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Sunday 25 August 2013

Cards with Scandinavian Birds

Hi all. Hope you've had a good relaxing weekend. It's a bank holiday tomorrow here in Britain and I bet many crafters will appreciate this extra day for some crafting. 
More cards appearing on my crafty front. This time I tried out a new technique: paper cutting. You don't need anything more than some good cardstock, scalpel and glue. I chose a project from the Making magazine (an archive issue from last year, on sale around Christmas) which had some Scandinavian projects published in it. 
The cards have modern Scandinavian feel and I really really really love this design. They had been on my to-do list of craft projects for months and before I finally got round to make them. 


All elements have been cut out by hand with a scalpel. I can't compete with a laser cutting machine but considering that I was doing this sort of cutting for the first time with a not-so-sharp scalpel (a note to self: must get a decent one) the cards came out pretty well. 
The project included both red and a purple variation. 



I made an extra one - a teal card with a cream coloured design.



It wasn't mentioned in the magazine but I believe that whoever designed those cards for the magazine must have been heavily inspired by a contemporary Finnish artist Sanna Annukka. She designs wonderful modern Scandinavian art. If you're interested in this kind of design, do have a look at her website. The Finnish spirit shows well in her graphic.

Thank you for your lovely comments x X x

Would love to share these cards with other lovely crafters at Hand-made Monday tonight. 

24 comments:

  1. These are GORGEOUS! I can hardly believe you did these with a scalpel. I think you did a beautiful job.

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    1. Thank you. Indeed, I cut the motifs with a scalpel but imagine how my fingers hurt after that! Seriously, I should invest in a good quality scalpel set :)

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  2. hi Marta.
    those cards are very special, but wonderful!
    Happy new week to you,
    Hugs
    Claudia

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    1. thank you. i love simple but charming cards :)

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  3. Beautiful card you have made :O)

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  4. They're really pretty. It must have taken you ages to cut them all out xx

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  5. Hello Martha,
    I hope you also had a nice long weekend - certainly you had a productive one!
    I like that modern Nordic design a lot :) It must have taken you ages to cut all those shapes by hand.. great work. I couldn't decide which colour combination I like the most ;-)
    Hannukka's works are very interesting, thanks for mentioning her.

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  6. These are so pretty! I especially love the red-- my favorite color and so scandinavian!

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  7. I haven't tried paper cutting before but the end result looks so beautiful. Your cards are really gorgeous.
    M x

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  8. I like the combination of clarity and folk influence in these - very nice :) Good colour choices too!

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  9. Wonderful cards. Your hand must have been so steady for cutting out the smaller details.

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  10. I would say you did a pretty good job considering it was your first time cutting that thick paper with a not so sharp scalpel. I have found paper knives with rotating heads are great for curves and also that it is good to change the blade more often than one would think. These designs are just adorable, I am sorry I missed this issue...

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  11. How wonderful! They have turned out really well, I love them. The contrast with the bright colours is fantastic.

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  12. These really stand out and are very striking. You have done an amazing job.

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  13. Good cutting! Try to get a scalpel with replaceable blades and a fatter handle, more comfortable to hold.

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  14. These have worked really well - and thanks for the link to Sanna's website, it looks wonderful! (Found your blog through the Handmade Monday link up :)

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  15. These are amazing. I can't believe you cut them all out by hand, it must have taken you ages! I'm very impressed as I tried paper cutting and the results were terrible!

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  16. They look fabulous, I love the bold colours against the white. I'm not sure I could ever do cutting out like that with a scalpel, so well done for trying (and succeeding so brilliantly)

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  17. These are sooooooooooooo beautiful! Thinking of trying it myself, but definitely need to get a sharper craft knife than my current one! Simi @ buttons and paint... xx

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  18. These are beautiful, not only the designs but the colours you have used. Scandinavian Art always looks so fresh and crisp. I think you done a brilliant job with your scalpel.

    Jan x

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  19. I really love the Scandinavian designs too, particularly the red and white. I'll definitely have a look at the website you recommended.

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  20. what a striking design, i love it! You've done so well for your first go at paper cutting too. I imagine its one of those things that's quite addictive once you get started i look forward to seeing more! x

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  21. That's so beautiful and so much detail. It must have taken you ages to make and I'm not sure if I have the patience. It gives such a brilliant result with the bright colours underneath.

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