Jeff_Rudell

NY, US
contributor

I am a paper artist whose work combines my background in graphic art with my lifelong fascination with traditional craft techniques. My work runs the gamut from highly sculptural Baroque headdresses crafted from handmade French papers to African tribal masks crafted from discarded shopping bags. Despite the diversity of my subject matter, I strive to make work that has a strong sculptural quality, is drawn from organic shapes, and has a sort of crisp lyricism.

My work has been featured at Tiffany & Co. (Fifth Avenue), Mish New York, The New York Botanical Garden, and can also be seen in the pages of Elle Decor, Brides, Receptions, and Good Housekeeping magazines among others.

I am also a writer and storyteller whose work has been performed at the New York Public Library, The Players Club, the American Institute of Architects, and the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. In 2007 I was a featured performer on the National Storytelling Tour. Check out my stories at The Moth Podcast on iTunes or at Audible.com

In 2005 I was a candidate on the NBC television show, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Contact: You can reach me at my name "jeffrudell" followed by the "@" symbol and the extension "gmail". (Pardon this cumbersome format but as anyone who has posted their full email address online will attest, extraordinary steps are necessary if one is to avoid being buried in an avalanche of unwanted junk mail.)

craft interests: gifts, holidays, home decorating, memory making, paper crafts

Member Since: 06/02/2008

Subscribe to my RSS Feed contributions

How to Make a Snowstorm

I asked a friend of mine, who was visiting from the tropics, what he would like to see while he was in the New York area. His reply: "a snowstorm," so I tried to oblige...

Extreme Paper: The Long, Dark Road to a Bright Idea

A total of 765 discrete pieces of paper, 10 feet of dental floss, 15 glue sticks, 6 ounces of white craft glue, and hours of trial and error eventually culminate in a frothy bagatelle just right for a holiday window.

How to Make a Garland with Punch

This week I take up the old reliable paper garland of my elementary school days but with a twist: Bands of paper glued end-to-end become rings of paper glued edge-to-edge.

How to Make Paperless Origami

It's white. You can fold it. You can crease it. You can even wash it! But, it's not paper; it's fusible interfacing. And, if you're making large-scale origami this holiday, it is the perfect paper substitute.

How to Make a Surprisingly Simple Paper Wreath

"Show me something I can make in an hour that isn't going to cost and arm and a leg and won't leave me frustrated and discouraged by the time I finish it." Enough said.

Ideas for a Creepy Little Photo Book

Just because I'm a crafter doesn't mean I insist on making everything by hand. For me, half the fun is finding ways to use tools and technology in new and unique ways. Take for example the common photo book...

The Claw: How to Make an Unusual Halloween Mask

Say goodbye to the black plastic cat-eye masks and the ill-smelling latex hoods. This year, show off your skills by crafting a relic straight from the crypt.

Make It Pink: How to Make a "Millie Box"

A woman I hardly knew, with a disease I hardly understood, taught me one of the most important lessons of my life: that compassion dissolves fear. In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I offer a belated thank you to Millie Barnett for introducing me to the big "C."

YOU Be the Client: An Open Call for Paper Projects

CraftStylish.com now has more than 5,500 members. In honor of this milestone, our paper blogger turns the tables and puts our readers in the client seat. This week Jeffery is soliciting project ideas from the CraftStylish.com community. Here's your chance to put this amazing paper engineer to work for you.

How to Make a Pencil Box Bouquet

Send a beautiful bouquet of flowers to your favorite office worker for the price of a few postage stamps. This simple and colorful tutorial gives new meaning to the term "fresh-cut flowers."

How to Make an Impression: Extraordinary Thank-You Notes

Art is for the ages, but paper is for the here and now! Embrace its ephemeral nature and even turn it to your advantage. Putting a little time into something that's not meant to last can yield wonderful results.

How to Make Scrap-Paper Mosaics

Scraps of paper, remnants, and junk-mail catalogs are the raw materials for these exuberant collage portraits. The old adage, "Sometimes good enough is good enough," applies: Approximate the shapes you want, select tonal values that are close, and you'll likely capture a likeness.

How to Make Paper Ornaments

Ah, Labor Day, when a young man's fancy turns to ornaments. Ornaments?! Yes, it's time again to begin crafting for the holiday season (three months away and counting). Here's the recipe for one of my favorite (and easiest to make) tree-trimming decorations.

Portrait in Paper: It's Not What You Think!

The question I get from crafters more than any other is, "How do you come up with fresh ideas?" For me, I had to free myself from the tyranny of the medium before the ideas really started to flow. The truth is, you can do more with paper than you think is possible.

How to Make Simple White Paper Flowers

These elegant flowers look like a million but cost only pennies to make. A careful choice of materials and attention to creating graceful shapes combine to make this my favorite paper centerpiece.

How to Make Perfect Paper Daisies

These cheery blossoms are a breeze to make and, best of all, they never wilt or need watering...

Unusual Embroidered Paper from India

A company in India is treating paper like fabric and offering a stunning line of beautifully embroidered (Yes! Embroidered!!) papers to the U.S. market...

Save Yourself

Crafting is great fun but a studio can be a very dangerous place...

Impression Prints

When drawing an image is either not practical or not possible, and when collage simply won't do, these simple Impression Prints may be the answer to your craft challenges.

Depth Charge: How to Make a Splash and Get Paid for it.

"You cut and fold paper...that's your job?!" I get the question a lot, usually asked with a tone somewhere between incredulity and jealousy. I never tire of the answer, always offered with a smile, "Yes, that's my job."

Repeated Rewards: Make Paper Party Decorations

Many crafts rely on repetition of relatively simple operations to produce complex (or complex-looking) results. Knitting, crocheting, and quilting spring to mind. Working with paper is no different, of course, as card-making, wood-block printing, and gift-wrapping prove.

Bend to Conquer: How to Make a Beautiful Paper Lantern

A single sheet of paper and some thoughtfully added cuts and folds will yield an eye-catching lampshade for a votive candle.

Crumpled Up: How to Make Paper Flowers

Take a break from the straight and narrow and free yourself up to make some mistakes. Today, try setting aside your scissors and focus, instead, on torn paper, soft edges, and coloring outside the lines.

Pretty Up a Party with Paper

I wouldn't hesitate to put extra care and attention into wrapping a present, so why should a cake be any different? Cutting a silhouette is not difficult. If you have paper, pencil, scissors (or X-Acto knife), and an interesting design, you’re more than halfway there. Simply draw out your design, and start cutting.

Crafting My Life with Paper

Paper was my first playmate, my constant companion, my catechism in graphic design, and fuel for my imagination. Like most crafters, I have the-many-who-came-before-me to thank for generously sharing their ideas and techniques, and now I’m thrilled to have a chance to continue the tradition and pass along some of my own ideas. I hope you enjoy them.


recent comments

Re: How to Make Paperless Origami

Lorell: Yes, my fusible interfacing is the woven kind. I actually bought it at Village Fabrics on 1st Avenue and 11th Street in NYC. It came of an enormous bolt so it didn't have any identifying labels or direction. It is woven, though, and the man who sold it to me said it was "double sided" so I did not fold it with the fusible side inward.

I have a dedicated "craft iron" that (sadly) doesn't get that hot anymore so I didn't have any problem with "stickiness." However, on my first attempt I did use a Silpat baking pad between my iron and the fusible material and that seemed to work well at preventing any residue from adhering to my iron. Thanks for offering tips on this material. I'm quite new to it so I appreciate all the guidance I can get.

Re: How to Make Paperless Origami

cavalierking and craftiretiree: I've looked into the reported printing problems and I have been unable to duplicate them on my end. When I attempt to print this post, all pages and all images print fine. I even tried printing from a friends PC (I'm on a Mac) and everything seemed find. I've asked the CraftStylish crew to take a peek at it and we'll see if we can correct the problem.

sfucella: I'm newer to fusible interfacing than you since I didn't even know if came in different weights. I haven't a clue what weight I used but I would suggest you try something supple enough for you to crease it and crease it again (four layers) without the material being too bulky. I hope you'll post pictures of your results.

To all the others who left glowing and appreciative comments, thank you thank you thank you for all your encouragement. It means the world to me to hear your thoughts on these posts. Such encouragement is a gift. Jeffery

Re: How to Make a Surprisingly Simple Paper Wreath

Dear Judy: Sorry for the delay and for failing to note in my post that I used a 12" wreath. Don't let what I used inhibit you in choosing a size that best suits your purposes. I think a larger wreath with smaller circles could be just as handsome as a smaller wreath with larger circles could be. :-)

Re: How to Make Paperless Origami

Dear Wildenfunky: Any origami pattern will work with this tutorial, of course, but if you are interested specifically in this deer pattern, it is, to the best of my knowledge, only available in the book The World of Origami. The author has created a series of "composite figures" made of up two crane bases and this is one of them. They are not particularly difficult to make (which I love) but I've not found anything like it elsewhere. You could check with your local library or search for it second-hand online. Thank you for your kind words. I hope you'll post pictures of your work on the site for us all to enjoy. Craft on. -- Jeffery

Re: Impression Prints

Dear Eveh: It was easy to add the type to these cards. After I finished making each of the prints (and after they were dry) I simply ran the completed pieces through my ink-jet printer. No scanning was required.

Re: Make a Shrink-Plastic Ring

These directions are great (I alway run things by my 10-year-old niece as a sort of field test and she agrees that they are clear and easy to follow.) I'm going out to pick up supplies so then next time we're all stuck inside on a rainy day, the nieces and I (there are five of them!) can have an afternoon of jewelry making. As one of them said, "This could make me very popular with my friends." Ah, the social benefits of bling! LOL.

Re: Jeff's paper daisies

Great job, Carolyn. Thanks for being the first to post your work. I love it.

Re: How to Make Perfect Paper Daisies

A few readers have asked for the name of the paper I used for this project. All of the paper I used came out of my scrap basket so it's been a little difficult to identify everything. Still, I had some success that I hope will be of interest to anyone making these on their own. J.

For the white daisies: Echizen Washi Kozo & Sulphite paper from Thailand (Direct link to page where this paper is featured: http://www.nycentralartsupply.com/asia/japan2.html). Style number: M32 Gira-Ume, 80 grams, 31" x 43", $5.60 per sheet

For the yellow centers of the white daisies: Canford Paper (Direct link to page where this paper is featured: http://www.nycentralartsupply.com/europeii/unitedkingdom.html), Desden Yellow, 150 grams, 20 1/2" x 30 1/2", $2.00 per sheet

Re: You're a Fabric Designer!

I mean "CraftyPod" blog (I left out the "y" in my last comment.) Let this be a lesson to all crafter that they should NOT to be writing comments at 1:56 in the morning when they should be sleeping. :-)

Re: You're a Fabric Designer!

Diane: Spoonflower sounds amazing. I can't wait to try it out. I also wanted to compliment you on your amazing CraftPod blog. I dipped in for a quick look and two hours (TWO HOURS!) zipped by before I knew it. I love the work you're doing there. Super.

Re: How to Machine Embroider Your Own Paper Right at Home

Jennifer: You've ruined me!!!! Now that I know I'm not limited by the type of embroidered papers I can buy off the shelf my mind is racing to all manner of projects I want to begin. This is a disaster since my mind is already running in ten directions. I'm going to be so busy playing with this new process it's unlikely I'll ever get any of my work done now! :-) Thank you for the great tutorial.

Re: Repeated Rewards: Make Paper Party Decorations

Dear Javamaven: The birds I simply cut out myself. You can make your own by simply downloading some bird images from Internet and then tracing them onto ColorAid paper and cutting them out. All you need is a craft knife, a cutting surface, and some colorful paper and you can make your own in a matter of minutes. Good luck.

Re: Bend to Conquer: How to Make a Beautiful Paper Lantern

Dear craft_gal: I use either X-acto or Excel brand blades (usually number 11, which is the most commonly available size.) I've had similar problems with blade tips snapping -- very annoying -- or blades being dull -- very very annoying. When I investigated by talking to a purchasing manager at a large art supply story in New York City, I was informed that most of the blades packaged for consumer use are now produced in China (isn't everything, these days?) However, he claimed that blades sold in 100 unit packs are still produced in the U.S. Why this should be I cannot say -- it may not even be true -- but I have had pretty good luck with the 100 packs. They are a bit expensive ($25-$35 depending on where you buy them) but it beats having to replace a blade every few minutes.

Another option you may wish to consider: Many art stores and higher-end craft stores now sell surgical steal scalpels. They are EXTREMELY sharp, quite durable, and they have a rounded tip. The snub-nosed blade prevents the tip from snapping off and there's no question they are sharp. I don't use them myself only because the handles are plastic and I tend to bear down rather heavily when I'm cutting so I prefer the steel shank of a regular X-acto. If you have a lighter touch, you may wish to try a scalpel. New York Central Art Supply in New York City carries them if you cannot find them where you live (NY Central Art Supply, 62 Third Avenue, NY NY 10003, 212-473-7705). Good luck and craft on!

Re: Crafting My Life with Paper

Dear artlikebread: Thank you for your kind comment. I've added a picture of floral frogs, per your request. You can find these items at your local florist (and often at your local flea market, too.) Craft on!