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Papercutting - Geometric Designs Inspired by Nature

For all you paper cut enthusiasts out there, I'm happy to introduce this upcoming book, Papercutting - Geometric Designs Inspired by Nature. Now available for pre-order on Amazon, it will be released on September 28. Want to be the first on your block to own a copy? At the bottom of this post, you'll find the chance to enter a U.S., Canada, and U.K. giveaway, courtesy of Schiffer Publishing who will be sending out the brand new book directly to the winners.


This 128-page paperback is an absolute wealth of information about the study of symmetry. It is authored by Patricia Moffett, a versatile UK artist who specializes in surface pattern design and has produced an array of coloring books, as well as titles on kirigami and creating 3D paper scenes.

You'll find 25 projects that look to nature and its mathematical perfection as inspiration. You'll learn about, or expand your understanding of, the Golden Angle, Fibonacci Sequence, and Golden Spiral.


Papercutting themes ar…
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10 Creative Paper Art Etsy Design Awards Finalists

People are so clever. As proof (as if you needed any!), let's have a look at some of the Etsy Design Awards Finalists who utilize paper. The program is the online marketplace's first-ever global awards and I was happy to see that the list included several talented artists who have been featured on this blog previously. For example, Griffin Carrick of Griffin Carrick Design in North Carolina is exploring new territory in quilling via macrame-style tapestries composed of rolled and fringed paper strips.


160 finalists selected from thousands of worldwide entries are in the running for the $15,000 USD Grand Prize or the top prize in one of five categories: Inventive Decor, Signature Style, Festive Celebrations, Earth-Friendly, and Creative Collaborations. Griffin's showstopper, Copper Hills Quilled Landscape, is listed in the Inventive Decor collection.

Abigail M of Yeiou in Arlington, Massachusetts is skillful at cutting and sculpting dimensional house portraits from sturd…
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Handcrafted Remembrance Books - Imre van Buuren

I have something very special to show you today...  handmade remembrance books with companion boxes made by Imre van Buuren in The Netherlands. Educated at Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, she works as a professional graphic designer, yet always looks forward to spending time in her studio where she creates detailed artist books.

Not only is Imre's frequent use of blue and white timely for a summer feature, but there is a soothing peacefulness to her books and boxes. I wasn't at all surprised to learn she enjoys making them as much as the end result, and wrote to ask about her work.


What is the purpose of a remembrance book and box?

The books can be filled as you like, with your stories, thoughts and images. You can write in it and paste photographs so it really becomes Your Book. It fits into a matching box that features a collage positioned on the front... for example, small objects found in nature, folded bundles of silk, embroidered French poems, calligraphed fragme…
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Remarkable Quilled Mandalas and Geometric Paper Art

I used to think I had limitless patience when it came to paper quilling, but that was before incredibly intricate mandalas and on-edge geometric paper art created by other quillers became so popular. Inspired at least in part by Alli Bartkowski's book of thirty patterns, Quilled Mandalas, circular quilling began peppering social media a few years ago. It's fun to see the wide array of coils and lines that are used... people's creativity and dedication to their craft never fails to amaze! Let's take a look at these examples:


Ronald Regamey is a prolific Ontario, Canada paper artist who creates large-scale mandalas with paper strips that he cuts by hand. A Threat, shown above, measures 21 x 21 inches. His first solo exhibition is underway through August 3 at Lee Art Gallery in Orillia, Ontario. Here's a shot of another mandala by Ronald that shows the detail of central dimensional coils.


Andrea Banks of Anomaly Arts experimented with photo editing for her cool circu…
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New Quilling Book - The Art of Paper Filigree

There's a new quilling book in town! Quilling, The Art of Paper Filigree by Philippa Reid, whose work I, and undoubtedly many of you, have known for years via the online paper crafting community, is a British publication from The Crowood Press. While the paperback and e-book versions are already available in the UK, both can be pre-ordered on Amazon here in the U.S. where they will be released on July 22.


When Philippa first wrote to tell me about her book, she explained that it is unlike other quilling titles in that it does not contain patterns or projects. Instead, it is a compendium of highly detailed information about traditional quilling techniques, some of which date back hundreds of years, as well as modern applications. Containing 112 pages and 173 photographs, you will find quillwork created by Philippa with only her fingers, paper strips, and glue.


She further explained: Quilling, for me, has always been about exploring creative possibilities. The numerous different sha…
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Surprisingly Elegant Handmade Paper Designs from Paperuli

Lest you think handmade paper produced at home must be rustic and not very useful, let me show you the pretty things that Ulrike Hagel of Münster, Germany and Etsy shop Paperuli manages to create with nothing more than discarded paper, a few supplies, time, and patience.


Her photos first caught my eye via Facebook group, Paper Threads, Yarns and Textiles (a gem of a place for meeting others who are into paper making, paper yarn, and paper sculpture). Ulrike's lovelies are a tribute to the possibilities - and dare I say even the elegance - of upcycled waste paper.


Like many paper people I've come across, her enthusiasm for all that simple paper provides is contagious. It's clear she enjoys experimenting...  in the photo above, for example, twisted paper yarn created with undyed teabag paper (the kind that is filled with a tea of choice) was dip-dyed with food coloring and elderberry juice.


Curious to learn more about Ulrike's passion, I wrote to ask about her work as a…
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