Memorialize gift with creative paper project

Dear Sandi: My girlfriend just came back from a two-week trip to Italy, and she brought me back some beautiful marbleized papers. I love paper and want to use these in some project. Please give me some ideas. —Jenny P., Dallas

Hi Jenny: With paper, so much depends on your own personal tastes and what type of projects you like to do.

Whether you're looking for handmade paper, furniture, fabric or accessories, you will find it at loose ends. If it is unusual, organic and fabulous, then loose ends is the place. Showroom hours are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays and the first Saturday of each month 10 am - 3pm at 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, or visit us online at www.looseends.com Questions? Give us a call at (503) 390-2348.

Marbleized papers make incredibly beautiful handmade cards. I know a number of artists who work with these papers, creating small works of art consisting of layered papers. If you enjoy card making, look for other handmade papers that pick up and complement the swirling hues in your Italian papers.

Collage and montage work is another option. Similar to card making, the larger format can allow you to work with far more papers, multiple layers and added accouterments.

Color and texture in other papers can be used to pull out and accent specific designs in the marbleized paper, bringing added drama to the piece. And, of course, if you create something you love, it can hang on your wall.

Old prints (even pages taken from a book) that have a classical theme would be wonderful matted with the paper, as would an aged piece of sheet music.

And, of course, you can cover something with the paper.

We have some ugly cabinet doors in one of our offices, and for some time, I have been playing with the idea of covering the door and drawer fronts with marbleized paper, then painting

the trim in two of the most prominent shades in the paper designs.

On a smaller scale, any type of picture frame could be magnificent covered in these papers. You might even want to add a bit of gold gilding for an opulent finishing effect. Instead of artwork, put a mirror in the frame so nothing competes visually with the paper.

My personal favorite would be to cover some type of large container with the papers. I would try to find a somewhat classical shape so that the papers complement the style of the container.

Sandi Reinke is an author, frequent television guest and lead designer for loose ends (www.loosends.com), a Salem-based interior décor, garden, and casual lifestyle company. To ask Reinke a decorating question, e-mail art@looseends.com or mail her at the showroom address, 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, OR 97302. Phone: 503-390-2348.

Although you can use a variety of different types of adhesives for this, my preference probably is a water-based, premixed wallpaper paste. It is easy to use, dries clear and is easy to clean up. It also isn’t as sticky to work with as white glues.

Because curved surfaces are difficult to cover with large pieces, tear your paper into small, workable-sized bits. You want the paper to lay flat, without wrinkles.

Start at the top edge, and be sure to allow enough paper to tuck around the lip and extend a short way into the interior. Apply a liberal amount of wallpaper paste to the back of a paper piece, and place the piece of paper on the vase surface.

If the paper is a bit stiff, allow it to sit a few moments after applying the paste. This should make it soft enough to manipulate. If you have an area that is so curved that the paper wants to wrinkle or fold, tear the piece about halfway through, fit one side onto the curve, then overlap and smooth down the other half.

Continue, allowing the edges of each piece to slightly overlap. When you get near the bottom of the piece, elevate it by setting it on a stable surface that has a narrower diameter than your vase bottom (an overturned flowerpot works well). Leave it on this pedestal until it is thoroughly dry.

When dry, apply a few coats of sealer. Marbleized paper is one of the few papers that I prefer a high-gloss finish on. Apply at least three coats.

Once it’s finished, embellish it with whatever you might have that works with your piece. Go through old jewelry drawers, the sewing cabinet and, of course, your craft supplies.
May 27, 2005