Pergamena

07/04/2026

Our country wasn’t born in 1776. We dumped tea in Boston Harbor in 1773, but it took years and many lives before we even got our collective mission statement down on parchment. Today I am thinking about July 4th, 1774 and July 4th, 1775. Those years in American history are marked by what were called the “intolerable acts.” These were the retaliatory actions taken by the British parliament to punish all of the colonies after 116 people in one town decided to take a stand. America wasn’t born in 1776; it was born in the thousands of big and small acts opposing cruel and oppressive power leading up to our declaration. The Declaration of Independence was just a formal invitation to a new kind of party. Tea will be served. RSVP ASAP.

“…all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
—Taken from a Post Liv wrote a couple fourths ago.—

https://www.pergamena.net/historic-documents

07/01/2026

It feels appropriate —nay called for— to put off editing the posts about my amazing life changing trip to England, to declare we have a couple of products celebrating that time when we told England to….well, you know. But hey….
Our Declaration bookmarks are perfect for any history lover to “mark” this anniversary and keep their place in any story. These were made from deer hides brought to Pergamena by local Hudson Valley, New York hunters. We handcrafted them into traditional parchment. The parchment was then laser printed by Fast Signs, a small business in Nebraska. For a limited time each bookmark comes with a FREE parchment scrap pack! A $25 value.

Red, WRITE and Blue is a limited edition pack fit to celebrate our first NO KINGS rally from 250 years ago! Bring home history and then make some of your own with this ultimate mix pack. Buy 5 or more packs and get a FREE scrap pack! A $25 value.
Links in bio.

06/30/2026

Our new Info Card had a work trip in England, and all we got were these photos.
One day I’ll be done editing the trip post but till then this is to say, Liv is back.

06/29/2026

A note from Jesse: And just in time, our second item is going up in our America’s 250th Historic Document shop. Tomorrow a limited run will available through a link in our bio. These bookmarks are made from deer hides sourced from the Hudson Valley, New York area, and laser printed with the opening lines of the Declaration. Printed and cut by a shop in Nebraska, done in crisp readable high definition.

06/22/2026

London Calling. I know things have been a little quiet on our page, but I —Liv— promise to share all the amazing things I and the tannery have been up to for the last couple weeks. It truly has been an absolutely brilliant few weeks full of learning and connecting. I am trying to soak up every last moment while I am here, so you’ll have to tune in later this week for a multi part England trip series. Including some special shout outs to some amazing people / new friends that I cant wait for you to meet. Now I am heading to the American Embassy to see if they need an official Parchment and Vellum supplier. Because who doesn’t?

06/04/2026

I am leaving Pergamena.
Working with intention is hard. You often feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle all alone. And asking for help is great, but when you keep asking for help and either people don’t have answers or they recommend you back to you, it gets frustrating fast. It’s no secret that this is all difficult, the real secret is that it never gets “easy.” —Like a fool I waited for that for over 6 years.— The comfort is that you are not alone on that battle hill. And it’s the people beside you and around you who are your help and lifeline, and you are theirs. It’s like the amazing Bob Dylan lyric “May you always do for others and let others do for you.” I am thrilled to say that while I will be leaving Pergamena, it’s only for two weeks and it is to attend the first ever Micro Tanners conference hosted by I could not be more blown away that they have done all this really intentional work to weave together and support our community. I have loved watching their work from afar, and I can’t wait to see it in person. I am so thrilled that my friends got me off the bench and convinced me to go. Thank you, y’all totally rock. I am so excited to be able to attend this conference, meet amazing folks and soak up some brilliant Farm Traceable information. I know this is exactly the inspiration I need to renew my energy on this amazing uphill, intentional journey that I am not alone on. And boy is Jesse wishing he could go too, but someone has to hold down the family fort!
Between this trip and getting to meet and give our farm traceable leather to my hero Dr. Temple Grandin, it really feels like I am getting to celebrate the International year of women in Agriculture in sustainable style!
-Liv
P.S. Let me know if I HAVE to see or do anything in the greater London area from June 21st through the 23rd. I’ll be visiting family, museums, the Globe and stopping by friends and businesses to hand deliver some Parchment and Vellum goodies.

05/29/2026

I was saddened today to learn from my friends in Bergama Turkey of the passing of Ismael Araç, the last of Turkey’s Karatabak (black/bark tanners) and for many years, the last parchment maker in Turkey. If my math is correct, he was 95.

I was fortunate enough to meet him when I was invited to Turkey in 2013. Turkey was hosting a UNESCO World Heritage Conference, highlighting the contribution of parchment, which was first mass produced in Bergama thousands of years ago, to human civilization. Of course Master Ismael had a starring role.

Here is a picture of Kenji Yagi, a parchment scholar from Japan who helped put the conference together, along with Ismael’s apprentices Demet (L) and Nesrin (R), giving a demonstration at Ismael’s workshop during the conference. I am grateful to call them friends.

I was also fortunate to be invited back to Bergama last year for non-governmental parchment related project and was almost accidentally put back in touch with my friend Nesrin, who happened to be in Bergama for a visit. Not only was it wonderful to catch up with her, but she also helped arrange another visit with Ismael, who I was amazed to find out, was still alive. We sat in one of the covered markets in Bergama and had tea while Nesrin kindly translated conversation between Master Ismael and I so we could talk shop. It was a memorable visit and I was grateful to see him again, still sharp and up and around. During this recent visit, I also met at least 3 other former apprentices of Ismael’s, who now operate their own parchment making shops. He single handedly revived the craft in Turkey.

Given that parchment making is a skilled craft, I also wanted to make sure to record our “tools” for posterity.

Thank you Ismael. Rest in peace.

05/21/2026

Explore the world of Parchment and Vellum. To learn more about the vast possibilities when using this historic and sustainable material check out our Parchment 101 kit.
Link in bio and also available .

05/19/2026

✈️ 🚊 and —like normal— a couple of Automobiles.
Pergamena is on the move today! Jesse is off flying to a conference and I —Liv— am on a train city bound to drop of some farm traceable leather to our friends, !!! And well, the rest of the crew drove in like normal. Check back throughout the day as I post about my min city adventure.

05/14/2026