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Papercut 097 from “Decorative Vector Ornaments” Book

papercut 097 with pen for scale - Kay Vincent - LaserSister

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 097

Here is papercut 097 of the ongoing 100-day-long papercutting project. (Using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book for inspiration, I’m adapting the images for papercutting, then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days.)

Er, I don’t actually know what this is. It looks like a cross between a lion and a plant. With a ruff around its neck. (Does that make it a dandelion?)

Closer up:

…and is it doing a little poo, as well? If I’d noticed that part of the design while I was cutting it, I would have tried to incorporate it into the leg, I think, so it looked less like something coming out of the lion/plant’s bottom.

And then to add insult to injury (or the other way round, perhaps) my cat dribbled on the paper and got it wet.

Have you been inspired by the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book and/or done any paper cutting recently? Let us know! You can comment via the comments page, or Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

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Papercut 096 from “Decorative Vector Ornaments” Book

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 096

Here is papercut 096 of my 100-day-long papercutting project. (Using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book for inspiration, and adapting the images for papercutting, then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days.)

I quite like this one as well, but…

Closer up:

Wow, really close-up it looks really raggy. But as I’m getting to the end of my 100-day project, I really am thinking that I’m not that bothered. It looks nice at with normal vision, so I really shouldn’t worry about the flaws that become more obvious when it has been magnified.

And even with the magnification, there are still some parts that I think are really nice and can’t be improved.

So the 100 days of this project have hopefully started to teach me something after all!

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Papercut 095 from “Decorative Vector Ornaments” Book

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 095

Here is papercut 095 of my 100-day-long papercutting project. (Using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book for inspiration, and adapting the images for papercutting, then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days.)

This one didn’t take long to cut. Not even half an episode of “The Bestseller Experiment” podcast, so maybe less than 20 minutes?

Closer up:

This one is a bit more Art Deco than Art Nouveau, so I’m not as big a fan of it as some of the other designs in the book, but I still like it.

The tiny holes may look a bit scrappy, but considering they’re smaller than the hole in the side of my pen (see photo above), I’m still quite pleased with them. And the two big leaves on the bottom are cut quite smoothly. (Especially the one on the left.)

Oh! I’ve just found another blog where someone has made 100 papercuts in 100 days!

Melissa McFeeters’ blog is here, and she created some brilliant artworks made from paper. They are lovely!

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Papercut 094 from “Decorative Vector Ornaments” Book

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 094

This is papercut 094, so I’m on the final week of my epic papercutting project! (I’m using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book for inspiration, and adapting the images for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. The idea is that I may incorporate them in future laser-cut and hand-cut papercutting projects.)

Today’s cut is one of my all-time favourites from that book and CD, actually. It didn’t take much effort to adapt the design for papercutting, for a start. I think I just needed to simplify some of the tiny fiddly squares and rectangles that were cut from the bottom plantpot thing, and that was more or less it:

As always, I’m partial to designs that have got plants in them and remind me of Art Nouveau-type designs, so I find this one very pleasing.

It felt like it took a loooong time time to cut (I played about three recorded episodes of “Extreme Cake Makers” in the background while I was cutting, so it must have taken nearly two hours). As always though, the process itself felt very therapeutic and relaxing.

And yes, it might seem like a waste of time spending two hours cutting out a design from a piece of paper…

…but on the other hand at least I’ve got something at the end of it that I can keep, whereas if I’d been just watching TV or playing a computer game (or even reading a book) then I wouldn’t actually have produced anything at the end of those activities.

Closer-up image:

The design’s actual number in the book/CD is “810”.

Not sure I’ll ever need to incorporate a potted bay tree in any of my future designs, but at least I’ve done it now, and there are only six more designs to go until I’ve cut 100 in 100 days!

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Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 093

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 093

This is papercut 093 of my epic papercutting project (using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book), where I’m adapting the designs for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. Eventually I may may incorporate them in future papercuts that are made by laser and also by hand.

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Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 092

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 092

This is papercut 092 of my epic papercutting project (using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book), where I’m adapting the designs for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. Eventually I may may incorporate them in future papercuts that are made by laser and also by hand.

Er, I think something has gone awry at the top of this one!

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Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 091

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 091

This is papercut 091 of my epic papercutting project (using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book).  I’m adapting the designs for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. Eventually I may may incorporate them in future papercuts that are made by laser and also by hand.

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Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 090

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 090

This is papercut 090 of my epic papercutting project (using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book).  I’m adapting the designs for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. Eventually I may may incorporate them in future papercuts that are made by laser and also by hand.

Only 10 more to go! And I’m still improving.

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Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 089

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 089

This is papercut 089 of my epic papercutting project (using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book).  I’m adapting the designs for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. Eventually I may may incorporate them in future papercuts that are made by laser and also by hand.

I like this design:

And I finally started with a sharp new blade in my X-Acto knife. Makes it much easier to cut. (Although also much easier to accidentally make the wrong cuts, too.)

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Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 085

Decorative Vector Ornaments: Papercut 085

This is papercut 085 (only 15 more to go!) of my papercutting project (using the “922 Decorative Vector Ornaments” book.  I am adapting the designs for papercutting, and then practising by cutting out 100 designs in 100 days. Eventually I may may incorporate them in future papercuts that are made by laser and also by hand.)

Because of the many repetitive elements in this design I think it might be one of the designs that would look better if cut by laser.

However, I’m not too disappointed by the hand-cut version. The ‘sun ray’ bits are quite crisp, actually.

As well as the central sun/flower design, I can also see things in this design that remind me of fish.  (Or sharks. Or maybe birds.) When I move onto my next epic papercutting project (of creating all of my own designs from scratch) then I might remember this one, and try to hide some fish or animals in an abstract-looking design.