When I saw Cecelia's quilling work the first time a few years ago, I was stunned by its delicacy. It is amazing what she can do using a very limited number of airy curls. Her quilling is not just the traditional paper filigree we all are used to. It is particularly fine, intricate, expressive, and I would say "laconic". It is different. You can always recognize Cecelia's style when you come across a photograph of a piece made by her artistic hand. I have been wondering how she does it.
On my Facebook page I promised to write a blog post dedicated to cards of a new, at least to me, type. So, here we go.
As I already wrote, I sometimes teach paper quilling workshops in a craft store. There is a variety of projects to make, each aimed at a specific level (beginners or advanced), and focuses on specific quilling techniques. One of the workshops is dedicated to quilled jewelry, when the students learn to create a jewelry set — a pendant, a pair of earrings and a greeting card that matches them. The card is made so that it can hold the earrings or be used stand-alone.
I count myself fortunate that all of my friends and family members like and appreciate quilled greeting cards I create for them (or at least say so :). Let me show you some of the most recent ones, a "Thank you" card and a card with pink bell-flowers.
These days I am busy (like many other artisans out there) making greeting cards and gifts for Valentine's Day, and would like to share with my readers two simple Valentine cards, in case anybody is still looking for ideas.
I'm happy to share with my readers great news. First, I have begun teaching quilling workshops. I have also started a blog in Hebrew which is called הקסם של קווילינג ("The Magic of Quilling"). I really hope that the two facts will help promoting the art of quilling in my country.
The supermarkets, groceries, coffee shops, and street stalls here in Israel have already started selling sweet and delicious "sufganiyah" doughnuts, stuffed with jam and covered with powdered sugar. This means that the holiday of Hanukkah is just around the corner. This year it will start on December 20, and I've been already making greeting cards and children crafts for Hanukkah.
Some time ago I created this simple greeting card with paper quilling. The lettering says "Mazal Tov" (מזל טוב) or "Congratulations!" in Hebrew, I used letter stickers for it. The base was made out of thick watercolor paper.
In three days starts a new year by the Hebrew calendar. I'm wishing everybody who celebrates, a sweet and happy new year. May it be filled with peace, prosperity and good health. And creation, of course!
!שנה טובה ומתוקה
I created this simple quilled card for our neighbors' new baby girl, who was born a couple of weeks ago. I immediately decided that it should feature a baby cradle, but some other element, preferably a toy, was still missing. My husband suggested a teddy bear, and it seemed exactly what I needed. White card stock was used for the base, tiny pink punch flowers, and 1/8" (3 mm) quilling strips. Size: 4 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches (11.5 x 10.8 cm).
I created this simple purple card for this week's CPS Sketch challenge, #170. I've been following their blog for a long time, but this is the first time I participate :) Colored paper of various tints of purple and white watercolor paper were used for it. The quilled flower has been made using 1/8"-wide (3mm) hand-cut paper strips. I also used patterned scissors and punches to decorate the card. Size: 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches (11.5 x 11.5 cm).
I think most of my regular readers aren't new to paper quilling, but if you are, you may want to learn how to make a quilled flower embellishment for your greeting card. I have many quilling tutorials on this blog, the basic instruction can be found in Getting started with paper quilling.
This is one of my old quilled cards made for Valentine's Day (sorry, couldn't show it back then). Colored copy paper, watercolor paper, and wrapping paper have been used for this one. The quilled heart was created using 1/8"-wide (3 mm) strips. This technique is called "multi-strip open coil" in Jane Jenkins' wonderful book on quilling. I like the way lower part of the heart resembles tree roots, although it came out unintentionally :) That's all for now. You might also like my more traditionally-looking Valentine cards.
I created this card for my mother-in-law's birthday. Water-color paper and colored construction paper were used for the base. I used patterned scissors, a gel pen and paper punches to decorate the base. The purple gel pen was used also for the lettering.
Wishing you a Happy New Year! I made this greeting card with a quilled snowman using blue card stock for the base, and white and light blue copy paper for the quilling and decoration. The tools used for this card include paper punches and patterned scissors.
Paper Quilling from Ann Martin on YouTube.
Somehow I overlooked this fantastic video tutorial by Ann Martin :( Eventually I watched it and enjoyed very much! Check out Ann's post with the list of supplies and instructions, too: That's Clever Video - Quilled Poinsettia Tutorial .
Today I'm sharing a short review of the wonderful "Paper Crafts Workshop: A Beginner's Guide to Techniques & Projects
I made these two greeting cards for wedding anniversaries: one for my husband (and myself :), the other for my parents. For both cards I used paper punches and pattern-edged scissors. The first card features a spiral rose with veined leaves, the second — a simple quilling flower. The lettering done with a gel pen. The butterflies on the second card are paper punches. Look closer at the flower center, I used a punch for it, too.
This is the best video about paper quilling I've found so far. It's been in my favorite links section for a long time, and I thought I'd put it on the blog, too. You might also like other video tutorials in their YouTube channel. Enjoy!
It's time to wrap up making Rosh Hashanah greeting cards for this year. Seems like I've made enough for all friends and family :) This is the third and final set, the previous two can be found here:
Well, the one at the top isn't too much original. Apples (how to quill apples) with honey are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah eve. Size: 3 1/8 x 3 1/8 inch (8 x 8 cm).
