Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Guest Post-Kalani Cropper

One of my favorite aspects of the blogosphere is the community. I'm sure there are some nasty souls out there, but I've only met the nicest ones. I took an amazing on-line class called Blogging Your Way with Holly Becker (Decor8, HausMaus) and Leslie Shrewring (A Creative Mint) last year. Not only was I inspired to blog to the best of my ability, but I met a lot of other inspirational bloggers and have joined a most supportive and friendly community.

That is how I met Kalani, who authors her blog of life's beautiful details and craft projects called Kalanicut. She was kind enough to share a bit of herself and her charming torn paper art in today's guest post. I thought the torn paper was such a wonderful way to use decorative paper that I decided to add to this post by offering a pack of my very beautiful decorative paper. I use and keep all the scraps left over from invitation projects and crafting projects and I've amassed quite a beautiful collection of silkscreened Chiyogami and graphic prints. I'll be giving away 3 fat packs to the first 3 readers who leave a comment. Please send me your address via email and I'll send it out to you!

Hit it Kalani...


The Simplicity & Delicacy of Torn Paper Art



Hi. I am so happy to have a chance to guest here at Margot Madison Creative. I thought I would share the art of torn paper today. Torn paper art is simply tearing all the shapes by hand, rather than using scissors, punches or other instruments. I first started doing paper art with construction paper in college. Since then I have used it when babysitting small children, teaching at The Art Farm (a children’s art program I founded), as family Thanksgiving Day entertainment and professionally to make notecards and larger pieces of art.

It is amazing what a group of people can come up with in a torn paper art session. It’s an art form that even people who don’t feel they are creative can lose themselves in, which brings me a lot of joy to see. I have seen everything from pop up notecards to broad landscapes and 3D structures. Paper is an amazingly flexible medium - you can tear it, fold it, bend it and glue it into endless formations.

When the scrapbook paper industry began to boom I graduated up to enjoy the full spectrum of colors and patterns it has to offer.  This past year two of my most challenging projects were contributing a torn paper art piece to the BlogHer/Kirtsy Gulf Auction  and creating a “portrait” of my little clan.

To make the large flower seen above you only need to be able to tear paper teardrop shapes in varying sizes and then tear three circular shapes.


Thanks so much Kalani! I love that spring flower and how it dresses up a gift (and the flower is a gift in itself!) I'm imagining how great it would look on a spring wreath too. Hmmm....somebody's mother might be getting a special torn paper something from her crafty daughter for Mother's Day....

15 comments:

  1. This is a great idea that will look super on my Mom's birthday gift.

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  2. Ooh, I'm so excited to read this! How fabulous to see the talent of a fellow BYWer ☺. Bravo. J x

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  3. What a great idea to use up all those wonderful scraps of paper, LOVE!

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  4. oh, my children will love this kalani x i shall have to have a go along with them. x

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  5. What a darling idea. I'm going to try it with my interior design students for Mother's Day! Thanks for the post!

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  6. Oh, this is so lovely! What a great idea :)

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  7. beautiful. i love how it is the simple things like tearing paper that make the most affective and creative looking designs. so simple and lovely. thanks for sharing.

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  8. Thanks Margot for having me as a guest. Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I created a post with photos of other torn paper art projects I've done on my blog today to go along with this post. You can see them here.

    http://kalanicut.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-torn-paper-art-projects.html

    And please share your projects, I'd love to see them!

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  9. Dear Margot and kalani, this is such an inspiring post! I love this idea of using hand-torn papers for art! Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!

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  10. Hello Margot, What a nice blog. I luv it. And I also luv this post, it is a great and simple projects. Thans to kalini too :)

    I will be back to visit your blog again.

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  11. Kalani - I love, love, love the natural organic look of the torn paper flowers and scenes you create. You are so talented! How did you attach all the pieces together and keep them in place?

    I am also glad to meet another BYW colleague "Margot Madison" from the BYW class and following your blog. Last year I took the class too, but had to drop out due to health issues. Now I am learning so much from all of you and look forward to taking the class again. Do stop by for a chat someday at newsrproutart.blogspot.com

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  12. Hi dear Newsprout! It's all held together with plain old glue stick. Well I use the fancy purple ones that turn clear when the dry, but it's glue stick nonetheless. haa-haa.

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  13. I agree with you that Blogging Your Way provided me with the most supportive blogger community which I really treasure to this day and will in the future. What a nice guest blogger post! Torn paper art looks beautiful. I enjoy seeing fellow BYW bloggers as a guest blogger! Kaho

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  14. Oh, Margot! I'm so delighted to be a winner of this gorgeous giveaway - many thanks. Like the other commenters, I find it's a thrill to see the work of lovely fellow BWYers in action. Bravo! J x

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