Issues for organizing papercutters

If we really do start a street team for papercutters, we have to get permission from Admin. Plus we have to define what is and is not papercutting, in other words, decide how inclusive or exclusive we want to be.

> If we have only prints (or other not-cut reproductions) of our original papercut designs in our shop, does that count? It's a good idea for us to expand our designs into prints of our art. But I think one shop sells only prints of her/his art. If only-prints is allowed, how do we distinguish ourselves from artists who make prints? Perhaps the original papercutting has to be for sale, too. Does this make sense?

> There are obviously different areas within papercutting. Paper sculpture, architectural models, flat cutting, folded cutting, silhouettes, maybe also die-cuts and kirigami. (More about kirigami later.) GAP* allows collage artists.

> Do commercial die-cuts count? What about die-cuts that the seller creates? (How *do* you cut a home-made die-cut?)

> Kirigami is the Japanese art that combines paper folding and paper cutting. Sort of origami that makes a better figure with a few cuts. Example: www.scissorcraft.com/folding.htm. To me, papercutting is about putting holes in paper. But we may want to start inclusive, and then, when we have lots of members, divide into specialities.

> GAP* has at least one papercutter who no longer cuts her designs manually. She got carpal tunnel syndrome from cutting cardstock. So she calls or emails a laser-cutting company, and they cut this design on that color of paper and mail it. If anyone on Etsy wants to have a company laser-cut and drop-ship, that product cannot be sold through Etsy. But sellers can ask buyers to email them off-Etsy about other products.

> How much of the shop has to qualify as papercutting? Japanamaniacs wants 90% (?) of the shop to be Japanese-related items, so I didn't qualify. I think the polymer clay guild wants three items in the shop to be made of clay.

> I would like to see search terms in Etsy standardized by sellers, and then by Etsy. Sellers could all use one tag like papercut, instead of every variation of the word. But I'm not sure buyers will all use that tag. Standardizing may have to wait.

> I'm sure there is something else to discuss! Any suggestions?

* GAP is the Guild of American Papercutters. I've been a member for years.