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Monday 30 June 2014


We love ART!

A massive ‘thank you’ to all the creative artists that have allowed us to share their work on our social media pages! We are continually searching for interesting ways in which our papers are being used. We have had such pleasure seeing a wide variety of content and styles so far!


'Night in Varanasi' by Ramesh Jhawar
Watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper
http://rameshjhawar.com/

If you would like to share your work with us, we would be more than happy to post it on our social media pages. Please send copies of your work (jpg format), a brief description and your web/facebook details to us, either via facebook or email to klintern@stcuthbertsmill.com

Many thanks again guys…..and keep sharing!



Thursday 26 June 2014





Traditional Papermakers





Mould-Made Paper

The earliest papers were hand-made by dipping a rigid wooden frame with a fine wire mesh into a vat of ground up cellulose (cotton or wood) fibres and water. The fibres in the resulting sheet would be arranged in a random fashion. This would mean there were no significant differences in properties of the sheet, in the long or short direction, and the sheet would be very strong and stable.


Cotton Pulp

At St Cuthberts Mill our cylinder mould machine is one of only six producing artists paper, and the second widest in the world. It replicates the hand-made process but in a continuous operation. The resultant sheet has only slight differences between the long and short direction. This means exceptional sheet stability.

We have a cylinder around which there are 3-joined wire mesh frames. These lift the fibres from the vat to form a sheet that is joined to the next sheet and therefore continues down the machine. This strip of paper then passes through natural woolen felts that both add surface texture and remove water from the sheet.

St Cuthberts Mill Mould Machine - making paper

The paper passes through a number of cylinders full of steam that dry the sheet. This dry paper then passes through a bath where any surface sizing (e.g. Gelatine) can be added. If it is going to be a smooth paper it will pass through the calenders (hot press) after final drying. The paper then proceeds to the reel up where it rolls up on a cardboard core.

Deckle Edges

In the case of four deckled edged sheets this reel of paper is then split and inspected by hand, in a department called the 'Salle'. We have photos dating from the Edwardian era that show very little has changed!

Mould-made paper machines produce paper very slowly and that is why it is often more expensive, but it is a far superior product. Machine-made or Fourdrinier machines produce larger quantities of cheaper paper at high speed using lower quality pulp, which show marked differences in properties between the long and short direction of the sheet. 

You can see our paper being made at www.stcuthbertsmill.com or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK1L8jLkRKc











Monday 23 June 2014

Bockingford Giveaway Winners

The winners of our recent facebook giveaway are: 

Ken Stockley
Ellie Jordan
Hazel Colburn
Samantha Friston
Gill Webster

Huge Congratulations guys! Your prize will be with you shortly!

Tuesday 17 June 2014


GIVEAWAY TIME FOLKS!


We are giving away 5 of these tasty Bockingford Rough spirals!




All you have to do to enter is email: competitions@stcuthbertsmill.com stating ‘Competition’ in the header. Please make sure to include your full name and address. 

The 5 lucky winners of this competition will each receive one of the following: Bockingford White Rough spiral (12 sheets), 300gsm(140lb), 260mm x 180mm (10’’ x7’’). (RRP £7.32)

Deadline to enter: Friday 20th June, 2014 at 12 midday.
The winners will be contacted via email after this date.

You are providing your information to St Cuthberts Mill Ltd.

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Patchings Art Festival 2014 
5-8th June

The marquee's are all up and we are ready for lift off! Exciting times as we prepare for the amazing artists Jean Haines, David Bellamy and Hazel Soan to work their magic! These incredible artists will be demonstrating in the St Cuthberts Mill marquee!

Don't forget to check in and follow all the action on our facebook, twitter and google+ pages!

Patchings Art Festival site - Getting ready!

Click on the link for more festival info!