Ladies Activity Club (aka LAC) was started by my friend Emily, and is a lot like Relief Society Enrichment meetings, just without anything religious involved. Basically, it is a fun way to meet other SFsters by getting together once a month to teach eachother something new and fun, and since there hasn't been toll painting as an activity even once, I keep going back.
As inspired by the lovely and talented Cindy Ferguson, I decided to host a Scherenschnitte (pronounced shair-en-shnit-teh) party and teach the Ladies of the Activity Club the fine art of papercutting. Cindy was nice enough to send me some templates, and I got some designs and inspiration off her Scherenschnitte site and around the internet. I equipped everyone with xacto knives and sharp scissors, made everyone promise that they wouldn't sue me if they cut a finger off in the process, and then we all started cutting!
For a bunch of first time cutters, the group really tackled some intricate stuff.
Jordan got a little frustrated with her super skinny birds on a wire cut, and ended up creating a cutting of her own design, right there on the spot.
The instructions that I downloaded from the internet told us to "rest your eyes frequently by looking away at the horizon," and it was probably the only thing that got us all through the tough times. Emily's photos really captured what we were all feeling after staring at these tiny cuts for several hours. 
In the end, nobody ended up stabbing themselves or their neighbor, so I'd label this party a raging success.
that is so cool!!
ReplyDeleteive been thinking about trying to attempt some silhouette paper cuts, any advice? is this something you can learn from a book or would you recommend finding a class?
that's it, im sold. SF is the city for me. I have my own xacto with a special grip.
ReplyDeletealison - me too! I love xactos. I have an entire collection of them and a pretty wooden box for them to live in.
ReplyDeletesara - no need for a whole class. just get yourself and exacto and cutting board, some small scissors with sharp points (optional), some thin paper and some continuous, unbroken images and you are set! you can totally google Scherenschnitte to get instructions and materials too (email me if you want specifics). Or just come to my house and i will teach you.
You ladies are awesome.
ReplyDeleteReading about your awesomeness makes me worried that I won't reach my awesome potential.
I guess I can work on this. Thanks for the inspiration!
Look at all my prodigy! You guys do them so well! I'm impressed with the skill set of your class. When I taught my FHE group how to do it, they seemed like they'd never used scissors before in their lives.
ReplyDeleteUm...Emily, dude, add me on Facebook.
well cindy, half of them were totally stolen right off your site and out of your brain, so we owe it all to you. but, yeah - everyone tackled way harder stuff than i was expecting.
ReplyDeletethanks, thom! i think the hunk of the month results would say that you are doing a good job of reaching that awesome potential already.
also, cindy - we might have a big crush on you because we have made mention of you in 3 of the last 4 posts.
ReplyDeleteI know! You guys love me! My blog has been getting a lot of hits. I think it's in the air, mostly because of my big move. My friend Meredith's blog has the same problem.
ReplyDeleteooohhh...i've been looking for a new hobby! maybe i will attempt this one...scherenschnitte, you say? but i think...first i have to master the sewing machine i just bought this week!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad I missed this party! Thanks for posting pictures. :)
ReplyDeletePS: Yay for becoming an official member of the LAC. I'm clapping for you right now!
We should just change our blog's name to "cindy is the new awesome." It'll just be assumed that every post is about her.
ReplyDeletejealous
ReplyDeleteThe telephone wire ones are my favorites. Telephone wires have been my new obsession. Old obsessions:
ReplyDeletescissors/graph paper. Notice below
http://aquayellow.blogspot.com/2007/02/i-have-few-statements.html
what a fun project - can I be in this group?!?
ReplyDeleteCindy is totally hot in August - it's the month of Cindy & a crush is totally acceptable.
ReplyDeleteHappy to share, cuz I'm cool like that :)
And by the way Cindy - cold comment about the ineptness of our group! I only cut myself once!!
Cindy is awesome. So is Emily. I wonder who would win in an awesome mano a mano contest to determine who is more awesome?
ReplyDeleteamber - email me! rgholdston at gmail. LAC is always recruiting awesome ladies.
ReplyDeletecindy.. you are now my facebook friend. but it's conditional on you sending me a scherenschnitte bike patter ( i NEED it). also, i promise not to harm myself or others in any future scherenschnitte activities. nor to sniff the gluesticks (i think that should be a required pledge at the beginning of all SC activities). also, I was only POSING for rebecca. Mine only took me like an hour, so I wasn't even tired.
ReplyDeleteemily - don't ever let the secret out that sometimes we pose the photos on our blog. we need to keep up the illusion or reality at all times.
ReplyDeleteA heartbreaking work of staggering genius. And obvious amounts of patience.
ReplyDeleteHi, Meredith!
I had so much fun! There's something therapeutic about doing something so detailed & mindless (and then looking off into the horizon!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting =)
I never do anything like that in my enrichment nights.
ReplyDeleteIt is so confusing with another Meredith on here! Becca -- it is probably for the best that you put the sweet photo of me with my intricate paper-art and not me the exacto up to my wrists... : ) It was super fun. We need another project night soon!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the confusion - I'll call myself "Seattle Meredith" or something like that to avoid future mistaken identities!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Seattle Meredith : )
ReplyDeleteYour work is great! And you seem to have fun doing it! The question is do I have what it takes to do Scherenschnitte (or be able to type it instead of cut-and-paste?)?
ReplyDeleteNice Job, Ladies!!! As a beginner myself, I am excited to see I am not the only one dealing with "strained-eye"syndrome, but overall it is all so worth it. Happy Paper Cutting... are their conventions for this kind of stuff?? well, Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteThese designs are great! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete