"The Chestnuts"

Ladies of Amberleigh,

Whilst waiting on my master Mr. Launcelot Penn esq. I like to while away a spare minute, cutting a portrait with my scissors and blackpaper. Have you ever tried cutting a silhouette? It is surprisingly easy and there are a few ways to achieve a good result. I do hope you will join in and cut your own silhouette for your partners.

Kindly in service,

Horace Lofthouse, a Gentlemans' gentleman.

For this swap:

You will have 2 partners for this swap, a silhouette ATC and a letter to each. You might choose one or more ways to try your hand at cutting a silhouette of your profile. There are a number of sites online that will guide you, or you might follow one of these suggestions.

1 - Have someone take your photograph on your profile, that is side on, like the image above. You might try a selfie.

Upload the image if it is easier, and reduce the size of the image to fit on an ATC (2 1/2 inches x 3 1/2 inches). Print out 3, one for yourself, one each for your partners. I am sure you would want an image of yourself in your journal. With black paper glue behind your image on the reverse of the printout. I am assuming it is a photocopy here,. Cut around the profile of your image, including any curls or ponytail or collar etc. finish under the bust somewhere. When you turn the image over it will have your cut silhouette ready to glue onto your prepared ATC card.

2 - You can of course take a photograph of yourself, and with scissor s and black paper cut a freehand silhouette like the traditional natural way to cut one out.

3 - The third option is how it is shown in Sense and Sensibility in the Emma Thompson production, using a sheet and candle and shadow. But that seems like a lot of hard work unless you like the challenge.

4 - Don't fancy cutting any of the above? Would you prefer a fictitious character for your silhouette? There are many many on Pinterest and other sites on silhouette cutting, print it out and cut it to fit on your ATC.

SO, once you have your silhouette in hand, prepare your ATC to be in the flavour of our Georgian era, but in this case please, less is more. Keep it subtle and let the silhouette be the star. Usually a silhouette is on a plain background or feint patterning. Your ATC need only be placed on cardstock or quality watercolour paper. You might border the ATC with a hand drawn line or two. Nothing 3D. These will be going into your journal, and will be a regular feature every now and then so that we get all our villagers by our books end. On the back of the ATC write your characters name, your swapname and the swap on the back.

Write a newsy letter to your partner perhaps about the season changes.

I hope you will join us in this more unusual swap. Any queries, please write below or message either one of us.

Anna and Jane