Will You?

My friend Joe proposed to his wife on the catwalk of this building. It was his anniversary just a little while ago and he commissioned me to make a papercut of it. It took me forever because I was moving and I finally finished it this week. Do any of you know which building this is?

Template Tuesday - I Had The Time Of My Life

In honor of one of my childhood favorites, here's a little bouquet of flowers for Patrick Swayze. He just seemed like he was a really nice guy.

Here's what the template will look like:
Click here download your free papercutting template: I Had The Time Of My Life.

Sorry about the sparseness of posts lately. Filling holes in hardwood floors and finding my way through boxes takes time. I think it will get better soon, I hope!

Template Tuesday - End of Summer Bike Ride

My co-worker, Audre, has always been a fan of papercuts. When I gave the previous scherenschnitte to my other co-worker who just had a baby, she was a little miffed. I told her I'd do the next one for her and asked her what she wanted. She said a mountain scene and then I completely went and disregarded what she said. She has this little demon dog, Looey, who only loves her. She also loves to ride her bike and has a basket to go with it. So I thought I'd combine the two. The nights are getting a little chilly again and the scent of Fall is in the air. There probably won't be too many more bike rides left in the year for us working girls. Here's a little papercut to remember the days.

Here's what the pattern will look like. Remember to cut out the inside parts first. Also, remember that whatever way you cut something out on the back, the image will be reversed on the front.
Here's your free papercutting template: End of Summer Bike Ride

Also, a big THANK YOU to One Pretty Thing, Craft: and How About Orange for featuring Scherenschnitte on their blogs! I'm gonna have to send you guys some papercuts too!

Template Tuesday - Mushroom Bunny

I just moved into a new house and everything is so overwhelming so I'm trying to ignore the chaos and put some normality back into my life. I figured I'd do that by starting up exercising again. This silhouette was going to get pushed aside but I decided to take advantage of my new porch and the moonlight and the giant floodlights the old lady had put up who previously lived there and sketch a little something. I'm researching mushrooms for a different project I'm doing and thought I'd try out a little scene with that theme.

Here's what the template will look like. Remember to cut out the gray areas first and then the outlined area in the back.

Download your free scherenschnitte template here: Mushroom Bunny

I cut this out at work and am using a different mat than I normally would use. This one doesn't suit me. If you are trying to use a craft knife to cut out your papercuts and it tears all the time, maybe try getting a different mat. It'll make a big difference.

Deseret News Feature

Hey! Look who's featured in an online Deseret News article!

It's A Lovely Cage

This one is one of my favorite pieces from the show. It's a small one, but one of the more intricate ones. How often do we find ourselves stuck in the same place, time after time, doing the same thing we always do without trying something different? We have the option of getting out and expanding, but we like the false sense of security developed in the everyday patterns of our lives. Go on, get out there! Try something new!

Available at the Terra Nova Gallery.

Template Tuesday - Pioneer Day - Sarah's Handcart

So I was sitting in church on Sunday and I turned to my friend Sarah and said, "I've got to do a template for my papercutting blog on Tuesday, do you have any ideas?" Then, for the next hour, she proceeded to whisper a variety of ideas to me from pioneers standing around burning woodchips to the invasion of the Mormon crickets (which are both excellent ideas that I will be using in the future). I went with the idea of a pioneer crossing the plains with a handcart. It's called Sarah's handcart. I don't know where Sarah got those two kids since she's not married. Maybe they're from a sibling who passed away while crossing the plains? Maybe Sarah had a rough life before she joined the church? Maybe that dog warns them when wolves are around? I don't know. So much happened while crossing the plains.

Here's what the template will look like when you download it. The parts you cut out are the gray areas. Be sure that however you cut it out, the finished piece has the pioneers facing to your left (like in the color image above). We don't want them going back to Missouri.

Download your free template here: Pioneer Day - Sarah's Handcart

He Was Demanding More and More Sacrifices

The poor mini people of the village were always getting terrorized by this bird until they started offering up sacrifices to him. It's a good thing that there are always plenty of bugs around!

Size: 5" x 7"

This one is still up and showing at the Terra Nova Gallery!

The Squirrel King Shows No Mercy

Here is one of the small papercuts I did for the show. This one is pretty simple. I love squirrels.

Template Tuesday - Harry Potter Owls!

You know what happens at midnight tonight, don't you? The next Harry Potter is available for the American masses! I think everyone in Europe has already seen it. I thought and thought about what papercut to do for template Tuesday and when my friend Joe asked me to go with him to the first showing of Harry Potter, I decided that would be the perfect theme for today! I researched quotes from the movie and this one I thought was pretty nice and not too terribly dark. Most of the other quotes I found had to do with messed up spells and You Know Who. This one isn't accurate though, technically it's supposed to be, "Don't count your owls before they are delivered," but the design works well this way.

Here's what the template will look like. It's different than other ones in that I made the positive parts gray. Please remember to cut out the inside bits (negative space) first and then cut around the outside. This image is reversed so that if you print it directly onto the back of your paper it will read right on the reverse side. If you want to print this out and then tape it to your paper to cut it out, you will want to flip the image so that the words read right to you.



This has a lot of thin lines. When you cut these, it's easier to cut from the place where they start towards the middle of the line, then pick up your blade and do the same at the other end of the line, drawing it into the middle. I don't know why this works, but it seems to make it so that I don't cut through too many things. Does that make sense? Also, if you're right handed, be sure to work from left to right so that you can see the thinness of the lines you're cutting.

This papercut takes a bit of time to do. If you complete it, be sure to let me know!

To download your free scherenschnitte, click here: Harry Potter Owl

He Wasn't Very Coordinated But She Liked His Eyes

Here's my final large piece from the show. This was one of the first ones I did and I hadn't struck upon the cloud idea yet. Originally, for my theme, I wanted to have it about "The Things We Do For Love" and show all sorts of people in weird situations, good or bad, that they only got into because they were infatuated with someone. The theme is pretty much carried throughout all the pieces, but I think this one carries it's essence. Here is a guy who doesn't know how to dance. He's surrounded by a world of people enveloped in a new culture of dance, fashion and lifestyle. There's this girl he really likes who he wants to impress and he'd try anything to get her to be his.

Note: These new pieces are all on display at the Terra Nova Gallery.

P.S. If you're on Facebook, click on that little link on the right and be a fan!

Because They Have Taken Away My Lord

This is one that I've been thinking about for quite some time and I'm sure I'll revisit the theme again. The scene depicts the moment directly after Mary has seen two angels within the sepulcher and they asked her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She replies, "Because they have taken away my Lord." She turns from them and looks into the garden and sees a man standing there who she identifies as the gardener. From that moment, to me, happens one of the most beautiful interactions in the scriptures. John 20:11-16

Note: These new pieces are all on display at the Terra Nova Gallery.

She Wasn't Nagging, She Was Telling Him How To Get There

My parents came to the show on Saturday. Even though they had no clue this papercut would be in the show, my mom spotted right off that it was about them. If there's one thing I dread, it's driving in the car with my parents. My mom tells my dad how to get to a place and he gets all mad at her for telling him what to do, but when she doesn't tell him what to do, he misses the turn or gets lost or whatever.

When I was a kid, my dad went away to go get a car. He towed it back to our house in Las Vegas. It was a 1959 Chevy Impala, the last year it had it's wings. It was a beautiful car.

Art Show!

I just got back from Nebraska so I don't have a Template Tuesday yet, but hopefully I'll have one tomorrow and I'll sneak it up and pretend like it was posted today.

What I DO have are pictures from the art show opening at the Terra Nova Gallery last Friday. Featuring Randel McGee, Ada Gardner and Rick James Marzullo. You're very excited, I know. Here's me with one of my coworkers, Hillary and her sister, Ashley. Kudos to Hillary for coming all the way down!


Jamie, who has a friend who likes my stuff but she didn't come along with her!


These are my old landlords who became friends from my college days, Mike and Jenni. I would someday like to be as cool as they are.


My mom and my dad are to my right, to my left is my dental hygienist and her husband. Random, right? Especially when you learn that they heard about the show because they were up here flying hot air balloons and Kim's parents told them about it.


Erin! One of my most favorite companions from my mission. She can sing like an angel.


Kim, who was such a wonderful help the whole show, and Stephen.


Marie, Lena, me and Rachel. I really like these ladies. I'm so glad I've gotten to know them a little better over the past little while.


Kim's parents, Ron and Carol!


Randel and his wife, Marsha! Randel is the reason I was in the show in the first place. He's a talented papercutter AND a talented puppeteer.


Kellie and Brigham! I was so excited to see them again and they even bought the roaring 20s piece. It was one of the ones that I got some of the most comments about the whole evening.


Ryan was someone I met that night but have known for a little while. I'm so glad he showed up!


El Stevo! Steve and Krista showed up too. The time is farspent in between viewings of these two.


Christian and Kirsten! It was so good to see them as well. Christian has a new movie coming out pretty soon.


Whitney with Mary poking her head in between us.


Michelle! Michelle bought this piece for her collection. I think she has the largest collection of Cindy Ferguson papercuts of anyone I know besides maybe my mom.


Erin. I can't even say how happy I was that she was there at the show.


This is David Hawkinson, the owner of the gallery where we had our show. He is such a nice guy and I was so glad to be able to work with him.


All in all, the show was a great success and I hope that if you haven't seen it, you can go down to the Terra Nova Gallery and take a gander (41 W 300 N, Provo). Thanks all!

They Said She Wouldn’t Like It But They Were Wrong

Happy 4th of July!

To all of you who came to the show last night, thank you! It was a great success and a whole lot of fun.

Here's one of the pieces. This was inspired by my mom's friend, Garnet. Garnet and her husband were sheep ranchers and would travel many miles transporting their sheep from place to place.

When I have more time I'll post more photos from the show.

Template Tuesday - 4th of July Liberty Bell

Sweet freedom. You know how you get to a point where almost all the things you have to do are done and you think you're about finished, but eventually a whole new slew of things gets thrown your way? I feel like I'm almost to that point. It's nice. I'll just trick myself into thinking I'll have a load of free time sometime soon.

It's been a little while since I've done a papercut template and I kept wracking my brain as to what I could do for the 4th of July. I kept thinking of doing fireworks, but that's kind of boring. Then, the other day, I got this awesome mirror at the thrift store with 13 stars and an eagle at the top and my friend Kim suggested I memorize the Declaration of Independence while I go swimming. Voila! I have a little bit of Declaration of Independence, a little bit of the 13 colonies and a little bit of the Liberty Bell. Happy Independence Day, America, enjoy a free scherenschnitte template!

Here's what the template looks like:

Download the free template here: Liberty

C'est Fini!

This weekend I took all my pieces down to the gallery in Provo. It is such a relief to have them all completed and in someone else's hands. I'm excited for Friday, if anything to see some old friends who I haven't seen in forever. I'm also excited to start back up Template Tuesday! Woot! Just in time for the 4th. You guys have no idea how guilty I felt not doing them.

This one is called, "He had No Idea what He Doing Out Here but He Sure Did Love to See Her Smile," or something like that. I can't remember what I wrote.

Mother Said This Would Come To No Good

Ooo, you guys, I finally got one of my pieces finished for the art show on July 3rd. Wanted to put up a sneak peek. Of course, this is my most favorite piece of any of them that I have done so hopefully if you come to Provo to see you won't be too disappointed.

July 3, 2009
6-9pm

Terra Nova Gallery
41 West 300 North
Provo, Utah 84601

Papercut Family Tree

Something fun I've been working on lately has been these three family trees. They are cut out of census papers of my ancestors. I scanned them in and blew them up pretty large and cut out these giant family trees.


It's interesting the different color variances you can get with different eras of census records. I think the first one is from the 1920s, the second one is from the 1910s and the third one from the 1880s.


I'm going to give one to my parents, one I'll keep for me and I'm still debating what to do with the third one.

Ugh!

Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been pretty busy. But a lot of busy doing papercuts, so that's pretty cool. Remember how I told you that I'm going to be featured in a book about papercuts? I think I might have mislead some of you into believing that this was going to be all my stuff. It's lots of other artists in it as well. Well, I just got word that it's definitely being produced and will be available January 2010! It's called
Papercuts: 35 Inventive Projects and I think about 8 of them are mine. Pretty exciting, no?

Also, and I'm sure I'll post more about this as it gets closer, but I'm going to be in an art show with two other papercutting artists down in Provo from July 3rd-31st at the Terra Nova Gallery! If any of you are in the area, I hope you can make it! The opening reception is on July 3rd from 6-9pm.