CARDBOARD HEAVEN by Nina Lindgren

Not that there weren’t enough interesting things out there to discover, fall in love with and to write about, like the CARBOARD HEAVEN by Nina Lindgren pictured above. As you can see it’s not only possible to build furniture out of cardboard as discussed earlier but also heaven…

Made by PaperPhine: Twisting Paper Yarn Necklace – to be seen next week at the KABINE

But currently everybody at PaperPhine is preparing a little presentation at the KABINE in Vienna (Austria) that will start next Tuesday. It’ll be a great opportunity to see PaperPhine’s Paper Yarn Jewelry as well as paper art and paper goodies by Regina Wiklicky, Carin Fürst, PAPIERPIRATEN, TÄT-TAT and Katharina Weissensteiner.

And in case you intend to visit Vienna before Christmas this year we recommend the KABINE not only for our own little “contribution” but also for general Christmas gift shopping and a carefully chosen and mainly locally made selection of designer goodies. Oh, and the breakfast around the corner at Karmelitermarkt is really great, too!

KABINE, Karmelitergasse 6, 1020 Vienna
Tuesday – Friday 11.00-18.00, Saturday 10.00-13.00
Opening of “PAPER” on Tuesday, October 19, 2010: 16.00-21.00

Vintage Bobbins used as candle holders with flair and history

I have been talking about it for a while – and thanks to autumn mist there was a great opportunity to finally make a picture or two: Vintage Bobbins used as Candle Holders with some flair and history. (In case you are my decoration-opposed boyfriend: well, this might have happened on you kitchen table… but it’s just really a nice table for a photoshoot!).

Jill from paperdollaccessories has found a wonderful combination in her photography featuring her fabulous Rosetta Hair Clips and a Paper Twine Bobbin in the background.

And I’ve been talking about the use of bobbins as props in photoshoots, too – and not only the vintage ones! Jill from paperdollaccessories has been using one of PaperPhine’s Bobbins with Stong Natural Paper Twine in her products photos lately and I really love the look she has created! A bit romantic, a bit girly, unusual and very stylish in a laid-back manner. Thanks, Jill!

Seeing the Blues in my studio and also in my etsy store with this selection of Paper Twines in Blues.

Seeing some blue sky was more of a problem lately so I guess it can’t be denied anymore that summer is probably over for this year. On the other hand autumn can be very beautiful, too (and I’m a big fan of white winter anyway). But at least the weather keept me indoor in my studio to work even more – and the studio turned a bit blue…

New Superthick Paper Twine in Blue and in Blue-Gray as well as in White.



Superthick Paper Twine in Blue (thick enough to qualify as Paper Rush but a bit softer then real Paper Rush) as well as in Blue-Gray are available from now on. Perfect to add a little something to your gift wrappings or paper projects. And if you can’t decide what Blue is the perfect one there is also the selection of “The Blues” of Paper Twine.

Made by PaperPhine: Paper Yarn Ring in Blue-Gray with silvery Dots

And what to do with all these wonderful yarns… well, putting together your own very personal piece of jewelry like PaperPhine’s Spiky Ring in Pigeon Gray with Silvery Dots is one option – and there are many more, no questions about that!

Grethe Wittrock: Heart Blood, 2003. Walhanging, dyed paper-yarn in 6 red colours/some lacquered, knotted on steelplate, 140 x 120 cm.

A very inspiring textile artist who has been working with paper yarns among other materials for years is Grethe Wittrock. I think her work shows the strength of the material especially in her wallhangings where single pieces of yarn that are fragile by themselves are combined to form bold statements.





Grethe Wittrock: Amulett I, 2007. Walhanging.

After an initial training as a weaver Grethe Wittrock travelled to Japan where she became fascinated by the Japanese paper tradition. She not only learned Japanese printing and paper making techniques but she also met a paper yarn spinner in Kyoto and took back a whole load of paper yarns to Denmark – I think this could be called fate.

Grete Wittrock and Ann Schmidt-Christensen: Kimono, 1993, Collection 1. The First Collection by Project Papermoon. Japanese paper-yarn handwoven in pique technique and point stitched. Kimono is a unique masterpiece from The Project Papermoon

Grete Wittrock and Ann Schmidt-Christensen: Jeune Couture Collection 1999. The Horse, 1999. Jeune Couture Collection by Project Papermoon. Japanese glass-paper-yarn handwoven in form and geometrically cut. Silkscreen printed.

1993 Grethe Wittwock and fashion designer Ann Schmidt-Christensen started The Project Papermoon resulting in fascinating pieces of clothing that shift between functional and purely aestectic objects. The pleating and folding of these garments bring to mind the creations of the Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake whom Grethe Wittrock also names as an artist who has influenced her work.

Grethe Wittrock: Lime Grass and Nordic Wind, 2007. Walhanging.

To learn about more about Grethe Wittrock I recommend to not only visit her website but to also read the interview with her that for some reason is called “Embroidery Article“.

Paper Yarns in different Whites – 3 x 11 yards now available in the PaperPhine store.

Thinking about the White Sides Of Life… and that White always is a great color no matter in what environment making things and the general outlook brighter. On the other hand there is the challenge that White is not necessarily White and that there is an uncountable number of different white shades the human eye can tell apart. And of course it doesn’t get easier by the fact that White is hugely influenced by the colors surrounding it just like gray is…

Finest Paper Yarns in different Whites – 3 x 11 yards now available in the PaperPhine store.

Anyway, I put together these two selections of White Paper Yarns (or Paper Twine) today – White Shades and White Shades in Finest Yarns to brighten up studios and homes.


And of course there is one exception to the rule – Dark Selection for chocolate, please, even though I would not say that my boyfriend’s white chocolate was very safe if it’s the only sugary treat left in the appartment!

PaperPhine’s Delicate Paper Yarn Bracelet/Necklace that is also show at the Formland

PaperPhine is presented at current the Formland trade fair in Herning (Denmark), 20. – 23. August 2010. At D3216 you’ll be greeted by my great Danish Helle who is behind Stjernestunder and she’ll tell you all about my Paper Yarn Jewelry and a lot more. So in case you’re going to visit the Formland please stop by and have a little chat!

PaperPhine’s Strong Natural Paper Yarn on a Vintage Bobbin – available online

The first technology to industrially produce paper yarns were developed in the late 19th century in Germany. Even though the processes have been refined over the time the initial technology is still in use today.

Cellulose fibres under the microsope. This is the raw material for a lot of paper yarns even though the fibres are not always as finely dissolved and “separated” as shown on this picture.

The paper used for making yarns (so-called spinning papers or Spinnpapiere) has to have long fibres therefore sulphate-papers (Sulfatpapiere) were mostly used. In those papers the cellulose fibres are not completly dissolved therefore the paper is stronger. The thickness of spinning papers can vary – the thinnest are like tissue paper, the thicker ones like thin printing paper. The thickness of the paper together with the breadth of the paper strips later determines the thickness of the paper yarn.

In the early 20th century there were still quite a few companies suppling the paper yarn industry with the necessary machines. This advert is for a German Paper-Strip-Cutter patented by Ferd. Emil Jagenberg.

In the early times of paper yarn production it was common that fine strips of paper were made with the help of special devices on the paper machine instead of cutting the paper later on. Up to about 1910 this kind of paper yarns were widely used and sought-after as an important subsitute for other yarns. Then the other variety – paper yarns spun out of dry-cut paper strips – became popular before disappearing into nearly complete oblivion in the 1950s.

During the years of the second World War it was also common to combine the paper with other materials. For these yarns (Textilosegarne) that were a necessity due to the lack of proper and sufficient raw materials, a fine layer of linen-, cotton- or flaxfibres was glued onto the paper before it was cut and spun. To my knowledge these yarns aren’t produced anywhere anymore.

PaperPhine’s Selection of Colored Paper Yarns in Reds and Yellow – available since today!

Today there are only very few paper yarn spinneries left in Europe that spin paper yarns out of rolls of papers coming from the big paper factories. Thicker yarns are then partially delivered to the dyeing mills where they are labouriously dyed. The thinnest yarns stay in the original color that is either white or a natural-brown.

The promised Short History of Handmade Shifu is not forgotten, only postponed a little. Also a description of the cutting- and spinning-process of industrial paper yarns is in work (too many interesting facts to collect and too little time, sorry). This is just a short summary of the whole history and development of industrial paper yarns. Due to its importance at certain times there are quite a few processes that were used etc. so the whole history is quite complex.

Most of my reference material is in German, therefore you find some German technical expressions in the text. If you have or know of reference materials in English or French I would be really grateful if you could get in touch with me, thanks!