Class taught by Annette W. on 11/18/05.

www.stonehousestamps.com and Stone House washi

Link to gallery:
http://orientalstampart.com/v-web/gallery/PaperWeaving102

#1

We'll be making a paper weaving to attach to the front of a greeting card. Choose the size greeting card you wish to make and sign the back of the card. I’ll be referring to an A2 card in the directions. It’s 4 ¼” wide and 5 ½” tall. The fold is on the left. Adjust the dimensions above to suit your card’s size.

Set the card aside.

#2

Choose contrasting or complementary-colored cardstock, washi, gift wrap or your favorite (favourite) paper and cut it about an inch larger than your card front.

Cut strips ¼” – ½” wide and an inch longer that your card is wide.

If you choose to weave ribbons or fibers or a combination of fibers, ribbon and papers, cut enough lengths to weave the loom.

Set your strips and ribbons with your signed card.

#3

Set out dye or pigment inks and bold images. Delicate images will work, but they won’t be as dominant.

#4

Pick one of your colors of cardstock to stamp and trim it ½” smaller than your greeting card front.

Example: an A2 card front is 4 ¼” x 5 ½”. The cardstock size you’ll cut is going to be 3 ¾” x 5”. When your cardstock is trimmed, it should leave a ¼” border showing on all four sides of you A2 card front.

I chose to scan a black center so you can see it clearly. However, you’re going to need to stamp the center cardstock, so black isn’t a good choice, unless you're using white ink.

#5

Stamp your image or images on the trimmed cardstock. Here’s an example.
Do not glue the center cardstock to the card yet.

This is the front of the weaving. We’ll refer to it as the loom.

#6

After you’ve stamped your images, turn over the cardstock so the front is face down and the back of the cardstock is visible.

This is the back. You can see that the dark ink bled through from the front. The little girls are face down on the table.

#7

Use a pencil and a ruler to draw lines as guides to cut the strips to finish your loom. Here is a template:

StartStop

Do not cut on the horizontal line.

Start by drawing a faint line with a pencil from left to right ¼” up from the bottom edge as shown. Don’t press too hard or the lines will be scored and visible on the front. I drew the template on white paper so you can see the lines. The vertical lines are ½ “ apart.

Draw them now, or check other templates below. You have other options for your verticals. Here are two other ideas.

Cut from the top down to the horizontal line and stop.

Once you’ve drawn your lines, cut from the top edge to the horizontal line and stop. Try to cut as close to the horizontal line as you can.

#8

Glue goes in this ¼” strip only.

Once your lines are cut, add a wee bit of glue along the very bottom of your loom in the ¼” border where you haven’t cut. Turn over the loom and glue it to your prepared card front.

Glue only this portion to your A2 card front.

#9

Begin weaving the precut strips of paper over-under-over and so on until the loom is woven completely. It should look like a chessboard. You’ll have leftover strips. Glue the last strip under the left and right edges. There’s no need to glue the other strips because they’re held in place by their neighboring strips. Trim off the excess strip ends. Glue the loom to the card front. Voilà! You’re finished.

Here are some scans of completed weavings with front and back views.

Here are the back and front of the curved-lines loom before the strips are trimmed.

These are the back and front of the straight-lined loom. The widths of the strips vary to add interest.

Zig zag back and front before the strips are trimmed. Again the strips are of varied widths.

You can also use pictures of people, landscapes or collaged materials as your loom. Here is a sample:

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