ABOUT

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen Newcomer,

the artist behind

19 PAPER LANE.

I'm a woman of Christ, a wife, a boy mom of two, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I love learning, exploring, and creating. I love to read and all things related to books, paper, stationary, journals. And, I love living in sunny Austin, Texas.

I have a background in science, oddly. But something about becoming a mom has opened up a side of me that I had long ago tucked away. I'm learning once again who God has made me to be and am taking steps (albeit sometimes hesitantly) to embrace all sides of myself, not just the ones I think people want to see.

I started cutting paper about 2 years ago when I wanted to make something for my son's birthday party and my husband refused to buy me a Cricut machine. I thought, "Hey, I can probably just cut it out myself with a craft knife." So I did. And it was actually a fun challenge. I looked online for tips and tricks about papercutting, and when I didn't find much, I learned by doing and practicing with coloring pages, eventually moving on to drawing my own designs to cut out.

I find papercutting relaxing and restorative, and yet energizing. I like the idea of removing part of the whole to reveal beauty, knowing like a sculptor that the image or design is there in the paper, it just needs to be set free from the excess. I find my inspiration from God's stunning creation, from books, and from people's stories. My favorite projects are ones that I personalize to include people's stories in order for them to commemorate a special milestone in their life, whether it be the birth of a child or a marriage. But even if it's just a simple flower, its my hope that all of my papercuts would bring joy to the home of its recipient.

Thanks for stopping by! Blessings to you and yours,