Paper Cutting Panda Style!

13th January
I am totally new to this blogging world , so much so that prior to beginning one I had never followed a blog in my life, but now when I am not crafting, household choring, spending time with the family or working, I peruse the Internet and see how others entertain in Blogland, and boy do they entertain.

It was through this that I discovered the amazing Panda, known as Paper Panda.  This woman is a complete inspiration in the paper cutting world.  After delving in a little further I discovered that she was the first paper cutter to have a page on Facebook back in 2010, now there are literally hundreds.

I was immediately drawn to Panda's intricate cuttings and silhouettes, I think one of the charms of her work is the finished polished professional look to the end result. The frames, the way the cut outs, throw their shadows onto the back of the frame, there is nothing I do not like. So  leading up to Christmas I noticed she had DIY kits for sale and was tempted.  Luckily Pappa asked if there was anything on my wish list and 'Panda' sprung to mind. In the distant past I dabbled in a teeny weeny bit of paper, nothing on today's paper cutting styles, we are talking about cutting out a single rectangle or some such nothing, but I like to be honest so I knew how to hold the craft knife and knew how to hold the paper etc, but that was it.  So it took me until Wednesday of this week to actually open the DIY kit, very restrained of me I know but in the mean time I have been following Panda and watching every day the new cuts she puts up for sale.  Should you follow the link, and I urge you too, you will also be amazed at how minute the cuts are and how accurate she is, I cannot fathom how she does it.  http://www.paperpanda.bigcartel.com/  (Click on her blog at the top of the page too!  She also has a facebook page with over 60, 000 followers!)

 

One of the cut outs from the DIY kit, you too could do this!



The DIY kit is very simple but beautifully executed, everything you need is there and the instructions are very clear.   She also prompts you to some of her 'how to' videos, I confess I have not looked at them yet. So with excitement and trepidation , I thought I should begin.  I sat down in the study on our very wonky chair, I love it, it was free, we belong to free cycle but it has taken a battering since it entered our house a couple of years ago and is now somewhat wonky, some may even go as far as saying it is beyond help, it is that 'off' centre.  Anyhow, sat down as I did, I faced my first challenge, that of getting into the hard plastic packaging that contained the craft knife and extremely sharp blade.  Panda tells you to be careful and remember you are not a ninja!!!!!  Well I couldn't get b****y well in!   Arggggghhhhh.  So with a little frustration and force I did, but at a price, the chair gave way and I fell backwards throwing the knife into the air!  I felt a total banana, but luckily the knife just landed with a 'Plop' onto the desk in the right place neatly next to the cutting mat, teasing me as if to say, come on then what are you waiting for. Picking up the chair I felt a complete idiot and wondered if this was such a good idea, but I continued, the excitement out weighed the embarrassment. Paper cutting is so addictive and within minutes I was hooked.

Panda takes you through simple small steps and gives you little challenges along the way. In a bizarre twist, despite the need for concentration, it was one of the most therapeutic activities I have ever done.  At times a little frustrating when you think, gosh this is only a line I am following, how hard can it be to cut a straight/curved/circular line etc, but then you get the knife back into the grove and move along to a pleasant slow rhythm.  I am quite impatient with myself and like to see results fast, so thinking I did not have to follow Panda's instructions to a 'T', I skipped some stages and cut those patterns I liked the best and then did not even finish the three beautiful sheets of cutting she provides, I wanted to branch out on my own...

I thought to cut out a blog header with paper crafting and so set about.  Trying to write font backwards and in my own hand was no easy feat and too late I realised I should perhaps have downloaded some fonts from the wonderful invention called the 'internet'!

 

So the above was my first attempt at going it alone, I was pleased but also frustrated that it did not look very professional, nor did it give the right sort of feeling that I desired for the blog, so back to the drawing board.  I googled paper cutting in general and was amazed to see how much is out there and what big business it seems to be and suddenly my story board idea began to emerge.  I should cut out all the things the blog is about as the header page, so I eagerly sat down and began to add in details of all that the blog means to me, sewing, knitting, crocheting, food, my home and family, sailing, and me...

 

After initially drawing it out, the cutting began...

 

I kept turning it over to see what the finished result would be like and began to be secretly a little bit pleased...

 

The paper began to be very fragile and when my daughter lifted it up by the corner when it was three quarters complete, I may have screamed at her(!) to put it back down, sorry darling x

I made a few mistakes whilst cutting and if I were to do it again the design would be a little different and I would head Panda's voice more, change the craft knife blade more frequently, to achieve the professional sharp edges, but I was too mean to do that, but see how I should have. 

 



I am totally hooked on paper cutting and am thinking of all sorts of ways to bring it into our lives, it was never meant to be anything more than a new craft hobby for me to try, and it is brilliant.  I urge you to have a go.

♥Have a great week everyone!♥