Link: http://www.lcipaper.com/specialty/cottonhandmade.shtml
What's not to love about the look of deckled edge with its feathery, soft charm, evoking the feel of Old World dedication to handiwork? Old World it is, for this slightly uneven, natural outer edge of a paper sheet originated from the days when making paper by hand—sheet by sheet—was the only option. The deckled edge occurred naturally from run-off of the wet pulp within the mould and deckle. The deckle was the frame used in the paper making process to form the pulp into sheets of a desired size. Fortunately, today artists, scrapbook makers, photographers and others involved in paper crafts and fine arts have plenty of convenient options to easily capture the beauty and feeling of the deckled edge in their work.
An excellent example of paper with deckled edges is the Arpa 100% Cotton Handmade Paper. An artisan in a small town in Spain expertly produces these beautiful handmade sheets. The handmade papers, a work of art in themselves, provide an excellent surface for traditional media such as graphite, pastel, or watercolor. It is unusual to find large sheets of paper for drawing or painting in such a variety of hues—colors such as bordeaux, chocolate, or navy to pale pinks and greens. Artwork produced on this paper can be framed with the handmade paper secured on top of a piece of mat board, allowing the deckled edge of the paper to show, adding further character to the final artwork. An example of beautiful etching and book making utilizing this deckle edged paper is at www.maureenbooth.com</a>.
When using this handmade paper for invitations or other paper craft projects, the deckled effect found at the edges can be created on smaller sections of the paper by tearing them instead of cutting them out with a blade. The degree of feathery effect achieved depends upon the tool used. Tearing the paper against a metal rubber-backed ruler will give a minimal soft edge. The Art Deckle, a special, rough-edged ruler designed just for the purpose of creating deckled edges will give you a more pronounced effect. A similar deckled edge-making implement is the Dual Edge Ripper—its advantage being that it offers two sides for tearing paper—each with different degrees of rough, random edge. Also the Dual Edge Ripper is made of transparent Plexiglas—a helpful feature because your paper is always in clear view when using this tool. These specialty rulers work beautifully not only with handmade papers, but other interesting textured papers, such as Parchments or Tairei Japanese Papers, evoke Old World beauty, and are lovely with the deckled effect created with these rulers. Now even photographers can capture this handmade effect on photographic paper using the Art Deckle or Dual Edge Ripper.
Using these deckled edge-making tools is a breeze and simply requires you to place the paper down on a flat surface, position the deckle ruler ½ inch from the edge of your paper and with a forceful motion, tear your paper against the ruler. There is also the damp edge technique—with a natural sponge or paintbrush, dampen the edge of the paper then tear. The water softens the paper and makes it easier to tear. A little experimentation may be necessary to achieve the particular deckled edge effect you want.
Tags: Deckled Edge, Handmade Paper
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