LACÉ CUTTING AND FOLDING
By Gerda Perik
Forte Publishers (English Version by Search Press) - July 2002
ISBN: 9058771016 - PB
How-To Books / Making Greetings Cards

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.Com
Buy a US || UK Copy

The word lacé means laced, and this new Dutch papercraft does just that with paper. With the aid of a brass stencil and a knife, you can cut, fold and tuck to create stunning circular and border designs that resemble intricate chains. For this you need double-sided paper or card (it does tell you how to make your own if you don't have any) and some of those beautiful 3D decoupage sheets for the final touch and voila - a lovely greetings card. If you can obtain the exact sheets of images shown in the book (not easy outside Holland but you are sure to find some of them) then it even shows you how to cut and layer them. If you have some fancy punches you can make doily-like backgrounds that further enhance the work, or why not add some tiny rocaille beads? In short, there is quite a lot packed into this little book!

There are some fairly good instructions and some helpful diagrams, so it isn't long before anybody can be creating their own masterpieces. Ornare makes these delightful metal templates but look around and you will find that Incire makes them, too, and they are different.

In the States, Hot Off The Press has come up with a plastic template that is great for cards and scrapbooking and several firms make double-sided paper and card stock, so it is worth shopping around. In here you will find cards for a wide variety of occasions, such as Christmas, Fall and Spring birthdays, get well, wedding, birth and others. I use my own copy a lot and so it comes highly recommended for a versatile paper hobby. It might have been nice to have seen cards that didn't rely on those elusive Dutch decoupage sheets, but you will just have to use your imagination.

Sites dealing with this hobby are quite plentiful:

In the US www.stamporium.com sells templates, card & booklets.

In the UK try www.jayprintcraft.co.uk and www.eclipsecardcraft.co.uk