Let me just start this post by saying I am so glad I bought the book Paper Cuts: 35 Inventive Projects.
I already showed you the "Hedgehog Love" cutting I made from one of the patterns Cynthia Ferguson contributed to the book.
The pattern which really sold me on the book, however, was another of her's titled "The Beetle's Devotion".
I had the thrill of starting (and finishing!) my very own cut of this pattern yesterday, and it's already hanging on our family room wall.
I just fell in love with the whimsy of it all...the little beetles, the flower offering, the wonderful trees.
Cynthia used a 5" shadow box frame for the sample in the book, but I couldn't locate one of that size when I wanted to get started on my project.
I did find a piece of "plastic art" in a shadow box frame (in one of the dollar stores) and, since it had a $6 price tag, I decided I would just ask the Prince to enlarge Cynthia's pattern to fit it's 8 1/4" span (I don't do math, Dear Reader).
When I tore the 'art' apart I realized (because of the way it was constructed) I would have to keep the mat in the frame, but I was able to change the background paper to a color and pattern I love.
I used a large piece of heavy-weight art paper (purchased on sale at Hobby Lobby for about a dollar) for the cutting, and traced the pattern onto it using graphite tracing paper (purchased during a thrilling trip to Porch School and Art Supply with my friend, Able Baker Dana).
I'm so very happy to have added this (inexpensive) bit of whimsy to my surroundings.
And I thank Cynthia Ferguson from the bottom of my little paper-snipping heart.