How-To's Day: Punched Paper Stationery and featured guest at CAFAM Etsy Craft Night

This Thursday KC is the guest crafter at CAFAM's monthly Etsy Craft Night.  Here is a sneak peek at the project available that night.  We are making needle pierced and stitched paper on this week's how-to project.

Supplies needed

• Medium weight/thick card stock. Thicker paper provides more definition and will hold up a larger needle pierce.
• Various size needles.These can include sewing pins, embroidery needles and can even include awls or other industrial piercing tools.
• Item to protect work surface such as towel or foamcore to punch the paper design into.
• Tracing paper and your design flipped or reversed. When outlining an image the pierce holes will produce a flipped version of a design, unless you flip the tracing image first.
• A pencil to freehand draw your image.

1. Draw the image to be pierced with light penciling on the backside of your paper if you wish to freehand draw the pencil lines. You can also place the image on which ever side you like to be the smooth side (back) 
2. Use the lines of your image, or your pencil lines as the template to create your pierced lines.

A finder needle such as a sewing needle will make a very tiny and more of a stippling affect dot.
Personally I like to use a larger instrument or needle for the outlining of the shape and then work my way in with a smaller needle for the inside detailing work.

Also watch your speed and placement because placing the holes/dots too close to one another can result in a "blob" and be visually distracting.

Here is an example of the finished card:

It is easy to make a plain piece of paper a simple and modern card just by punching the outlines!

Or you can create a new variation of your logo with this technique:

Wanna Come make the project with me?

Etsy Craft Night: Punched & Stitched PaperLed by KC Cooper Sears
Thursday, October 4 from 7:00-9:00pm
$7/ Free for CAFAM Members (includes materials, drinks, and snacks)
In the CAFAM Courtyard

Make your mark with crafter KC Sears and create punched cards and pictures. KC will have funky imagery to inspire you—think vintage California, handmade items, even tattoos—and after you pierce the image, embellish it further with colorful stitching.

Hope to see you there!!!

XOXO, KC