i came across these videos the last couple of days. the first one made me smile. the second one made me think.
have a wonderful weekend. enjoy…
{thanks to drawn for the first, and c for the second.}
editing to add: i’ve shared the link to the making of the first video. it’s in the comments below…
if you know me at all, or have read a little on this blog, it wont surprise you that my mind soon started wondering about the history of quilling. as i was doing the craft for the first time, i thought about that term. “quilling” … “quills” … like feathers and porcupines? had this craft originated by wrapping paper around such quills? and why?
i started digging a little bit online, and the history of quilling is a little bit foggy. and it is no wonder, with the art form being so delicate that little physical evidence remains. as one reader, corey, commented in part 1, “she’s afraid to touch it to clean it lest it disintegrate if she looks at it funny.”
but i did find an interesting site that seems to challenge the notion (which i had read about in a number of places) that paper filigree was originally made from scraps of paper trimmed from the edges of bibles. you can read more about that here. at the time of publishing this post, i had not heard back from the author regarding sharing an excerpt from the site; but please click the link above if you are interested in learning more about the origins of quilling. or at least what some current speculations suggest.
it’s strange how things happen sometimes. a few months ago, i’d never even heard of the term quilling. then i stumble across an old calendar about quilling, end up creating a quilled card, and then i’m left just yearning to learn more about this craft. i logged onto twitter one day soon after, and what was greeting me there at the top of the page? a re-tweet of this following tweet:
Thinking of quilling the fail-whale*.
12:00 PM Aug 27th via web
hahaha! what?! who was this person, with crazy quill skills and a great sense of humour?
well, she is ann martin. a quilling enthusiast (i want to say “master quiller” but i don’t know if that would embarrass her, or if that’s even a real term, but you get the idea…she’s good!) with her fingers nimbly rolling paper and her thumb placed firmly on the pulse of social media ;-)
just a tiny peek at some of her work…
{photos are courtesy of ann martin from her blog, all things paper}
one of the hazards of being a creative person on twitter or anywhere online really, is that one day, i may find you, and i will ask you questions! she was ever so gracious about answering them…
me: how did you get started with this art form? (note to reader: i did say hi first … )
ann: I started quilling after seeing a how-to article in Martha Stewart Living magazine. (February 2002) The rolled paper Valentine designs that were shown seemed so elegant and unusual, yet at the time doable – after all, the supplies are things most of us already have on hand. Even before going to the craft store to find proper quilling paper and a tool, I tried my hand at making a design by cutting strips of computer paper and rolling them on a cake tester from my kitchen drawer. This method worked just fine, and I still suggest it as an easy way to give quilling a try.
me: (in my head, “oh phew! i thought i was doing it all wrong by using bamboo skewers!”)… what inspires your work?
ann: I‘m inspired by all sorts of things… wrought iron work, flower arrangements, calligraphy, embroidery, and graphics on stationery and wedding invitations, just to name some ideas. Scrolls are constantly catching my eye and it’s pretty incredible how many you see once you start looking.
which reminded me of my own fascination with scrolls and coils, especially in nature, as i shared previously in this photo here…
to which ann had her own echoing sentiment, namely…
gah! look at those little tendrils and how the peas are just spilling out of the frame. i love the details, and i can honestly say that i’m not sure i’d have the patience to do all that. you can read her entry about the peas here.
if what i’ve shared with you about quilling over the past three days has caught your interest at all, and especially if you’re considering the idea of trying this centuries-old artform for yourself, you can start at this great tutorial ann has written. lots of photos and practical suggestions: quilling 101.
you can also visit ann martin’s blog at all things paper, where she shares all sorts of inspiration related to paper crafts, not just quilling.
and as mentioned, she is also on twitter.
thanks ann, for sharing your creativity with us. i personally can not wait to see the fail-whale*!
* for those not familiar with the term, the fail-whale is an image that appears when twitter is over capacity. it’s actually really cute and takes the edge off you wanting to throw your computer out the window. well, at least that’s what i think their intention was when creating the image. “aww, cute wittle whale… i forgive you twitter…”
you can read part 1 here, where i gathered the materials needed to create a quilled card:
i coiled the long strips of paper by tightly winding it around a bamboo stick. my daughter helped here…
this creates a fairly tightly wound coil…
we made a bunch of these, then shaped them and placed glue along the edges. technically, i think i was supposed to glue the loose ends of the strip down as well. oh well, live, craft and learn :-)
we created different designs by gluing these coils and shapes onto cardstock.
i made it:
my daughter made it (a red winged black bird):
really fiddly but so much fun too! there is a texture and delicacy to them that can’t really be captured by photos.
this was our first attempt and we started with a couple of relatively simple designs. as with most things, there’s so much more we can learn. i will share some more intricate designs from a quilling enthusiast, to show how it is really done, next time. she also has some great tutorials. stay tuned for that in part 3…
what do you think of it? is quilling something you might try one day?
© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.before i talk about quilling, i want to explain what led me to it in the first place.
one of my first posts here was all about handmade cards. i think i may have even quoted daniel pink (checking old post) — yup, i did.
if you’re not familiar with daniel pink, he is a best-selling author of books about the changing world of work. i don’t normally read these books, but mr.madeItSo was reading this particular one, and he paused to read me a passage.
now at this point, i’d normally glaze over, expecting some new-age, go get-em business mumbojumbo (but really, trying to squint hard and focus because i do try to be open-minded and receptive towards things that are not quite in my realm of interests). but i was pleasantly surprised — and then promptly felt guilty for lumping mr.pink in with my pre-conceived notions of this sort of literature. to save you a click, i’m sharing the quotation here again:
Don’t Outsource Your Empathy:
Are you still buying greeting cards that broadcast someone else’s sentiments about life’s most important moments? Show others how much they really mean to you (and demonstrate your empathy) by creating your own cards for various occasions: birthdays, graduations, illnesses or deaths, anniversaries. Kids know how to do this. And so do you. Just fire up your computer’s word processing program and get started. Even better, do it by hand with some blank card and coloured pencils.Anyone can grab a mass-produced card along with the week’s groceries. It takes a special person to spend the time really thinking about what message to send and how best to convey it….
~ excerpt from Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind. c. 2008, used with author’s permission.
huh. having this message come from someone who is not necessarily known for crafty endeavours… well, it’s encouraging to know that there is a shift towards creativity being recognized as a valuable attribute, in the workplace and beyond. i’m seeing it more and more these days, which is a whole other post for another day. and really — we’ve known this all along right? good for the rest of the world to finally catch up! ;-)
as for outsourcing my empathy, i try to make cards more often than not, but let’s be honest. there have been plenty of occasions where i’ve let the days slip by and i just run out of time. but when i am able to make a card by hand, it does feel nice. a creative outlet plus something unique and genuine that i can feel good about giving.
all this to explain that recently, i made a birthday card and decided to use a new-to-me technique called quilling. i’d never heard of quilling til a few months ago when i came across one of those page-a-day calendars. each day had a new quilling project to try, with these long strips ready to use. you can obviously cut your own paper into narrow strips if you want to try this craft for yourself.
i don’t have a quilling tool, which looks like a needle with a handle around which you coil the paper. i improvised with bamboo skewers and knitting needles.
other things i needed: scissors, cardstock and glue.
that’s it! what i like about quilling is that you don’t need much to do it, the result is eye-catching, and the possibilities are endless. i’ll share what we made next time in part 2.
but for now, i’m curious about a few things. what do you think about daniel pink’s statement above? do you make your own cards? had you heard of quilling before this?
this series was featured on craft gossip.
© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.the other day, halima asked about the dish i used to serve the pear crisp.
i don’t know much about it, to be honest.
this is the back of it. it looks like it was made in brazil…
i’m not sure what the “55” signifies. anyone?
it was a thrift store find (don’t look so shocked), in like-new condition. what attracted me to it was the floral motif and the interesting shape with the cut-outs.
and of course, the bold colours. (you might have heard, my kitchen is a little orange…ok, a lot orange.)
also, someone needs to make a print of this on fabric. mama needs a new apron! ;-) seriously though, wouldn’t it make a nice bolt of thick cotton-hemp fabric?
does anyone know anything more about this dish or pattern? it’s a fun one, for sure.
thanks for asking and appreciating the little details, halima.
© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
woah oregano! or, 16 things to do with too many herbs
Use fresh or dried herbs in potato salad or on ...
how i made a doormat with those straw trivets
I am IN LOVE what you have created with this am...
how i made a doormat with those straw trivets
Exactly what I thought. Totally looks like som...
bright floral dish made in brazil
I came across your blog post as I was searching...
craft magazines, old and new: part 2 of 3
I still have a couple Hands craft magazines
