The Sunday Paper #581

November 16, 2025

This is a reminder that the first phase of the presale for my new book, Weaving With Paper, ends tomorrow (11/17). Please order now if you’d like guaranteed pre-holiday delivery. Don’t worry, you can still order copies after tomorrow – please find the details in the Author’s Corner section below.

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Book Arts in Venice, led by Kalamazoo Book Arts Center Executive Director Jeff Abshear, takes place again June 15 – June 26, 2026. Travel to Northern Italy to work in traditional book arts and letterpress studios. No previous experience is required; all levels are welcome with introductory instruction in the studio. Create prints at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, a design school and studio which has focused on printmaking and artist’s books for over 50 years. Learn to set movable type by hand and print a letterpress book at Tipoteca Italiana Fondazione, one of the largest typography museums in Europe, located in the town of Cornuda, at the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains.

Stay in furnished apartments in Venice and a 16th century villa in Cornuda, surrounded by prosecco vineyards. Visit historic sites including St. Mark’s Square and the Accademia Gallery and tour the 61st Venice Art Biennale, one of the largest international contemporary art exhibitions. All participants finish the trip with a copy of a collaborative handmade book. Learn more and sign up here.

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Not only can you eat the persimmon fruit, but it makes a mold-resistant, insect-repelling and waterproof dye that has been used to coat everything from timber to paper and natural textiles in Japan. Artisans of katazome, a stencil dyeing method for silk kimono (and paper), would use persimmon-dyed stencil paper for its strength and durability. Kiyoshi Omae believes the centuries-old practice has enough contemporary function to keep the traditional craft alive.

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Thanks to a reader for telling me about Urnfold, a German company that manufactures paper urns for burial. Rabbit hole warning! There is so much to see and read on this site. I found this paragraph touching: “Urnfold’s paper urns can form the basis for a personal farewell. Every person leaves behind a story, and our urns are designed to help honor and retell it… Urnfold urns can be painted, written on, decorated with stickers, adorned with flowers, scented, inscribed with final messages , and personalized in countless ways. 

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Thanks to another reader for sharing this fantastic story about the Post-it Note!

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Paper TidbitsHave you had a chance to listen to my interview with Naomi J. Kendall on Paper Talk?#CarveDecember is a free daily stamp carving challenge hosted by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Keep creating during one of the busiest months of the year.Legacies in Paper got a review inThe Technique, Georgia Tech’s student paper. Scroll down to page 10.

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Author’s CornerTomorrow (11/17) is the last day to pre-order copies of Weaving With Paper and get guaranteed delivery by the holidays. Click here to place your order.I will tally all of the orders tomorrow, place an order with the publisher, and order packing supplies. Once the books arrive, I will pack and ship, aiming to get them to you on or around Publication Day (12/16)You can still order copies, and I will try to get them to you in a timely fashion. The pricing for the paper kit + weaving tool will change slightly after tomorrow.The book is also available where fine books are sold (support your local independent bookstore)!Join me on Zoom for a Publication Day Party on 12/16.

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Work With HelenMy 2026 Papermaking Master Classes will take place June 1-5 and September 14-18 in my Red Cliff Studio. Join us and learn all about the papermaking process in a small group of four.The 2026 Taos Paper Retreat theme is Capture the Light. Become enchanted with the light of Taos, New Mexico July 19-25, 2026 (sign up by 1/15/26). (8 spots left)We will be weaving with paper at the 2026 Red Cliff Paper Retreat. This retreat is in my Red Cliff, Colorado studio, August 17-21, 2026. (3 spots left)

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About our Sponsor: The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center (KBAC) is a nonprofit organization in Kalamazoo, MI, that practices, teaches, and promotes the collaborative arts of the book including hand papermaking, printmaking, letterpress printing, bookbinding, and creative writing.

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