Birch Bark Press

when i was running last week, i found some birch trees in my neighborhood that had shed their bark.

i have this amazing and handy wood press that suze found for me at an estate sale. 

you can see that you can just layer in the birch bark, in between sheets of paper and cardboard, and then crank and turn the press down to hold it tight and secure.

i set the press aside for a week or so

and when i took out the birch bark pieces, they were dry and flat!

now i have a pile of flat dry birch bark for projects.

yeah!

i have been feeding some other dry birch bark i have into my typewriter (in the photo above)and typing little messages.  i tear these out and glue them, very carefully, to the birch branch "tree" i have in the shop.   it takes the place of a "carved" tree trunk and its fun to find the random messages all over it.

i also love using this flat bark paper to write notes on, love letters, and poetry.  watch out friends!  i have a whole pile of birch bark now!

what would you do with it?!

nursing my christmas cookie sugar coma,

xoxoxox

jennette

p.s. don't forget, the shop closes by 4pm on Sat. Dec. 24 and reopens Wed. Jan. 4 and noon!