Helen’s Book

No question about it: Helen Hiebert put together a book, The Art of Paper Craft, that is a must-have instant-classic for people who love working with paper. I am pleased to be one of her contributors, and am happy to have the project of mine which she included in print, out in the world.

Oh, so much to unpack here.

I met Helen in NYC before the turn of the century, In 2002 she included some of my work in her first (?) book, Paper Illuminated. She and I had both moved out of NYC, she to Colorado, I to Upstate New York. We did not stay in touch. One day in 2017 Helen reached out to me, not knowing that this was when things were changing for me, when my focus was starting to shift, when I could spend time in my studio and be in touch with people again.

A place to perform, But how does this stage stand up?

It’s not that I hadn’t been working. While my husband and were raising our children, my creative focus was on designing projects for schools. At the same time we had some tough issues to deal with here at home. I had no time to keep in touch with people. The project of mine that Helen shows in her book was designed in 2012, during a time when I was just trying to get through the day. I love this project. It is a perfect example of the work that is most important to me.

It’s a stage. Children are quick to play make-believe, to enact stories that they know or that they make up. Having a stage to interact with can ignite and focus their imaginations.

Here’s what I love about this stage: It can be large or small, it can be made out of a wide variety of materials, the side supports are also pockets which can hold puppets or scripts, it can fold up flat to be put away for another day and it is almost ridiculously easy to make. Extra bonus: there are oh so many to decorate the structures: drawings, stickers, collage, bling.

I love this project because anyone can make anywhere, making it any size, using available materials. It can be plain and small or large and fancy. And now this project is out in the world in a larger way that I ever suspected it would be.

Thanks, Helen.