Paper Arts (Pop-Up Cards)

[susan]

At nine I was wire wrapping with telephone wire. At 10 I was crocheting. At 12 I was sewing. From that point on it was everything from polymer clay, stained glass, glass stepping stones, mosaics, paper making, hair design, book binding, candle making, soap creations, erasure carving, fabric painting, needle felting, origami, costume design and paper arts. While I still dabble in many mediums, my two favorites are metal jewelry and paper arts, specifically pop-up cards and three dimensional structures in paper. My husband, mother and step father all join me in this passion of paper arts. The photo is one of the cards that I created using a pattern by Rich of Creativepopupcards.com When the card is opened the flattened birds spread their wing span and reveal items held in their beaks. I made this card for our local librarians for Valentine's Day. One of the birds is holding the book One Fish. If you are interested in trying pop-up paper arts, his web site offers free patterns and video instruction. Another great beginner pop-up web site is www.robertsabuda.com/popmakesimple.asp

My favorite style is Art Nouveau with Art Deco being a close second. I find the styles of that era challenging to reproduce in my creations, so when I see others doing this well I am in awe. I would love to hear what styles or eras inspire others on the forum.

I'm so glad that there is this section to the forum, as many people have more than one passion and you never know when sharing what you love is going to inspire another person.

~Susan

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[Tela]

Wow! That is soooo pretty. I love how clever and delicate it is. It seems very Victorian to me (doves were so popular then) This had to be exacting to do. I had trouble with paper dolls, I can't imagine making this. Thank you so much for sharing! Thanks for the link, too. I am definitely going to check it out.

Do you think there will be patterns that an 11 year old could do, or could you point me to some? I bet my granddaughter, with her little hands, would be great at this.

[susan]

Thank you for your nice comments, Tela. The Robert Sabuta site mentioned above would be a great place for your granddaughter to get started with pop ups. If she likes flowers, the Mother's Day Flower is an easy one to put together and looks nice using two complimentary colors of paper or cardstock. He shows most of his examples in white paper, but two sided patterned paper or colored cardstock is pretty stunning. Good luck to your granddaughter. I bet she has a blast!!

~Susan

[christine]

Susan, Your card is beautiful! The detail is incredible. How special one would feel to be the recipient of such a beauty! Thank you for sharing this. I will check out the link too.

[susan]

Christine, I'll make one for you and take a photo and give it to you on this site. You deserve it for all the supportive and kind feedback you give to others!!

~Susan

[maryalece]

How cool, Susan! I have always loved pop-ups! I could sit and play with them for hours when I was a kid. I adored my paper dolls, too. My mom brought me a pop-up paper doll set from Mexico when I was about 8 or so. I played with it until it was so thin! I still have it somewhere in one of my "memory boxes." Your work is very intricate and precise! Thanks for showing the picture and posting the website :-D