Tools, Tips, and Techniques

Here are a few of the tools and methods I've used to complete the cut paper projects for 111. 

These are the most important tools I use - tracing paper, tape, a small stainless steel ruler, single-edge razor, and tweezers. The leather punches shown can be used to make small circles. 

The first step is to transfer the design to tracing paper. 

I do the transfer method for a handful of reasons. This keeps the original design intact as a reference, allows me to incorporate overlaps, and allows shared cuts for more efficiency. 

Before cutting, I tape the magazine page to the cutting board. Stretching the paper as tight as possible is key here. 

With the paper taped down, I then tape the template over top. Notice that I'm using the edge of the page for a "cut" - this saves time. Why make cuts you don't need to?

The video below shows the cutting process. The tracing paper is sacrificial. I try to do short cuts first, and pay attention to the cuts that free the pieces - doing these incorrectly can allow the magazine paper to pull and tear. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3m9vc0o89wckmdz/Video%20Feb%2011%2C%2011%2002%2022%20PM.mov?dl=0