Please follow my new blog, Paper Zen, to see my new die cut patterns!
Bride Dress and Groom Tuxedo Party Favor Boxes
28 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in by Cecelia, Digital Die Cutter, Paper Tags: box, bride, die cut, dress, groom, svg, tuxedo, wedding
Printable Quilled Invite
22 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in by Cecelia, Digital Die Cutter, Paper, quilling Tags: die cutting, invitation, party, printable, quilling
Printable quilled thank you card and envelope
09 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in by Cecelia, Digital Die Cutter, Paper, quilling Tags: envelope, pdf, printable, quilling, thank you card
Dear Crafting Creatures readers, I want to say thank you!
I started this blog years ago with my friends to inspire each other with our projects. I’ve been the only one adding to it for some time, and the name Crafting Creatures doesn’t suit my new direction. I will continue blogging in my spare time, but now it means more to me than a hobby. I’m taking my paper on new paths and I really hope you’ll follow me there, as I will not be updating this blog anymore.
My new blog is Paper Zen, which describes both how tranquil I feel when working with paper, and the enlightenment I hope my work gives others.
I’m indebted to you, kind reader, for giving me wonderfully encouraging words to keep going. To return your enthusiasm, I’d like to give you my quilled Thank You card and matching envelope. It’ll be for sale in my Etsy shop afterwards, so grab it now by visiting Paper Zen!
Happy Father’s Day (3D die cut card)
16 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in by Cecelia, Digital Die Cutter, Greeting Card, Paper Tags: 3D, die cut, father's day
My dad wears a ratty, tattered vest and even though I’ve given him new ones, he still keeps wearing the old one anyway. He doesn’t wear a bow tie, but I think he’ll get a kick out of this card anyway.
I’ve been experimenting in the realm of “printables” and this is made of 3 pieces – the bow tie, shirt, and vest, cut from 1 sheet of letter-size paper on 80lb cover stock. It was fun to shade the bow tie and give it a sense of 3D while really giving a 3D shape. Details in the buttons and stitching was a cinch to print. It helps keep the vest flaps down when the card is closed. I’ve written my message under the shirt, which is removable.
Somehow I quite like the back as well simply for its minimalism. He’s a man of little words, so I’ll see what kind of reaction I get during tonight’s dinner.
If you’d like to cut this card by hand, I’m selling a “printable” and “cuttable” file on Etsy.
Monster Bookmark – Free Die Cut (SVG, DXF, PDF)
13 Jun 2013 2 Comments
in by Cecelia, Digital Die Cutter, Paper Tags: bookmark, die cutter, free, monster
I’m showing Ann Martin’s book, All Things Paper, to family and friends, and as I flip to my project in I realized I could simplify my life with a bookmark.
There are many wonderful monster ones out there but I wanted ear flaps so they stuck out for easy finding. I added a dash of color in the eyes, so some quick marker strokes were all that was needed before gluing down the triangular flap.
Download a free compressed file containing SVG, DXF, and PDF files for personal use. Please leave me a comment if you have some time – I love hearing if you’re inspired to make something.
Mysterious Stationery Box, All Things Paper
12 Jun 2013 2 Comments
in by Cecelia, Paper Tags: box
Open, says me! I can finally open up and share more about my Mysterious Stationery Box, which was included in Ann Martin’s wonderful book, All Things Paper. Being the eagle-eyed blogger she is, Ann was able to call upon creatives all around the world who work with paper, and showcase just how versatile paper can be.
My project is based on a common Japanese box (Karakuri Bako), which is traditionally made of wood and fabric to hold jewelry in evenly divided compartments. The mystery behind it is how the lid is double-hinged, allowing it to reveal the main compartment (above), and the smaller side compartments (below).
I make the lid stay closed snugly by gluing panels that just friction-fit within the compartment. I shot a video showing how it works that I hope Tuttle will show it soon on their site. This isn’t the first time making this box – actually I made it as my grad project while attending Emily Carr College so many years ago. I didn’t have money to buy the best materials back then, so when Ann asked me to create this project, I have to admit I was eager to re-do it with proper materials.
Lineco Binder Board did exactly as advertised. Lineco’s board scared me at first because after applying glue to most of the surface, it did bow, but flattened itself out as it dried (I used to apply Lineco glue to matte board, then pile on phone books and wait overnight).
In the photo below I’m protecting the compartment with scrap paper while applying glue to a tab with a brush, another splurge since college and one that I was so pleased with because it allowed me to control the amount of glue better than spreading with a credit card. The Japanese patterned paper is made by hand and I was assured it will not tear even with repeated use because of its long fibers.
This project can be daunting for beginners, but I hope it inspires you to look at paper as a strong structural component to your creations.
Another project in this book that caught my eye immediately was Allison Patrick’s Phone Book Letter Holder. I love how she’s given the diminished Yellow Pages a new life. Simple yet stylish, using materials around the house – my favorite combo.Want to win your own book? Simply visit Ann’s giveaway post!
Flights of Fancy – My Favorite Pop-ups
24 May 2013 Leave a comment
in by Cecelia, Digital Die Cutter, Paper Tags: pop up book
I’ve always wanted to make a pop-up book – not design one, because my mind doesn’t think this way – but I’ve always wanted to see how the mechanism worked just for the sheer magic of minimalism at its finest.
This swallow is a design by Jessica Tice-Gilbert who makes the most wonderful “how to” video that takes away any intimidation of making pop-ups. The wing rotates!
So when Paper Poet‘s Meet Up Group theme was Birds of a Feather, I interpreted it loosely and chose to make pop-ups I’ve admired over the years.
1) I used paper I had on hand. I had a stack of pre-cut metallic pearl colored card stock which I scored into an accordion fold for the spine. The inner page elements are all cut from Daiso’s colored paper, which was perfect for colors and thickness.
2) I loved how inkjet printing on it still allowed the metallic sheen to come through, as if the blue itself was metallic.
3) The message of hopeful love is so obvious and engaging in Mari Kumada’s Pop-Up Valentine.
4) Robert Sabuda’s Bird comes flying out of its house.
5) The Angel by Robert Sabuda always evokes an “ahh” from my readers.
6) Even though most didn’t think this dove silhouette qualified as a pop-up, I love it for it’s minimalism and how it evokes a quiet peace for me. It’s an invitation for Christian Blanken by Agitprop.
7) I thought the Ark by Robert Sabuda could be seen as flying the high seas, but anyway, I just loved how all the animals are on different planes yet it’s all one sheet of paper.
8) I made line drawing outlines of each page and added credits to my book. I’m so grateful to all these amazing designers for sharing their work. I loved making my small version of their world.
If you haven’t tried making your own pop-up book, I hope you’ll be inspired by these examples.
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