Background:
- My name is Elishewa Shalom.
- I became passionate about hemp after discovering the book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes", by Jack Herrer when I was in high school.
- In 2005, I was taking many nature photographs and upon the positive reactions to family and friends, began making photo greeting cards and selling the cards locally.
- I switched to using hemp paper for the cards, merging my passions for hemp and business - seeing the company as a vehicle for activism to promote environmental change.
- In 2012, out of frustration due to extremely limited sources of hemp paper available amidst an abundance of information on its benefits, I began renting studio time and instruction at a local art studio to learn about hemp paper making.
- Guest lecturer on Hemp Paper at Oregon State University College of Forestry WSE 266 Industrial Hemp course.
What We Need & What You Get:
Here is what the money will go towards:
- Supplies - Hemp Fibers, paper making materials such as felts, molds/ deckles.
- Studio Time - about 140 hours!
- Goal is to experiment with 5 different hemp fiber types: Hemp hurds, chopped fibers, degummed fibers, whole fresh stalk, clothing scraps (hemp/organic cotton blend) The beater at the studio has a 2 lb minimum, and pulping takes about 8 hours, including prep and cleanup. The next step is sheet forming, which can take up to 20 hours to finish a batch of pulp, depending on thickness and size of paper. That's 140 hours! I am happy to do this work to help the hemp paper industry move forward.
- Greeting Cards printing, including new designs.
- I will take scrupulous notes and write a book all about hemp paper making.
- Natureflections greeting cards feature nature's healing beauty. They are blank inside and can be used for any occasion. They are wonderful to send to family and friends for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, valentine's Mothers Day, Father's Day and every day, or to frame and hang on a wall or prop on an altar. The healing colors and vibrations of nature is a great way to lift anyone's spirits. The images are inspirational and a reminder that life is beautiful. Original limited edition print will feature a surprise image related to cannabis and will be printed with a hand-press, a beautiful old-school technique.
- If I don't reach my entire goal, I will use the funds only for certain hemp fibers and use studio time for only a few types of fiber- first, hemp hurds, second, chopped fibers, and then textile scraps. and not invest in new molds/deckles, felts, or card printing and use cards that are already in stock to fulfill orders. (New molds and deckles will help make higher quality paper and various sizes and shapes.)
- If over $10k is raised, I will make even more hemp paper! The goal is to do this full time. If more than $50k is raised, I will begin building a hemp paper making studio. Right now, I rent and have to work around studio hours, classes, and other renters. I would love to work all day and night. Also, the beater and equipment is shared and used for various fibers- many other artists use dyes and fixers too, which sometimes rub off on my paper, making it difficult to produce purely natural paper. I also intend to experiment with natural plant dyes to make colored paper. Also will invest in automatic production by procuring or building a fourdrinier type belt style machine to be able to produce larger quantities of paper that are of consistent quality.
- The Impact
As America prepares for the reincarnation of its hemp industry, we need to setup hemp fiber processing facilities. I believe that researching and working with hemp on a small scale will prove invaluable when it is time to establish large scale hemp paper production.
- Hemp is much better for the environment than tree paper - Hemp cleans the air, earth, and water as it grows. It can be recycled 7-8 times and is archival!
- Hemp does not require toxic chemicals for pulping, unlike timber which uses dioxins to remove lignins for pulping (which is a reason why the paper industry is one of the largest causes of water pollution on the planet.)
- Hemp can be grown for seed and the stalk made into paper - a very efficient way to utilize precious farmland. Hemp also does not require much water and can grow very easily.
- There are so many reasons to support hemp!
- We are all connected - All One! Let's work together to heal the planet and create a sustainable new Earth for future generations.
Other Ways You Can Help
- Like and share on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google + and More!
- Get the word out however you can.
Love and Gratitude!