Quilled Thank You Cards (5 of 8)

Another variation of Card 1 and 3, but with a softer color palette and smaller scale of petals.

These quilling strips were cut on my Silhouette die cutter out of Canson Mi-Tientes. I chose this paper because the thicker qualities allowed me to carry the curves over a longer distance with more control. I find standard quilling paper to be rather thin, more suited to smaller designs. I learned cutting with/against the grain had an impact on the innermost coil, causing either buckling vs a smooth tight line. I suggest cutting one strip and testing it first before cutting the entire sheet.

A quick thank you to hubby for wrapping all the xmas gifts this year, leaving me free to focus on finishing my project on time. It’s not his forté, but he took it on without hesitation.

 

Quilled Thank You Cards (4 of 8)

These two particular shades of orange and green remind me of cantaloupe and honeydew – they just go together.

The project I’ll be showing soon had to be completed during the holidays, from the moment I got off work on Dec 21st and due on the 27th. Usually hubby and I would do our holiday baking together in choreographed synchronicity in our compact kitchen – this time he did almost all of it himself and with a huge variety as well. Although it was nice not to be covered in flour, I’m looking forward to next year’s bake-fest when we can just orbit each other again. Thanks honey, for taking this huge task off my “plate”.

Quilled Thank You Cards (3 of 8)

This is obviously a variation of Card 1. The deeper colors were the client’s first choice, but we had to swap it out because it took away from the main piece. It was also too large compared to the overall design. Sometimes with quilling, I can’t tell until it’s all done.

I’m very thankful my hubby cooks (so much better than I can), and didn’t mind taking on all our meals, prepping, and clean up so I could focus solely on this project.

Quilled Thank You Cards (2 of 8)

Here’s my 2nd thank you card made from leftover quilled items from the project-yet-to-be-named. Ever feel that zipped mouth feeling playing Taboo when you can’t say the actual words?

I’d like to thank my hubby for driving me to 3 different store chains, 4 separate nights, to pick up 23 shades/sizes of paper for this 1 project…and for listening to countless hours of debates on color usage, composition, drawing style and my self doubts of ability to do this in general.

A sneak peak can be seen in today’s SingTao & MingPao in Vancouver and Toronto. They’re Chinese newspapers, so that should give you a hint which direction I’m going in!

Quilled Thank You Cards (1 of 8)

I hope everyone’s new year has had an auspicious start. I’ve been sitting on some wonderful news since mid-December that I’m still not allowed to share for yet another few weeks. So until then I’m just going to leak out a few items so I don’t burst. These are quilled items I couldn’t use in the final design, so made them into Thank You cards. I’ll be posting more in the month to come, until I can finally reveal the full design.

I’d like to thank my hubby for letting me peruse the aisles of Daiso, an Asian version of a dollar store, for an hour and a half. His patience has no bounds – even though I test those bounds often. Anyway, here’s a little gem I found that was perfect for my cards to make a floating message. Pre-cut foam squares (336 small and 84 large) for just $2.

How to use up scrap paper

I have a big-ass folder of scraps because I can’t bear to throw anything away that might someday be of use. I know this circle can be cut from this triangular corner, but how do I make sure I get it right the first (and only) time?

I lay down a used piece of paper (I salvage the papers from work that have been printed on too), then cut my shape. I cover the circle with my scrap and secure it with removable tape. Now when I cut again, I KNOW it will be 100% where I want. You can see I had just about 2mm margin of error.

Let me know if this method worked for you too!

3D Ornament Gift Tag

I’ve seen many wonderful 3D ball ornaments and thought it might also make a great gift tag. It’s also a great way to use up small scraps of left over paper.

It’s super easy to make. Just fold your circle/ornament in half and glue about 5 various colors to each other, then to the tag. The best part is that it’s easy to re-fluff back up if it’s been squashed by another gift.

Have a happy crafting season everyone!

Kemper Lace Tool for Quilling

“BING!”

That was the sound of my quilling tool snapping off completely. It was also the sound of my heart breaking after 20 years of great use. Was it some kind of Freudian slip that I blogged about this tool recently and had a reader, mariannetolosa, who mentioned she uses it for clay? My sanity was saved knowing I could find it somewhere out there in a craft store near me (Vancouver, BC).

DeSerres sold two bookbinding awls but the Lineco Light Duty Awl didn’t taper smoothly or come to as fine a point (imagine sharpening a pencil with an x-acto knife). The Heavy Duty Awl was too large a circumference. Their clay section offered an awl but was part of a larger tool package. I finally found the $4 Kemper Lace Tool at Opus on Granville Island and did a silent scream/dance of joy in the aisles.

Thank you mariannetolosa – you saved my sanity!

Paper Poinsettia and Wreath

Poinsettias simply say Christmas! The feedback I received for my fringed flowers was so overwhelming, I just had to make a Poinsettia version for Christmas cards.

These paper blossoms are designed as a fringed flower to be quilled into shape. The stamen, petals, and leaves are designed as one strip of paper to allow for quick rolling / quilling. Color markers were used on white 28 lb paper in these examples, however they can be cut from colored paper and the three parts glued into one strip.

The pine needle wreath is cut from two pieces of 80 lb paper and overlapped, then fluffed into shape to give the poinsettias a festive base. This example is a 5″ x 7″ card.

A regular envelope wouldn’t do, so I made a windowed box to protect the blossoms.

Maybe I was a squirrel in a previous life, but as a little girl I loved boxes to hold things, keep secrets in them, and to give gifts in. This cube has a prepared hole for an enlarged version of the poinsettia. The cube is 2.5″ x 2.5″ x 2.5″.

I don’t bake a lot of cupcakes so this is about as close as I’d come to cupcake toppers. I have loved ones who are allergic to nuts and some who can’t handle spicy foods. Instead of a quilling tool, I rolled the poinsettia in a toothpick, then glued in place. Added the warning flag at the bottom, and voila – food markers.

If you’d like to cut and quill paper poinsettias this Christmas, this Poinsettia Collection can be downloaded immediately via my store. I’d love to see what you make with my files, so drop me a line!

Changed up last year’s bat wall into swooping bats on a fishing line.

This year we made 2 jack-o-lanterns each. I still can’t believe he made the Death Star! His second was Prototype – the moldy bits reminds me of rust. Mine was crunching on a little guy again and I added a brain surgery victim made of a pomelo.

This year we carved with a group of master carvers – fun multiplied!

“Wicked” was carved by my talented 12 yr old nephew.

3D Cake Card

Here’s an idea I’ve been toying with – a paper 3D cake. I love the feel ribbon instantly gives to cakes. The chocolate shavings screamed to be made out of quilling strips. The platter/stand is cut from metallic green card stock. I even made a cake box to protect it, since it’ll get crushed in an envelope.

Each tier is made separately in case they need to be varying paper stocks representing different flavors. This 3-tier cake is obviously for a wedding, but take away the top 2 and there’ll be more room for a message for birthdays or anniversaries.

My quilling tool

I’ve recently been asked what type of quilling tool I use, so here it is. I bought it 20 years ago during a student trip to a university book store in the US. I believe it was meant for bookbinding and don’t have a clue what the scooped end is for. I didn’t make books, but I thought it was a well made tool and since it was under $2, it fit my student budget. I had no idea I’d be using it like my right hand today.

I usually quill just a bit from the narrowed tip (highlighted in green) because otherwise the innermost coil is inconsistent due to the taper. I don’t own any other needle quilling tool so I can’t compare with anything else. Although it took some time to transition from a slotted tool, I much prefer the un-crimped innermost coil.

Hope this answers your questions. What’s your favorite quilling tool?

Quilling Glue

I often get asked what type of glue I use for quilling. I bought a big bottle of acid free white (dries clear) wood & paper craft glue 10 years ago. It lasted so long I didn’t realize it became an aged bottle of wine. It had slowly thickened, so when I dabbed just a bit and pressed two quilling strips together, it was quickly bonded.

The inevitable happened and I needed to buy more. I bought the typical kids’ school glue and was mortified by the liquid ease it came pouring out. No wonder others had complained about quilling taking so long to set!

That new bottle quickly got shuttled off to the nephews and I hunted for a similar wood & paper craft glue I had lucked upon the first time. I found it at Opus (Canada) or you can also get it at DickBlick (US). It’s not as thick as my aged vintage decade old glue, but it’s certainly closer than anything else I’ve found.

What’s your favorite quilling glue?

Meylah: Best Handmade Item

How cool is this? I just started a new store on Meylah and they’ve showcased my “No Peeking Gift Boxes” on their Best Handmade Items of the Week!

I’ve loved being on Etsy, but Meylah offers immediate gratification – instant download, even for my cut files. I can be asleep and someone in France can start crafting right away. Check out their marketplace for other shops.

Quilling a Housewarming Card

Short and sweet, a card for someone’s new home sweet home.
I love how quilling can say so much.

Discovering Craftsy

I love my Etsy store… but it doesn’t allow immediate downloads – not ideal for different time zones.

I’ve since discovered Craftsy, a DIY craft site on steroids. You can showcase your finished projects, watch online crafting tutorials, and download templates/instructions (free and paid) on the spot. I am even able to upload all my free patterns so everything can be viewed in one area.

Currently Craftsy stores sell PDF files, so only my quilling patterns can be offered with immediate gratification. I’ll keep looking for a cost effective solution to offer my digital die cut patterns, but until then, be prepared to lose hours exploring Craftsy – consider yourself warned.

  

Quilling in Contract Magazine Ad

My worlds have collided – in the most wonderful way!

I thumbed through Contract Design Magazine (May 2012) at work and stumbled on this 2 page ad for Kendall College of Art and Design showing quilling. I hope you’re all inspired by Alaine Seyfried’s work.

Quilling Paper Storage

I’m kinda late for an Earth Day posting, but better late than never.

I had a stack of plastic sleeves for negatives (remember those days?) that I couldn’t bear to toss in the landfill, so they took up space on my shelf for years. Now they are a valuable quilling strip organizer!

I used to have a box of half used strips that was more mangled than Medusa on a bad hair day. After detaching another new strip from the pack, I’d turn around and find I had a half used one I could have used up. Now I keep similar colors/weights on a page and they don’t argue with one another.

The block of pink you see on the far right (below) is a sheet I cut with my die cutter. I leave the ends intact so I snip off as I go. I find this method much easier than the lock of hair that has a life of its own.

Enlarge the thumbnails for a larger image.

1) You will need a 3 hole punched sheet of cardstock, plastic negative sheet, scissors, and double-sided tape.

2) Tape along 3 sides of the plastic sheet, avoiding the holes, which are placed towards the bottom of the page. The holes will be flipped to the back. My plastic sheet divider happens to line up right at the edge of my sheet, where it will be folded to the back. Peel the wax on the left and adhere to the page. Allow the holes to extend past the bottom of your page.

3) Flip over. Remove the tape near the holes and adhere.

4) Now strips will not fall out. Remove the remaining wax.

5) Add just one more strip of tape as indicated.

6) Adhere and you’re done.

 

Another storage method I use for quilled items I decided not to glue on a final project is a fish tackle box. I got this for under $7 at Canadian Tire. I like the blue dividers which allow me to decide the compartment size.

Fringed Flowers for Quilling

Last year I created a letter E monogram for a dear friend. After all the positive feedback, I’m pleased to offer it on Meylah. This is a combination of my top two paper passions – quilling and die cutting, my worlds colliding.

The flowers blossom at varying stages just by the way you curve the paper petals. The colors shown here are done by hand using alcohol-based markers. The stamen, petals, and leaves are designed as one strip to allow for quick rolling / quilling.

Fringed quilling strips have traditionally been limited to 90˚ or 45˚ cuts, but with a digital die cutter, the sky is the limit. This collection of 4 flowers with rounded petals are combined with a scalloped edge heart tray to hold your bouquet. They are ideal for card making, gift wrapping, or decorating custom monograms or letters.

Quilling Flower Pattern Update

3 years ago I offered my open style quilling flower patterns. I’ve wanted to update this tutorial for quite some time and have finally been able to finish this project. What’s new? Double petals, stamens, larger and smaller flowers, 8 petal flowers, and a super easy-peasy guide for measuring each strip. For those who dislike reading manuals, there are more step-by-step photos to show each stage. The new quilling tutorial/pattern will still be $5. All 2012 purchasers will receive the new pattern free. Clients up to Dec 31, 2011 will be emailed a coupon code for a 50% discount.

I’ve had such positive response over my previous “heart full o flowers” that I chose to do it again, but bigger to show off all the flower types. I used 2 strips of 11″ Bazzil scrapbook paper because it’s thick – I prefer to have a stronger “fence” as I filled in the elements. Here are some stages as I went along. I started at the bottom and just nestled some next to one another, seeing what fit in terms of size, color, and style. Loose scrolls would be added after to fill in some blank areas too small for flowers. The final size is about 5″ x 6″.

My previous PDF pattern included 5 card designs to be used as backgrounds and 1 envelope. I’ve decided to offer these printables for free on my blog. Download here. Your feedback keeps me going – thank you!

Quilling in a Wrought Iron Door

I took this photo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a couple years ago and it lived in my computer, of course, until we looked back. Such a beautifully ornate gate at the entrance of a small church.

Doesn’t it make you itch to quill it? Someday, when the days have more than 24 hours and they figure out how to cure the common, lingering cold…

DIY Tracing Light Table

I needed to trace something and instead of taping it against the window, I realized our acrylic cook book stand was simply perfect. I lay it down on it’s side and placed my lamp along the “bottom”. Who can resist a 2 for 1 deal?

 

Quilled Mickey Mouse

This is a birthday gift for a girl who is fanatical (way beyond being a fan) of Mickey Mouse. She makes me laugh even while I’m crying, which is just one of the magical things about her.

Here’s how I started Mickey:   1) Traced and cut Mickey’s outline.   2) My sketchbook of how I imagined shooting out fireworks from his hands.   3) As I curved each strip with 80lb cover thick quilling paper (I cut my own), I’d put it aside to glue at one time.   4) Using a light table helped me see where some lines travel from outside into his body.   5) Even a small amount of error would show.   6) Had to cut the corner to trim off excess to fit.   7) Completed Mickey outline. I had left the hands undone, to allow fireworks dictate paths.   8) Side shot of outlined Mickey. I used a black felt to shade in the thin white backing that sometimes peeked out from the side.   9) Just a few scraps of paper from the “cutting room floor” as each strip was made to fit.

I had initially hoped to quill something remotely like Yulia Brodskaya’s with movement, but as I went along I realized Mickey is so definitively Mickey, and to insert lines where the artist did not draw them kind of took away from Mickey – especially his shorts, which just kept looking like striped pjs! It took an hour just to fill the left shoe with her initial “B”.

As I finished his shoes I realized how much the color along the sides glowed almost neon-like into the white backing and realized I didn’t need to fill in his face or shorts after all. I decided not to quill in them at all, and instead applied glue to each “wall” and pressed the quilling paper against the black. Since the black outline was made of thicker paper, it could withstand that much pressure – I don’t think a regular thin strip could manage so easily. I used tweezers to ensure tight corners and pre-softened my quilling paper beforehand by giving it a soft curl.

I formed his nose with a tight coil and squished in between tweezers to form the oval, flipped it upside down and gently pushed it out, then glued in place on the inside. I’ve included a close up of the red ovals in his shorts so you can see my work is far from perfect, and by then my neck said “good enough already!”

Here are some experiments with fireworks. In the end, I cut out long teardrop shapes on my Silhouette die cutter and enjoy the dimension they add when seen from the side. I used a hole puncher to cut a circle from a post-it note and inked in a center dot. This helped me visualize the center as I glued each spark in place. After much debate (my poor hubbie), I decided to have the fireworks stream up on their own accord rather than from Mickey’s hands. I simply ran out of room (I had already bought the 8×8 frame and it was the day of the birthday – gulp!).

Admittedly, Mickey kind of looks like he’s had a tattoo job, but I was really striving for a “magical” kind of outfit – ah well, next year… The fireworks paper was metallic  Stardream in a text weight.

 

 

Heart Inspired Bunting

This is my first die cut paper banner / bunting / pennant design. A much anticipated little girl is expected this Valentine’s Day, and I wanted the shape of her shower’s banner to be reminiscent of a heart but not be quite that obvious. I also tried to keep some dynamic movement by having the overlapping shapes show thick and thin areas – not just a straight outline.

I’ve always felt ribbon is akin to a backup singer – to support the lead and not steal the show. To give all the emphasis on the lettering, I ensured the ribbon is easily threaded through loops on the back layer so one doesn’t see the supporting holes.

The three shapes (pink, green, white) are cut from 8.5″x11″ paper. The three layers are aligned using a jig so no eyeballing is needed. The lettering (not included) is Adobe Caslon at 410 pt. I can’t remember the brand name of ribbon, but it’s a sheer lime green and I got it from Michael’s.

Part 5 (and final installation) of my Valentine Collection on my Meylah store.

3D Paper Ball with Hearts and Arrows

Beware of Cupid’s shooting arrows! It was a great discovery my first time to use an ink pad on the edges of my paper ball decorations to add dimension. I realized dragging the ink pad across the arrow would make it appear as if Cupid had just let it fly, especially when it caught on the edges.

Version 1 is easy to put together since it’s a single sheet of paper. Simply use beading wire, fishing line, or string to thread from the bottom hole, then thread each arc at the top. A rolled paper straw in the middle keeps the ball fully inflated. A scalloped circle finishes the top and bottom and the beads are optional. Version 2 allows you to combine two different papers, of course.

Part 4 of upcoming Valentine collection on my Meylah store.