Paper Connection International - Itajime Handmade Paper Giveaway

 Congratulations to Kris Koch - giveaway winner!

Indigo shibori is very popular in the design world... perhaps you've seen the fabric dying technique featured on blogs recently. Another Japanese time-honored tradition uses folding and binding with clamps to create precise patterns. The method is called itajime (also orizome), which gives a beautiful effect when applied to sheets of handmade washi paper.

Lauren Sugita, - aka Paperwoman - the owner of Paper Connection International, a Rhode Island importer of specialty papers from countries around the world, is offering a giveaway of the vintage itajime sheets you see pictured above, valued at $100, along with a discount code to use for shop purchases. This line of itajime papers is only available through Paper Connection International.

They were made in classic rectangular itajime style: a large sheet is folded into a single rectangle and the corners are dipped in gorgeous, natural pigments. When unfolded and hung to dry, interesting patterns and beautiful shapes appear throughout the entire sheet. The results of shibori and itajime may even remind you of Rorshach test images.

Itajime paper is often used in collage, such as shading when "painting" with paper. Japanese chigiri-e is the art of torn paper collage, which can appear like a paper painting. Visit Paperwoman's blog to read more about chigiri-e.

Besides a variety of decorative papers in many textures, colors and patterns, you'll find all sorts of special paper packs, origami paper, brushes, journals, note cards and calendars at Paper Connection. The warehouse contains more than 3000 items!

Paper Connection employees are experts in all things paper and can readily answer your questions about handmade and machine made sheets. PCI is known for its personal and dependable customer service. The staff welcomes scheduled visits to the showroom and warehouse, whether an individual, group or class.

Paper Connection is always adding papers and products to the webshop so check back often. Browse via the Paper Connection catalog. To keep up with newly added items, follow Paperwoman @lauren.pearlman on Instagram and/or Paper Connection International on Facebook.

Now about the itajime giveaway! Paper Connection will be sending nine generously-sized handmade sheets (25 x 37 inches) of hand folded and dyed vintage washi collected via Paperwoman's many travels to one person with a U.S. mailing address.

To enter, comment on this post and/or follow the easy-entry steps on the Instagram giveaway photo. Note that Blogger does not allow me to see the email address you type into the form with your name, so you will also need to include an email address in your comment. Type it like this: janedoe at gmail dot com, if you are concerned about spam.

The giveaway will close at the end of Saturday, November 5. A winner will be chosen by a random number generator and announced at the top of this post and on the Instagram giveaway photo as soon as she or he has been contacted.

One more good thing! Paper Connection has set up a discount code for their webshop. It is 10% off; one time use only. Use code: PCI10. The discount applies to everything except swatchbooks and shipping/handling.