Quilled poppies step-by-step, part 1

My last quilling work, two poppies and a dandelion; its size is about 7 x 7 1/2 inches (17.5 x 19.5 cm) framed. This time I'd like to share with you complete, step-by-step instructions for making it. When I say "complete", I mean that you will see how each and every part of this piece was made. Actually, this will be a series of three tutorials, due to the relatively large number of different elements:

1. Petals of poppy flowers;
2. Flower centers and assembling the poppies;
3. Foliage and dandelion flower.

For two poppies you will need eight red 24''(60cm)-long and 1/8''(3mm)-wide strips, adhesive (craft glue), scissors and a lot of pins. The petals are made using the husking technique, this particular method called also alternate side looping. For this method you will need also a cork-board (I bought mine in IKEA, it was a trivet in its previous life :). A foam-board or an old mouse pad would do as well. I recommend the following to make the assembling of petals easier: wrap the cork-board in wax paper or plastic food wrap, this prevents quilled elements from sticking to the board when you glue them.

I drew a different pattern for each petal to make the flowers look more natural, but you may use the template above. It can be printed and used right away to assemble the petals. Put it on the cork-board underneath the plastic wrap or wax paper, for the latter make sure you can see the pattern. Be aware that this template was intended for A5 paper, so you shouldn't resize it if printing on A4/Letter.

1. Make a small loop at one end of a quilling strip and push a pin through it to hold the end in place. Note, green arrows indicate spots where gluing is required.

2. Push another pin into the board at the top of the pattern and bring the strip around it, from the right-hand side to the left. Put a small amount of adhesive where the green arrow points.

3. Bring the strip around the pin at the bottom, glue it down where it touches the pin. Push another pin at the top of the pattern, some distance from the pin you already have there. Bring the strip around the new pin, this time it goes from left to right. Take the strip all the way to the bottom, apply a small amount of adhesive where the green arrow shows and glue the strip down.

4. Continue making loops by adding pins and alternating the sides (remember alternate side looping?). Try leaning the pins outwards so that the strip doesn't slip off. Don't forget to secure each loop at the bottom, in the point marked with the green arrow.

5. After you've reached the bottom of the pattern, apply a small amount of glue at the top of each loop (some of these points marked with arrows).

6. Bring the strip around the loops, gluing it down to the top of the inner loops as you go.

7. Secure the strip at the bottom by gluing it down at the point marked with the green arrow.

8. Cut off excess strip.

9. For two poppies, repeat steps 1-8 seven more times. If you're going to make only one flower, you will need just three more petals.

Well, that wasn't easy at all! Looks like this is the first time I'm writing this much in English. Hope everything is clear, but if not, you're always welcome to ask me.

UPDATE: Instructions for making a beveled picture frame out of cardstock, like the one used for this project.