Foraged Fiber Paper Swap

Foraged Fiber Paper Swap 2025

This project is sponsored by Donna Lilborn, of WhiteLeaf Paper. You are registered, so please fill out this information to accompany your submission. Registration is now closed to new participants.
This is a special interest, foraged plant fiber swatch swap, for intermediate and expert hand papermakers. Sheets must be made of 100% plant material you collected yourself, preferably near your studio, but on your travels is also ok. Naturally, if plant collecting is something you are not physically able to do, then use material someone collected on your behalf. More than one person can collaborate on a submission, receiving one return package.

There are 38 total participants registered.
- You have signed up to make 5 sheets of the same paper. Sheet Size: American letter (8.5 x 11") or European A4 (210 x 297 mm.).
- From your 5 sheets of paper, cut 40 SWATCHES. (8 swatches per sheet in the orientation shown below)
- Mail all 40 swatches, with your name on the back of each, to: Donna Lilborn, Whiteleaf Paper, 139 Federal Street, Florence, Massachusetts, 01062 USA. to arrive by August 15, 2025.
- Pay the fee of $15 US , through THIS LINK. (Participants outside of the US may be billed for additional return postage, see below.)
- Each participant gets mailed an entire collection of swatches submitted and everyone's accompanying information submitted below (as a digital document).
- Swatch Packets will be mailed out by September 15, 2025.
- One of the participants asked how she could contribute extra funds to this effort, and she supposes that others might like to do that also. If you do want to make an additional contribution, just purchase more than one registration through the link provided. Each additional registration you purchase will then become a contribution of $15, with my thanks.
REQUIREMENTS:
- If you are not in the USA, you may send swatches cut from sheets closest to the American or European sizes that you normally make. Since the swatches will not be mounted in a book, you do not have to stress over the dimensions, if you are close.
- Write, preferably in printing, your full name on the back of each swatch. I will not do that for you, and I will not include or return swatches that are not labeled or illegibly labeled, nor sheets that are not cut. Please give your name written in the English alphabet, even if that is not your native alphabet.
- Fees: For all submissions: $15. Payment is non refundable, even if your submission ends up not being included (because it is late, or does not meet these requirements). If you are not in the USA, I will establish the price for return shipping to you, subtract 5 dollars and bill you for any postage balance. So, that means submissions from other than the USA may end up paying more than $15 total.
- Submissions not meeting requirements will not be returned.
- You may color or otherwise mark your paper to your liking, but please do not use religious or political symbols or text. Please make the 5 sheets to be substantially the same. That is, they should all have a single description, and consist of the same fiber or mix of fibers.
- Please do not send swatches made, or partially made, of commercially acquired pulp, fibers or linters, or recycled paper or beaten rags. Even if you collected paper or textiles as trash. The only exception to this is if you use pulp recycled from your own foraged paper.
- To Comply With the Law: Do not send paper with seeds or soil included. Do not send paper whose pulp has not been boiled in alkaline solution. Do not send paper with insects, insect cocoons or the like. Basically, do not send paper that could cause plant diseases or infestations when distributed.
- Do not send paper with glitter
- Please do not send special requests, inquiries about rules, etc. I'm sure you can use common sense to answer for yourself any questions that arise.I will hold everyone to the deadlines. These kinds of swaps can otherwise generate hundreds of emails, and to be honest, I just don't have the bandwidth to do that much emailing.
The information you provide below will be collated and supplied to everyone who participates in the swap, and will accompany any leftover swap collections to wherever they end up.
Your Name *

First NameLast Name
E-mail *
names of other collaborators for this submission, if any
Do you want your email shared with the other participants?*

YesNo
Organization, such as studio, University, etc.
What is the main plant your paper is made of?*
any other plant your paper is made of?
another plant your paper is made of
another plant your paper is made of
another plant your paper is made of
another plant your paper is made of
Tell us about the paper: In what season did you collect the plants, and where? How was the pulp prepared, and how was the paper made?*

0/1500
your social media addresses. These will be shared with all participants
The information you supply below will not be shared with the other participants
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
How did you learn about this project?*
May Whiteleaf Paper save or share your email?*

yesno
If you have not already paid, please Pay Your Fee Here
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Foraged Fiber Paper Swap 2025

The information you provide below will be collated and supplied to everyone who participates in the swap, and will accompany any leftover swap collections to wherever they end up.