Quilled Dimensional Nature Picture Frame - Chickadees on a Pine Branch

Well, I posted a tutorial on making pine branches in my last post and you may have been wondering how I came about making pine branches when I had not used it in any of my posts. Ta Daaa!!.... here it is!! I was so excited at the way they turned out I could not resist posting the tutorial ahead of the quilled frame.

 I saw some pictures of Chickadees and thought I must quill them. Since Christmas is almost upon us I decided to use pine leaves. Further I wanted to  give it dimension and this gave me the opportunity to go on a journey of creative discovery.

Here is a different perspective to show the dimensions in this frame.

I have used fiberglass cloth for the background and was forced to use the glue gun, much to my dismay as I could not get the PVC glue to adhere to the background.


In order to shape the pine branch and have it come out of the picture, I used very thin gauge wire for the skeleton of the branch.

As for the Chickadees, I have used black, white, grey and orange 3mm strips.The method is the same one I have been using  for quilling my birds for some time now and involves folding the strip to get the thread like effect. The finished product looks like embroidery with paper strips in place of thread. This method allows me to grade the colors when required.As you can see in the lower bird,  I have got a light orange shade at the breast between the white and the orange.

I have made the feet using quilled stems as in my tutorial here . Take a closer look.

All in all, I am thrilled at the results. I would be honored if you take time to comment  on my posts.

New Quilling Technique Tutorial - Realistic 3D Pine Leaves

 Last year I posted some tutorials and quillings tagged under  Christmas quilling and though I did a tutorial on 3d pine cones I did not post a tutorial on the leaves as I did not really like the way they turned out. But this year I have figured out a better way that makes them look more real especially if you use thicker paper. I have used 80 gsm as that is what is available to me.

METHOD

Make a long stem as in  my tutorial here. You can insert a thin gauge wire if you want your pine leaves to be flexible. Stiffen it by coating with glue and let it dry well.

Take a few 3mm strips and fold them like a fan as shown above. The length will represent the length of the leaflet, so make sure you fold all to the same size.

Tear the fan so you have a V shape for each leaf and then cut length wise about 2mm short of the end. Shape the edges so they are pointed like pine leaves. Shape it like the real leaf for a more realistic look.

Now insert your quilling tool in the middle of the uncut edge and curl the strip around the edge as shown above. this helps the fringe to spread out. In this method, you are basically making a fringed flower using the 3mm breadth of the strip.

While it is still on the quilling tool, wrap a 3mm brown or green strip as shown above. Make sure you only wrap it round twice and it is not too thick. Use thin paper of about 70 to 80 gsm.  Then  fold the fringe to one side and curl it as shown above. Just scoring on the inside with your nail should do the trick.

Make a lot of these as you are going to use between 4 to 5 for each ring of leaves.

Now take each leaf segment and glue it onto the stem so it has the leaves spreading right around as shown in the pic above. Make sure you glue at the same place like you glue petals.

The pic above gives you an idea of how you should glue it. Use about 4 or 5 leaf bundles depending on the density of the leaves required.

Now continue in the same fashion, gluing the leaf bundles around the stem at close intervals. Make sure the consecutive rows  of leaves are glued between the previous row's leaves as you do with multilayer petals. Look at the above pic for guidance. When you reach the length you require, flatten the stem and glue two leaf bundles to complete the tips of the leaves.

If you require the leaves to branch make sure you construct the branched shape with the stems before you glue in the leaves.

Above is a sample of the finished pine branch.
 I look forward to reading your comments as always. Good luck!!

Quilled Typography quilled words - New Year Wishes

My final offering for the year is this quilled new year greetings to all my followers and friends. I have posted a couple  of quilled typography or quilled words before . My first attempt at quilling  letters was called "Divine" which came out rather nicely and then I followed it up with 'Chris" for which I used my own method.

For this one I have used simple graphic quilling in which I have become quite proficient. Hence I used the rather  intricate looking Baroque Script which font I downloaded free off the net. I am quite fond of curly script and have used strips folded in half  to create the outline font.

I have bordered it with squares with galaxy centers. You can find the instructions on how to make them , here. I think they look far better than the usual squares with coil centers. I put in the rose as the last bit of space was inadequate for a square so I needed to do something to fill the space. I'm quite proud of the way it turned out. It looks rather like a yummy cake!! Well someone who makes cakes can try out this design too!!

In the new year may you

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day

May joy and peace surround you
Contentment latch your door
And happiness be with you now
And bless you evermore

 Thank you all for warming my heart with all your kind and wonderful comments. I hope you will continue to travel with me through the coming years and to all those who drop by, please join me and journey with me and together we will all discover all that is thrilling about quilling.

Quilled Picture Papercut Nativity Scene

To complete my christmas quilling, I thought this quilled picture of the nativity of Christ was appropriate. As usual I have combined paper cutting with quilling.

The first silhouette I tried was a fully quilled sunset scene which I called "Sunset & Silhouette". For this one, I thought I'd not complicate it, so I did a paper cut. I have used beehive quilling for the background which is slightly different from the one used in  "Reindeer in the Snow".

 

Hope you like this one . Tutorial for advanced beehive quilling is here.

And Now..........

All my blessings and good wishes to you and your wonderful family.

 May Jesus' coming this year once again bring joy to your home.

 Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Big Bear Hugggg,

Chris

Christmas Quilling - Quilled Holly Mat

A simple quilled mat of holly leaves  and berries  dedicated to all my Friends, Followers, Visitors and Passers by .

Irish Christmas Blessing 

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
and may the hand of a friend always be near

May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.

May you leave this page with a cheer in your heart,

And may you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

Christmas Quilling- Quilled Stained Glass Window

Now for a change!! A quilled picture of the Nativity of Christ. A quilled mosaic stained glass window design using only beehive quilling, quilled like a mat.

If you hold it up, the light comes through just like a stained glass window; the reason for using beehive. Looks rather holy ( Just couldn't resist that pun!!).

Well it took me a lot of time to get the beehive quilling stuck one to the other!! Not an easy task at all!! Mother Mary's face had to be redone twice. Would have been much easier to glue it to the backing, but I wanted to try and use clear plastic for the final mounting so the light can come through.

I am happy with the results as it is something unique!! Probably the first time a mosaic design has been quilled!!

Hope you like it too. Should look great on a card too.

Sorry I forgot my how to!!

The steps involved are fairly simple but the task is laborious for someone like me who does not have too much patients!! I basically overlaid a printout with a plastic sheet and shaped the black outline with around 4 strips stuck together for a thick, visible outline and then filled it with beehive quilling ensuring that each sub-coil had glue on the sides. To do this, I basically filled the shape with beehive and then took a tad of glue on a toothpick and poked it between adjacent sub-coils to stick them together. Got them stuck to my fingers many a time, threw out a few in a temper and then managed to complete it somehow. It did get easier with practice though. Just made sure the proportions of the hands were as per the drawing.

I used a towel to hold the beehive coils down till dry after I had that "eureka" moment. Avoid getting the glue on top,but if you do, do not panic. Just wipe it off with a damp napkin before it dries. Keep your fingers clean at all times so keep a damp cloth handy.

For my beehive quilling tips follow this link.

Quilling Technique Tips & Tricks - Moulded Quilled Bell / Shapes

Here it is!! Quilling Technique Tip & Tricks for mold quilled christmas bell decoration. These tips can be used for any quilled item created using a mold. I gathered these tips when I was quilling the bell for Bells & Holly and have posted it here as I did not find any tutorials covering these points.

 

The Basic Steps

1. Take  the mold and cover it with cling film or plastic or take a plastic mold.
2. Quill basic shapes.
3. Glue the basic shapes one to the other and create the shape.
4. Paste the pieces together and complete the shape.

Tips & Tricks of Quilling Using a Mold (Christmas Bell)

1. If you are quilling for the first time use a rather large bell/ mold.
2. Start form the narrowest part and quill down, leaving the argent space empty so that you can glue a loop to hang the bell.
3. If you are quilling a sphere, do it in halves, from the top to the mid line and then glue the two halves together.
4. Make sure the coils used for the basic shapes are not too loose ( unwound too much) and are well formed with small centers that are closely (not tightly) coiled and equally spaced.
5. The size  of the basic shapes is important and depends on the size of your mold.  The smaller the basic shape the smoother the curvature.
6. Use basic shapes that fit into each other and ensure that every single basic shape touches the adjacent shape comfortably at some point  so that the side of each shape can be glued firmly to the adjacent shape or the part thereof that is touching it.
7. You can quill molds with spaces as part of the design but make sure the shapes around the space are glued firmly to each other.
8. The best results will be achieved with same size shapes within each row even if different shapes are used.
9. Glue a  few of the basic shapes together, place it on the top section of the mold and apply a bit of glue to the underside,where it will not be visible once removed, and paste it to the mold but avoid getting the glue on to the bottom or top of the basic shapes  in any of the other areas.
10. Always start at the flatter part when molding on a curved surface so that you can glue a few shapes together and stick them to the mold.
11. When molding curved areas, hold the shapes down on the mold till dry. Where possible use a rubber band to tighten the shape against the mold. If you find gaps fill them and glue any loose areas before proceeding.
12. Always plan ahead about how you are going to remove your shape from the mould before you begin molding as you may have to do it in two halves or smaller pieces and then glue them together. For a bell however, you start from the narrow and end at the broad end in one go.
13. You can quill all the basic shapes and then start moulding but be prepared to quill a few while you are moulding as the sizes required may change and you will have to quill to fit the space sometimes. I usually quill a few at a time and glue.
14. If you want designs (you will need experience to do this), make the design, then glue the design on the mold and put a rubber band around it, then glue basic shape around it to embed it into your quilled shape.
15. Press the shape on to the mould at every step and glue loose basic shapes. If possible, put a rubber band on the last glued area and keep moving it down as you complete gluing so that it dries into shape.
16. Once completed, allow to dry well before removing from the mould.
17. Any parts that protrude will have to be quilled last and separately, and then glued into place.
18. Always start with easy shapes and them proceed to the more difficult ones.  
19. Allow to dry hard before you remove off the mold or it can loose shape.
20. Make all corrections before the piece dries as it will become quite hard once it does.

Quilled Christmas Bells & Holly

Quilled christmas bells and christmas holly is a must to complete any quilled christmas decoration, so here is my version. The bells are quilled on molds using basic shapes. The bells have argent and ringer as well, all using strips.
I used a stem  described in my tutorial Stems Twigs and Trunks for the stem of the ringer .

For the holly I glued 4,  11' 3mm strips together for each leaf and shaped it like a holly leaf.

I shaped all the coils right to the center. so the center is not circular. Since the leaf is made from a long strip it tends to drop down in the middle so I applied glue to thry to hold it together, but smaller leaves with less space between coils will be firmer.

For the fruits I just quilled 3d caps with 3mm strips but you can try 1.5 mm strips to make 2 caps and glue them together to make the berries. Remember that the thickness of the strip will dictate the shape of the sphere.

Tutorial for quilling with molds is available here.

New Quilling Technique Tutorial - Quilled Pine Cones

As promised, here is a new technique quilling tutorial for making quilled pine cones to be used as Christmas decor or Christmas table decor. I have not seen a tutorial for making quilled pine cones so this is probably the only one on the net at this point of time.

Why quill pine cones?? Well, I think real ones are too heavy and bulky to be used for quilled decor . It is also a challenge to quill  nature, and what is Christmas without pine cones!!

Step 1

 

 Make 32  isosceles triangles using 5.5 to 6', 3mm strips and curve the top as shown above. You can use whatever number is appropriate for the size you are aiming at.

Step 2

 

 Tear 6, 1/2 inch 3mm strips,

 8, 3/4'  3mm strips

8,  1'  3mm strips

6,  1 1/4'  3mm strips

and 4,   1 1/2 ' 3mm strips

You may vary the lengths to suite your requirement.

Step 3

 

 Glue the isosceles triangles to the strips as shown above

Step 4

 

Curl the strips by scoring the nail of your thumb against the side of the strip. Note the direction of the curl

Step 5

 Now paste the petals as shown above so that it curls inwards, to make a flower.  You should make about 5 flowers as per the strips you tore in step 2's instructions.

Step 6

 Place each flower on a semi soft surface ( I used foam) face downs as shown.

Step 7

 Now using the end of a brush, rub in circular motion so that it curls up and outwards as shown, leaving a small center.

Step 8

 Repeat for all flowers which should look like the above once completed. Note that the whole triangle is visible from the outside.

Step 9

Now apply glue to an 8 petalled flower as shown and glue it inside a 6 petalled flower which has the shortest petals. Note that the flowers should be glued in the order of increasing petal lengths, so that each set of petals peak out over the previous set. When you glue, it should be glued so the petals come out like a cone. You may need only to apply glue to the side of the strips.

Step 10

Make sure it looks like this, with the inner flower's petals peaking from between the outer flower's petals.

Step 11

Continue to glue till you get a nice cone shape as shown above making sure the number of petals reduce for the top layers and your done.

Quilled Pine Cones Quilled Pine Leaves Quilled Bell- Quilled Christmas Decor

 As promised, quilled pine cones, bells and pine leaves, all made from paper strips. I like the way the pine cones turned out, so a tutorial will be my next post as promised.

I made the bell by covering a small bell with cling film and quilling on top of it starting from the top. Made tiny coils and pasted one to the other. Make sure that you glue only the sides of each coil and paste it to the adjacent coils without getting the glue onto the bottom or top of the coils. From time to time press into shape and hold for a while or put a rubber band around so the shape is held tight against the mold while it dries. If you see space between coils apply glue and get them stuck  or add a new coil in between. More uniform coils make better quilled molded shapes.

Allow to dry well before slipping it off the mold.

The leaves are simple. just made use of the Christmas tree fold I did for the poinsettias veins and pasted each to another strip to make a half leaf, then pasted 4 together to make one 3d pine leaf.

Those who think the pine cones are cool,he tutorial is here. Tutorial for quilling molded bells is  here.

Thanks for visiting / following my blog.

Christmas- Quilling-Felligree-Flower-Christmas Poinsettia

Quilled Christmas decorations and quilled table decor adds to the levity of Christmas, so in the spirit of the occassion, I thought I must post a tutorial with something unique and these are the results of my efforts. Filigree petaled Christmas poinsettias. I think they look rather nice.

I have used beehive technique, which I have fallen in love with and for which I never fail to mentally thank Susan of susanquilling.

I was a bit bored with the beehive being encircled , like the leaf above, all the time. I thought this did not allow the delicate lace like look to be enhanced, so I was determined to devise a method to retain the filigree outline and by gad, I did it. Of course it needs a bit of gluing to retain the shape.

Tutorial is posted here.