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t1is015 ~ Darling Marie and Edith Paper Dolls and
Portfolio Required tools and
supplies:
- X-acto knife and fresh
blade -- VERY IMPORTANT
- A thin metal
straight-edge ruler. Make fold lines by pressing
against edge of the ruler.
- Tweezers
- A good quality
cutting mat --
VERY IMPORTANT
- Detailing scissors
- Fast-grab, quick-dry
white craft glue that dries clear
- Small piece of aluminum
foil to use as a glue pot
- Artist's paint brush to
apply glue
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
BEFORE STARTING. THERE ARE TIPS THROUGH OUT THE
STEPS THAT WILL BE GOOD OVERVIEW KNOWLEDGE! |
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1. Cut out and fold
portfolio as shown. |
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2. Here is how it
looks with folds |
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3. There is a tiny
pink square in the center of this side shown
(although the square is too small to see in this
photograph). That is where you will glue the center
point of the length of pink ribbon, if you
elect to use the ribbon tie. |
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3a. Paint glue to the
4 long side tabs. |
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4. Use tweezers to
securely press the tabs. Cut-out one set of the
paper dolls to be displayed in the portfolio. Don't
cut the second set. |
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5. Here is how the
portfolio looks with the ribbon tie. Note the doll
and stand will be done at a later step. |
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6. To prepare to cut
the paper dolls, replace your blade
securely in the X-acto knife. It is terribly
important to use a blade that is fresh and has a
very sharp tip. And just as important, is the
need to have a cutting mat made for this very
purpose. The reasoning is that one tug of the blade,
or one really rough cut could leave a piece ruined. |
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7. Leave the 8
panels of the second set of paper dolls intact. This
gives you something to hold on to while you are
cutting the outline of each doll and outfit. |
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8. To begin cutting,
always cut the tight spots first. See how the
notches at the neck, under arms and leg/ankle have
been cut away and pulled up with the tip of the
blade. It is
very important to use a good cutting mat for this
project. Pulling against cardboard or other surface
that doesn't contain silicone or nylon will result
in a ratty edge. |
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9. I cut the little 4
slits on the stand pieces before removing the pieces
from the page.
To get a nice curve
on the two stand's cross-pieces you may want to use
detailing scissors.
Do not cut the 4
slits too far into the pieces, but you may need to
make a very thin V-cut to make the stands work. As
demonstrated in step 5's photo, the stand does work.
Use tweezers to assemble the cross-pieces into the
stand.
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10. Here you see how
wise it is to make short cuts--start at the dress
and cut away from it. It is also advisable to
press the blade through the paper rather
than the normal pull the blade through
the paper. |
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11. Here you can see
how the last move after cutting all the notch type
cuts is to cut the lateral flat cuts. Such as: the
dress's bottom edge and the top edges of the tabs. |
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12. When cutting the
hats, cut the slit for the head first. |
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13. Use the same
cutting techniques on the hats as for the dresses.
It may have been advisable to use detailing scissors
along the hat's bottom edge.
It would have been a little smoother looking.
Some people do
better with scissor, some do better with the blade
tool. I have found that scissors tend to make
the finished piece wavy and not smooth and flat,
which detracts from its professional appearance. |
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14. This is just
another example of how a piece looks when cuts are
done properly--from dress edge outward.
If you try to cut one
long continuous line following the perimeter with
either a blade or scissors, you will end up with a
very wavy edge. The surface paint will chip off and
the paper will fray and separate in layers. This
tutorial
sounds way more involved than is necessary for this
process. I just
wanted to address every aspect and obstacle.
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