Squirrel Christmas Card

I was thinking about making this card for a while. It was only when I sat down to actually work out the idea in paper that it appeared as a bushy-tailed squirrel holding a nut. 

Squirrel - Christmas 2016

Getting it to look right was tricky because of the angles of the folds and the different colour of the tail.  I ended up making around 18 trial versions until I was happy with this one.

When the construction was right I ordered the paper I needed, along with square envelopes of the correct size. I then cut the shape out, scored, folded and used a ticket punch to make the eye.

Working it out

Making the cards

                                                                                 

Shelf inhabitant

Here is a link to some of my previous papercut Christmas cards.

Merry Christmas!

Year of the Monkey 2016 - The Royal Mint

These quirky roundel designs for the Royal Mint's Lunar New Year presentation packs are something I've been honoured to illustrate for the past few years. The Graphic device for each animal provides a lavish border for each special issue coin.

Here is the initial sketch developed to the finished doily. It takes me about one day to design and one day to cut the intricate patterns from one piece of paper.

Initial Sketch

Black and white version

The image I piece together on the computer.

 

Above is the level of visual that goes to the client for approval.

The final cut out

Below are the little stamps used as detail on the pack. I make these using a scalpel cut into ordinary pencil rubbers.

You can buy this Lunar Year of the Monkey presentation pack from the Royal Mint here 

Graphic Design was by hat-trick. 

These are two previous roundels I have made for the Royal Mint. The blogs for these are here for 2014 Year of the Horse, and here for 2015 Year of the Sheep/Ram. 

  

Year of the Horse 2014

Year of the Sheep 2015

 

Lunar Year of the Monkey - Royal Mail Smiler

2016 is lunar new year of the monkey, so this year I've decorated the smiler sheet for Royal Mail with the paper variety. 
  
Along with the sheets come stickers for the five different elements of earth, fire, metal, water and wood.

Earth

Fire

Metal

Water

Wood

Below are enlarged details of some of the monkeys on the sheet. You can see the cuts in the paper that create the patterns.

 

 

Smiler sheets for lunar year of the monkey can be purchased from Royal Mail here.

Graphic design was by Laura Bowman, art direction by Gareth Howat and photos by Alice Tosey at hat-trick.