Possum’s Paper Stash

09/17/2026

My gal Hildegard, she was a true polymath. I have done presentations on this amazing lady and they have been to both secular and church groups. Most everyone loves her. I’m happy to see a fluffy, pumpkin spice article on her as this my favorite season. Pumpkin spice and Hildegard, Possum is thrilled.

So many beloved drinks carry traces of Catholic connections. The cappuccino takes its name from the Capuchin friars; Trappist monks have brewed b**r in monasteries for centuries; and the Carthusian monks of France are famously associated with Chartreuse. It also seems that a female Doctor of the Church was making history with pumpkin-spice flavors centuries before they ever trended.

St. Hildegard of Bingen is a 12th-century Benedictine abbess, mystic, and later one of the 4 female Doctors of the Church. Born in 1098 in Germany, St. Hildegard entered religious life as a child and eventually led her own convent. She said she experienced vivid visions of God from an early age, and eventually began recording them in works such as Scivias. Her writings and preaching made her a remarkable public voice in a world where women rarely held that kind of influence.

But St. Hildegard was not only known for visions. She composed sacred music, wrote about the natural world and healing plants, advised popes and emperors by letter, and developed her own practical wellness wisdom, including praise for warming spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

Doesn’t that sound familiar? A warm blend of spices, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves… Mmmm…

Read more: www.churchpop.com/st-hildegard-was-mixing-pumpkin-spice-flavors-centuries-before-starbucks/

09/17/2026

Autumn is shaping up to be a fun one. Possum will be presenting the Irish Origins of Halloween in October. Details in the first comment. While this is a season talk it will be rounded out with a paper craft, naturally. This should be a fun one, some good craic! Registration opens on September 26th!

09/12/2026

Today’s artist book session was totally ‘home worthy!’ Participants not only channeled their creativity and skill to create some beautiful tiny house books, but when placed near each other they formed a lovely paper neighborhood 💕 And to think it all started with leftover pharmacy bags! Paper can be magical! Thank you to Piscataway Public Library for hosting this event.

09/10/2026

Fall Funfetti Vases! On Saturday, Possum will be presenting this sweet w**e bottle upcycle with the vintage of ‘Autumn. ‘🍂 While the class is full and has a waitlist (😊,) I thought I would share what some thrifted paint, a leftover bottle and scrap papers can become…whimsical fall decor! **ebottles

09/01/2026

Creative fun with paper! What is Possum going to do with an old CVS paper bag and some book pages? Create mini accordion collage books, of course! September 12, I will be hosting a class where we will construct these little cuties, which are a perfect size to sit on a bookshelf! Yes, everyone will get a pharmacy bag to make their book. Heck, if you have a bad run of health you might as well make art out of it! Details on the class in the first comment. PS: the glue is plant based with no pva🌳

08/22/2026

Possum is all packed up to go on the road tomorrow. Two classes are scheduled. First, a repeat performance of the Ancient Egypt Edition of Adventures in Junk Journaling. Second, Artist Books: The Lotus Fold. We will be creating these teeny 2 inch by 2 inch books out of scraps of paper, a little book binding paste and a special fold. They are so cute, I just want to kiss these little bookies! My little old Lincoln says hello, he did get a kiss from me because he is my little stinky linky!

08/14/2026

Recap of Monday’s program 😊

08/13/2026

I recently had a program participant who inquired about nature collections and ways to display or keep them. I know they follow this page so I’m going to make a few suggestions here. An open shadow/trinket/printers box would work well if you wanted to easily change things up and adds a rustic vibe. A closed one would be great to keep items from dust. Linking an article for further reading for anyone who is interested in curating their collections in fun and fashionable ways. 😁

Ways to Display Collections without Clutter - from fish molds in Maine to my sand collection in acrylic boxes with DYMO labels.

08/06/2026

Painty golden papers drying in Possum’s loft. “But Possum, that shiny gold paint doesn’t seem very natural? Aren’t you supposed to be all eco-friendly?” Well, I thrifted a few bottles of acrylic paint from a second hand store, so at least it wasn’t wasted! And I used up lots of packing paper that was in my stash! But seriously, I’m trying to source some earth friendly paint for my future endeavors, but have to use up the old and not let it go to waste. These golden beauties will be used in the Ancient Egyptian junk journal workshop because besides pyramids, nothing screams Ancient Egypt like GOLD!