Flourish No. 5

These caps are all built off a clockwise loop. You may keep it as a spiral (open) curl or you may have it cross over.

The W in the top row is a sad tear-drop shape. I left it in so that you could compare it to the others. Avoid the tear drop shape. It is sad and droopy. Keep all your curls nice a fluffy and round. Think of a big fat cinnamon roll. Yum.

Flourish - No. 4

The next set of letters. These all start with a loop that is made counterclockwise. The loop may be open or overlapped.

There is a second variation called a Spencerian loop because it was inspired by Spencerian. It might be the easiest loop of all. but, you should try all of them and see which ones feel the best to you.

This started as lessons in flourishing, but evolved into a set of caps that have some flourish.

Beginners - Lesson 4 - fitting

This shows how to fit a word or name into a specific amount of space.
Cut the paper to fit the space, allowing a little bit for space between the letters, although, you can overlap if you like. Cut a slightly smaller piece for the I. Then cut your letters. Notice the fun variation on the letter E.

Beginners - Lesson 3 - gift wrapping

Blogspot won't let me write a paragraph to go with this, just a caption. This is a more time consuming way to use cut paper letters. Imagine the letters in Lesson 1 used for a name on a package.

Beginers - Lesson 2 - cut paper numbers & variations

 Here are some variations that you can try with your cut letters. The word layer was done using a decorative paper punch and scalloped scissors.

This alphabet first appeared in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine called Scrapbooks Etc. The magazine is still around. I was hired to do some "Etc" projects when the magazine first came out. I'll be posting all the different alphabets. None of them were with nibs and ink, but it's not a bad idea to learn how to make some of these kinds of letters because you could use them with your nibs and ink.

For example, you could cut out the first letter of a name and then write the full name with your nibs and ink.

if you have any sticky backed paper, it is much easier than gluing each letter.
 

Beginners - Lesson 1 - cut paper

This is step one in a new series for the beginners who do not have their nibs and ink but they want to have fun with the alphabet.

These were cut out of scrapbooking paper. The holes made with a hole punch.

Instructions:
Cut 23 rectangles, the same size.
Cut 1 rectangle slightly narrower for the I.
Cut 2 rectangles slightly wider for the M and W.

Then, remove tiny slivers of paper to make the 26 letters of the alphabet.

Use a scrap to add the tail on the Q.

In my classes, I would not give students this exemplar. I would demonstrate I-L-T-A  and then tell them to go ahead and figure out the rest.

With A, you only need a triangle. Or you can add a small snip to give it two legs on the bottom. You really don't need the hole in the center at all.

Students quickly understand that the alphabet is a series of symbols and there is a very tiny amount of information that distinguishes one from the other. The two letters that usually stump them are G and Q. That little notch on the G is easy but not obvious. With a Q, you can cut the rectangle a little taller to allow for a tail.

These proportions are very generic and the fun of this alphabet is to figure out all kinds of variations.

Below is one by Nicholas Davies. You can find more if you do a search for *cut paper alphabet* on Google and Pinterest.