Paper Crafting...
I've discovered the joy of paper crafting and
since January 2009 I've been delighting in creating
handmade greeting cards. My favorite so far is iris
and paper folding, but do enjoy a variety of this
art form. Almost anything can be glued, sewn, or
otherwise attached to cardstock to create one-of-a
kind cards.
This section will to grow as I continue to learn and
play with this craft. No, I haven't abandoned doodling.
Far from it, but for a time I am focusing on learning
new skills. I've been creating cards with doodles for
several years and am just in the mood to try something
different.
There is an abundance of good information on the
internet so I won't go into greeting card instructions
here. Just show you what the end results are.
Resources: Websites
Typing "iris folding" into a search engine will bring up a wealth of sites to explore. Here are a few of my favorites:
www.irisfolding.circleofcrafters.com
I highly recommend this site for a beginning iris folder. Lots of helpful tips and free patterns. I've used many of their patterns that are great for learning, but as I gained experience I found I tweaked some of them a bit.
www.iris-folding.com/freepatterns.html
This site has free iris folding patterns, as well as a book to purchase. They have recently opened their members only section to non-book owners for a one-time fee of $10.
Here is a site I love for it's sheer beauty and creativity. It's not iris folding, but wow is it inspiring! Make sure to visit the Project Gallery. I hope to get that good one day.
Resources: Books in My Library
Iris Folding
Classic Cards: 60 Projects for the Discriminating Crafter, by Marrian Piers. A gorgeous book. I've used it several times for projects and inspiration. It has a variety of projects, including a section on iris folding.
Iris Folding, by Michelle Powell. Another favorite. My lovely Geisha girls are made from three of Michelle's patterns.
Iris Folding: Spiral Folding for Paper Arts, by Lisa Vollrath. This is my very first crafting book. I bought it at the craft store where I first saw iris folding. It's a very nice beginner's book, plus it contains great papers to get you started right away. Much used.
460 Iris Folded Cards to Make: The
Complete Iris Folding Compendium, by
Maruscha Gaasenbeek
& Tine Beauveser.
A beautiful book with clear instructions and
templates.
General Papercraft
Card Art: Create Treasured Greetings from Fabric & Paper, by Tia Catherine Jonsson. A top-notch instruction book.
Making Cards in a Weekend, by Jain Suckling. Another very good instruction book.
More for The Card Connection: 134 projects for card-making, scrapbooking, and more. Hot Off the Press, Inc. A variety of card ideas from nine designers.
Specialized Cards
These books captured my interest and are waiting for me to get to making their projects.
Penny Black's The Book of Cards and Collages, by Penny Black. Oh yum. I've got all the ingredients, now I just have to make the time.
Joanna Sheen's Paper Lace Greeting Cards, by Joanna Sheen. Another one that tugs my heart strings. If you visit her site you'll get a taste of why.
Handmade Victorian Cards, by Joanna Sheen. Anything Joanna Sheen produces is first class and filled with helpful instruction.
Card & Thread Greeting Cards, by Polly Pinder. This was just too intriguing to pass up. I will get to it one of these days.
Puppetry
These are recent books added to my library. I'm looking to make puppets to attach to greeting cards, as well as to use with nursing home residents. So far I've enjoyed reading them all, and now need to actually make a few of their puppets.
Paper Puppet Palooza: Techniques for
making movable art figures and paper dolls,
by Norma V. Toraya.
Artful Paper Dolls: New ways to play
with a traditional form, by Terry
Taylor.
Altered Art Circus, by Lisa Kettell.
TIP I buy used books from Amazon resellers marketplace and have had excellent results in getting new or near new books at quite a savings. Always looking for a bargain!