Frequently asked questionsWhat if I wanted, say, ten snowflakes exactly like item
no. x?
What if I wanted, say, ten snowflakes exactly like item no. x? Just like real snowflakes, no two of my snowflakes are alike. I can certainly make a batch of similar ones—for example, four snowflakes with butterflies and dragonflies for your four kitchen windowpanes—but since they are hand-cut and very complex, they are all going to be at least a little bit different from each other, always. If you see one you want, I recommend that you order it right away. There may be similar ones, but they won't be the one that got away.... Can you do a custom-ordered snowflake? Yes! There are a few ground rules, though. While I am very handy with the scissors, there are designs that I won't be able to do. Designs almost always have to be bilaterally symmetrical, as I describe in more detail below. Some examples of commissions I've been able to do successfully are fish, a sailboat, palm trees, crabs (there is something about tropical themes and snowflakes...it's weird but nice) and violins and double basses. Custom snowflakes are $20, and I need at least ten days to complete them, not including shipping time. You can always ask me—I may be able to tackle it, but I reserve the right to say no way, I will not copy your parents' wedding picture into a snowflake. Two more examples of unsuccessful patterns: cats and dogs (unless you want them to have two tails), and lovers entwined (they just look like a blob). Please see "custom ornament orders" under the "purchase snowflakes" menu for details. Am I crazy, or did I see a snowflake ornament with bats and coffins in it ? You are not crazy -- that's a Halloween snowflake! You might also notice ornaments representing different cities (Paris, New York); seasons (bare winter trees, summer on the beach); and passions like gardening, cooking (see if you can find the aprons and kettles) and wine-tasting. Where can I get a Hanukah snowflake around here? They are in set three, among the "eye-poppingly ornate" ornaments, because a nine-candled menorah is quite difficult to cut into a snowflake, and my Hanukah snowflakes tend to involve this holiday icon. I hope the beauty of these snowflakes makes up for their scarcity. Wait, if these are made of paper, aren't they incredibly fragile? They would be, but they're laminated. These snowflakes are laminated in very thin clear plastic so that that they are still delicate and airy, but they are also strong and permanent. You probably don't want to let your cats play with them, but if an ornament falls from the dining room chandelier and into the gravy boat, you can just wipe it off and hang it again. Pretty cool for such an ornate objet d'art. How do you come up with the designs? I don't exactly design the snowflakes in advance, but I do plan what recognizable shapes will be in them, if any. The decorative, abstract element of each snowflake I make up as I go along. The shapes, say a bell or a candle, are almost always bilaterally symmetrical (evenly divisible in two halves down the center), so that half the design can be cut on a crease, and it will repeat three times around the snowflake. You'll notice that almost every snowflake actually has two main designs that each repeat three times. It gets a little bit mathematical-sounding in the explaining, but in practice it really does come down to simple folding and (very intricate) cutting. I am always a little bit surprised when I open up a folded snowflake, because I never really know what it's going to look like as a whole until it's finished. When did you start making snowflakes? When I was in first grade. Mrs. Gibson showed us how to fold an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper into quarters and cut into it. They were not very sophisticated then—mostly thick safety-scissor fringe on the edges—but they have evolved. I fold the paper into sixths instead of quarters, which makes them more complex and means that they are six-sided, like real snowflakes. What kind of scissors do you use? I've tried a few kinds but I've settled on Chinese utility scissors that look like this:
They are inexpensive and very sharp. The catch is that they are made of high-carbon (not stainless) steel, so they rust. I have to make sure they're perfectly clean every time I use them. I use plain bright white 20-lb office paper. Do you ever make snowflakes in colors? While I experiment occasionally with materials other than white paper, I have the rather conservative view that the elegance and simplicity of white is the best medium for the complex designs within the snowflakes. One more reason, maybe a little obvious, is that while real snowflakes may not contain images of dancing ladies, insects or skyscrapers, they are indeed white, and I (*cough*) like to be realistic. When and where can I see and buy more snowflakes in 2005-2006? Snowflakes by Sarah will be on display for sale in a number of places in and around the Baltimore area -- and remember, they are one of a kind, so everywhere they are sold you will see new designs: Gratitudes Can you give me three reasons why snowflakes make a great gift? 1) They are flat and lightweight—perfect for enclosing in a card to your friends and family in snowless, or snowy, places. 2) They can be hung from anything—not just a Christmas tree! They look beautiful in windowpanes, hanging from a light fixture or looped around the neck of a wine bottle for the host or hostess at a holiday party. 3) Snowflakes are beautiful, peaceful and non-denominational. Their only message is delight! And one more thing... What's the connection between snowflakes and scarves and the Red Devils? There's no particular connection between snowflakes and scarves: folding and cutting and knitting are just points on the continuum of skills I employ to make beautiful things. (They're both wintry, though, aren't they!) I decided that the scarves, particularly when made of luscious pink yarns from around the world, would be not only beautiful but also meaningful if I dedicated a portion of profits to the Red Devils, an organization which does such great work to lighten the burden on Maryland families coping with breast cancer. Contact: |
