Craftside

How to Make a Thread Spool Greeting Card - Inspired by the Book, Paper Cut by Owen Gildersleeve

I love to cut things up and let me tell you Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration is filled with some of the most amazing cut up art! One of my favorite ways to cut things up is with my Sizzix die cutting machine. I just got what has to be the coolest card die cut in the shape of a thread spool.

So, combine a book filled with all sorts of creative cut up paper art, a new thread spool shaped die cut, and my newest addiction, Washi tape, you get this cute little card.

This page from Creative Review was what gave me the idea to wrap the cover half of the thread spool card with washi tape. Artist Chrissie Macdonald used tape to create the details on this cut paper art. I also added a button and some yarn to tie the card closed.

More about the Rockport book:

Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration

by Owen Gildersleeve

 More and more the design world is turning away from digitization and once again embracing the imperfections of handmade, craft-based practices. Written and collated by noted papercraft illustrator Owen Gildersleeve, Paper Cut offers a unique perspective into this burgeoning field of contemporary illustration. Featuring astonishing works from twenty-five of the world's top papercraft illustrators, this collection also contains in-depth interviews and rarely seen behind-the-scenes photography, which reveal the artists' motivations and working techniques. Contributors include Rob Ryan, Yulia Brodskaya, Jeff Nishinaka, Andersen M Studio, Chrissie Macdonald, and Kyle Bean.

Owen Gildersleeve is an illustrator and designer based in London. His work predominantly focuses on papercraft illustration and over the years he has become highly respected in the field, working with a large array of international clients, as well as collaborating with many other respected artists. In 2009 Owen was awarded the Type Director's Club Award for his work with Fast Company Magazine. Then in 2011 he was awarded the Art Director's Club Young Guns award, which showcases the some of the world's best young talent in the fields of art, design and illustration.

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And if you too love thread and sewing over at Goodreads there is a giveaway going on of the soon to be released Tangle Stitches for Quilters and Fabric Artists: Relax, Meditate, and Create with Rhythmic Stitches by Jane Monk

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Tangle Stitches for Quilters and Fabric Artists

by Jane Monk

Giveaway ends July 25, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

 

Enter to win

Washi Tape postage stamp collage inspired by the book Playing with Color

Sometimes it's fun and cathartic to simply make a whole bunch of simple things and then arrange them. That is just what I did inspired by a page in Playing with Color: 50 Graphic Experiments for Exploring Color Design Principles.

This page in Playing with Color features a collage of colored letters, and I thought it would be fun to make a collage of little postage stamps embellished with washi tape.

The first part of this fun exercise was simply to punch out a whole bunch of solid colored and printed paper with a postage shaped paper punch.

Then I cut small rectangles of washi tape and placed it on the postage stamp cut outs. This was part of the fun of coordinating the background colored paper with the color and print of the washi tape. It was kind of a "mix and match" game.

The second part of the color play, was arranging all the little paper postage stamps in my altered book.

This was fun and easy too. I stuck them down with little glue dots so I could possibly pull them up and use them on envelopes. It was a nice little relaxing collage and a fun way to store my embellishments.

More about the Quarry and Rockport books:

If you have never heard of washi tape, get ready to enter a bright new world of paper crafts! Originating in Japan, washi paper is stronger than wood-pulp paper making it perfect for use in projects like origami and scrapbooking. The tape is low tack and slightly transparent, in a mix of adorable colors and patterns, and a brilliant way to make all of your crafts even better. Perfect to use for parties. See how to create invitations, gift wrap, and goodie bags. Holidays have never been more colorful with ideas for ornaments, window adornments, and even garland. Decorations for your home and office are easy and inexpensive when you use washi tape. Wall décor, borders and lampshades can become unique works of art and give your home a personal touch. You can even use washi tape in fashion. Dress up your glasses, shoes and jewelry using these simple ideas and designs. And because it's safe to use on delicate items, washi tape is great for personalized gifts like vases and photo albums. Washi Tape by Courtney Cerruti offers 101 amazing ideas that will make this new craft tape your new favorite thing. It's safe to use almost anywhere and great fun for children!

Playing with Color is a highly accessible, fun approach to learning color application and principles. This hands-on book begins with an introduction to the philosophy of learning through the process of play. It then leads to a series of experimental design projects with an emphasis on color, providing the reader with a “toolkit” of ideas and skills. The awareness and sensitivity to form, color, material and craft gained through these visual experiments will increase the designer’s confidence in their personal and professional design work. This book can be used in the classroom or independently, and readers can go directly to exercises that appeal to them.

Richard Mehl teaches two-dimensional design, color theory and typography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is a graphic designer by trade, working on projects for corporate and non-profit clients. Mehl received his MFA from Yale School of Art where he studied with Paul Rand, Bradbury Thompson, Matthew Carter and Edward Tufte. Visit him online at http://www.rmehl.com.

How to Make a Skeleton Rib Cage Pop-Up Card from the Book: Playing with Pop-ups

Wow! The fall decorations are already in the stores, so it's time to start fall crafting and that means Halloween is just around the corner! This cool rib cage skeleton pop-up card from the book Playing with Pop-ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs is the perfect paper craft to work on during a hot summer day sitting in the air conditioning dreaming of crisp, cool autumn.

 

Pull-Tab Rib Cage

Artist Yoojin Kim translates forms found in human anatomy into pop-ups. She is captivated by the overlapping qualities that exist between the function of pop-ups and how a human body works. Pivots and levers resemble the movements of human tendons and joints and the way that muscles move. This project features an adaptation of the pull-tab cylinder technique. As the spread is opened, a strap pulls the tab to raise the rib cage from the flat surface.

Rib Cage Trivia

Here’s an interesting fact about the human rib cage: When the Flemish anatomist Vesalius noted in 1543 that humans have twenty-four ribs (twelve on each side), he set off a wave of controversy. It had been assumed from the Biblical story of Adam and Eve that men’s ribs would number one less than women’s. Variations in the number of ribs do occur, and about one in two hundred to five hundred people have an additional cervical rib; these extra ribholders are predominantly female.

MaterIals

templates: Download here!

card stock

craft knife

scissors

glue

scoring tool

straightedge

cutting mat

InstructIons:

Step 1: Prepare background and print

I photocopied a dictionary page onto card stock to create a background for my rib cage. You can use a plain card stock, purchase a printed card stock, illustrate the background, or make a collage to accent the ribs.

Once you’ve got your papers, Download the patterns for the base card and rib cage and print them onto your prepared card stock.

 

Step 2: Cut and score

Cut out the card base, the two rib cage side pieces, and the rib cage using a craft knife. Cut the three slits in the card base. Score along the central dotted line on the card base and valleyfold it in half. Score along the dashed lines on the two rib cage side pieces and mountain-fold each one along those lines.

Step 3: Glue the side pieces

Glue the inside of both folded rib cage side pieces, gluing both sides of the fold and sandwiching the matching sides of the rib cage into the glued areas.

Step 4: Thread strap and mount rib cage

Thread the strap through the righthand slit in the card base from front to back and then thread it back into the card through the slit along the dotted line. Carefully lift the left side of the rib cage and apply glue to the back side of the rib cage side piece. Attach it to the base along the dotted line, taking care not to get glue on the strap.

Step 5: Assemble

Tuck the loose end of the strap into the slit on the left side of the base while folding the base page in half. Close the card completely, fold the end of the strap over, and glue it to the card base. Let the glue dry briefly. Open the card and watch your rib cage slide into three dimensions!

 

Downloadthe templates and start cutting! I can't wait to make these rib cage pop-up cards for all my ghoulish friends for Halloween!

More about the new Quarry book:

Playing with Pop-ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs

by Helen Hiebert

Enter the enchanting world of pop-ups and handmade paper crafts. Join author Helen Hiebert as she guides you through materials, tools and pop-up basics including parallel folds, angle folds, combinations and variations, and layered pop-ups. Enjoy creating 20 projects to play with ranging from cards and books to buildings, graphic design pieces, and more. Featuring a high-end gallery of artists, whose beautiful work will inspire you to make your own amazing paper art, Playing with Pop-Ups will teach you to create interactive pieces that everyone will enjoy.

Helen Hiebert is a Colorado artist who constructs installations, sculptures, films and artist books using handmade paper, thread and light to create transcendent experiences that alter viewers’ perceptions of time, space and form. She teaches and lectures about papermaking and lamp-making internationally, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Oregon College of Art & Craft and Pacific University. Helen exhibits her work internationally, she is author of the books Papermaking with Plants, The Papermaker's Companion, and Paper Illuminated, Playing With Paper, and she is a regular contributor to Hand Papermaking Newsletter. Helen has an extensive network of paper colleagues around the world and her interest in how things are made (from paper) keeps her up-to-date on current paper trends.

Paper Cut Art by Rob Ryan Featured in the Upcoming Book Paper Cut

Pretty, just, pretty. And touching. This paper cut art is by Rob Ryan and is featured in the upcoming book Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration.

And the quote is:

"Moons circle planets

and planets circle stars

stars and galaxies rotate eternally

and you and I circle each other

for you will always be my entire universe

and if you want me - I will always be yours."

 

More about the Rockport book:

Paper Cut: An Exploration Into the Contemporary World of Papercraft Art and Illustration

by Owen Gildersleeve

More and more the design world is turning away from digitization and once again embracing the imperfections of handmade, craft-based practices. Written and collated by noted papercraft illustrator Owen Gildersleeve, Paper Cut offers a unique perspective into this burgeoning field of contemporary illustration. Featuring astonishing works from twenty-five of the world's top papercraft illustrators, this collection also contains in-depth interviews and rarely seen behind-the-scenes photography, which reveal the artists' motivations and working techniques. Contributors include Rob Ryan, Yulia Brodskaya, Jeff Nishinaka, Andersen M Studio, Chrissie Macdonald, and Kyle Bean.

Owen Gildersleeve is an illustrator and designer based in London. His work predominantly focuses on papercraft illustration and over the years he has become highly respected in the field, working with a large array of international clients, as well as collaborating with many other respected artists. In 2009 Owen was awarded the Type Director's Club Award for his work with Fast Company Magazine. Then in 2011 he was awarded the Art Director's Club Young Guns award, which showcases the some of the world's best young talent in the fields of art, design and illustration.

Owen Gildersleeve is an illustrator and designer based in London. His work predominantly focuses on papercraft illustration and over the years he has become highly respected in the field, working with a large array of international clients, as well as collaborating with many other respected artists. In 2009 Owen was awarded the Type Director's Club Award for his work with Fast Company Magazine. Then in 2011 he was awarded the Art Director's Club Young Guns award, which showcases the some of the world's best young talent in the fields of art, design and illustration.

Pop-Up Alphabet by the Author of Playing With Pop-Ups, Helen Hiebert

Today, I have two amazing pop-up videos and a free download of a pop-up alphabet to share with you. Plus, there's a Mother's Day card tutorial using the pop-up letters.

This first video shows the projects in the new book Playing with Pop-ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs in action! 

 Watch this second video that shows the pop-up alphabet that you can Downloadfor free in action!

aa

Now, onto my first project using the pop-up alphabet.

With Mother's Day just around the corner (May 11th), I thought I'd make my mom a card.

I had so much fun making this card. I can see a lot more pop-up word cards in my future!

How to make a pop-up I "heart" Mom card:

I downloaded the pdf of the alphabet and opened the 2 pages that had the "I" , "M' and "O" in Illustrator.

I selected each letter, copied and pasted it into a new document. I could fit 2 or 3 of each letter. I did this because I new I would need an extra "I" for the heart, and I figured in case a made a mistake I would have extra letters.

I printed the page out on a pretty light purple glitter cardstock.

I cut each of the letters out I needed and a second "I" for the heart.

The red lines are the cut lines and the dashed lines are the fold lines. (The dashed lines, I scored with a yarn needle).

In this case all the letters are symmetrical, so I could fold the letters backward so all the printed lines are on the back side. For future projects I think I will print the letters in reverse so that they will appear correct facing out with the lines on the back side. (More on that in future posts!)

For the base of the card, I took another piece of pretty cardstock and folded in half the long way.

I trimmed the bases of the letters on each side narrower to fit.

I glued all the letters onto the base of the card.

To make the heart I used a Sizzix die. I simply glued it onto the second "I' pop up letter.

For the cover of the card I used another Sizzix die that features scissors, buttons, a spool of thread and a bobbin. (And just a fun note the photo in the picture is of my Mom and Dad way back before they were married circa early 1960's).

More about the new Quarry book:

Playing with Pop-ups: The Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs

by Helen Hiebert

Enter the enchanting world of pop-ups and handmade paper crafts. Join author Helen Hiebert as she guides you through materials, tools and pop-up basics including parallel folds, angle folds, combinations and variations, and layered pop-ups. Enjoy creating 20 projects to play with ranging from cards and books to buildings, graphic design pieces, and more. Featuring a high-end gallery of artists, whose beautiful work will inspire you to make your own amazing paper art, Playing with Pop-Ups will teach you to create interactive pieces that everyone will enjoy.

Helen Hiebert is a Colorado artist who constructs installations, sculptures, films and artist books using handmade paper, thread and light to create transcendent experiences that alter viewers’ perceptions of time, space and form. She teaches and lectures about papermaking and lamp-making internationally, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Oregon College of Art & Craft and Pacific University. Helen exhibits her work internationally, she is author of the books Papermaking with Plants, The Papermaker's Companion, and Paper Illuminated, Playing With Paper, and she is a regular contributor to Hand Papermaking Newsletter. Helen has an extensive network of paper colleagues around the world and her interest in how things are made (from paper) keeps her up-to-date on current paper trends.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!