Step Eleven: Paper cutting, the final episode (probably!) ;-)

Dearest Sylwi


Oh my goodness, where is the time going?! I posted last week on Tuesday, then on Thursday morning sat down to comment on your beautiful post about your Magician's Head, got side-tracked and didn't comment... and now, all of a sudden, it's Tuesday again and time for a fresh post! Eek! :-/


This week's project has been a huge challenge for me! After your comment on my papercut last week, I realised that I hadn't explored the true wycinaki technique. I had simply used the way it looked as inspiration. When you explained how the paper would traditionally be folded and cut, I suddenly thought that was a much better idea! :-) 


As I was searching for a subject to use as a pattern for my wycinanki, I became very inspired by vintage lace! I found one particular lace placemat that seemed like the perfect template for a gwiazdy (medallion shaped) paper cut. So, I traced it, intending to create a Kurbie style (one colour only) wycinanki.


This is where it all started to go wrong... right at the start! ha ha! 


I began by tracing the pattern onto a template which was an eighth of my intended finished circle. I thought I could fold my paper into eighths, do a quick cut out and be finished. Did I mention I'm an optimist?! :-) 


I did a rough trial run of cutting out the pattern from one sheet of paper and it worked really well! 

Unfortunately, when I folded my paper into eight, it became impossible to fold and even more impossible to cut. So, I went in search of thinner paper. Tissue paper, however, was too thin. I ended up with sugar paper, which was thin enough, but unfortunately waayyyyy to fibrous and the cuts were very unclean and messy. It was too late by then, though. There was no other paper available in the shops and I was running out of time, so I had to continue with what I had! I decided to give up on doing this perfectly and just use it as a trial run and learning experience.


I folded the paper into quarters and struggled to cut through the four layers. I broke several blades and realised that the tiny details that I had drawn (teeny boxes that needed cut out) would be impossible. 

So, I decided to make it a Łowicz style cut, using coloured paper, stuck on in layers, to create the details!


The more involved I got, the more difficult and messy it all became. Along with having completely the wrong materials - the wrong paper, the wrong knife, bad light, etc, I made so many dumb mistakes, I could scarcely believe how stupid I was being! For example, I traced the template onto my folded paper at the wrong corner, so when I unfolded it, it didn't make a circle!! Doh! I had to redo the whole thing! :-)))


Finally, I finished cutting out the circle...

... and then the real fun began. Trying to find some nicely coloured paper. I went to two craft shops here and neither of them had any! They had lots of colours - but nothing clean and bright that would go well with the black background. So, I ended up buying some card in bright colours... which wasn't ideal to work with, but by this time I was desperate! :-) I really liked the colours the card came in and had great fun choosing a colour combination!

I had a hard time choosing, so I narrowed my colour choice down to three different combinations...

... and then chose a completely different combination when I actually began cutting the card out! ha ha! :-)

I began layering the coloured paper onto the black background, ignoring all of the squint edges, misaligned corners, ripped bits and mistakes I'd made! :-) By now, it was all about just getting it finished!

I could have continued adding layers and details for weeks, but stopped myself from making it too complicated. Thank goodness I had to post this today, or I would have continued on with the detail, cutting smaller and smaller pieces till I was positively cross-eyed. ;-)

I learned so much this week and although it was hard work, I'm glad I continued on to the bitter end! :-) If I ever do this sort of project again (that's a big "if"! ha ha!) I shall know exactly how to do it properly and what tools to use, etc. I still think this would be wonderful done in material for cushions or throws... {daydream}!

My friends thought I was mad. When they saw it, they said it was like a giant doily and didn't I know I could just buy them from the shop?! In packs of a hundred! ha ha! :-)))

I truly hope you've had an easier time this week with your project, than I have with mine! Really looking forward to seeing what you come up with this time.

Lots of love

Fi

xx

Step Ten: A step back and then a step foward with Wycinanki!

Hi Sylwi

I didn't sleep last night I was so unclear about today. Yesterday, I was racking my brain, trying to come up with an idea for Step Ten, but I couldn't think of one. Worse still, I had a nagging feeling that maybe it was all a waste of my time. Suddenly, it all seemed very luxurious, taking this time each week to play with paper, knives and glue! :-) I don't know what triggered it, I'd been really enjoying it all in the weeks before. 

This morning, I still had no clue what I was going to make, but had to quieten the voices in my head and just begin something! These deadlines on a Tuesday are very good for that! Once I've posted tonight, I'll probably have another think about why I feel this way, but until I've actually created something and got the photos online, I have to focus on the creating, not on the reasons for! :-) 

A while ago, I saw a clear image in my mind of a scatter cushion, decorated with layers of felt cut into shapes of flowers and then another layer of detailed stitching. I think material is where I'm ultimately heading (perhaps?) with these paper cuts, although I have to admit, I'm loving the almost meditative qualities of spending a few hours cutting paper. I really enjoy it.

I recently came across some photos of Wycinanki - you may be more familiar with it than me! ;-) Wycinanki began when Polish shepherds would cut designs out of tree bark and leather, but the art form graduated onto paper in the mid 19th Century and has since been used as decorations and gifts. 

I found two distinctive types of the Polish wycinanki which vary based on region. The Kurpie region wycinanki is typically a one colour paper cut, whilst the Łowicz region tends towards layers of coloured paper. Both are beautiful, but this week, with designs for my cushion in mind, I chose to try out some Łowicz wycinanki.

I returned to work on some flowers that I used for Step One! They are flowers that were inspired by Indonesian tjaps and I drew them in a frame. Once sketched, I knew I liked the frame, but didn't like the contents of it. Time was beginning to fly past, so I decided to only do the frame today, just to try out this new technique. I didn't even know if it would work! 

I cut the basic shape out of black paper and then added layers in colour. I don't actually have coloured paper, so used old envelopes and scrap paper. Whilst it worked as a trial run, if I try this technique again, I shall buy some pretty paper specifically for the job. Some of my scrap paper was quite fibrous, which made cutting hard. The corners did not cut very cleanly (you get left with little threads of paper) and the paper also began peeling into layers as I was sticking it all together! 

I also need to buy a bunch of new blades - cutting with a dull knife gives you finger cramps! :-)

I ended up choosing a mix of pinks and a mint green, which looks a lot better than in the above photo! I need to learn how to capture colour well in photos! Even outside today, I was struggling to get a true representation of the colours!

Anyway. Wycinaki (Łowicz style!) is so much fun and totally addictive! I expect I'll be doing more of this over the coming year! 

I'm very intrigued now to see your Step Ten. Are you doing the magician's head this week?! :-)

Lots of love

Fi

xx