Bunki, in thinking about your project, I'd also like to suggest two other
methods for creating decorative papers, in case you were looking for
alternatives, in addition to product solutions for the shaving cream
technique.
Paste Papers are fun and have an amazingly wide range of results depending
on the colors and manipulating tools and techniques used. There are lots of
"recipes" out there for paste for papers...it's been a loooong time since
I've done any, and even then, it was only in workshops. But I LOVED the
technique. And I could find more info on it quickly is you wanted me to--I
have several resources that include info on making paste papers.
Another technique is Suminagashi, the Japanese technique of marbleizing
paper. The modern day version of it employs sumi ink, photo-flo (a Kodak
product--not difficult to find, thank goodness), water, and rice paper. I've
had great fun with it, though I haven't taught it to a roomful of kids yet.
What grade do you do the project with?
I did teach the technique in a mini-workshop at a family gathering to my 1st
(at the time) daughter, my 4th-grade (at the time) niece, and my
just-turned-88-year-old grandmother. She actually passed away two weeks
later, and I loved the fact that she was learning and trying new things
right up to the end of her life. She created a gorgeous piece of paper. I am
honored to have it in my possesion.
A cool thing about Suminagashi is that it is mostly black-and-white (some
people use colors with it, but I do not), so it can be reproduced on a
copier pretty easily, though you do lose the beautiful nuances and finer
intracacies, not to mention the beautiful character of the rice paper.
Would you like me to try to e-mail you with some scans of Suminagashi
papers?
