Last weekend some friends of mine said their I dos in a lovely little nook of rural Washington. The perfect wedding gift? Papercuts, of course! It’s a chance to give loved ones something that you’ve put time and thought into. Something a little more heartfelt than a gift registry purchase. A piece of art that can hang on the wall and act as a happy reminder.
The bride is a lover of trees and works in environmental policy. Levi drew up the perfect design and from there I got to cutting. Unsure of how I wanted the final piece to look, I cut it out with two different papers. They each have their own unique feel: paper selection is so important to the overall mood of a piece and I did a bit of playing around before settling on the paper combinations pictured below. The gray and cream: neutral and pretty, so suited toward the clearance frame I found. The green and blue: vibrant and playful! To me the silver streaks and rich blue color look like a sky alive with comets.
Another note on paper selection: different papers cut differently! Throughout the projects Levi and I have completed I’ve experimented with different papers. Too fibrous, like the paper used as the backing for the green tree, and the cuts aren’t as clean (or require more frequent blade changes). Too thick and you may have to cut the same line repeatedly or put a lot of weight into the blade. So far I’ve been quite successful with medium weight 90 lbs cardstock. And I just found my absolute favorite paper to cut: Canson Mi-Teintes. I used it for the gray tree and it has a gorgeous subtle texture. This paper is French (ooh lala), acid-free, comes in 50 colors….and cuts like butter. While it’s not as cheap as the cardstocks I’ve been using, it doesn’t break the bank and is worth every extra penny. Especially when it goes toward making a special gift.
~Muriel
lovebirdspaper 