Claudia Hopf - Papercutting Pattern Book: 275 Original Designs

To papercutters the world overthose who inspired us in the past, those working today, and those who will discover the art

Copyright 2010 by Stackpole Books

Published by
STACKPOLE BOOKS
5067 Ritter Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
www.stackpolebooks.com

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Stackpole Books.

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

FIRST EDITION

Cover design by Tessa J. Sweigert

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hopf, Claudia.
Papercutting pattern book / Claudia Hopf. 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8117-0575-2 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 0-8117-0575-7 (pbk.)
1. Paper work. 2. Cut-out craft. I. Title.
TT870.H658 2010
745.54dc22
2010001780

eBook ISBN 978-0-8117-4231-3

THE GUILD OF AMERICAN PAPERCUTTERS

www.papercutters.org

This guild was established to promote the craft in North America, but includes members from Europe, Australia, and Asia. Membership ranges from beginners to fulltime artists, teachers, and collectors. The guild publishes First Cut magazine quarterly.

PAPERCUTTINGS BY ALISON

P.O. Box 2771
Sarasota, FL 34230
(941) 378-8411
www.papercuttingsbyalison.com

Papercuttings by Alison is the creator and distributor of the largest variety of papercutting patterns and supplies. Alison Cosgrove Tanners interest in papercutting began in 1966 when she was nine years old and her family visited the home of Hans Christian Andersen in Odense, Denmark. Andersens papercuttings inspired Alison. She started her own business in 1984. Over the years, Alisons husband, Chuck Tanner, and her mother and father, Gloria and Don Cosgrove, have all shared in the creative art and work together in the business, supplying cutters with scissors, various papers, patterns, and books on papercutting. An annual catalog is available.

SAX ARTS AND CRAFTS

P.O. Box 510710
New Berlin, WI 53151
www.saxarts.com

They offer everything your art desires.

THE SHARPENING COMPANY

3702 West Sample Street, Suite 1105
South Bend, IN 46619
www.tsharp.com

The Sharpening Company has been in business for more than twenty-five years repairing cutting instruments. They can produce ultrasharp edges without altering the original design of the blade. Minimal metal is removed, and only as necessary.

UTRECHT ART SUPPLIES

6 Corporate Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512
www.utrechtart.com

Discover more fresh Craft books, eBooks, and inspiration for your next project!

With detailed, step-by-step photos and clear instruction, Stackpoles craft titles show both beginning and experienced crafters exactly how-to!

Visit

Stackpole Books Crafts & Hobbies webpage

My love affair with papercutting began in the 1960s when I first saw an intricate 1810 birth certificate scherenschnitte at Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Scherenschnitte is the term for papercutting in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. After seeing this amazing piece, I sought out other papercuttings. The collection at Landis also included childrens nave cuttings. These charming examples were cut from any paper availableold ledgers, newspapers, letters, wallpapers, and small bits of colored paper.

I began learning by trying these simpler designs. I started on white paper and then moved on to black. I mounted the designs on wallpapers and fabrics. As I gained confidence, I moved on to more complex cuttings.

The next step I took was antiquing the paper. First I tried tea to stain the surface of white paper, but I found the color to be too pink. I then tried using instant coffee. The result proved to be much closer in simulating the foxing, or yellowish brown stains, found on old paper. To add dimension, I pin-pricked small interior spaces, such as facial features, hair, clothing, veins in leaves, and flower petals.

Then I began painting my cuttings with a basic color palette. I mainly used dark colors, but through the years I added brighter hues. Experimenting with papers, I used anything that had interesting color and texture. I found that flower and plant catalogs have wonderful floral illustrations printed on smooth, thin paper. When these are folded and cut, they produce exciting marble effects.

At first, my designs were based on Pennsylvania Dutch scherenschnitte. I soon discovered, however, that artistic papercutting has been practiced for centuries in many cultures around the world. I learned more about the varieties of cutting in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, and China, and I added these influences to my craft.

My subjects for cutting include birds, animals, flowers, garden designs, and scenic images with people. Botanicals especially lend themselves to perfect outline design and can be done in black silhouette or white with colorful painting. I began to paint more realistic images on the cuttings when customers asked me to do portraits of their dogs and cats. Elaborate Biblical subjects have also been popular, especially the Peaceable Kingdom, Noahs Ark, and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

ABOUT THE PATTERNS

In this book, you will find a nice variety of papercutting patterns. They are all my own original designs, although some are inspired by other papercutting traditions. The patterns can be reduced or enlarged. The larger the design, the easier it is to cut. Smaller designs, obviously, are more intricate and challenging. The dots on the patterns indicate areas where you may punch holes with a pin.

After you gain more experience, try new ideas. It can be fun to add insects or small animals to botanicalsa bumblebee to a flower, a frog under a thicket of ferns, or a chipmunk next to a tree. Doing this gives the design visual appeal and adds your own personal touch. You can use parts of patterns and add them to others if you wish.

Below are the general needs and steps for papercutting. For more complete information on the craft, including a variety of designs by other practitioners from various countries, see my book Papercutting: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

Papercutting requires no expensive tools. Essentially, all you need is a good pair of sharp iris scissors. If you want to cut heavier papers, you will need a craft knife and a self-healing backmat. Have a pin handy, too, for punching small holes when the design calls for it.

Twenty-pound laid paper is the best type to use with iris scissors. White is preferred if you plan to stain or paint on the paper. Any paper can be used, however. You may want to experiment with magazines, calendars, rice paper, and old antique paper. You can photocopy the patterns from the book if you wish, but you may want to trace them and transfer them to paper. For tracing, you will need tracing paper, a soft lead pencil, double-sided transparent tape, and a burnishing tool or spoon.

For staining, you will need a sponge, water, instant coffee, soft tissues, and paper towels. For painting, you will need a #2 or #3 sable brush and the following watercolor paints: cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, Prussian blue, burnt sienna, permanent white, and lamp black. For mounting, I recommend black velour paper and an acid-free glue stick.