Tulips and a paper-cutting

I was browsing through a book in the library – Country Woodworking – and was intrigued by what they had to say about tulips. They say “Tulips were a potent symbol among the Pennsylvania Dutch.  Three-petal tulips reminded them of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Tulip boxes often held three tulips, the middle tulip slightly higher than the other two. This was another symbol: Jesus on the cross between the two thieves.” Isn’t that interesting?

This got me thinking about flowers and since I’m on a paper-cutting kick I came up with this -

Feel free to cut your own. I pretty much strictly cut with a craft knife but have been known to use scissors if it is a large cutting. I cut on a self-healing cutting mat, if you don’t have one you could cut on a magazine or the back of linoleum. First tape your pattern to your paper. I wouldn’t use paper that is too thick or textured. A nice smooth card stock would work well. Don’t use your kids colored paper – the fibers in the paper are too short and will tear, it could end up looking “furry”. Always start with the inside cuts. Then cut the outline. Just play around. It ain’t rocket science – and paper is cheap. If you goof up you can always try again. This is a good cutting to practice on – or try these simple cuttings from Cindy. I’ve made several vases of flowers over the weekend and will be sharing them this week. Happy Crafting!!!