Graphic Quilling - Psychedelic Lady

I tried this multi strip, graphic quilled portrait from an image I found on the net. All the elements are made using multiple strips which I pasted together and then, manipulated the shapes by pulling each strip to different lengths. Wherever possible, I made the shape and pasted it to the backing.

The best way to get the circles are to create an arc by pulling the strips like the pink one at the forehead and then sticking one end on the backing and holding the other with forceps and turning the paper till the proper circle is formed. Then while you still hold the end with the forceps slightly raise it and roll a toothpick with glue along the edge, allow to dry slightly and then stick it and hold it till dry. It is not necessary to paste it completely.

The eyes too are quilled and they turned out great. I'm really proud of the eyes!!

Quilling Tutorial - New Technique Striped Flower

 

 Step 1

Take 2 strips of light & dark color or white and color and fold it at 1' intervals as shown below. Make sure the lenght of the fold is enough for you to curve around and paste.

  Step 2

 Take a strip of your choice and wrap it around the folded strip.

Step 3

Paste the encircling strip.

 Step 4

bend around a pen or pencil and paste the inside ends firmly to form the petal.

Step 5 (Optional)

  Quill a small loose coil to fit it into the hole in the petal and glue it in.

Step 6

Make 6 to 8 tiny coils in yellow or red to make the stigma.

Step 7

Paste these tiny coils to each other form a circle.

 Step 8

Now paste the petals to the stigma flat if you want 2 dimensional flower or slightly slanted up as shown below for 3d flower. Glue it when slightly dry and sticky . Make sure each petal has stuck well before you glue the next petal. Alternatively,  you can cut a small circle about 4mm diameter larger than the stigma and make 3mm slits equally spaced to match the number of petals +1. Now paste the slit edges together  pulling the edges slightly towards each other so that the circle lifts upwards off the flat surface and paste the petals to this cone shaped structure. If you want several layers make sure each layer's lift is slightly less as you go towards the outer layers.

Quilled Flowers & butterfly- Butterfly Garden

I saw the use of comb quilled flowers and butterflies at a Russian site and was fascinated by it. Though it was not a 3d flower like the one I have made, I loved the way the petals looked. I made up the butterfly as I went along making up the design. I generally do not plan the design ahead, which I think is a bad practice.  I just make different type of flowers that I like and then conjure up the design to fit the stuff I have made!!

For this one I made all the parts 3d style with stems and all and arranged it like a flower arrangement. The tiny leaves are made of round loose coils encircled in a teardrop shape. I think they go well with the small flowers.The yellow flower stems are twisted green strips. Just apply glue to one side of the strip and twist it tight and let it dry, they become nice and stiff.

Close-up

Tutorial for the dimensional flowers are available here.

Quilling Quick Tip - Tranfering print on backing

I discovered a simple way to transfer designs without leaving pencil marks. This is specially useful for graphic quilling. Its pretty obvious but never struck me till now. Get the design print out.
Keep the backing sheet your going to use under the print and simply use a stylus or empty ballpoint pen and  trace the design deep enough to get the impression on the backing paper but not too hard as to score the sheet and viola!! you have you design that will not show up on the final output. Make sure you keep it on a cutting mat or card board when you are tracing.

Quilled Leaf Sprig Tutorial - New Quilling Technique

This tutorial is on how to make the leaf like sprig I made for this design Flowers & Twigs. You may use this technique freely, my only request is to give a link to this blog when you use it so that others may benefit too.

 Step 1

Take either one strip or 2 light/dark strips and a comb and thread the strip below 2 teeth and over 2 teeth and down. Turn the comb to the side where the strip came out .

Step 2 

Loop it back and glue it on the  flat side with the tiniest bit of glue.  If you are using 2 strips make sure both strips are glued. Now fold the strip forward and take it under 2 teeth and over 2 teeth and down again, loop it back and paste on the flat side same as before.

After 1st loop is pasted

second loop folded but not pasted

After 2 loops are pasted

 

 Step 3

Continue the process till you get the sprig the size you want. Remove from comb. It should look like the pic below. You can see where I have looped and glued and then folded forward as this makes up the stalks of the leaves.

Removed from comb after 2 loops (leaves) are pasted

Completed one side

 Step 4
Repeat the process with a separate set of strips and then paste them both together to form the leaf sprig as shown below.

After both half sprigs are pasted