An interview with Surf Bunny, the ultimate recycler

Today we have a very special guest. Seems Surf Bunny from Surf Bunny Designs has graced us with his presence. Although I'm having a bit of formatting problems with today's post, I hope you will be able to read and enjoy this post. When you are committed to recycling everything under the sun, it's a lot of fun to find someone like minded. This is a guy bunny after my own heart. Without further ado, I give you an ultimate recycler, Surf Bunny.

E: So Surf Bunny, it looks like your blog is quite eco-friendly.  Tell us
a bit about yourself and your art interests.

SB: We are eco-friendly, what bunch of rabbits isn't?  Actually, the
creations here are the combined works of my partner Phred and myself.
We take on the alter-egos of the warren to bring a touch of whimsy and
the serendipity of our works to our fans and customers.

E: I see you make some of your paper using plant material.  Do you also
make paper from junk mail and similar paper?
SB: Yes, we do use junk mail and office papers for some projects. The 
problems of the inks, the dyes and the additives (bleach, aluminum salts,
etc.) make this not our favorite choice. Most of our handmade papers are
designed for use in art projects that should have the potential to
survive for decades or more, so we are careful to make acid free,
lignin free papers that won't substantially change color or texture.
We don't make thin copy machine type papers. 

Above photo courtesy of Surf Bunny Designs.

E: Do you have any paper making tips?    

SB: Be prepared for water!  LOL!!!!  Paper making is probably one of the 
wettest activities you can get invloved in this side of Olympic Swimming.
You need to plan on water in every stage so you don't ruin the carpet
or the other things on the counter top.  For making a few sheets of
stationery sized paper you can get all the supplies you need inexpensively
at a dollar store and the hardware store.  Look for picture frames
of solid plastic or wood construction. Buy two and take out the glass,
matting etc.  Now you have your mould and your deckle.  Go to the
hardware store and ask for a scrap of window screen wire, either
plastic of aluminum, it just needs to be slightly bigger than one
of the picture frames.  Hot glue or use duct tape to stretch the
screen across one frame, this is the bottom layer (mould). The other
picture frame is hand squeezed against this when you dip into the
paper pulp and makes the deckle (deckled edge paper is kind of raggedy,
not precisely cut like commercial paper.  To create the pulp get scraps
from the paper shredder in your home or office.  Try to remove any big
plastic bits from where that credit card was shredded, but don't worry
too much about it.  Use a kitchen blender to further mash the shreds
add plenty of water and keep the lid on!). To pour paper, hold your mould
and deckle in the bottom of a plastic dish pan (don't use the sink,
you'll plug up the drain) pour the pulp in, swish it around a bit to
even it out and lift straight up to let the water drain back into the
dish pan.  Take the deckle off and turn the mould upside down against
a handiwipe.  The paper will release from the mould and transfer to the
handiwipe.  Use a sponge to press down and blot some of the water off the
sheet of paper - don't twist or you'll ruin the sheet.  It is possible to
dry the sheet in the microwave or a sunny window.  Be careful because you
can over microwave the sheet.  Do one minute increments and check it,
watch out the steam will be hot.  Use your paper to make some wonderful art!

E: Do you plan your artistic activities around recycled materials?

SB: We don't actually plan them that way, but often that is the outcome.  
Recycle materials are a treasure trove of idea making, creativity sparking
opportunities.  Some of the items just call out to be made and sometimes
we have the idea and then have to hunt around for the appropriate materials.


E: Can you tell my readers a bit about your Pantry Collection books?  They
seem to be a big hit wherever they show up.

SB: The Pantry Collection is an outgrowth of what our area does not recycle. 
The local recycling centers won't take the types of cardboard that contain
most of the products in our grocery stores.  Corrugated, yes.  Chipboard, no.
So, what to do with the amazing amount of waste?  Well book boards came
immediately to mind.  Of course this type of paper is not acid free and
will fox with time, so the best use seemed to be in brightly colored
Yeah Madison Avenue), whimsical note books.  We do believe in traditional
book structures, so you won't find us using plastic binding clips.
All the Pantry Collection are bound with ancient styles of Oriental or
Coptic or European stitchings. 

From The Pantry Collection.  Courtesy of Surf Bunny Designs.

E: I see you bind all your Pantry Collection books.  What is your favorite
binding technique and what type of binding material do you use?

SB: We do believe in traditional book structures, so you won't find us using 
plastic binding clips.  All the Pantry Collection are bound with ancient styles
of Oriental, Coptic, or European stitchings. The exposed spine bindings are
beautiful in a way that no plastic ring or perfect-bound paperback will
ever challenge. It's funny that the term perfect-bound which sounds so nice,
really means just slathering glue on the spine of the pages and sticking
them against what ever the book cover is.  Cheap, fast, perfect for the
modern throwaway world.  Our Coptics and Stab bindings use natural cotton
or linen thread, beeswax and good old needles.  We do bleed for our art. 

Traditional bookbinding techniques courtesy of Surf Bunny Designs.

E: Love those digital journals.  Care to tell us a bit about them?

SB: The unbelievable changes in the digital world leave such amounts
of waste. Remember getting the cd from that internet company like
once a month?  How about the great digital cameras that wrote one
picture to the 3.5 inch diskette?  Now all that technology is
obsolete and heading to landfills where the petrochemical
plastics will never breakdown into petroleum again. Our Digital
Journals are an attempt to utilize some of that waste in a
geek friendly, earth friendly way.  They are a lot of fun to
design too, the clasps and closures are unique on every one.

Digital Journal courtesy of Surf Bunny Designs.

E: What is your favorite material to recycle?

SB: We actually recycle a lot of glass. In our other life we are glass 
artists and there is always something about shiny glass...... 


E: Is there anything I haven't covered that you want to discuss?
SB: You've covered it all, just encourage everyone to be creative,
be excited and be friendly to their neighborhood rabbits.


Thanks Surf Bunny for agreeing to this interview.  It's been fun
talking with you.  Now I know that you are dying to visit
Surf Bunny Designs and see such things as their Palm Leaf
Structure book among other amazing pieces.  You are simply
going to love the art that comes out of that Bunny's blog.
You know you want to go, so please don't hesitate.  After all,
today's blog is Surf Bunny Designs and YES, it's a male bunny
to boot!