How a Piece Comes Together
Choosing the Paper
I buy my paper from various art stores and online suppliers - sometimes it's made just for me. I try to buy recycled paper where I can and some paper is hand made.
Choosing the color, texture, and printing combinations is fun, and I go based on instinct. A few times I've had to scrap a project because it just wasn't working for me, but usually I have an idea of what I want when I buy the paper.
Cutting the Paper
Deciding how to cut the paper is the next big decision. You can cut freehand or straight, or there are a few other options I've used. Once I decide what method(s) I'm going to use on a particular project, I then have to decide which piece of paper is going which direction. I use a healing mat so that I don't cut the work surface below.
Tools of the trade.
The first few rows are the hardest.
Halfway through the weaving.
Finishing Touches
After the glue has dried on the last row, I let the project "rest" for a few days under the mat or under some sort of weights for a few days so that it has time to flatten and fully dry. Then I'll trim the edges and square up the sides so that it doesn't look wonky, for lack of a better word. After that it gets photographed and sent out to it's new home.