Hi there, I don't know if you have this problem, but it seems that whenever I decide to buckle down and concentrate on just one project, a whole new crafty obsession pops into view. Yesterday I committed to completing my February Lady Sweater by February 1st; today, all I want to do is throw down the knitting needles and pick up an X-Acto knife so that I can experiment with paper cutting (also known by its German name, Scherenschnitte). It all started with this calendar by Nikki McClure, which I bought myself as a New Year's present. (I believe there's no such thing as too many calendars!) I was amazed when I realized that the illustrations were paper cuts, not pen-and-ink drawings. The calendar made me think of this video (a scene from which is shown above) for the song "I Don't Know," by Lisa Hannigan – featuring a room full of paper cuts created by artist Maeve Clancey.  (I would love to decorate a room this way. Such fun!) Then, of course, there's Rob Ryan (that's the cover of his book, above), whose paper cuts grace book and magazine covers, storefronts, fancy packing tape (to name a few) and are also available for purchase. (I should start saving my pennies.) You can even find them printed on fabric! If  you'd like to learn more about paper cutting online, check out the Scherenschnitte blog, which even provides templates and how-tos. Amy Karol of Angry Chicken is a paper cutting enthusiast, too (check out the paper cut header her blog's currently sporting) and you can buy several of her paper cutting designs (see Email Order #8 and Email Order #10, which arrive as PDFs for you to print out and then have fun with!). If you're intrigued by those and want to add to your craft library, here are a few titles to consider:

• Scherenschnitte: Designs and Techniques for the Traditional Craft of Papercutting

• The Art of Papercutting

• The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen

• Papercutting: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Learning the Craft

Oh, if only I had multiple pairs of hands...