By Paper Panda & Friends
Search Press 2016
Paperback £12.99UK/$24.95 US
ISBN 978-1-78221-324-6
Star rating: ****
If you –or someone you know– are thinking about trying your
hand at papercutting, this new title from Search Press is an ideal go-to sourcebook.
Fronted by papercut artiste and star Facebook blogger Paper Panda (Louise
Patricia Firchau), this is a handy user-friendly guide to the craft of
papercutting – chock full of tips and tricks, plus it contains 20 papercutting
templates of varying levels of complexity (so this title is not just for
newbies). Papercutters of every level of experience can glean a new insight or
inspiration from this delightful book.
The “& Friends” in the title are papercutters Sarah
Trumbauer (from Pennsylvania, home of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art designs), Suzy Taylor,
and Louise Dyer – they, along with Paper Panda, offer designs in their own
recognizable styles, plus their own personal takes on the craft.
Paper Panda, although she has art school training, did not
zoom in upon the craft of papercutting until 2000. She is self-taught – and she
recounts her creative journey and generously shares her papercutting tips –
best studio practice, sourcing inspiration, copyright info, presentation tips –
all in her friendly, funny, approachable conversational style. The Techniques
section is particularly useful – it includes Making a Layered Papercut
(dimension it!), Making Infills (placing colour behind cut-out areas), and
Framing and Finishing.
A nice feature is the inclusion of Mini-Cuts – when you
start a new hobby, a small success leads the way to more ambitious
undertakings.
Now I should tell you that all the designs are extremely appealing - but none are super-duper simple - so expect a learning curve.
So, a papercutting addition to your crafty Christmas book
list.
Note: I was supplied with a review copy of this book.
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