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Delightful paper bird sculptures transform toucans, owls and chickens into works of art

If these beautiful bird sculptures don't brighten your day, then I don't know what will. Made from paper and inspired by the great British countryside, each unique piece is designed and printed by hand by artist, Kate Kelly, or Kaper as she's known online.

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A hand-printed paper toucan sculpture with blue, white and orange colouring perches among paper flowers and foliage in a greenhouse setting

When explaining her inspiration, she says: "I have been designing paper sculptures since I graduated from University (Design: Crafts) in 2006. Birds are my favourite subject because I think they are such happy little creatures. Most of them have rather splendid hair dos. Nature is a constant source of inspiration for my designs.

"All of my designs start with doodles in my sketchbook. I use a ruler and protractor to make a template. I enjoy maths, so this is my favourite part of the whole process. Once I'm happy with the shape, I make a stencil for the template and print out the design. The second print adds the unique colours, textures and patterns, which I doodle freehand onto a blank silk screen.

"Each creature has his own individual markings and colour palette. I cut out the pieces, build and varnish them. A lot of processes go into building each sculpture. They are on my desk, in different stages, for weeks!"

Discover more at kapermenagerie.etsy.com / papersculptures.co.uk, or if you're local to Manchester, pop in to the Menagerie at Manchester Craft & Design Centre.

Three handmade paper bird sculptures with pink, white and yellow plumage, mounted on wooden perches against a white background
Two paper owl sculptures with brown and white markings perched together among dried botanical stems and foliage
Two white paper owl sculptures surrounded by purple paper flowers on curved brown branches, with green foliage in a vase beside them
Three white paper owl sculptures with gold and black markings displayed on a wooden tray, with antique green leather-bound books arranged behind them
A black paper bird sculpture with golden-brown markings perched on stacked books, surrounded by potted flowers with pink and white blooms
Paper sculpture of a green hummingbird with grey wings perched among yellow, purple and white paper flowers on branches
Colourful paper toucan sculpture with green, yellow, black and red markings, perched on a wooden stand against a white background
Handmade paper owl sculpture in russet and white with outstretched arms holding yellow flower stems, displayed above stacked books
Three hand-printed paper chicken sculptures by Kate Kelly featuring an orange speckled hen, a white hen and a dark grey and black hen with distinctive red combs and tan feet
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