How to get from A to B

Position A: No Papercut  Position B: completed Papercut

Being a bit of a magpie, I have a vast collection of things that "might come in handy one day." This weakness is particularly evident when it comes to pretty things. I have been fortunate to receive a collection of crochet table mats, coasters etc from my great aunt. She has obviously treasured them and they are in fantastic condition.

When I woke up this morning, I knew that these beautiful pieces would come in handy for my star fish design. I settled on this one because of its natural resemblance to the real thing.

I then raided my son's box of crayons and did a "brass rubbing" to get the outline of the doily.




sorry about the poor quality image

Next, I turn to my tried and trusted friend Microsoft Publisher! I find it a really great tool to draw my images. I can manipulate them, reproduce them easily and check angles and shapes without resorting to a protractor. (Plus I can't afford a fancy package like Illustrator yet!)

This is the basic publisher sketch. It doesn't bother me that lines don't meet or are wobbly because I will then add to the image with a marker pen. I have recently started using this combination of computer and marker pen and really like it. A marker pen gives a line width that's about right for most cuts and encourages a confidence and fluidity that I don't seem to achieve with pencil.

I went over the "brass rubbing" with the marker pen to pick out the lines.

Then I placed the template over the "brass rubbing" and chose four different placements. I didn't want to go for symmetry - rather a suggestion of the pattern and texture of a starfish.

Now for the cutting. I am certainly not a purist when it comes to paper cutting and take a relaxed approach to whether I cut the image in reverse or not. Today I decided that I would cut it and see which side looked better!

I place the coloured paper over the image and effectively trace the design with my scalpel (again NOT the purist approach). I start with the tiny details and then move to the larger areas to prevent the piece ripping. Once the whole design is traced, I pick out the unwanted bits and cut the design away from the main piece of paper.

Then you get this....

The final task is to select backing papers - I have tried out a few combinations but will leave it to settle a couple of days before I commit myself.

Here is one possibility