Wednesday, December 19, 2012

scherenschnitte

 





The other day one of my handmade cards that I sell on Etsy was featured in a Treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjE3NzY1ODF8MjcyMTE1NTQyNw/the-nightmare-before-christmas?index=1

Christmas Card with Victorian Couple Strolling in the SnowThe name of the treasury is "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Hmmm..interesting that my card ended up in a treasury with the word "nightmare" in it...It's  an a art deco image inspired by the Victorian era.

While sifting through my Mom's scrapbooks from the 1930's, looking for vintage cards to scan and embellish, I found a number of cards that used bold color palettes. The most popular seem to be black and red:


 
Anyway.....
 
There was another item in the treasury list that caught my eye - a scherenschnitte, which in german translates as "scissor cuts."
Retro Paper Cut Christmas Village with Santa Sleigh Reindeer Laughing Moon Wall Art
 
 
It's a German/Swiss folk art that originated in the 1500's. The craft was brought to Colonial America by Germans immigrants in the 18th century, many of whom settled in Pennsylvania.
 
The intricate, painstaking piece was done by a woman named Polly, who is a retired RN from Oregon. Her Etsy shop is Sugarplum Silhouettes.
 
 
When you realize that her ornate designs consist of one intact piece of paper, you'll see how immensely talented she is!
 
Here are some other pieces from her shop:
 
Retro Christmas Decor Santa Cat Deer Papercut Silhouette Wall Art

 
Nursery Wall Art  Dog Cat  Personalized PapercutVintage Style Christmas Decor Santa Church Squirrel Silhouette Wall Art PRINT
Tea Light Holder Luminary Butterfly Flowers Wedding Decor Centerpiece
 
 
Her pieces are unique - beautiful - evocative. Check them out!

1 comment:

  1. First, this is a beautiful blog and I love those Christmas cards. They are exactly the sort of thing that spells Christmas to me (with no nightmare involved.)

    And thank you so much for the feature! I'm really nearly speechless, it's such an honor. All I can say is how much I appreciate it, and to wish you well as a fellow blogger and Etsian (is that a word?)
    Best, best regards,
    Polly @ SugarplumSilhouettes & www.pinpointhorizon.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete