Science of a Snowflake

Hello. Welcome.  This is a follow up to last nights post over at the PaperArtsy blog.  I wanted to share a few more photos, tips and how tos in the hopes you may be inspired to make your own anyday snowflake.  If you want to just go for it then there are very good instructions here but for those who are a little unsure or are interested to see what happens when you cross a scientist with a crafter read on.

Here's what we are making

I've used the gorgeous Chatsworth Paper Collection and two PaperArtsy dies, Spotty Dragonfly and Moth.   It looks complex and beautiful.  It's really easy.  But still beautiful.  The scientist in me delights that I found a formula that works whatever size you want to make.  I didn't want a crease across the papers so I drew the cut lines on each piece with a pencil, cut with a knife and then rubbed out the pencil lines.  To find your cut lines....

OK, it's not pretty but blogger isn't being very co-operative!!  First you need a square of double sided paper and a ruler or, as in this case, a piece of card with a width 1/10th the size of your paper.  I used 15cm paper so my measure is 15mm wide.  20cm paper 2cm wide measure.  For our friends across the pond 10 inch paper 1 inch wide measure, 8 inch paper uhhh...  Oh, you get the idea.  Draw a diagonal Line A.   Draw a diagonal the other way and also a line the other side of the measure Lines B.  This gives you your no cut zone.  Lay the measure along the edge of the paper.  Draw a line from A to B (Line C).  Don't cross B.  Repeat on all sides then move the measure in to draw more lines parrell to the C line.  And again.  You end up with 3 C lines on each side, joined at A and seperated at B.  That sounds complex but it's really easy.  Mad Scientist jumping up and down and rubbing hands together with joy.  Cut from A along C to B.  This gives a nice sharp corner at A, which will be visable.  It doesn't matter if you over cut a little at B or if the knife wanders a little along the C line.  It won't show once we fold it up.  USE PENCIL so you can rub it out. 

Here's what a cut piece looks like before and after folding.  You need six of these.  The Chatsworth papers have a white core so I have inked all the cut edges with VersaMagic Jumbo Java chalk.  As long as the white edges were covered it didn't matter if there was a bit extra here and there.  All adds to the look.  I also worked each of the cut areas between my thumb and fingers to stretch the paper a bit in the direction I wanted to fold them.   You can also see some of the moths and dragonflies I have cut using the dies.  

I put the six folded sections together to make my snowflake using three of the six different papers for this.  I love that these papers are of a collage style.  Each side offers a variety of patterns and shades.  If I was doing this again with these papers I would probably make each section at least 20cm square as they were quite rigid and I had a few sticky moments trying to balance the tension once I put them together.  At one point I thought I would be sharing a hat or a fruit bowl but after a little tweaking and twiddling.........  

I've used all the different design papers to cut the moths, dragonflies and for stamping the sentiment.  The moth and sentiment are from PaperArtsy USNT4.  The dragonflies are stamped with modern girl from LPC022 and stuck to both sides of three layers of die cut cardboard.   The sentiment was mounted both sides on PA heavy greyboard.  The chain was from a PA monster box.  

 

Here's the whole project.  Incidently if you use 15cm (6inch) papers your 'snowflake' will be about 40cm (16 inch) from point to point.  20cm (8 inch) papers give a whopping 50cm (20inch) from point to point.  If anyone tries 30cm (12inch) papers I would be very interested to know what size monster construction you achieve.  

Thanks to PaperArtsy for giving me this opportunity and thanks to you all for looking and reading.  Hope you liked it.  Do drop over to the PaperArtsy blog and check out the other creations that are being posted every evening.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugs