Stars Hollow

Stars HOLLA!

As a papercut artist I'm always looking for ways to combine my craft with my interests... And with the news of the upcoming Gilmore Girls Netflix reboot, and 183 episodes of the Gilmore Guys podcast under my belt, a Gilmore Girls themed papercut seemed inevitable...

 

As all Gillies know, Gilmore Girls is set in the fictional small town of Stars Hollow, located approximately 30 minutes from Hartford in Connecticut.

I love personalised maps, and since my search for a Stars Hollow papercut map turned up zero results I began plotting to cut one out... I used an aerial photograph of the Warner Brothers studio back lot (where the show is filmed) to ensure the correct locations of the buildings.

 

Many of the houses and businesses within Stars Hollow have distinct exteriors, although perhaps only an avid Gilmore Girls viewer could distinguish them all... For this reason I sprinkled identifying symbols and initials across the map.

For example, Luke's Diner is topped with the recognisable coffee cup logo, Miss Patty's School of Ballet has a pair of ballet slippers, and Taylor Doose's Old-Fashioned Soda Shoppe has an ice-cream shaped window.

Over the past 21 months the popularity of the Gilmore Guys podcast (hosted by Kevin and Demi) has united the Gilmore Girls fan base, and formed friendships via social media. 

Rather than make my Stars Hollow papercut into a print, I turned it into postcards in the hope that Gillies would send handwritten messages to one another! I know I'd rather receive a postcard than a tweet any day...

The postcards are made from high-quality, lightly textured card and I am so happy with them! To purchase one visit my etsy shop: OhCutItOut.etsy.com

And now for the important bit: Team Dean, Team Jess or Team Logan?

Until next week...

-Karen

Year 1

On 21st January Oh Cut It Out turned 1! I didn't buy a cake. In fact, I forgot. Even though it's written on the calendar above my desk on the actual day I was having a I-want-to-give-up, why-am-I-doing-this, this-is-too-hard flap and it slipped my mind...

And then 2 days later an exciting opportunity dropped into my inbox and my little business seemed possible again!

Opening an Etsy shop is easy, but starting a creative business from scratch is hard.

Here are some of the things I've learned during my first year:

1) You will want to give up. A lot. Struggle on. My Facebook 'likes' are continuing to rise (a quick look at my insights shows they've been steadily increasing since June!), and opportunities are beginning to present themselves.
 
2) You have to wear a lot of hats. The foundation of Oh Cut It Out is my papercutting ability. All of my products are papercut. But I am also Oh Cut It Out's social media representative, photographer, and photoshop expert (unfortunately). I'm currently learning how to sell wholesale... And enjoying it! I've learnt a lot of new skills that I otherwise wouldn't have thanks to Oh Cut It Out.

3) Do your research. Etsy sellers receive regular emails with helpful links to articles that suggest ways to improve your shop, or your photos... Most of which I've never read. Oops! Make use of every resource you can find, including the Etsy seller handbook and blog posts written by long time Etsy sellers.

4) Quality and originality are everything.

5) Pat yourself on the back when things go well! I'm that person who assumes all positive feedback is a fluke, whilst all negative feedback is FACT. Enjoy the good stuff. You earned it!

* * *

Back in May I blogged about some goals that I hoped to achieve in the coming months. Here is a quick update to show my progress:

• Cohesive brand: In January Oh Cut It Out debuted a new logo and business cards! The designs are simple in bold colours with cheeky slogans.

• Improved photos: Photo quality is a constant bug bear when you sell online, since an image can make or break a sale. I'm currently focusing on good lighting, although England's overcast Winter isn't helping...

• Reach 100 Facebook 'likes': I reached this goal in June 2015! Hooray!

• Craft fayre(s): Oh Cut It Out will be at the Jena Louise Bridal Fayre on Saturday 13th February! Wish us luck for our first fayre!

What goals are you giving yourself a pat on the back for achieving?

Until next week...

-Karen  

Treat Yo Self Tuesday!

Welcome to Treat Yo Self Tuesday! The mornings are getting chillier, the nights are slowly drawing in, and the next bank holiday isn't until Christmas... It's time to Treat Yo Self!

Below is my pick of my current favourite etsy shops. Pick yo self something pretty! £££

Etsy favourites:

 

Earrings: Instyleglamour - Pineapple pillow cover: PupTartHandmade

Recently I've been on the lookout for interesting sterling silver studs. These tiny triangles from Instyleglamour would be perfect for everyday wear.

Who doesn't love a pineapple print?! Inject a splash of colour (and fun!) into your room with this hand printed cushion cover from PupTartHandmade.

Frida Kahlo print: LouTaylorStudio - Floral print pouch: ohsquirrelshop

Stunning Frida Kahlo giclee print from an original papercut by LouTaylorStudio. Follow @LouTaylor on Instagram to see her incredible papercut dolls and intricate outfits!

Ohsquirrelshop handmade pouch with polka dot lining, perfect for storing make-up or stationary. Check out the classy hen party sashes if one of your friends is getting married soon!

 

Stegosaurus cuff links: designosaurYEAH - Bear t-shirt: Dontfeedthebears

Dinosaur lover? Treat yo self to a pair of acrylic stegosaurus cuff links by Brighton based designosaurYEAH. Their jewellery range is all handmade, fun and vegan!

Dontfeedthebears unisex pirate bear t-shirt. That's right, pirate bear. Check them out for more bears in all manor of situations! Designed and screen printed in Sheffield.

 Moon necklace: RosaPietsch - Cacti planter: noemarin

Handcrafted resin and laser cut jewellery made in London by RosaPietsch. I love the full moon/crescent moon necklaces, available in various colourways.

Add some fun to your desk during the 9-5 grind with this Noemarin ceramic cacti planter! Handmade using traditional processes it is sure to make you smile, even on Monday.

What have you been treating yo self to recently? 
Share your links with me!

Until next week...

-Karen

Work In Progress

All of my designs, both artwork and greetings cards, are cut from 210gsm card. Through experimentation I found 160gsm not substantial enough, and 240gsm too thick for adding detail. Cutting 50 concert tickets from 240gsm black card almost gave me RSI... Never again!

Before I start drawing I always consider the size of the frame the design is to be mounted in. No use having a beautiful paper cut that refuses to fit into any of the typical frame sizes.

I sketch out the entire design before picking up my scalpel. Quite often I get impatient and want to start cutting, especially if I'm having trouble mapping out the design, but it's obviously easier to erase a pencil line than to erase an unwanted cut!

Deciding where to start cutting depends on the design... For example, when cutting bunting I cut out the letters first, before cutting round the flags. This reduces the risk of the card ripping.

It's my preference to leave small details until last. In the above design the insides of the flowers were the last to go. When cutting out text I leave the inside of the letters until last (if I cut them out at all).

The finished product! Now all that remains is to choose the preferred coloured paper to back it, and a suitable frame that will compliment both the design and the room it will be hung in.

Equipment I use:

• HB pencil
• Eraser
• Plastic ruler for drawing the design (personal preference)
• A3 self healing cutting mat
• Scalpel
• Small scissors
• Metal ruler for cutting straight edges

Hopefully this has given you a small insight into how I work!

What other types of blog posts would you like to see?

Until next week...

Karen

Goals

Oh Cut It Out has a lot of growing to do in the coming months, before the training wheels can come off. Below are some of the key goals that have my full attention:
  

• Fully cohesive brand. Oh Cut It Out is in an experimental  phase as I trial various papercut styles and products. I'm confident that in time the Oh Cut It Out products, logo, and brand photos will come together to form a cohesive paper chain.

• Improved photos. I've set myself a challenge to create beautiful, eye catching photos and a cohesive instagram feed. Lots of flowers, donuts, and colour! Take a look and tell me how I'm doing!

• Befriend etsy designer/makers and form a Derby etsy team. Being part of a community is really important, especially when you work from home. I was disheartened when I couldn't find a Derby etsy team to join, until I heard Caitlin Moran's voice in my head telling me to start one myself! Calling all Derby etsy designer/makers, let's build a community and support one another!

  

• Reach 100 'likes' on facebook. I was feeling under pressure to share a finished papercut every day until I realised this is unrealistic, and ultimately lowers the quality of my work. Now my focus is on producing interesting, shareable content, such as works in progress and artists I admire.

• Craft fair(s). I am planning for Oh Cut It Out to have its first table at one of Derby's craft fairs this year. I'm really looking forward to meeting fellow local crafters, and showing off my products!

What are your current work goals?

Until next week...

-Karen

Learning Curve

Oh Cut It Out was a classic case of one woman naively dreaming up a small business in her bedroom and thinking it would be easy...

In the 3 months since Oh Cut It Out went live on etsy I've learnt a lot, including:

• Photo quality is super important. Late night photography sessions are a terrible idea. Embrace daylight!  A month ago I was doing some facebook maintenance and was embarrassed by at least half of the photos I had uploaded... I retook the offending photos in good daylight, not a cutting mat in sight. Improving photo quality and constructing beautiful, shareable images is one of my current goals.

• Considering various product types. Oh Cut It Out launched with a range of Valentine's Day cards, and paper cut art  influenced by lyrics and quotes. It has since expanded to include: birthday cards, couples/baby name paper cuts, and cake toppers (mmm, cake!). Although there are a variety of other product types to consider, my current focus is on making the existing products the best they can be, whilst attracting a bigger audience.

• Finding my voice. The biggest learning curve of starting a small business has been figuring out my brand. What message am I communicating, and who is my target customer?

• Social media. Scheduling posts. Facebook insights. Creating beautiful images. It's not all 'likes' and 'follows', you know.  I highly recommend Mollie Makes 'Social Media' for advice on how to use facebook and instagram to your advantage.

Oh Cut It Out has a long way to go which is both exciting and scary, but let's be honest, if I'd been any less naive at the start of this process I wouldn't have begun this journey... And that would've been a shame!

Are you a designer/maker in your first year of business? What have you learnt in your first 3 months?

Until next week...

-Karen

Meet and Greet

Hello!

As you probably know, Oh Cut It Out is a Midlands based brand specialising in handmade paper cut cards, paper cut cake toppers, and personalised paper cut art!

This blog post coincides with Oh Cut It Out being live on etsy for 3 months! Once a week I will be writing a new post looking at my creative process, what I've learnt (so much already), what I would like to achieve as Oh Cut It Out grows, etc...

Are you a Derby based etsy designer/maker? Would you like to build a local community and start a Derby etsy team? Get in touch!

If you haven't already, don't forget to 'like' Oh Cut It Out on facebook, and follow @OhCutItOut on instagram for regular updates.

For commissions and/or inquiries, you can reach me at: karenlancashiretextiles@gmail.com

Until next week...

-Karen