A Snow Book - first layer

Here's a scan of the calligraphy. I'm afraid you'll just have to take my word for it that it looks much nicer in real life. I can't seem to get a good photo.

And here is the first layer finished and folded.

Words & Letters - Papercut layer

Here is the second layer of the book. Over the letters I cut out just the capitals (not the lines and patterns), and to frame the words I did a few of the circles and lines, but very simplified and only around the outside.

The second half of the book. I like the 'Q' because of the positive/negative thing going on with the stem. I did the same thing with a few of the circles, or wherever the letters go outside the square.

Like in this close-up!


And in other news, the winner of last week's giveaway is Velma! Congratulations!

My 100th Post! and a giveaway.

Congratulations to me, I am still writing these things up! Actually, I find I enjoy blogging and it makes me work more consistently so that I will have something to say. Since I made it to 100 and that's a big round number I decided to skip ahead in my projects a little bit and make something new.

This is an outgrowth of the book I'm going to start working on as soon as He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven is done. I love LOVE the old letters with the lines around them showing how they are formed. I always have. I think it's the Steampunk in me.

This piece is made from three layers. The cutout letters, the cutout lines, and as a background, an old book page. They have matte board in between to seperate and define the different pieces. I think it turned out really great and I'm looking forward to making more!

Here's a close-up so you can see how they're on different levels.

If you can't wait for the contest, you can buy it in my Etsy shop.

If you want to win it instead (sorry, no frame, though), just leave a comment to enter your name! And if you want to link to this blog (because this is all about shameless self-promotion), let me know you posted something about it and I'll give you two more entries. I'll draw for it in one week. So check back Sunday!

The Tell-Tale Heart - an adventure in paper cutting

I've been working on the first stage of my new book. The paper. Nope, not even at the background yet. The paper's been folded and the large shapes have been cut out. And it's been taking quite awhile. Many hours at work the last couple of days, and then Pride and Prejudice at home. Is it even possible not to fall in love with Colin Firth after that? Hmmm, well.

So far, I'm fairly happy with this turned out. I may go through and add some small cuts along the edges. This photo of the first one didn't get much detail, but it got better as I went on, and I'll probably go back over this. I did rip a couple of things too, but the paper is thick enough that it doesn't matter.


Some of the beetles are meant to look, or at least be reminiscent, of gears.

I quite like this one! It's an escapement (that's what makes the tick-tock sound in mechanical watches) and gear train, and I think the negative/positive thing worked really really well.

It gets more complicated as it goes on, starting with the paper cutting, and it'll only get more complex as the background and text goes on it.