Above: Colored handmade sheets of Abaca air drying
THE REIGN OF ABACA
Geographically, the Philippines are in the midst of incredibly talented neighbors who have pioneered the art of papermaking, using native flora to make some of the most beautiful and durable papers we use today. Unfortunately, paper did not become a significant factor in the Philippines prior to 1978. That date marks the joining of three artists, Michael Parsons, Leonida Dumsang and Virgilio Aviado, who gave genesis to papermaking on a small scale at first in the city of Baguio. Their work was in response to sustained demand for fine printmaking paper for the area's visual artists. Victoria Paper was one of the first companies to bring those papers to the United States, until the trio went their separate ways.
Luckily for me, once again, I was contacted by yet another very capable papermaker in the Philippines who originated in Italy. He has managed to produce some incredibly beautiful, classic, hip and strong papers using mostly Abaca (manila hemp)as the base. Abaca has been likened to banana fiber, but let me reiterate here it IS NOT the same. It is garnered from the stalk of the plant, and produces a long, blondish fiber. It is also not the same as cannabis, which is hemp used for smoking.
Though the topography of the Phillipines literally is gorged with over 300 different types of plants suitable for papermaking, we have seen and approved a few of them: suk-suka (aka salago), maguey, latbang, piña, cogon, cabo negro (remember that one?) and bamboo. On the right is a grouping of the most popular fibers from the Philippines.
A cluster of abaca fiber
Fibers of the Philippines
ABACA TISSUES
Tissues have long been used for conservation and repair of art objects. The most renown are those from Japan, who produce "Tengujo", or Tengucho, reputed to be the thinnest paper in the world. It is also quite strong, at about 9 gsm.
We are pleased to introduce the first tissues made of pure abaca. They are not as light as Tengujo, or perhaps Lens Tissue, and weigh approximately 12-13 gsm. They are handmade in white and a range of colors in size 19½" x 27". The fibers are very visible in each sheet, and they are as strong as they appear. We suggest a retail price of UD$1.95 per sheet.
For craft applications, these tissues are also quite suitable, and have been made "fun" by adding glitter to them. Thus, you have a choice of sparkling tissue or solid. Either way, the uses should not be limited: chine collé is a marvelous printmaking medium that allows for the fusing of two papers with the lighter one on top. The application of various mediums will harden the tissue and allow for sculpting and other interesting shapes.
ABACA TISSUES w/GLITTER
Abaca Tissue #1 Blue Medium
Abaca Tissue #2 Tangelo
Abaca Tissue #3 Lettuce
Abaca Tissue #4 Shrimp
Abaca Tissue #5 White
Abaca Tissue #6 Baby Green
Abaca Tissue # 7 Forest
Abaca Tissue #8 Peach
Abaca Tissue # 9 Very Pink
Abaca Tissue #10 Real Red
Abaca Tissue #11 Cherry Red
Abaca Tissue #12 Black
Cosmic White #1
Cosmic Lt Blue #3
Cosmic Salmon #4
Cosmic Pink #5
Cosmic Yellow #6
Cosmic Magenta #7
Cosmic Fuchsia #8
Cosmic Very Red #9
Cosmic Burgundy #10
Cosmic Lavender # 11
HANDMADE DECORATIVE PAPERS
No, there really is no end to the number of handmade decoratives in the world. As long as the artistic imagination roams, there will always be more. These papers were part of a collection of several hundred; these were chosen for their uniqueness, as well as the color combination.
There is something very chic and smart about the Concerto papers. The pairing of black and mocha is stunning, and can lead to some interesting designs for masculine stationery items, or classic and traditional themes. Nautilus reminds me of the incessant movement of the tides, in great, bold colors. Sizes are standard 20" x 17". All suggested retails are $3.95/sheet.
Concerto Waltz
Concerto Blocks
Concerto Bands
Concerto Rain
Nautilus Fire Red
Nautilus Wine
Nautilus Blue
Nautilus Purple
Nautilus Dark Green
Espresso Marble
HANDMADE MARBLEIZED PAPERS
Though fairly simple in design, these marbles owe their uniqueness to their weight. Very few marbleized papers are cover weight, but the ones shown here are. So, great covers can be created with these papers without support. If one were making a card with marble, a heavy paper would usually be needed to be adhered to support the lighter weight design. The pastel colors are especially nice as they could be incorporated into baby themed projects, or non-holiday events. Size is 20" x 27" with MSRP at $3.95/sheet.
Marble blue/gold
Marble Magenta/gold
Marble Coral/gold
Marble Lavender/gold
Marble Fuchsia/gold
Marble Black/gold
Marble Eggplant/gold
Marble Espresso/gold
Marble Light Blue/gold
Marble Hot Pink/Gold
Marble Peony/gold
Marble Pastel Tulip
Marble Garnet/gold
Marble Peach/gold
Marble Pastel Pink
Marble Plum/gold
Marble Buttercream Pastel
Marble Rose/gold
Marble Pastel Blue
Marble Wine/gold
Marble Ultramarine/gold
Marble Violet/gold
Marble Shrimp/gold
Marble Very Red/gold
Gold/Silver Drops with green and magenta
HANDMADE DROP DECORATIVE PAPERS
Not to be confused with the Indian Dew Drop papers, these handmades are sprinled with matte-colored drops and silver and gold glitter drops, and sometimes, incorporates all of the variations within one sheet. Again, the ones shown here are culled from a selection that was originally much larger. We wanted to be able to present darks, lights, and some in-between. Size is 20" x 27" and MSRP is $3.95/sheet.
Gold/Silver Drops Carmine
Black Chocolate Drops
Gold/Silver Drops Chocolate
Black Wine Drops
Gold/Silver Drops Hunter Green
Green Lime Drops
Gold/Silver Drops Goldenrod
Black Sundrops
Chocolate Sundrops
Gold Drops Indigo/Iris
Gold/Silver Drops Periwinkle
Gold Drops Grey Magenta
Gold/Silver Drops Wine
Gold/Silver Drops Indigo
Gold Drops Hunter/Lime
Gold Drops Green/Magenta
Gold Silver Drops Oatmeal
Gold Drops Mocha/Rose
Gold/Silver Drops Spinach
Silver Drops Indigo/Iris
Silver Drops Green Lime
Silver Drops Grey Magenta
Silver Drops Green Magenta
Silver Drops Mocha/Rose
All of the papers that are handmade and shown above can be ordered in a variety of sizes. For the sake of popularity, we are presenting them in 20" x 27" (oh that wonderful Italian size influence!!), but can special order in A4, and other sizes. The suggested retail on these papers is $3.95 per sheet, and they would be shipped to you directly from Manila. Our intention is to highlight the most beautiful ones we've received, and there are literally hundreds, and as we streamline them, continue to show new ones as we go along. The weights will vary between tissue, text and cover weights. All the grades shown above are approximately 150 gsm.
