How a Hobby Can Change Your Life

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Detail work is Joyce Roark’s passion. With art and design a major interest in college, she got involved in acrylic painting, working first in two dimensions, and then in three. In 1995, before going on an expedition to Antarctica, Joyce needed something small and lightweight to take along that would allow her to occupy her time when not exploring. She bought a starter kit for Pergamano (lace making) Parchment that she had seen advertised on television, and that little kit changed her artistic life forever. In this story, Joyce offers both a history of Parchment Art and another example of how a simple hobby can have life-changing implications and lead to an exciting career in crafts. - Editor

How the Discovery
of Pergamano Parchment Art Changed My Artistic Life

by Joyce Roark

IN ANTARCTICA WE HAD two days that allowed me to try this new art, and I was soon hooked on it. When I got home from the expedition I continued to work on the techniques, perfecting the basics before moving on to the advanced techniques. After years of work, I was given the opportunity to have my work examined by the president of the International Parchment Craft Academy (IPCA).

I was assigned ten specific projects to do. In December 2000, I received word that I had passed and been certified by the IPCA and was registered as an instructor in Pergamano Parchment Art. This was a tremendous honor since I was the first registered instructor in the United States that had been entirely self-taught. To stay current on the newest techniques developed for Pergamano parchment art, I began to attend classes given each year by the president of the IPCA for advanced training for registered instructors only.

During this period I was also hired as Event Coordinator at the Michaels Art and Craft store in San Luis Obispo, California where I taught many different crafts, including Pergamano parchment art–beginner through advanced. I wanted to keep my job at Michaels after my husband died, but because I took off work then, I was forced to leave. I then took on the job of chairman of the largest juried art show at the local art center. It was a statewide competition, and my committee and I worked for a year preparing for the opening. (I won’t go into details, but I now know why no one ever chairs this show more than once.)

Other Art/Craft Interests and Money-Makers

I still make and teach Pergamano parchment art, but I also have many other artistic interests and often teach classes about them. Years ago when I was in Japan, I purchased books on Temari (Japanese Thread Balls—see below). The books were in Japanese and I didn’t know Japanese, but I could decipher the diagrams. It was a challenge, but fun. I still do Temari and donate the pieces for auctions and other fund raisers. When asked, I teach classes on this art, and everyone is always amazed at the beautiful colors and many designs that can be created.

I also have advanced parchment certifications in markers and colored pencils. Living in wine country, I discovered a new outlet for my products. I began by designing a piece that I can customize for each winery. It is a picture of a glass of wine, grapes and a bottle of wine with the winery’s label on the bottle. The color of the wine, grapes and bottle match the wine on the label. With so many wineries I have a very large collection started and a lot more to make. I also like to make fans and special pieces for friends and family that match their décor. My lampshades and 3-D designs remain show stoppers.

Jewelrymaking is another craft that has proven profitable. I have had a registered trademark for 15 years for my originally designed jewelry. I design gold wire wrapped pieces. The stones I use for the center of each piece are handmade glass, hand-painted porcelain, or other unusual one-of-a- kind natural stones I found during our travels all over the world. I also use faceted stones for more formal pieces. Since I am the only one in this part of California doing this type of work, I have been asked to teach classes.

Before I started designing jewelry I would often purchase a piece of jewelry and then design an outfit to “show it off.” Now my ability to design my own clothes is helping me to save money. Sketching the designs is easy. Making the pattern is a challenge, but actually making the piece is fun.

Embroidery on paper is another of my interests, and it’s a wonderful way to make beautiful cards while watching TV. I use very special machine embroidery threads that are not available in stores to create the designs. This makes my cards unique and very popular. I also teach classes on this, but my students use the normal threads available and create beautiful designs.

In my spare time I paint my nutcracker music boxes. The nutcrackers are all one-of-a- kind and without the music box stand, 14 to 20 inches tall. I select the music to match the character of the nutcracker. As a decorative artist I am now teaching myself to paint animals. I have mastered birds but animals offer a new challenge.

The History of Parchment Art

In 1050 A.D. in the Chinese emperor’s court, an imperial guard, Ts’ai Lun, made the first paper from plant fibers. Paper made from plants was soon to replace parchment as a less costly and more accessible source of writing material in the East. Until the advent of papermaking during the twelfth century in Europe, man wrote on papyrus made from dried plant leaves, and later parchment.

Like many things born of necessity, parchment was invented in the Turkish city of Bergama (Pergamum in Latin) when people were forced to look for an alternative to papyrus as local wars prevented the importation of its raw materials. They found that specially prepared pig and antelope skins were the perfect solution to their papyrus shortage. This new material was named particaminum–from which we derive the word “parchment.”

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, parchment was gradually replaced by paper in Europe as papermaking became more widespread. The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1438 changed the industry forever. Parchment was then used for small devotional pictures. As demand for these pictures grew, parchment was replaced by paper.

Parchment art has reappeared and is now enjoying a huge popularity worldwide. Modern-day parchment paper is not made from skin, but is wood-based like any other type of paper. It is specially treated to give it its fine texture and appearance. It is unique since water will damage it but it is strong enough to be embossed and cut into lacy designs. The lace-making parchment art that I do comes from South America and is called Pergamano. There are other types of parchment art, but Pergamano is the only one that looks like lace.

Editor’s note: Joyce welcomes e-mail from other artists interested or involved in this type of artwork. Contact her at rockhopper_penguin [at] yahoo (dot com).

FOR MORE INFORMATION . . .

Pergamano Parchment Craft
by Martha Ospina. The author of several best-selling titles on the subject, she was originally responsible for bringing the craft to Europe from her native South America. This book includes step-by-step instructions for a wide range of products.

Parchment Craft
by Janet Wilson. Parchment craft is the art of piercing and embossing translucent parchment paper to create delicate, lace-like designs. This book includes 22 projects with full-size patterns.

Japanese Temari–A Colorful Spin on an Ancient Craft, by Barbara B. Suess.

For centuries, temari balls have been decorative additions to the Japanese household, and this introduction for the beginning temari-stitcher features straightforward directions and detailed sketches for recreating their bright colors and intricate designs.

Temari: How to Make Japanese Thread Balls, by Diana Vandervoort (see below). This Number one bestselling Temari beginner instruction book reveals Japan’s superb tradition of stitchery on a ball. Inexpensive, easy-to-find materials produce exquisite patterns.

Embroidery on Paper by Cynthia Rapson. Step-by-step instructions for embroidering on paper with pricking, stitching, and embossing techniques. How to craft a variety of cards and albums.

New Designs, New Projects for Embroidery on Paper, by Erica Fortgens. Combining the latest techniques with new materials, the author shows how to create stylish and elegant cards featuring sewn flowers, animals, mandalas, geometric shapes and more.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

The North American source for Pergamano products is Ecstasycrafts.com

International Parchment Craft Academy (IPCA) and how to turn your hobby into a career as a registered Pergamano teacher.

The Art of Japanese Thread Balls. Author Diana Vandervoort’s blog.