{ Sneaky Peek } A Diamond Anniversary card

I was commissioned to make a paper cut card for a very special couple celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary, 60 years, something to truly be celebrated.

Where to start with a commission, the awful prospect of a blank sheet of paper!

The commissioner had seen my work before and liked the idea of having two birds, a heart and leaves, so to the scribbles. 

I start with a few thumbnail sketches to get the idea fixed on paper, to try out a few of ideas, get the major components in the right places and the overall proportion and composition "right"!

At this point I tend to walk away and let the ideas circle through my sub conscious and thought for the rest of the day.  Somehow this "sets" the idea of how I should cut the piece and I can develop the design a bit further.

And then BINGO! It all clicks into place and the design flows from the pencil onto the paper.

A bit of time and patience and here it is, all cut out.

I backed the paper cut with a lovely matt gold paper which gave the card a lovely glow and I'm told the special couple were delighted with their card.

Tuesdays' sneaky peek!

We were away this weekend for a well earned break on our boat, which we keep in Tarbert, Loch Fyne. The weather was good. Dry and pretty sunny all weekend........but it was a bit windy! Well, too windy to think about sailing with two wobbly small people! We just "caravan-ed it", didn't go sailing, hung out, rowed round the bay in the dingy, ate ice creams and sweeties and walked!
It's recharged my batteries after the battle to get my studio emptied and decorated and I'm raring to go!

I thought I'd show you what I'm working on at the moment and how I go about making a papercut.......

Grow old with me papercut, initial design sketch.

This is the initial design sketch for "Grow old with me", complete with a few "re-thinks"!  I draw each leaf in outline only, not showing the detail that I'll cut out, and don't show the thickness of each branch.....mainly out of laziness!   

Grow old with me, 1/3 cut out, right side. 

Here it is about 1/3 cut out, with a few more scribbles and "re-thinks"! I tend to keep revising the design right up until it's cut out, changing the position of leaves and where they connect, adding more hearts or birds......


Grow old with me, 1/3 cut out, wrong side.

This is the back of the cut.  It's much easier to see how it'll look without all my scrawls! I use white paper and draw the paper cut as it'll be seen, the right way round. Then after I've cut the whole picture out I spray paint it. Some other papercutting artists use coloured paper and draw the cut on the reverse of the paper, back to front.  

New paint delivery!

This is the range of colours that I'll use to paint the paper cuts on show for Perthshire Open Studios (note the chubby 11 month old hands desperately trying to pull the cans out of the box!)

Paint-y, paint-y, sand-y, sand-y!

I've managed to get the studio emptied (mostly!) and the ceiling has had a coat of paint. Now I'm doing the boring bit.....sanding all the skirtings, door frames, the door and around the window.  It'll all get done eventually but it's sooooo dull!

On a slightly more exciting note I also managed to get these two paper cuts finished, framed up and off to their new homes.


This day I will marry my best friend Doris & John 6th August 2011

One day like this, a variation on the happily ever after cut.

Sorry for the slightly duff quality of the photos.....but it was late!

Right......back to the sanding. My consolation is that I'll soon be putting everything back in the studio.