Busy as Ants and Bees

I've been spending a lot more time in the garden. It takes effort and care to tend to a garden, but it's the kind of work that has a calming affect on the mind. If you're feeling overwhelmed, lost, or even without momentum, taking care of the nature that surrounds you can help your mental health.

In between trying to make things grow in the backyard, I have busily been creating content, and preparing for an art exhibit. There will be more information about the exhibit down the track. For now I wanted to draw to your attention other works of the past couple of months. Such as the...

My Poppet Bookmark, celebrating the Chinese New Year. It's now the year of the Rat, don't you know.

{My Poppet link}

I produced a Kidspot craft video, showing how to make a 'Dummy' Fairy Home.

{Kidspot link}

My pride and joy, for the Christmas period, was the My Poppet – Santa Face Pin. How adorable is this?

{My Poppet link}

The Wolf Is Done

© Melissa Gaggiano

    I just finished making this paper crafted wolf mask. It took a bit of paper, glue, paint and elastic to bring this girl to life. The mask will be a prop for a fairy tale photo shoot. I can hardly wait to see how it looks in the photos post production.

Quickly Now

    This will be short and sweet. I promised my youngest to read a couple of library books to her, so very quickly I will share with you my current progress on art projects…

I am in the middle of cutting up the pieces for a 'final' wolf mask.

I also framed a paper cut Street Fighter image that I made a few weeks ago.
A telling sign that I just may be dyslexic - the first time I framed the image
I put it in reversed and didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with the 'sv'
for a good 20 minutes.

Take Me to the Moon

© Melissa Gaggiano

Surprised, For Sure

Paper cutting by Melissa Gaggiano
"Street Fighter: Ken VS Ryu"

    After spending a week working on a new paper cutting project, and having to do it in lots of short bursts, I was mighty surprised to find myself ploughing through it this morning. Granted my back is a tad sore now. But just look at what I accomplished. Totally worth it. All you Street Fighter fans will recognise who I've cut out here.

    This art work was intended as a birthday surprise for my husband. But I don't think I can wait four months to give this to him. I'm going to present it to him tonight when he gets home. Excited much!!! I'm practically clapping my hands with delight.

Slow and Steady

    Things have been quiet and busy. The past week I have been developing a new paper cutting project. Compared to my other recent paper cuttings this is kind of epic for me, and I still have not completed it. A lot of care is required. If I make a mistake there is no undoing the work I've done, so it is slow and steady for me.

Bookmark

© Melissa Gaggiano

    Out of all the requests I got from my youngest, I thought that making a bookmark would be a heck of a lot easier than a Book of Life doll.

36

© Melissa Gaggiano

This week I…

• turned 6x6
• ate Jamaican chocolate cheesecake
• baked cinnamon scrolls
• started watching Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
• began reading Beautiful Redemption
• got excited about the games promoted at E3

Paper Portrait

© Melissa Gaggiano

    It has been a paper play day here, this Saturday.

SoCal

© Melissa Gaggiano

All in a Day's Cut

    Today I was in full on paper craft mode. I cut and glued a birthday card to go with the birthday cat that I sewed up last weekend. Not a bad result, I must say...

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

Put the Lime in the Coconut

© Melissa Gaggiano

    It had been a busy couple of days, so crafting projects were put on hold. But this morning I finally finished this piece of paper cutting.

    Why is it that we dream of summer in winter, then wish for cold weather in summer?

Keira's Butterfly

© Melissa Gaggiano

    My daughter asked me to draw a butterfly. It wasn't enough that I simply drew the butterfly. I felt compelled to make it into a paper cutting.

The First

© Melissa Gaggiano
Buy "The First"

    What is this? You just may ask. It is a paper cutting. Paper cutting just may be my great new thing.

    What was my inspiration? I suppose books such as “The Secret Garden” and “Beautiful Creatures” had a hand in my creating this image. I love a garden and the way some plants grow over people built objects.

Béatrice Coron Inspires

    I just came across an inspiring paper cut artist, by the name of Béatrice Coron. As soon as I saw just one of her pieces I was instantly drawn into the image and the story contained within.
    Following is a link to Béatrice's work, as well as a video which takes a look at how Béatrice creates her images.

www.beatricecoron.com

Your First - My First

My paper cut art.

    This afternoon I was busy constructing a Birthday card for a little boy about to turn one. This is actually a paper cut illustration. I tell you what it was no easy feat. The drawing is the easy bit. The real concentration comes with the actual cutting. You need a steady hand, but the end result is so totally lovely and therefore worth it.

    For a long time I have been inspired by a fellow crafter, Ellia Hill - she makes such stunning illustrations with her paper cuts. So when it was on my project list to make a Birthday card I decided to try my hand at paper cut art. 

    By the way I highly recommend you check out Ellia's artwork at http://www.etsy.com/shop/greenbeanbaby

Green Bean Baby

Today I wish to share my appreciation for an Illustrator with incredible talent. Her name is Ellia and is otherwise known as Green Bean Baby whom hails from Milwaukee, USA. Ellia's illustrative speciality is with paper cuts (not to be confused with the kind that require bandages and Dettol).

I first came across Ellia's gorgeous artwork through Flickr about two years ago, and since then she continues to be one of my most favorite artists. Having a bad day? Never mind, just take a peak at Ellia's work and it is sure to lift your dire mood.

For me to describe what I like about Ellia's work would be the same as explaining what I liked about Birthday and Christmas when I was a child. Her work is bright, colourful, whimsical, magical, innocent and all sweetness. It is a visual feast in a candy shop. It is the packaging for what could be the most beautiful doll in the world.

Ellia has launched her artwork in a number of directions. Her art pieces can be found on cards, stationery, notebooks and even magnets. There seems to be no limit to Ellia's imagination and there is certainly more to come from this talented lady.

To catch more of Ellia's work online simply visit these links:

Green Bean Baby previewing her art at Flickr

Green Bean Baby selling her art at Etsy

Green Bean Baby blogging her thoughts at Typepad

Thank you to Ellia for allowing me to share her artwork.

Snowflakes

1. I created this image by making some folded paper cuttings.

2. I then scanned the newly created paper patterns into the computer.

3. And turned the patterns into paint brushes in the Photoshop program.

4. I was then able to play around with these new brushes on the page, having fun by changing the colours and size.