Christine Smith is a State College native, and for almost 30 years, she has been working with the ancient art form of papercutting. It was at a local craft show in her teens when she discovered the art of papercutting. Over the years, Christine has been able to grow her skills and share her love of paper cutting with a wide audience.

A large portion of her work focuses on Northeastern flora and fauna. She is drawn to nature and loves highlighting all the beauty that surrounds us. She also has a fascination with tiny, magical worlds and hidden places. Usually, the longer you look at her pieces, the more you will discover like mushroom houses and mice families.

All of her cuttings are original designs, which are first drawn onto the paper and then cut by hand using a craft knife. Almost all of her cuttings are created with one piece of paper, all connected. Recently she has been experimenting with adding color to her work by attaching colored paper to the backside of the original cuttings. You can find more of her work through her Instagram account @maplepapercuts.

Christine also loves sharing the world of arts and crafts with others and has partnered with Boal City Brewing in Boalsburg to bring “Crafts & Brews” nights to the community. The concept developed through the desire to create a community space for all kinds of creative’s to come together. It’s a laid back environment and all are welcome. Bring Your Own Craft (BYOC) is the goal but you can always take advantage of some of the art supplies on-hand. Crafts & Brews meets every Monday evening at 6pm at Boal City Brewery. Grab your craft and a beverage and enjoy this new creative community! You can find more information on Instagram @craftsandbrewsatbcb or through Boal City Brewing’s website: www.boalcitybrewing.com