By Ruth Rowland
Journal: Chiyogami Moon Handmade Card with Pop-Up Papercut Illustration
If like me, you have a growing paper collection, then you may enjoy this little card I made for a friend, using a few of my Japanese sheets.
Created from Japanese origami papers for their bright colour and sharp folds, I hand cut the central illustration and pasted it down, so it pops up when the card is opened. It was trial and error to get it right and I mocked up a rough paper model to help me figure it out before creating the final artwork.
Chiyogami Moon Papercut Card Video: open
The decorative moon is made from silkscreened Japanese Chiyogami paper. If you haven't seen it before, Chiyogami paper was originally developed in the Edo period as woodblock prints by papermakers during the farming season for use as accessories in the house. It was meant to be cut into pieces and made into paper dolls or pasted on tea tins or small paper boxes and the scale of the patterns still reflect these early uses. The decorative designs were based on the beautiful kimonos the papermakers saw on fashionable ladies in large cities, such as Kyoto.
Chiyogami Moon Papercut Card: detail
To add the finishing touches, I chose a semi-transparent envelope, with a matching paper belly band, gold and black calligraphy and a delicate moth stamp, I'd been saving for something special. There's something so satisfying about making a card by hand, it was a real pleasure to put together and hopefully gave some joy when it arrived in the post, too.
Chiyogami Moon Papercut Card: envelope and hand lettered and collaged belly band
If you'd like to see more of my handcrafted projects, check back for occasional updates here in my Journal folder or follow my 'behind-the-scenes in the studio' account on Instagram. My current creative practice, which I work on between commissioned projects, includes calligraphy, watercolour and paper art.
