paper by hand, along with the contemporary galleries, where our works are on display through January 30, 2026.

This post is bit different, with highlights from the trip, instead of the regular Sunday Paper.

I plan to create a video about my work in the show soon, but in the meantime, here are images of the three rooms, each featuring an artist in the show. We all work with abaca in distinctive ways.

The museum helped us prepare slide presentations about the trajectory of our work. These can be viewed in the museum, but you can also watch them at the links below.

Nancy Cohen: (Nancy’s presentation: 13:27)

Sara Garden Armstrong: (Sara’s presentation)

Helen Hiebert: (Helen’s presentation)

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We were able to spend a few hours behind the scenes, viewing papers and artifacts that are held in the collection. This is a watermarked bank note, and the text on the facing page (in gorgeous script and ink) reads Three Dippings and Three Couchings.

To round out the week, I taught a workshop at the museum yesterday. We created expandable, inflatable, illuminated forms.

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I’ll be back with a regular edition of The Sunday Paper next week!

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

———————————————————————————————––––––

SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Legacies in Paper appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #570

August 31, 2025

As you’re reading this, I’m be on the plane(s) to Atlanta (via Dallas). I remember riding in my first glass elevator in Atlanta when I was a kid; and coming from behind to win a 500 yard distance race at a college swim meet (perhaps at Georgia Tech, where I’m headed. My memory is fuzzy on the details, but I’ll never (I hope) forget the adrenaline rush from the event, which was enhanced by the reaction from my teammates).

Memories aside, tomorrow morning I’ll hit the ground running to install my work at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, along with my co-exhibitors Nancy Cohen and Sara Garden Armstrong. We hope to see some of you at the opening reception this Thursday, September 4th!

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I’m delighted to see Gina Pisello’s altered book in this exhibition – she wove into the pages during the month of February back in 2024 during my Weave Through Winter online class. Click here to see all of the pages in her book.

Woven Dialogs by Gina Pisello, 2024.

The University of South Dakota presents “Bound and Unbound VIII”, an altered book exhibition, now through January 5, 2026. It is open to the public for viewing during library operating hours and can also be viewed online in the Digital Library of South Dakota.

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Woman Made Gallery (WMG) in Chicago is proud to unveil the 8th Midwest Open, a dynamic group exhibition featuring work by 33 women and nonbinary artists from across the American Midwest. Laurie Breton’s piece, “River Song”, an installation of 20 handmade abaca paper sculptures, is in the show.

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I had a lovely conversation with Dorothy McGuinness, a contemporary basket weaver who lives and works in Everett, Washington. McGuinness took her first basketmaking class in 1987 and has studied basket-weaving techniques that have been handed down through the centuries. She has worked extensively with Jiro Yonezawa, a contemporary Japanese basket maker and teacher and discovered her medium of choice in 2000, when she took a workshop with Jackie Abrams, who introduced her to watercolor paper as a basket-weaving material. McGuinness now works exclusively in diagonal twills and mad weave, creating contemporary sculptural baskets, and enjoys exploring the interplay of weaving, color, and design in her sculptural woven paper pieces. Enjoy our conversation! ​

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Special thanks to a reader for sending me this profile of , the architect of the project Paper Dolls: stories from women who served which contains 20 stories spanning more than 40 years of service and all branches of the military. These stories represent the collective experience of women in the armed forces. Using paper created from military uniforms as a starting point, DeLuco asked women veterans to share personal stories, donate uniforms, and participate in the hand making of these carefully conceived limited edition books in an attempt to change people’s preconceived ideas of women in the military.

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Paper TidbitsIf you’re in NYC next weekend, check out the Booksmart Fair as part of Art in Paper. 

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

———————————————————————————————––––––

SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Booksmart appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #569

August 24, 2025

I am both stimulated and exhausted from the 10th Red Cliff Paper Retreat, which wrapped up on Friday. It was wonderful to have participants who traveled from Santa Fe, Quebec, Oklahoma, California, Michigan, Denver, North Carolina and Washington state! We folded paper in many ways, exploring hypars (from the Bauhaus), wall paper and masu box books, and a tesselating lantern form, along with papermaking techniques, which included wet pleating. Next year’s retreat will focus on paper weaving, in celebration of my new book Weaving With Paper (coming out December 16, 2025).

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This looks like a fun workshop at Sanborn Mills Farm in New Hampshire (September 24-28, 2025). Catherine Cross Tsintzos is teaching From the Fields and Rows: Seed to Hand Papermaking. Students will learn about making paper from seed to sheet, as well as traditional and contemporary papermaking techniques. Forage, gather, prepare, cook, pound, pulse and pulp, building experience through the process. Explore bookbinding and how to use papers for printmaking using all types of plates and transfer techniques. Discover mixed media and sewing, watermarks, overlays, masking, working with wheat pastes and Konjac root. The classroom will be an incubator of ideas and creativity. Sanborn Mills Farm dates back to the 1700’s and is preserved, restored and fully operational with attention to detail for the best educational experiences for their guests.  Depart the five days with a variety of papers from different pulps that connect you with the farm, along with the knowledge to continue the hand papermaking process at home.

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Look at me! I’m on a banner with two other Legacies in Paper (bug eye emoji). How flattering to be considered a legacy, and I’m so honored to be exhibiting work alongside Sara Garden Armstrong and Nancy Cohen at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta. Join us at the opening reception on Thursday, September 4, 2025, 4-7pm.

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Thanks to everyone who sent this article to me from the NY Times this week. I hope you can take a look at the flat bloom patterns that scientists are exploring. Robert J. Lang, whom I interviewed on Paper Talk, is a consultant on this project and his thoughts made the headline: Bloom patterns could be useful, as engineers build folding structures to send to outer space. They’re also very pretty. “The real folded thing — he’s actually folded those — is really beautiful,” Dr. Lang said. “I would not be surprised to see that in a museum.”

Larry Howell, a professor of mechanical engineering at B.Y.U., left, and Kelvin Wang, a sophomore there. Photo credit: Brigham Young University

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Jessica Drenk upcycles objects like junk mail and pencils to create elaborately layered, sculptural pieces evoking banded crystals and colorful sedimentary stone. Her exhibition, Elemental Form – at Galleri Urbane in Dallas – runs September 6 through November 8, 2025.

“Agate 3” (2025, junk mail and used paper, 57 x 79 inches

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Paper TidbitsWhen I’m in Atlanta, I’ll be at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking on Friday, September 5th (by appointment) with the other artists. Please reach out if you’d like to meet up or bring a group to tour the exhibition.I’m teaching a workshop in Atlanta on Saturday, September 6th. Details here.

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About our Sponsor: Catherine Cross Tsintzos is an artist who uses her knowledge and experience with her practice to create within the realms of both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary components for outcomes that focus on environmental and social issues, traditional fine craft and sustainability.

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Elemental Form appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #568

August 17, 2025

Twenty-nine years ago this morning, my parents picked me up at the cooperative house I lived in and drove me to Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights, where Ted and I got married. We were featured in the New York Times Vows section because Ted’s office mate at the New Yorker really wanted that to happen. I’m not sure why, but it was fun to be featured, and we got written up again 7 years later, when the editor told us “you wouldn’t believe how many couples I called before I found one that was still together.” And just a couple of months ago, Ted was wondering about Anne Mortimer-Maddox (aka Dusty), his office mate. Sadly, we learned that she passed away last November. From her obituary: “Her great career joy was as a longtime member and eventual doyenne of the fact checking department at the New Yorker Magazine, on 43rd Street in Manhattan. She was beloved at the magazine, and many staff there remember her taking an interest and shepherding them through their early days.”

I dug out our wedding file (remember file folders?) and went down memory lane. Here you see the light green prototype for our wedding invitation (a one-sheet mailer with a tear-off response card that Ted and I made at Dieu Donné Papermill, where I was working at the time), our engagement announcement, the label for our home brewed wedding mead, and a drawing of a grapevine knot that appeared in the program – with a verse from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, expanding on the idea of two being better than one. Our wedding rings are two bands woven together, like the grapevine knot.

Here’s to twenty-nine more years!

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This looks like a fun opportunity: Free Sketching Memories and Creativity Memoir Classes for Paper Lovers, Bookbinders, and Artisans (online).

Your handmade books deserve more than blank pages. In these two free live online classes — Sketching & Drawing Memories and an introduction to Creativity Memoir — you’ll learn how to bring your work to life with personal stories, sketches, and images. Perfect for paper lovers, bookbinders, painters, fiber artists, photographers, and creatives of all kinds, you’ll discover how to create a one-of-a-kind illustrated book or even self-publish and replicate your work. Guided by best-selling author and book arts mentor Nicole White, you’ll leave inspired, connected, and ready to preserve your stories and artistries for generations to come. Join a free class on Friday, August 22nd at 12 PM MST, Saturday, August 23rd at 10 AM MST, or Saturday, August 30th at 10 AM MST. Classes are live and online. We keep them small, so save your spot now.

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I’m honored to be exhibiting work alongside Sara Garden Armstrong and Nancy Cohen at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta this fall. All three of us will be in Atlanta for the opening reception – please come if you’re in the area! We’d love to meet with interested groups/students in the galleries, and I’m also teaching a workshop at the museum – details below.

Reception: Thursday, September 4, 2025, 4-7pmThe artists will be in the gallery on Friday, September 5th by appointment. Please reach out if you’d like to meet up or bring a group to tour the exhibition.Workshop: Saturday, September 6, 2025. Details here.Attend our Virtual Artist Talk on October 18th. Register here.

From the back of the postcard:

What does it mean for an artist to spend years exploring a material? How deep an understanding and visual vocabulary can be created with time and extensive investigation? The three artists featured in the inaugural triennial series, Legacies in Paper, have spent a lifetime exploring the boundless qualities of handmade paper. The Paper Museum celebrates the endless and vast possibilities of hand papermaking and the dedication to the creation of meaningful art by Nancy Cohen, Sara Garden Armstrong, & Helen Hiebert.

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We moved to Portland two years after getting married, and shortly after that I met Barb Tetenbaum, who is a dear friend, and an artist working in letterpress and artist’s books. Throughout her career, she has nurtured students at the Oregon College of Art & Craft (OCAC) and Reed College. If you’re in the area, don’t miss her exhibition which opens tomorrow at Reed College.

Forward Fold is the first large-scale exhibition of Barb Tetenbaum’s artist books held in Reed College’s Special Collections. Spanning 1989 to the present, the work presents a multitude of physical forms: maps, scrolls, accordion-folded books, traditional codices, and other innovative forms. These works offer a new understanding of the book through experimental combinations of text, image, structure and materials.

The exhibition will also contain over 130 artist books and objects created by Tetenbaum’s students from both OCAC and Reed College, illuminating the strong connection between the questions the artist asks as part of her studio practice and the assignments she has created for her students over the past three decades.

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Check out the Reusable Book Covers members created in The Paper Year last month (watch the video). The range of approaches – from size to shape to papers and surface design (note the woven cover pictured below), not to mention stitching – was amazing. This is a warm and welcoming group of creatives. Registration will be open again October 1-10. Hold your spot.

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I’m going down nostalgia lane today… the Penland School was fundamental in my journey as an artist. It was one of the first places where I let my guard down and inspiration took over. They have curated a wonderful selection of Auction Experience Opportunities that will be available at their annual auction, which takes place August 22-23. Get your tickets here.

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Paper TidbitsHave you had a chance to listen to my interview with Matt LaBoone on Paper Talk?One spot has opened in my next Papermaking Master Class, which will be held in my Red Cliff Studio September 29 – October 3, 2025.

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About our Sponsor: Nicole White is a creator, mentor, and best-selling author who helps artists turn their work into meaningful legacy books. A former president of Libros – New Mexico Book Arts Guild and current member of both Libros and the Santa Fe Book Arts Group, she has a lifelong passion for handmade books, paper arts, and storytelling.

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Two Are Better Than One appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.

The Sunday Paper #567

August 10, 2025

I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt LaBoone on Paper Talk, an origami artist and papermaker in Orlando, Florida, who has a focus on folding and designing insects as origami subjects, and has developed thin and crisp paper especially suited for folding them. Over the years, LaBoone has found that most commercially available papers, and even many origami specific papers are not well suited for what he likes to design and fold, which is what led him to pursue making his own paper. He de-mystifies the papermaking process on his instagram account.

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Oorjaa presents Shades of Green, a platform for dialogue, discovery, and design — a space to explore circular thinking and sustainable practice. This event, which is taking place now through August 13th in Sabha, Bangalore, India, brings together makers, thinkers, and ideas that reflect a more responsible way of creating. Through showcases, workshops, and conversations, it opens up new ways of seeing and making. Check out their handmade paper lighting.

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Seed Pod by Oorjaa

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Who has visited The Paper House? Special thanks to a reader who wrote to me about it this week. The Paper House is an actual house made from newspaper. It was built by Mr. Elis F. Stenman, a mechanical engineer who designed the machines that make paper clips, who began building his Rockport summer home out of paper as a hobby. That was in 1922.

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This is a touching story about the paper weavings of photographer Fernando Bengoechea, whose brother continues to create the work after Fernando passed away. The weavings are on display in my hometown, at a very sweet shop called Hygge Life (which carries some paper products). I’ll be visiting before the show closes on August 30th.

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Paper TidbitsOne spot has opened in my next Papermaking Master Class, which will be held in my Red Cliff Studio September 29 – October 3, 2025.Local Peeps: Join me at the Bookworm of Edwards on Tuesday. We’ll create Reusable Book Covers with pockets and slip mini-journals inside.

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If you read this blog regularly, would you consider making a donation to support the research, writing, design and delivery of The Sunday Paper?

Tell 4000+ paper enthusiasts about your work by promoting your business in The Sunday Paper.

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SHARE THIS blog post with your paper-loving friends!

I occasionally have affiliate links in these posts – to products that I receive a small commission on if you make a purchase. Thanks for your support!

The post Handmade Origami Paper appeared first on Helen Hiebert Studio.