When was the last time you tried something new?  Something you never imagined you would do or even like?  The last new thing for me was becoming a vegan three years ago.  So, it had been a long since I did something new until a few months ago.  My husband kept bugging me to try art classes at the Art Museum.  My response to him was “Meh…”  I thumbed my nose at the idea.  I liked my comfort zone and didn’t want to leave.  Then he left the colorful brochure from the museum on my desk.  I was signing up the kids for art classes and ended up reading about the adult classes.  I  signed up for a paper art class.  I am an artist and illustrator.  I knew nothing about paper art.  In this class, we had to use four pieces of card stock to make a three dimensional scene.  We used X-acto knives to cut designs into the paper.  It was really cool and really fun.

I didn’t think much about the class after taking it.  But slowly I started noticing paper.  There are so many cool things made with paper.   Cardboard, fast food packaging, various food product packaging, electronics packaging (iPhone boxes), gift boxes and greeting cards.  Paper is such a beautiful material.  There are so many types of paper from shimmery card stock, plain white watercolor paper to stiff solid colored card stock.  I got a variety of these papers, an X-acto knife and a paper trimmer and I have been having a lot of fun since.  Paper art is not the same as illustrating, painting or digital art.  The art class made me think of designs in a whole new and different way.

I have included some cards that I have made further in the post.  My cards are for sale at my Etsy shop (My Etsy Shop).  I encourage you to try something new.  Get out of your safe zone and just do it!  You never know what you might like, what might inspire you and where it will take you.