A Flax Commonplace (2022)

This commonplace is a celebration of that miracle fiber Linum usitatissimum, or flax.

Following in the tradition of commonplace books, this lively book was made with my handmade raw flax and hemp papers, Awagami kozo washi, and Nepalese lokta papers. The tiny flax papers were colored with earth ochres and indigo, and the story was inkjet printed on kozo. Lokta kami-ito (paper thread) was prepared, hand spun, then stitched by me, which changes the ‘hand’ of those papers. The pamphlet binding was sewn with a fine linen bookbinding thread.

The edition took about 50 years to fully assemble, and it concludes with the fibers harvested from one stalk of vintage flax from the first plot of flax that I grew from fine Swedish seed in Star Lake, NY in 1981. The flax and hemp papers were all made by me, the kozo is from Japan, and the kami-ito was hand spun by me from Nepalese lokta paper. All of the small papers were pigmented with indigo or earth ochres, hand pulled by me in my old farmhouse kitchen.
* Edition of eight * March, 2022 * Velma Bolyard, wake robin, Canton NY *

November, a Map (2016)

One half sheet of Arches text wove (velin) cotton mould-made paper, eco/contact printed by Velma at Wake Robin. My's poem about November (a favorite month) was letterpress printed at Mark McMurray’s Caliban Press. It was then folded and torn down into a map or meander book. It is presented in a Strathmore paper case, die cut by Mark and hand stitched by Velma with linen thread. November, A Map was printed on an antique Washington Hoe Press by Mark with Velma's help. November, A Map, the printing journey, began in March 2016 and was completed at the autumnal equinox.

Poor (Wo)man's Asparagus

Poor (Wo)man's Asparagus is a tiny celebration about a big thing in my life as a papermaker, milkweed paper. It includes seven pages of narrative, and a sample of my first milkweed paper. That batch was gathered while I was skiing on thick snow pack in March on my meadow. The milkweed was stripped and cooked in my kitchen, and combined with tororo aoi that I grew here on my place. This little book was made in memory of my friend John Green who taught me about the North Country, took me hiking, and cooked up some milkweed for me to eat. Varied inks and covers, open edition.

A Little Book About Shifu
and Botanical Pressure Printing (2016)

I decided that it would be nifty to have a little instruction book that was also inspirational. In preparation for teaching in Australia in 2016 I wrote a text and sent it to Carol J Blinn at Warwick Press. She designed and printed a standard and a special edition which I took with me. I have reprinted it myself in a second, special edition which is now available. The book is covered in a printed sheet of Arches Text Wove (Velin), and includes several tipped in photographs. In the very center lives a tiny shifu square, made of lokta kami-ito, spun and woven on a stump loom.