Letters take about an hour to draw out and anywhere from 3–5 hours to cut depending on the level of detail and my attention span. I've used Arches 90lb watercolor paper, cold press.
My favorite letter depends on the day. Somedays I like Leave because of the intricacy, and some days I am fond of the Newts because they are some of my favorite little creatures that I get to see when I run in the evenings.
In the evening I can drink two small glasses of wine and still cut without any significant loss of motor skills. I drink 2–3 pints of tea a day but cannot drink coffee while cutting because it makes my hands shake to0 much.
I have never actually cut myself. It took over 60 #11 exact-o blades to cut the 26 letters. I have most of the bits I cut out in a ziplock bag—paper cut confetti.
The inspiration for the project—nature, obsession, the letters on Barbara and Christopher's wall.
— Sara Burgess