Kelly Rosser started paper cutting just over 2 years ago. She designed her first papercut as a gift and got the bug! Kelly told me, “I set up my Facebook page within 2 months and started putting photos of designs on there. To my delight, I started getting commissions and Kelly Cuts Paper became my small business.” She added, “It’s taken a while to develop what I see as my distinctive style, I hand draw and cut the front layer from a single sheet of paper using a scalpel, then create a colourful background, either with paint or mixed media. It’s a time consuming process but I love the finished look it creates.”
The Castell Coch design took around six hours to create and Kelly explained how she was inspired, “I grew up in Ynysybwl, near Pontypridd, so any journeys to Cardiff or beyond took us past Castell Coch, and it has always seemed a magical place to me and somewhere we had to point out on our journeys. The way it sits on the mountain surrounded by forestry, it really is a fairytale castle. I wanted to create a papercut which was inspired by it, but also had my signature style of trees and colour behind the paper cut layer. I’m really happy with how the finished piece looked. I’ve sold lots of cards, prints and notebooks that feature my Castell Coch design, so I’m guessing it’s a special place for lots of other people too!”
I asked Kelly how people can buy her work. She said, “At the moment, I sell all my work online, through my Folksy online shop and various social media pages. I haven’t had the opportunity to do any craft fairs yet, but this is something I’m looking at in the future. I am also in the process of getting my cards stocked in a few art gallery shops which is an exciting new development for me.”
Prints of the original are available to buy.
Kelly also creates lots of bespoke papercuts for her customers. She told me, “The family trees are very popular as they can be completely personalised with names and images. I’ve also created gifts for weddings, anniversaries and new babies. As I draw the design by hand, this means I can add details to a piece that will make it special and meaningful to the person receiving it. It’s especially lovely for me when I get sent photographs and messages from people who have been really emotional when they first see their paper cut. I’m proud to say I’ve made a few people cry happy tears!”
You can view lots more of Kelly’s work at her shop and get in touch with her on Facebook and Twitter.
