Template Tuesday - What Does the Fox Say?

This last Friday, my stepson came home to the house SUPER excited. "You HAVE to see this video, it's the funniest thing!" he said. Then he showed me the "What Does the Fox Say?" video and loved it. He sang along to certain parts and told me who was who and then kept telling me what the fox did eventually say. And then it got stuck in my head. Over and over and over again I kept singing things the fox said and asking what the fox said. You might say this papercut is a bit of a release because now the constant looping of the music has decreased. Some of you might not be so lucky! It's a fun video. If you haven't seen it yet, go search for it on the you-tuber.

Anyways, here's what the template looks like. This is a bit of an advanced one. Cut out the gray parts and then cut out the outline of the fox. On the parts where the lines intersect, don't cut the intersection part until the very last. Does that make sense? Don't worry because you'll eventually figure out what I mean.

Download your free template here: What Does the Fox Say? And, as always, remember that these templates are for personal use only. Don't use them for making art of your own and passing it off as yours. Do make one for your mom or your kid or your neighbor who loves foxes. I think you get what I'm saying. Enjoy!

P.S. Prints of this piece are available here: Society6 and the original is available here: Etsy.

Template Tuesday - Delivery Stork

I was going to use this image in the last show I did, but I wound up not using the theme I was going to use and then I thought it would be a perfect Template Tuesday image. I hope the baby doesn't look too alien-like - although that's more true to life. :)

Here's what the template for the stork delivering a baby will look like.

Please enjoy this free template (but enjoy it for private use only - if you're going to sell something, try your own hand at it - you can do it, I promise!)

Download here: Stork Delivering Baby

Template Tuesday - There's No Place Like Home

Did anyone see Oz the Great and Powerful yet? We haven't. Was it any good? I was supposed to finish this BEFORE the movie came out, but instead I'm going about it AFTER. So, no matter how you felt about the movie, either way, this papercut is a gentle reminder of a brilliant classic. I still remember hiding under the sheets in my parent's room while watching the flying monkeys or any part with the Wicked Witch. Say it with me now, "There's no place like home...there's no place like home..."

This is what the template will look like. I think the hardest part about this is keeping the lines of the poppies thin.

 

Download your free template here: There's No Place Like Home

OR if you just want your own nifty iphone case, go here: Society 6

OR you can purchase this papercut that I just made, right here: Etsy

Template Tuesday - Fox Family

It's been a little while, sorry guys! I need to keep it up and also focus on doing papercuts that aren't template tuesdays, too. It's been a while since I've done those as well. I asked on the facebook fan page what kind of thing that people would like to see and I got an overwhelming chorus of Fox Family! And I can't resist those little foxes, so here you go! Pop quiz: does anyone know what the names of female, male and baby foxes are?

Here's what the template will look like:

Here's the actual pdf of the scherenschnitt: Fox Family

Enjoy!

Template Tuesday - Many Hands Make Light Work

Before the wedding, I had grand ideas to make one of these for every person who wound up being an integral part of the celebration. That list of people snowballed quickly into an overwhelming avalanche of willing hands and kind hearts. I am so overcome with gratitude towards all the people who helped us out on our special day. I drew this scherenschnitt and thought it wouldn't be too bad to cut out, but it proved way too delicate and time consuming to do for a large group. I've created a different papercut for the helpers and am definitely getting that out to them soon, but wanted to share the original creation with you. Thank you to all those who are willing to lend a helping hand in times of need.

 Here's what the template looks like:

Click on the link for your free papercut: Many Hands Make Light Work

Template Tuesday - Stars I See

It's been a while, guys! Getting married, going on a honeymoon and adjusting to wedded life sure do put a damper on the papercutting. Here's a little something I did for the ladies who came to my bridal shower. My friend Whitney made it into cards for everyone. It looked super cute. The quote comes from an old English saying that goes like this “Many are thee starrs I see, yet in my eye no starr like thee" only I modernized it up a bit.

Here's what the template looks like. The most difficult part, I thought, was the thin lines connecting the banners. I've also added a little copyright and terms of use notification to the bottom since I see these templates being used for sale on other people's sites without permission. Thanks for letting me know about it when you guys see it happening! Don't let one person ruin it for everyone!

Download your free template by clicking on this link here: Many are the stars I see...

Template Tuesday - Weeding

April showers bring May flowers. Or in my case, April weeds. I moved into my house almost 3 years ago and when I moved in, there wasn't a weed in sight. Now there's a veritable carpet of yellow and puffy white sprouting up all over the land. I heard the following saying on this papercut when I moved in and believe it to be true. I actually drew this a few years ago and have never had the gumption to sit and cut it out. Finally made the time and got 'er done. Can you tell what it says?


Here's what the template will look like. It's a bit jagged because I cut them, scan them in and outline them in illustrator, so you'll just have to use your own creativity in smoothing out the lines. Good luck and may the herbicide be with you!


Download your free scherenschnitte template here: Weeding

Template Tuesday - Spring Love

It's definitely Spring here in Utah and with Spring comes more leisurely walks in the park and longer walks under a starry sky. Here's to hopin' you find someone to enjoy the gradients at dusk with.


This is what the template looks like. Those vines can get a bit tricky. Sometimes I find that the part that messes up my papercuts the most is the last part when I remove the scrap paper from the cut. I get all excited and if there are little veins still left connecting the paper, I tend to pull them rather than cut and that's when tears happen. So be patient until the very end. Endure!

Download your free papercutting template here: Spring Love

Template Tuesday - Lamb of God

The gap in between Valentine's and Easter this year is quite large. Usually it seems like only a moment that those Cadbury Mini Easter Eggs are available. This year they've been around long enough for me to almost tire of them. In the barrage of pastel and bunnies and eggs, it's easy to forget the actual reason for the celebration of Easter. Because of the Son, we may live again and for Him I am so grateful.

Download the pdf of the papercutting template here: Lamb of God

Template Tuesday - The Hunger Games

In honor of my birthday coming up on Wednesday and in tribute to a delightful little novel about children killing each other, I've decided to do this Template Tuesday with a quote from The Hunger Games. I guess it's also in honor of Spring. "May the odds be ever in your favor" has a nice hopeful Springy ring to it. Here's to starting anew!


Here is what the template will look like. It looks like it's difficult, but it just takes a little bit of time. It's a lot of straight lines.

Download your free Hunger Games scherenschitte here: May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

Template Tuesday - Simple Animal Valentines

Today's Template Tuesday is a twofer. I tried to make these a little more simple for kids to do, but I think I always wind up doing things a little too adult. I'm going to see if my boyfriend's son can help me with figuring out what little kids might want. Check back next Tuesday to see if I'm successful. For now, here are two things I enjoy -- love-birds and squirrels. Go ahead and take a whack at these and see what you think.




I separated the templates into two different files. One has just the animals on it and the other just the hearts. When I created the final piece, I pop-dotted them to each other so that there was more depth. You can do whatever you want.



Hope you enjoy these simple valentines! Here's the templates: Animals & Hearts.

Template Tuesday - Little Jack Horner

A few months ago, I asked Tom what his favorite nursery rhyme was and he said it was Little Jack Horner. So I drew up a picture of it and decided I should save it for a Christmas template since it mentions Christmas in the poem. Here's what I came up with:



Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum
And said "What a good boy am I!"

Here's what the template will look like. It's not too terribly complicated, mostly just little details. Remember, for the face, use your blade from the inside parts to the outside parts. So, from the inside corner of the mouth out to the outside of the lips. You don't have to drag your blade all in a straight line. Lift it up.



Here's the link: Little Jack Horner

Template Tuesday - Zombies

So, some of my co-workers have put together a zombie political organization in hopes of truly bringing in some new brrraaainnnnns to the candidacy this voting season. If you're interested in joining go to votezombie.com and sign up - or at least click like on their facebook page. I made a few zombies for them that I don't think they're going to use, so you guys can. They are pretty great. I don't know what you'd use them in - maybe blow them up, stick them in a window - that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

Click here to check out this dead man's party: Zombie Template!

Template Tuesday - I Vant To Suck Your Blahd!

Hey everyone! I'll bet you thought I forgot about you. I totally did. I went and fell in love with this really awesome guy and completely threw all blogging responsibilities to the wind. I will try to be a little more proactive. Or at least lay down strict rules that I need to make a Template Tuesday at least twice a month.

That said, I have an important thing to discuss. It's come to my attention that some of my templates are being used for commercial gain without my consent. I realize that I haven't put up any kind of messages saying not to do that, but I figured if someone wanted to sell some artwork, they'd want to sell some of their own. Obviously that's not the case and I would just like to make it clear that these templates are for personal use only. They are not to be used on your etsy site, they are not to be used in the cards you sell at a farmer's market, they are not to be used as your own templates to sell - stuff like that. They are to be used to give to your mom, to put up in your kid's room, to practice for yourself - stuff like that. If there's a gray area, like you want to put them on your cd or use them in a publication with credits, send me an email, I will be very accommodating.

So, now that that's over, here's a Halloween Template Tuesday to mess around with. Last Saturday we went to see Off Broadway Theatre's Dracula vs. Jekyll and Hyde. It was an excellent production, very kid friendly, so if you're in the Salt Lake area, try to give it a look-see. My favorite character in the production was Count Dracula. So charming. I thought I'd do a simple Dracula template for the holiday and in honor of the Count. Happy Cutting!

Here he is, about to suck some blood. He loves the ladies. Here's what the template will look like:

Download your free template here: Dracula

Template Tuesday - Woodsy

Sometimes I think that people are sick of my paper cuts and they're like, "Cindy, paper cut, paper cut, paper cut...don't you do anything else besides paper cut?" And sometimes, really, that's pretty much all I do. So I feel like people might not want one, but when I receive gifts from people that they made, I generally like them. I like them a lot. So it was my friend Elin's birthday today and I asked her what animals she liked or what fairy tale and she said she liked woodland creatures, particularly owls, squirrels and deer. So I made her a little papercut based on those things. And in giving to her, I also give to you. Enjoy!
Download your template in pdf format here: Woodsy

Template Tuesday - Fairy

We've got this little intern at our work, her name is Montana, and the other day she said, "You need to make me a papercut." Generally I don't succumb to demands like that and need a little bit more sweet-talking but since she was so blunt about it, I was a little taken aback. "What do you want?" I heard myself say. "A fairy. A fairy blowing on one of those puff things." I don't know if she actually said a puff thing, but that's what I heard. I made a different fairy a while back, more of an Arthur Rackham fairy, but changed it this week. I like this fairy better. Not to say that Arthur Rackham fairies are bad, because they aren't, they are beautiful. So anyway, I used to draw fairies a lot when I was a teenager, but my college professors shamed it out of me, so this is a nice "poo on you" to them.

Download your free papercutting template here: Fairy

Template Tuesday - Bubbles

I had a busy weekend this last week. It was filled with wonderful, fun things. Sometimes things don't turn out like you want them to though. That was the inspiration for this cut, the beauties of life being the fragile bubbles and the popped one the disappointments. But just because there are disappointments doesn't mean you should stop blowing bubbles.

Here's what the template will look like. The thin lines are tricky. On the loopy parts, cut the insides out first and then cut out the line. Cut from left to right, unless you're left handed. Also, I find it best to cut the intersecting parts, like the part where the lines meet the bubbles, going from the corners out.

Here's the free papercut template: Bubbles

Template Tuesday - Floral Bunch

A few weeks back, a friend of mine lost her father and another friend lost his grandfather. I was able to go to my friend Andi's dad's funeral. It was a full day filled with remembrances, sadness, service and love from friends and family from all over the country. Andi's dad definitely left his mark on the world. I drew this little bouquet the Sunday following the funeral in hopes of posting it that following Tuesday, but life kind of happened and I didn't get around to putting it up. I put a small bell on in homage to the poem by John Donne called "No Man Is An Island"

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

My favorite part is where it says each man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind. We are all woven together here in this life in one way or another and the time we have together is short. Remember to make the most of it.


This is what the template will look like. Remember to cut the inside (gray) parts out first. The flowers took me a while, so don't lose patience! Also, the size it currently is fits on an A6 greeting card if you feel so inclined to use it in cardmaking. Download here: Floral Bunch

Template Tuesday - Groundhog Day

So, tomorrow is Groundhog Day. A day that, for most people, carries much hope and suspense. Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow, thus signifying the onslaught of 6 more weeks of winter or will he emerge from his hole, granting us a reprieve from this gloomy malaise? We'll see what happens. I, for one, wouldn't mind for this dreadful cold weather that we've suddenly received here in Salt Lake to disappear.

Here's a nice little Groundhog Day papercut for those who might be fixated with the holiday or just like groundhogs. It's a mirror image one, so be careful not to cut through the center parts that aren't grayed out. This is what the template will look like:

To download your free Groundhog Day scherenschnitt, click here: Groundhog Day

Template Tuesday - Circus Bear

I'm super excited about this little guy. He's a dancing bear. Sometimes the squirrel likes to join him. I think, once a month, for template tuesday I'll try to do a circus themed one this year. I love the circus.

Here's what the template will look like. If you don't want the squirrel on his nose, you can just not cut out the squirrel. It's that simple!
Download your free Circus Bear template here: Circus Bear