Arthur & Shira's Wedding

Congratulationa to Arthur & Shira! Thanks to Bob and Judi for commissioning this papercut in honor of Bob’s brother, Arthur, and his lovely bride Shira. This has the Ani L’Dodi theme (I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine), along with their Hebrew names, Aharon and Shirah. May they live happily ever after, with lots of naches.

Crane, Moon and Lotus

After an all-too-long hiatus, I got myself together and put new work online. Between this post I cut lots of paper, used lots of blades, and hopefully you’ll see some new inspiration in my work. There’s a good mix of Judaic and secular pieces. Please visit my shop and let me know what you think!

Sewn Paper Bird

Quilled Paper Tree

As I browse around other sites and blogs, I’m finding such great paper crafts beyond papercutting. I thought I would share some of these to broaden my horizons. One great source is Craftzine. They have a Paper Archive  that shows lots of great craft ideas for those of us who are somewhat goofy in our enjoyment of paper projects.

One the left you see “sewn paper,” which definitely goes a level beyond glueing. On the right is an example of paperquilling, which I think I’ll write more about another time. I’ve seen examples of it that are totally intense.

Let me know what you think!

A rainbow of origami paper

My friends think it’s sick how much I talk about paper, but there’s a lot to talk about – especially when you’re looking for beautiful decorative material for paper cuts. Sometimes a special, unique paper may be the key feature that makes the piece work. In addition to paper cuts, different types of paper are used to make a huge variety of craft, which you can often see on paper specialty sites like Papermojo. I use various kinds of handmade and specialty papers in my artwork for backgrounds, decoupage details, and insets. .One of my favorite choices is Origami paper because of its many patterns, quality, and overall beauty. Here are some basics about various kinds of Origami paper.

Simple, inexpensive kami

Kami paper, sometimes known as koi paper, is the easiest to find and cheapest to buy. It’s the kind you get with a simple origami kit like you’ll find at Dick Blick art supply store.  You’ll often find it at crafts, toy stores, specialty origami , or paper goods sites like  or origami sites like origami papersand books.com. This thin, easy to fold paper is usually printed only on one side, with a solid color or pattern. Patterns range from very simple gradations from one color to another, or be a complex abstract or floral pattern, sometimes with foil embellishments. Kami comes in several sizes, but standard sizes include 75 × 75 mm (about 3 × 3 inches), 6-inch squares and 10-inch squares.

Foil paper adds bling

Foil paper is slightly more expensive, and certainly flashier. It is composed of a thin layer of foil adhered to an extremely thin sheet of paper. You usually find packets in silver and gold, but there are multi-color packets as well. Remember, a little foil goes a long way!

Washi adds pattern and pop

Washi is a much more expensive thick Japanese paper which has long, pulpy fibers and a soft texture. You can find it in art and paper stores such as Papyrus, art stores such as Pearl Art,  some stores specializing in Japanese goods like Coco Wasabi . Also look for shops specializing in origami, such Mosaic Mouse or the Washi Paper Shop on the Etsy craft site.

The term Washi literally means Japanese paper (wa=Japanese shi=paper). Originally it referred to Japanese handmade paper produced in a traditional manner, but Washi is now often machine produced. Inclusions of flowers, leaves, grass, seeds, string, and other small decorative items are common for washi, adding to the random and handmade appearance of the finished craft. Washi can also be printed on, and has a uniquely shiny, uneven and occasionally transparent texture.

Chiyogami for ultimate style

Chiyogami is Washi paper that has been hand stenciled or printed with traditional Japanese imagery using bright colors and patterns.The word Chiyogami comes from the roots chiyo (thousand generation) and gami (paper). Appearing during the Edo period, Chiyogami was traditionally used to craft paper object, especially dolls. It gained tremendous popularity among origami fans because it offered a great visual presences and was less costly then some of the other Washi papers at the time. It still remains a favorite among folders and adds a richness to art using paper.

Papercut featuring Origami

To sum up, when you look for a special paper for your project, do consider the various types of Origami paper that are widely available from many sources. You’ll add vibrance, interest, and a bit of eye candy to whatever you are working on

Check out these page and have fun!

http://www.curiosite.com/scripts/news/ennews.php?frmIdPagina=10184

http://www.thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html

http://www.cubeecraft.com/

Here are several different methods that I’ve seen papercutters use, along with general tips that will help  make any method easier.

1. Small straight cuts – This method avoids using curved lines, which often stray from the circle. Make tiny straight cuts that touch each other all along the circle. The smaller the cuts, the smoother the circle. After the circle is cut out, smooth any irregular edges with your knife or scissors.

2. Perforation — This is a take-off on the straight cut method above. Make pin-sized holes all along the circle, forming a perforated circle. Carefully remove the circle along the perforations, then smooth out with your knife or scissors, carefully maintaining the circle’s shape.

3. Rotate Paper – Rather than focus on moving the knife, rely more on rotating the paper. This allows you to avoid jagged lines that may occur when trying to move the knife along the circle, as well as awkward hand positions.

4. Number 10 blade — This is my method. Most papercutters use a #11 blade for it’s precision and sharpness. I prefer using a #10 blade, which has a curved, rather than straight, edge. I find that this blade works much better in my own designs, which have an organic style. I generally cut the circle in medium size sections, which gives me more control. This also lets me control my hand position in a more comfortable way.

As you can see from my work, being able to create deep curves and circles broadens your arsenal of design techniques. However you choose to cut a circle, be patient. It takes practice, just like any other skill required when you do your papercuttings. So cut lots of circles, and you’ll see the shape and smoothness get better and better over time.