Bank Holiday Weekend - C&G work part 3

YEY - finished off the coutry study book on Africa! Added all the dye samples, the photos taken while the dye work was going on and lots of notes !

Started to work on colour washing the sketch book for the Inuit country study. I plan to wash all the pages , then any I don't use are ready for another project. Used watered down acrylics in two shades of brown and a yellow. Then placed baking parchment between the pages. So thanks to all my friends who provided ideas and advice on this !

While the paper was drying , started to work on handmade paper samples. First up silk paper , although the lintings for the standard paper were soaking for most of the day. Silk paper is really felted silk which comes out very thin. Was amused that the whole key was soaping the threads captured in the net with paste mixture and rubbing ! Although the weather did not look too nice I started by hanging the silk paper in the kichen window, but then moved it to the washing line when the expected rain never turned up. Below is the finished piece. I keep thinking of tulips when I look at it ! Next - the lintings were finally soaked. and it was time to make paper. The paper plup I had made 6 sheets and I played with adding extra fibers either on the top OR added then to the water plup soup so that they were captured between the paper fibres.
By now the day was ending the weather was not looking good - so I transfer them drying sheets to the green house. Good thing too as its raining today... I did go now and check on them this morning but they are all still WET.... ?? Any ideas how long they should take to dry ? Now when it comes to samples for backgrounds for embroidery - what size do the samples have to be ?? I have been making A5 pieces, but wondered if they should be larger ... or smaller !?!?! OR does it matter at all ? Finally - found this little guy on the window of DH's shed.