It’s always such a joy to find an amazing crafter and then have the opportunity to chat with them for a bit. Karin from Interwingle has some of the most intricate pop-up designs and I am so excited to share her world with you!
Here’s what Karin has to say about her art:
How long have you been making pop-up cards?
I think it has been about 5 years. I have not fully utilized the medium or been more formally a pop-up creator until the last 2 years. I dabbled in pop-ups over my lifetime, in graphic arts school I created a pop-up business card, that was a while ago ;).
What is your favorite piece?
I think my favorite pop-up is usually the one I am working on. Right now I love my Gross Love card. The was true labor. There are 5 layers that come together to create the image you see.
Where do you get your inspiration? How do you come up with ideas for new cards?
I wish I knew my inspirations. Lots of times it isn’t anything earth shattering. I may be inspired by an upcoming holiday or event. I love making Valentine’s cards. Back to my Gross Love card, that has a more interesting inspiration story. I friend of mine lost her 7-year battle with Breast Cancer about a month before Valentine’s Day. Her parents are simply bizarre, I won’t elaborate further, but to the surprise of all of her friends her parents informed us that they donated her body to science. Her body was actually donated to the college where she took gross anatomy, her professor still works there, he taught her and is now going to be “studying” her. Now don’t get me wrong I think it is a noble thing to donate your body to science but this just seemed weird and it seemed she would have rather been donated to a place were they study cancer, not muscles (it is a physical/occupational therapy school) and well, she didn’t donate her own body.
I couldn’t stop thinking of her on a dissection table and I needed to replace that image in my mind. There were no calling hours no casket at the funeral she was just gone. She was a very loving creative soul. I made this card to honor her. I made the bones more realistic and used a heart shape for to represent her heart. I made the heart the deep red because even though her body may be gone the love and laughter she poured into the world is what will last, it is what all her friends still feel and I prefer to think of her body as clean and white as if shrouded and at rest somehow. This card is what emerged out of all those swirling thoughts.
What is the most unusual request or custom order you’ve ever received?
People usually order my cards as-is aside from color changes from time to time.
Have you ever used these paper cutting techniques in any other type of craft?
I do paper cutting of all kinds and have applied them to all sorts of crafts. I make lamps and lampshades that are completely fashioned from paper. The cut paper is beautiful with light shining through it. I create window valances, again it is lovely with the sun shining through. My cut paper designs were recently featured with 10 other artists in a book published by Lark Books called Paper Cuts: 35 Inventive Projects. I am starting to dapple in applying my cut paper designs to clay creations.
What are some designs that you’d like to attempt in the future?
I consider myself a multi-media artist and I want my work to reflect that more. I have a degree in graphic arts as well as a studio art degree in painting and ceramics. I am always interested in new art/craft mediums and I’d like to extend my work beyond cards. I’d like my etsy shop to reflect that as well. Having a 1-year-old limits the time I have to work but I can’t seem to tear myself away from him so the “future” may be farther away than I think! Having him in my life has been absolutely amazing. I would love to create a pop-up book for him. I am working on getting back to painting and I am exploring ways to merge paper cutting and painting to create thought provoking and beautiful images. As stated above I am also experimenting with oven-bake clay to bring some of my designs to life in different manifestations.
Bella Stitchery 