Meet The Maker – Kyleigh Orlebar

Kyleight Orlebar - Graphic Designer and Papercut Artist

Kyleigh’s love of typography, an obsession with handcutting intricate shapes with a scalpel, a long career in graphic design and a head full of song lyrics (where maths should be!) has led her on a very creative journey.

Caravan Of Love - Kyleigh

Kyleigh is inspired by great typography, beautiful silhouettes plus the song lyrics or phrases themselves. She is completely inspired by the work of Rob Ryan and Julene Harrison. Wanting to give it a go she decided to give her husband a papercut for Valentines Day using lyrics from their first dance at their wedding (Forever my Friend by Ray LaMontagne) so she sparked up Adobe Illustrator and set about designing her first papercut. Kyleigh found she loved the design process – making sure each letter was clinging onto each other, the lines held together with little flourishes and hearts….and so it began!

Handcut papercut - Kyleigh

Handcut papercut - Kyleigh

Putting it all together in Adobe Illustrator is almost like working out a puzzle, moving words around, making them larger, smaller… adding small strips, details and embellishments to the design to hold it all together once cut.

Time After Time - Kyleigh

Working from her garden studio, she really enjoys the process of handcutting the papercut. The fresh new blades on her favourite scalpels (swivel and fixed), the steaming mug of tea, audiobook, podcast or music on in the background and she starts to cut. Piece by piece the design emerges from the paper with great satisfaction on her part.

Handcut papercut - Kyleigh

Kyleigh gets very inspired by the actual wording/quote/lyrics. Words are beautiful. They look beautiful. So when she gets a commission for lovely words Kyleigh is a happy bunny. The words influence a design too, stressing an important word by making it larger for example. Her framing is uncomplicated so that the words can speak for themselves.

Framed handcut papercut - Kyleigh

With a houseful of children (15 and 13 year olds plus 7 month old baby), pets and her wonderful husband there is never a dull moment! Kyleigh has just celebrated her first year of self-employment and is so proud to say it is going from strength to strength with some exciting plans for the future.

Bring Me Sunshine - Kyleigh

You can commission Kyleigh to handcut an original piece of work based on your own favorite song or phrase so do call in to discuss this with us. In 2011 when we hold our third annual Wedding Show we are really hoping that Kyleigh will be introducing her lasercut wedding invitations for you to see. Kyleigh has to quote for having them lasercut for you to your design ideas and they are stunning. The design Kyleigh did below features a couple of swallows as swallows had just arrived on the couple’s land and this was the groom’s suggestion to incorporate into the design somewhere.

Lasercut Wedding Invitations - Kyleigh

Other delightful, bespoke commissions for the Bride and Groom can be for a wedding present to stand out from the crowd with, take a look, this Bride and Groom met on a London Bus:

Framed handcut papercut commission - Kyleigh

Or how about just a simple name/date commission, these work really well too:

Handcut papercut commission - Kyleigh

Framed handcut papercut commission - Kyleigh

Whatever you choose, favourite lyrics, quotes or personal words, you will get years of satisfaction from Kyleigh’s papercut and Heart Gallery is proud to be a part of Kyleigh’s journey.

Fathers Day

Meet my Dad!

Dad and I sitting in Heart Gallery

I love my Dad, I haven’t always but I do now! Family relationships can have their moments; I think it is normal for family members not to get along with each other sometimes! The dynamic between us has been complex over the years as I’ve swung from admiring him to hating him and back again! His attempts at exercising authority when I was younger only led to rebellion and his lack of affection made me feel undervalued and unloved. There has been compromise, commitment and consideration on both parts to various degrees for many, many years but my relationship now is the best it has ever been.

Me and my Dad!

Those that know me understand the reasons for the rollercoaster of a ride that has been difficult for both Dad and myself and that the huge turning point was 6 years ago after my sister took her own life. This caused a shift in both of us but more so in Dad and for the first time since being a wee girl, on the day of Rachel’s funeral, I felt truly loved by him again.

I realise now, at the age I am, that Dad has taught me so much more than I had realised and I am grateful for all those lessons (even though I certainly didn’t think that at the time!). Happy Fathers Day for me is every day of the year as I cherish those moments with him so much and I wish each and every one of you treasured times with your Dad.

Leather Wallets at Heart Gallery handmade by Gregg McDonald

I can’t buy Dad a leather wallet this year as that was last year’s pressie but Heart Gallery has just had another delivery from Gregg so there are lots of lovely ones to choose from – are you traditional and just want a black one or will you be a devil and choose red, teal, tan or even baby pink leather?

Clare Webster Silk stitched tie

I can’t buy him a tie either as I have already bought him 3 silk ties in different colours from Clare Webster and he doesn’t wear his suit as often these days! Clare has a variety of plain and stitched silk ties in Heart Gallery though and we also have some fabulous printed silk ‘one-offs’ from Taisir Gibreel which are stunning.

Taisir Gibreel printed silk tie and matching hankie

How about something for Dad to drink his coffee or tea in? Heart Gallery has a lovely collection of mugs from various UK makers and some design led Pantone mugs and Rob Ryan ones too!

Blooming Mug by Jo Clark

Circling Swift mug by Matthew Tyas

Believe in People Rob Ryan Mug

I would have considered a printed apron and matching oven glove but I am certain that Sandra would not be a happy bunny – she is the chief cook in the house after all!

Fabulous detail on Rachael Taylor printed pinnys

Sea Green Rachael Taylor printed oven mitt

However, then I remembered that if Sandra is the chief cook then Dad is the chief washer upperer ….. and there you have it, the perfect present for Dad this year from talented local graphic designer Andy Pointon, and it’s exclusive to Heart Gallery!

Hebden Bridge tea towel designed by Andy Pointon and exclusive to Heart Gallery