Paper engineer and co-founder of The Maker’s Directory.

What’s a paper engineer?

I put the ‘pop’ into pop-up books. While training as a graphic designer, I realised I could only think in three dimensions. That gave me a good edge, as I was a bit of an oddity. After doing an MA at the Royal College of Art, I was hired as an assistant by the pop-up book maker Ron van der Meer. So I learnt on the job, for seven years, honing my skills. To this day there’s no course or school to teach people how to be a paper engineer.

What’s your most important tool? What else is indispensable?

I use a Swann Morton surgical scalpel, size 11. Other than that, a pencil, a ruler, double-sided tape. Oh, and a bone folder, which is a piece of book-binding equipment that makes creases.

Whose work have you been influenced by?

A big early influence was Vic Duppa-Whyte, whose work you can see at the V&A Storehouse. For a holistic view of design and imagination, Charles and Ray Eames.

How do you dream up your creations?

I don’t start by thinking ‘how could I do that?’ Instead, I think ‘how could I make this the most amazing thing ever?’

Tell us about your working process…

I’m lucky enough to have my own studio just across from the house, so nobody complains that there are bits of paper all over the floor. I listen to Radio 4 and podcasts and just sit down and get on with it. I never complete a job in a day, I need to leave it overnight, at least, to digest what I’ve done, before making any adjustments.

Your company is called Corina & Co… who’s the ‘Co’?

Sometimes it’s just the dog. But pop-up books are entirely hand-made, and you need to make three ‘dummies’ – one for the printer, one for the illustrator, and one for the publisher – which is very labour intensive. So I’ve got a small team which helps me with that.

Do you do anything beyond the pop-ups?

I’ve done a lot of different things: paper sculptures, animations, displays at Liberty London, advertising work, and a computer game, which was awesome. It was called Tearaway and it won three BAFTAs.

What’s the difference between craft and art?

I’m more of a designer than a craftsperson, and as such I work to other people’s briefs, trying to solve problems of their making. An artist works to their own brief.

You are co-founder of The Maker’s Directory. Tell us about that.

It’s a free online resource for customers to find local makers ofevery shape and form in the Lewes, Eastbourne and Wealden districts. It’s also an ecosystem of support and skills for those makers.

What craftwork would you take to your desert island?

A hand-made kitchen knife crafted by Graham Gough, with a wooden handle and a Japanese steel blade. I think that would come in handy. Graham’s in the Directory, of course!

Interview by Alex Leith

You can find Corina in themakersdirectory.co.uk