winter meet spring

It looks like winter is ready to pack up and leave (even though it snowed yesterday for about half an hour) and we might just be seeing the beginnings of sunshine ahead. We are really looking forward to shedding all our layers and snowsuits, even if it means we'll be trading them in for raincoats and umbrellas. Hey, anything has got to be better than all the salt and slush!

I've already started a lot of our spring cleaning, and it feels good to be purging the baby clothes that the mini has outgrown, as well as snowsuits, boots and toys that have seen better days. We got a new rug for our entryway, and tomorrow I'd like to pick up some new floor mats for the kitchen. Every few months we go through the kids' toys and donate the ones they aren't playing with anymore. The house always feels lighter and more organized after we've done it, and now with a third little rugrat with her own pile of toys, the house feels like it's due for a good overhaul.

With the departure of winter we can pack away all our gear that has cluttered up the front hall since November...skates, helmets, boots, snowsuits, hats, gloves, scarves, heavy jackets. I love the winter months, but we are all impatiently awaiting the warm weather, and I think it might be on it's way! Keep your fingers crossed:)

a b c d e f g....

I made this a few years ago, but I thought since I wasn't doing anything papercut related, it might be nice to give you all a little peek at something I made for my daughter a while back. Enjoy!

at last...

Our nursery nook is complete, and I love it! Although it only consists of a dresser/change table, a crib and a wall shelf (all from Ikea), I think we were able to create a whimsical space for the mini papercut that doesn't take up a lot of space, but delivers huge impact within our master bedroom.


















Although the rest of the bedroom is still 'under construction', my little Zoe has a corner all her own. I wanted a space that was created solely for her, and even though the colour palette of the room and the pattern of the crib bedding is not typical of what you'd find in a child's bedroom, by utilizing elements that appeal to my husband and myself, her nook is definitely something we enjoy having in OUR space! Having said that, the addition of a bold floral mural and a few playful pieces here and there makes it decidedly HER space:)












































I enjoyed every moment of decorating the mini papercut's nursery. I wanted it to be beautiful and charming, while still feeling clean and modern. Keeping the furniture simple and adding whimsical touches keep the nook from feeling cluttered and overdone. I also love the idea of using items that you wouldn't normally associate with a kid's space for organization and display.


















We used a leather desk organizer as a diaper caddy, and a vintage sugar container to hold things like nail clippers, pacifiers, and other odds and ends. A pastel yellow candy dish is the perfect place for washcloths and keeps them in close reach. And one of my favourite finds is the table lamp that doubles as a nightlight that somewhat resembles a milkweed pod.


















I also wanted to re-use an old shelf from Ikea that my husband had in his office. I thought the space needed a bit of sparkle, but I didn't really want to purchase a new shelf when I had one that was perfectly fine, although not that attractive. I was inspired by this post on Apartment Therapy, and figured it might be a great solution for the shelf. Much to my surprise it looked amazing, and when the nightlight is on, it reflects some of the light throughout the room.




















Other little touches that personalize the space include the paper butterfly garland, the name art above the dresser and the paper flower bouquet. My mini papercut definitely has a corner of the room that belongs only to her. I'm just happy we get to share:)
















































Items in the Nursery Nook:

Paint Colour: Midnite Hour by CIL Dulux

Hemnes Dresser from Ikea

Gulliver Crib from Ikea

Didi Citron yellow + white fabric from Tonic Living
Amy Butler Grey Wallflower yellow + grey fabric from Cotton Thread Fabrics on etsy
Amy Butler Yellow Full Moon Polka Dots fabric from Cotton Thread Fabrics on etsy

Owl Bookend by Zuny

Jubilee the lamb from doggiepiggie on etsy

Socko the sock monkey from Muffin Top Designs on etsy

Milkweed lamp, pastel yellow candy dish, leather desk organizer, vintage sugar container all from Home Sense

name art, paper butterfly garland and paper floral bouquet all by Little Papercuts (that's me;) )

cleaning

With only a month and a half left in my pregnancy, I have become obsessed with cleaning and organization. The kids' rooms have been purged and tidied, and as mentioned previously, the master bedroom/nursery nook is on it's way. But there's so much that still needs to be done! It seems that as my pregnancy has progressed, I've traded in my art supplies for cleaning supplies and a tool box. A friend of mine laughed at me the other day when she asked me what I was doing, and I told her I was organizing my tool box (yes, the tool box is mine...my husband likes to think he's handy, but everyone knows all the tools belong to me:)).

I have to admit, I'm DYING to get back to doing some artwork! I have high hopes that our new addition will be completely co-operative and allow me some time to create, but the realistic mommy side of me knows that Little Papercuts will have to wait until the mini papercut is good and ready:)

it's a bird, it's a plane...

My son is 5 and a half, he'll be 6 in January. Recently his interest in superheroes and shows like Bakugan/ Pokemon have skyrocketed. What happened to the little boy who loved Cars and Sesame Street?

4 little flower girls

Just prior to finding out I was pregnant I received an order from one of my daughter's teachers. She needed 4 pieces of art for the flower girls at her upcoming nuptials. It was a fun undertaking, seeing as all the girls were different ages, and had very distinct likes and dislikes...just thought I'd post what the final results looked like. Enjoy :)

hmmm...sorry my bad

The other night my hubby was goofing around on the computer so I asked him to take a look at my blog to let me know what he thought. You know it never occurred to me to tell him to read it! Anyway, after giving me the "Looks good, anything else?", I took a closer look at the few posts that I've taken the time to write.

Now when I originally started this blog I did it because I wanted to keep a log of what I was doing work wise. Granted there are only a few posts, but what I have come to realize is that the majority of what I have been writing about has been weather related, and actually has nothing to do at all with my artwork! It seems like an awfully long time since I've posted anything work related...OOPS!!! I am currently waiting for my website (http://www.littlepapercuts.com/) to be completed, and I'm hoping it'll be ready by the end of June or early July. I put a lot of work into all of the artwork, layout and text for my website, and after handing it off to my web designer I now have to wait and hope for the best:) Like I've said before, I know how I want my website to look, and I'm hoping my web guy is on the same page, but I'm very nervous about whether or not it's gonna live up to my 'standards'.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I think since the weather has gotten soooo nice here, I've found it too difficult to stay home and work! The temptation to go and do something outside has been far to great to want to sit and create art, and I have TONS of artwork to start for upcoming projects! So, I am going to make the effort to post more art related stuff from now on...well, right after I take a walk outside in the sunshine:) Just kidding!

spring at last

Yes, I think it's safe to say that spring is finallly here and I'm hoping that the warmer weather is here to stay. It's nice to head out the door with spring jackets and sneakers instead of packing up the kids in their bulky jackets, snow pants and boots. Things have been very busy around the Little Papercuts household so far this month. I finally sent off all my website artwork and paperwork, and now it's in the hands of the web designer. I've got my fingers crossed that it will live up (if not exceed) all of my expectations!

In addition to all of the website stuff I've been working on, I've also got quite a bit of actual work to do as well. Let's see...I've got about 4 name art orders that have to be completed by the end of April, not to mention 2 other orders due for the end of May. It's gonna be busy around here! But hey, I'd rather be busy than twiddling my thumbs waiting for someone to order something.

This morning I treated myself to some new paper packs. I love paper. Looking for new papers and finding great deals always puts me in a great mood. I wasn't really on the hunt for new paper, I have TONS (as my husband can surely attest to), but sometimes you just have to have more! Today was definitely one of those days. Last year I had started buying some of my paper pads from Indigo bookstore. They sold really nice quality paper, but they're a little pricey, so I would splurge every now and then but not very often. Well, you can imagine my surprise and joy when I found stacks of the very same packs at Homesense. Any of you that live in Toronto know that Homesense sells mainly housewares stuff, but withing the last year or so they started to carry scrapbooking products. But the best part is that they were only $9 for the larger size pads and $6 for the smaller ones. Needless to say I bought about 3 packs, and I probably would have bought more but my little one wanted to go look at toys. It's hard to force a 4 year old to be excited about scrapbooking paper!

I can't decide if it's the great weather or the beautiful paper, but overall today's been FABULOUS so far!!!!

what is little papercuts?

So, I realize that there are some of you who are wondering 'What is Little Papercuts', besides the tiny cuts you get from paper that hurt A LOT!! For all of you, this is my explanation. Little Papercuts is the business I started, officially a year ago. I mainly create children's name art, but I have also done artwork for adults and kids which are not name related. All of my pieces are made from cut paper, but also include ribbon, fabric, yarn and other goodies.


















Although I have only been in business officially since last year, I have been creating name art for over 3 years now. I think what appeals to most of the people who purchase Little Papercuts artwork is that they are all custom made for each individual. My customers love that they are able to be involved in the creative process, and have a finished product that reflects their child. Whether that means their personality, their interests or even something that matches their room, I strive to make something that embodies the person it is created for.


















Being a stay at home mom with two kids constantly on the go, it was difficult to find the time, not only to work, but to have creative space. I am very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive husband, great kids and some amazing friends who have encouraged me along the way. My 'company' is only in it's baby stages, but the journey thus far has been incredible. It still astounds me that people want to buy something that I have made...and I think that's part of what pushes me to do what I do.