Imaginative Paper Craft Kits, Paper Sculpture, and Paper Cutting
I'm such an admirer of paper cutter, sculptor, and miniaturist, Silvina De Vita. Not only does she have a musical sounding name and a smile that matches her joie de vivre, but Silvina's story is an interesting one. And it's made all the more enjoyable thanks to highlights of her busy life that she shares with entertaining captions via social media.
As a mother of three young sons her hands are full, yet Silvina's Etsy shop, My Papercut Forest, did more than just survive during the past year; it thrived! This was due in large part to people staying at home and looking for ways to feel creative... her irresistible paper craft kits for adults were just the ticket to help with that.
The expanding business meant building a supportive team to help get orders out the door... Silvina enlisted the help of a college student and a neighbor, along with her eldest son who mastered the laser cutter, and her husband who handles post office runs.
In recent years and in addition to being the captain of Etsy's Brighton team in England, Silvina has appeared on the Make! Craft Britain BBC4 television program, contributed projects to two Sterling craft books, taught paper crafting classes, and worked against the clock creating a display along with eleven other artists in Get Creative, an event that took place in the window of the famous Liberty store in London. More activities can be found on the About page of her website.
A pretty dome filled with stories and memories? Yes, please! She will custom-craft one just for you or you can choose from an array of ready-made options. Silvina says a favorite part of her job is designing new products and creating prototypes, and that what helps most of all is doing what she loves... she's sure it shows in the end result.
Silvina studied Graphic Design at University of Buenos Aires, and worked as teaching assistant at the same school for several years. Upon moving to London, she earned a MA in Art History at Birkbeck University. Education is very important to her.. growing up in Argentina, she took a variety of classes outside of school and continues learning to this day... she's currently studying violin.
In 2011 Silvina enrolled in an illustration course at Putney Art School that changed her course from graphic design. Inspired to work more with her hands, she began cutting illustrations and manipulating shapes and shadows. "The rest is history. You can learn anything if you allow yourself to play and see what happens."
Silvina shared that the perfect paper weight for building miniatures is 135 grams. School glue is fine, but even better is pH neutral PVA. Lastly, she loves using a craft knife. "It takes time to adapt the hand but once you get it, it’s a dream!"
One special thing Silvina designed this past year is a Positive Affirmations paper cutting kit because, as she says, "we all need a bit of a reminder now." "A mindful activity to help you put down the phone and connect with your hands. When you're done you'll have something lovely to frame that will bring you joy in your home. Or you could send it to someone else who needs to hear this too."
Something especially unique is that the kit is available in different combinations. For example, you have your choice of template number... two, five or eight, as well as tools or no tools.
See more of Silvina De Vita's work via her website and Etsy shop, My Papercut Forest. She is on Facebook and Instagram. Really, have a scroll through her IG feed, taking time to read the captions. There's nothing I'd like better right about now than to jet across the ocean and spend an afternoon with Silvina in her garden studio!
I'll end with one last Silvina quote that sums her up perfectly, "My aim is to make people happy and the world just a little bit more beautiful."
2-22-2022 You can now shop directly via Silvina's website, as well as MyPapercutForest on Etsy.
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