The Paper News

Happy Holidays! We've been very busy here in Seattle. Over Thanksgiving I traveled to Paris, France to check out a craft show. It was packed! Although the French prefer crafting with textiles over paper, I'm still considering doing the show next year. Also, our new dies are selling very well. One last thing. As I suggested in Issue 1 of The Paper News, please email me questions, article suggestions, or pictures of your creations. This newsletter is for you, after all! - Sandy Jackson.

This fabulous card was created by Gale Barbieri of San Jose, California.She added little birds and ornaments to the tree, and incorporated a pop-up sofa with pictures of her grandchildren. Thanks, Gale!

I love the dies for your miniature models! When will I be able to buy dies for your full size models? We're working on it. If we do offer dies for the full size models, they will not work on the smaller personal die cutting machines (the QuicKutz or the Sizzix). Even if the machine can handle the larger dies, they still might not be able to generate enough pressure to cut through thicker papers (as you probably know, the more complex a die pattern, the more force is required to cut it out). We're researching this now. If we do offer them, they will be expensive. Stay tuned.

When will you update your catalog? We are planning to update the catalog and expand the handbook sometime in early 2005.

As an alternative to stamping, have you considered selling templates or stencils that could be used to trace the shapes for your models? We're working on this, also. Let us know if you would like stencils, and for which models.

How many different Tree products do you offer? There is a large tree stamp set, a small tree stamp set, a miniature tree earring stamp set, and the tree die set. The small tree stamp set is also included as part of the Ornament stamp set. Finally, we also sell precut tree kits. As you can tell, our customers just love trees!

I've seen a snow globe model. Is there a Snow Globe stamp set? A snow globe is one of the projects that can be made with the Ornament stamp set. Take a look at the picture on the web site.

Carol Duvall, the queen of crafts, is now on the Shop At Home Network on HGTV. We hope you were able to catch Sandy's appearance as a guest on Carol's premier episode. If not, you'll get another opportunity in January as they've asked her back for another show! As soon as we know the show's air date and time, we'll post it on the website.

Open Your Hearts (or Pears, or Bottles, or . . .)

Crafting a pop up card with our models is a familiar project. Crafting a model that opens like a book is more challenging, but well worth the effort. With the exception of the Snowflake, any SAR model can be constructed to open like a book. The procedure is the same in all cases. You need to craft each half of the model and then glue the two halves to a sheet of paper that will act like the binding of a book. This project can be done with our die cut kits, our stamp sets, or our new miniature dies. However, the smaller the model, the more challenging it will be. (If you're able to complete this project with any of the smaller sets, let us know!)

If you hold up a completed and open model and look into it, you will see two sets of pieces at right angles to each other. Put another way, one set of pieces is horizontal and the other set is vertical. When crafting a half model, select either the horizontal or vertical set. On each piece, score a line along the center and cut one length of tabs to one side of the score line. These tabs will need to be trimmed, folded over, and glued down.

You need to make sure that the pieces you score and cut all lie in the same plane in the completed model. For the Heart this is simple because the pieces are either heart shaped or teardrop shaped. For the Tree or Bottle, you will have to be more cautious in selecting the pieces you score and cut.

You don't have to craft a model that opens up in the center. But since that is the simplest case, it will be covered here. If you craft a model that opens up to the right or left of center, the mechanics are the same: score a line on one set of pieces, and cut a tab to one side of that line.

First, prepare two complete sets of pieces for the model you are building. To the right is a picture of the pieces that will be assembled to create the half heart in the next picture. The heart pieces have been left whole and the teardrop pieces have been scored in the center and a tab cut off to the side.

The Heart, Tree, and Bottle are all symmetrical models (i.e.: both the right and the left halves are the same shape). If you are crafting a Pear, you need to make sure you don't craft two right or two left halves.

Assemble each half of the model.

This is half of an assembled heart before the tabs are folded over and glued down. In this model, the teardrop shaped pieces were scored along their centers and one length of tabs cut off to the side of the score line.

This picture shows half of an assembled heart before the tabs are folded over and glued down. In this model, the heart shaped pieces were scored along their centers and one length of tabs cut off to the side. If you make a heart such as this, you will have to trim more of the tabs before you glue them down.

Most crafters prefer cutting the teardrop pieces, but this picture better illustrates the result of scoring the center of a piece and cutting off tabs to the side of that score line. Once you understand the mechanics of this, you will understand this project.

Here is one half of a heart with the tabs glued down. You will have to trim the tabs so that they don't fold over the heart shape. In this picture, the tab to the right of center still needs to be trimmed.

This half of the model will be glued to the binding of our book.

Select a durable paper for the binding and make sure you fold the hinge with the grain of the paper. The model will last longer if the hinge folds with the grain.

To create the binding, use the outline of the largest pieces you cut out from your preparation stage. Trace two overlapping halves of this outline and cut it out. If you are using the die cut hearts, save the back paper, cut off the strips on the largest heart, and trace the binding with this outline. This produces a slightly smaller heart shape which is perfect for the binding.

After gluing each half to the binding, you will need to trim one of the pieces that extends beyond the hinge so that the model opens easily. This will be obvious when you try to open your model.

The Completed Models

This completed model opens up on the heart shaped pieces.	This one opens up on the teardrop shaped pieces.

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