Instagrammer of the week #024 – Helen Friel

Helen Friel would have to be one of my very favourite paper artists. I’m captivated by everything she creates. She calls herself a paper engineer and I think that description is spot on. Her work is so precise with lots of sharp lines and angles and pieces that fit together perfectly. Her work appeals to my fussy, orderly side. She creates these amazing paper replicas of things like lobsters and old gramophones and they look amazing. I wonder how long it takes to create them – from imagination through to fruition? Helen uses paper in a unique way and I think it is beautiful. Follow Helen on Instagram and while you’re at it, follow me too!

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Helen Friel

It’s BOOK LOVE week this week on Pretty Paper Things so I’ll be sharing my favourite book related things over the next five days.

As a writer, I’m constantly surrounded by books. In fact I’m writing a YA at the moment (I’m on my second revision – so close to finishing!) and I have an e-book that’s almost ready to release into the world. Books are a big part of my life and my love of all things pretty and papery stretch and extend to them.

Today I wanted to share the work of Helen Friel who is an amazing paper engineer from London. She created this amazing edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Imp of the Perverse which is a story about the voice inside all of us that makes us to do things we know we shouldn’t.

Each page is perforated in a grid pattern with sections of text missing and the reader must tear and re-construct the piece in order to read it in full. How awesome, right? It’s kind of like a grown-up version of the old Choose Your Own Adventure books in a way – reaching an end point is left in the hands of the reader. I like that.


(Image credit: Helen Friel)