Cloth Paper Scissors is a magazine for collage and mixed media artists and those who love this type of art. I got my first issue this last winter (had to have it shipped to me here in Denmark as it’s not available here) and am so in love with all the different articles. I even enjoyed the ads since it gives me more information on the various vendors and I can look up their websites. I did not receive this issue for free from the publisher. I purchased my own copy for this review. Articles include how to’s, artist profiles, techniques and methods with instructions. There was even a paper piecing article with patterns. And for those of us beginning media artists, a workshop with basics tutorial. The tutorials and instructions written up in the magazine are very general leaving room for creativity so if you are expecting exact how-tos, this is not the magazine to go to. Materials are listed and the technique or method is explained but the finishing is completely left to the reader to work out.
The issue I reviewed is the July/August 2010 issue. I enjoyed viewing the pendent reader swap article with images of the various pendents created for it. This gave me inspiration for the different types of media to use on my own jewelry making. There was also an article on pocket scrolls for creating a small type of journal for traveling with some general instructions on how to do your own. I travel some so this would be fantastic for me to utilize in some way.
Since I am a huge recycler, the MuseFlash this issue was of interest, with images and explanations of various recycling projects such as a rag rug bag and a piece of artwork created using a frozen-dinner box.
Overall, the magazine is lovely to look at, for those wanting inspiration, and is nice sized with about 100 pages published 6 times a year. Interweave Press also publish Studio and In Stitches (a quilting magazine). You can also subscribe to digital Cloth Paper Scissors which is an online magazine, if you are not able to get the paper magazine.
