Supply notes · Layered
Rice Paper vs Tissue: The Tear Test
Six decorative papers torn by hand, by steel rule and by a wet brush line. Two of them tear in a straight line every time; the other four need water if you want a controlled edge.
Tape label
Paper stock
Every published spread, supply note and prompt filed under Paper stock.
6 published, newest first.
Supply notes · Layered
Supply notes · Layered
Glue Stick Showdown: Three Adhesives
A washable school stick, an acid-free archival stick and a repositionable stick, tested on five paper types over 72 hours for curl, bleed-through and whether the bond survives a humidity swing.
Supply notes · Layered
Tape Runner Adhesion Test
Four tape runners on six surfaces, pulled at 90 degrees with a luggage scale. The strongest runner is not the one that holds best — it is the one that fails at the highest load without tearing the paper.
Supply notes · Minimal
Kraft Cardstock GSM Guide
Weighing twelve sheets sold as kraft and finding that the nominal weight was wrong on five of them — by as much as 31%. What that means for hinges, pockets and page bulk.
Spreads · Layered
Vellum Overlay Spread
A sheet of 112 gsm vellum laid over a dense collage hides about 60% of it and reveals the rest as a soft shape — the cheapest way to make a busy page look considered.
Supply notes · Ephemera-led
Distress Ink vs Watercolour Wash
Both make paper look old. One sits on the surface and never moves again; the other soaks in and keeps moving for twenty minutes. Choosing the wrong one is how a spread ends up warped.
Also filed under: LayeringEphemeraAdhesivesColourConstraintsToolsInk & paintPockets