When I was commissioned to create the unconventional quilled hearse you see below, I knew I was in for an adventure unlike any other. There’s something about the uncharted territory of creativity that ignites a fire within me. So, I’ve always been drawn to projects…
Hey there, art enthusiasts! Today, I’m excited to share with you a recent quilled masterpiece that’s brimming with teenage nostalgia and mutant excitement—an artwork inspired by none other than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Join me as I take you through the creative journey of…
As an artist who’s spent years immersed in the world of quilling, I’ve had the privilege of creating a wide array of pieces, from intricate designs to whimsical creations. However, one aspect of my portfolio that I realized was lacking was holiday-themed artwork. This holiday season, I decided to remedy that by creating a pair of quilled snowmen, a cheerful and festive addition to my collection.
The holiday season has always held a special place in my heart. It’s a time of joy, celebration, and the coming together of loved ones. Despite my years of quilling, I hadn’t delved much into creating holiday-themed pieces. This year, I felt inspired to change that, and the result was a pair of quilled snowmen that perfectly encapsulate the spirit of the season.
These snowmen were created with a blend of scrollwork and cardstock cutouts. I wanted to keep the design simple yet charming, allowing the essence of the holiday season to shine through. The process began with carefully shaping and coiling paper strips into the delicate scrolls that I’ve come to love. Each curve and twist was meticulously placed to form the snowmen’s distinctive shapes.
Cardstock cutouts came into play as I added details such as scarves and hats to the snowmen. These cutouts brought a sense of dimension to the pieces and added a playful touch that captures the whimsy of the holiday season. The combination of scrollwork and cutouts worked seamlessly to create a visual narrative that evokes warmth and merriment.
What makes these quilled snowmen even more special is their purpose – they’re going to be part of a workshop project. As an artist, sharing my passion and techniques with others is something that brings me immense joy. The snowmen will be one of the options for participants to create during the workshop, offering them the opportunity to dive into the world of quilling while crafting their own holiday-themed masterpiece.
The workshop project is a way for me to connect with fellow art enthusiasts, share techniques, and spread a little holiday cheer. I’m excited to guide participants through the process of creating these quilled snowmen, helping them discover the joy of working with paper and coils. The workshop page offers more details for those interested in joining the creative journey.
Creating these quilled snowmen has been a heartwarming experience. It’s reminded me of the importance of embracing the holiday spirit and infusing it into my artistic pursuits. The simplicity of the design and the use of scrollwork and cutouts allow the pieces to capture the essence of the season without overwhelming the eye.
As I prepare to share these quilled snowmen with workshop participants, I’m filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation. The holiday season is a time of giving, sharing, and coming together, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my artistry with others. These snowmen represent not only my creative journey but also the joy of spreading holiday cheer through the art of quilling.
So, if you’re looking to add a touch of festive creativity to your holiday season, I invite you to explore the workshop project featuring these quilled snowmen. Together, let’s dive into the world of quilling, create cherished memories, and celebrate the magic of the holiday season through art.
Hello, dear readers. Today, I invite you to join me on a journey through the creation of a paper quilled artwork that holds profound meaning and symbolism—the iconic Dissent Collar worn by the legendary Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As I share the story behind my…
I live in a fairly rural part of Maine, and though I can see the large lake nearby from the highest part of my property, for all intents and purposes, I live in the woods. One of the amazing things about where I live is…
Hello, fellow quilling enthusiasts! Today, I’m excited to introduce you the Quilled Pink Pig: A Beginner’s Tutorial.
We all start somewhere when it comes to art, and my own journey with paper quilling began with curiosity and a love for crafting. As a beginner, I faced the challenges of learning new techniques, understanding proportions, and mastering the art of shaping paper strips.
Unlike more complex quilled artworks that involve a variety of colors and intricate designs, the beauty of this simple pink pig lies in its monochromatic simplicity. By using a single shade of pink, the focus shifts entirely to technique and the fundamental principles of quilling, making it an ideal project for beginners.
One of the key challenges in paper quilling is mastering the art of shaping and proportion. With this tutorial, my goal was to break down these concepts into simple, easy-to-follow steps. From creating basic coils to forming tight rolls and loose coils, the tutorial covers the fundamental techniques that are essential for any quiller to grasp.
To share this creative journey with others, I decided to create a tutorial. This guide is designed specifically for beginners who are eager to explore the world of paper quilling. It provides step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and detailed images to assist aspiring quillers in creating their own pink pig masterpiece.
While the pink pig tutorial serves as an excellent starting point for beginners, it’s just the beginning of a quilling adventure that can lead to more intricate and personalized creations. Once the foundational techniques are mastered, the possibilities in paper quilling become limitless.
I believe that art should be accessible to all, which is why I’m thrilled to offer this tutorial for free. It’s my way of giving back to the quilling community and helping aspiring artists embark on their creative journeys. You can find a complete collection of my tutorials here.
Thank you for trying out my Simple Quilled Pink Pig Pattern. The techniques required to complete your pig are all what I would consider as being suitable for beginners. If you understand the basics of quilling, you should be able to use this tutorial to create a similar pig of your own.
I do not generally measure my strips. Instead, I use a technique of fractions. What I mean by this is that for the major quilling suppliers that offer 17-17.5” long paper, I create my artwork using fractions of the strips.
Think of it in terms of a whole strip, ¾ strip, ½ strip, ¼ strip, and so on. I will provide the “measurements” for each piece of the pig.
Note: All strips used for this tutorial were standard weight, ¼” wide strips.
Take three full-length strips of paper. Tear the last ¼” of the ends off. You want the ends to be ragged and thin when you are done. (See image above)
Glue all three strips together, end-to-end, and give them a couple of minutes to dry before using them.
Use your quilling tool to create a large, loose coil. Glue the end off to close the coil.
Holding the eye gently in one hand and against one side, adjust the interior loops so they are more evenly spaced. This might take some practice and some time.
When you are satisfied, move on to the next step.
Pinch the center open against the side with your tweezers to create an “eccentric” coil. Then put a dab of glue on it so it stays in place. If you don’t glue this, the center (which will essentially be the pig’s eye) will spring back toward the middle of the body section and will not have the correct look.
Let this dry thoroughly. And, if the glue doesn’t bond the coils and they shift, pinch it to the side and glue it again.
Don’t glue this onto anything and don’t glue anything to it until the very end.
Tip: Make sure that when you glue your finished pig to the background tha you do it glue-side down so where you tacked the eye it’s not visible.
Start by making two closed coils with the aforementioned strips. Remember that a closed coil is simply a loose coil that has been glued off.
Pinch the ends of each the closed coil to transform them into tear drops. Then press your fingertip into the ends and bend them to make curved teardrops.
Create a closed coil with the ¼ length strip. Pinch it between four fingers (evenly) to create either a square or rectangle (either will work fine). This becomes the pig’s snout.
Take the 1/8 strip (roughly 2” long) and fold the end to create a fold that is roughly ¼” long. Fold the folded section over onto the strip. Continue doing this until you have folded the whole thing. The goal is just to make a triple or quadruple thickness strip to use as a “line” to simulate the bottom jaw. Do not fold this as an accordion. Fold it onto itself to make nested loops.
Alternatively, a 1/8” strip will also work well for this and not have to be cut diagonally
Cut a roughly 2” long strip to use as the tail – or roughly 1/8 of a full strip.
Starting the cut in the bottom of one corner and ending it in the top of the opposite corner, cut the strip into a long triangle. It should make a pennant shape.
Insert the wide end of the pennant into your slotted quilling tool and twist the barrel to form it into a spiral tube. Don’t coil this in the same spot, kind of pull down on the pennant as you slowly spin your quilling tool so it stretches out.
The end result should be a short spiral pig tail. You might have to play with it a bit to get it shaped exactly how you like it.
Don’t glue this to the body until the very end.
Make a closed coil out of both the ½ length strips.
Make squares out of both closed coils.
Use tweezers to move the eye to one side
While grasping the eye that you just pulled to one side, pinch it against the other side of the square. Make sure you are pressing the back of the square against your finger or it’ll warp out of shape. Your goal is to have a sort of bunny ear effect as shown in the image above.
Once the bunny ears are formed, pinch the whole shape to create a sort of “U” shape. Notice the legs of the “U” aren’t sharp at the ends? You will fix this at the end.
Flatten off the back of the “U” by pressing something hard and flat against it while holding the “legs.”
Push something slightly rounded into the side you just flattened to reverse the curve. This is only to help it fit against the rounded body better.
You can fix the hoof ends of the “legs” and make them more pointy by squeezing them with tweezers.
Always dry fit your artwork before committing to a final arrangement with glue. This allows you to swap out components for ones you like better. Try out different positions. Rearrange, etc.
Hello, dear readers! Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a recent paper quilled artwork that holds a special place in my heart—a mini poppy landscape. This creation was inspired by a larger 8″x10″ piece I crafted a year or two ago, which I affectionately…
In the world of quilling, opportunities to showcase one’s artistry on a larger platform are both exciting and rewarding. In 2018, I was presented with a unique quilled monogram book deal that would challenge my skills and offer me a chance to share my expertise…
In the world of quilled artwork, there exists a unique blend of artistry and nature—a space where vibrant hues and delicate forms come together to capture the essence of the wild. Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a recent piece of my paper quilled creations—an exquisite male Baltimore oriole brought to life using a photograph I had the privilege of taking. This artwork holds a special place in my creative journey, representing a time of exploration, a touch of sorrow, and the beauty that emerges from embracing both. Join me as I share the tale behind this quilled oriole—a tribute to avian magnificence, a testament to the power of simplicity, and a preview of artistic tutorials to come.
The spark that ignites a piece of art often comes from a single moment—a snapshot in time that captures the essence of beauty. For me, that moment was a photograph of a male Baltimore oriole—an avian marvel with its bold orange and black plumage. This photograph became my muse, an invitation to translate the intricate details and vibrant hues into the delicate medium of paper quilling. Little did I know that this endeavor would mark the beginning of a trio of avian creations that would hold significance far beyond their colorful exterior.
The creation of the quilled Baltimore oriole was part of a trio of birds, each crafted using the same simple “open” quilling techniques. These techniques, while seemingly straightforward, hold the power to capture the essence of the subject with remarkable accuracy. With each twist and curve of the paper, I sought to replicate the grace, the movement, and the intricate details that define these creatures in the wild. The oriole, with its vibrant colors and distinct features, proved to be a delightful challenge—one that allowed me to explore the nuances of my chosen medium and celebrate the beauty of nature.
As I embarked on the creation of the quilled oriole and its avian companions, a shadow loomed—a harbinger of the bittersweet times that lay ahead. These creations emerged in December of 2017, a short while before I would embark on a two-year-long grief sabbatical. Amidst the artistry and creativity, I grappled with the waves of sorrow that often accompany profound loss. Yet, in the midst of this emotional turmoil, I found solace in the act of creation—a reminder that even in the darkest of times, art has the power to heal and transcend.
One of the joys of being an artist is the ability to share the creative process and techniques with others who share a passion for the craft. The quilled oriole, with its intricate details and vivid colors, holds the promise of becoming a tutorial—a guide that enables fellow artists to embark on their own journey of creation. The SVG for the oriole, available on my Etsy shop, serves as a bridge between my artistic expression and the hands of others eager to explore quilling’s beauty. This tutorial is a way of passing on the knowledge, igniting the spark of creativity, and fostering a sense of community among artists.
As the quilled oriole paves the way for future tutorials, it offers a glimpse into the artistry that awaits. While the focus is on the intricate forms of avian wonders, the underlying message goes beyond technique—it’s a celebration of the artist’s spirit, the beauty of nature, and the power of creation to bridge gaps and ignite connections. In the months to come, artists and enthusiasts can look forward to exploring the art of quilled birds, guided by tutorials that open doors to creativity and offer a tangible connection to the natural world.
As I conclude this journey into the world of the quilled Baltimore oriole, I’m reminded of the beauty that emerges from embracing simplicity and finding solace in creativity. This artwork, born from the inspiration of a photograph and nurtured by the hands of an artist, encapsulates the essence of the avian world. From vibrant plumage to delicate curves, the oriole represents the harmony that can be found between nature and art. And as the journey continues, with tutorials on the horizon, I’m excited to share the craft, pass on the techniques, and invite fellow artists to create their own interpretations of the wonders that grace our skies.
In the realm of art, there exists a sacred space where emotions intertwine with creativity, where heartache can find solace in the strokes of a brush or, in my case, the coils of paper. Today, I unveil a piece of my artwork—a vibrant paper quilled…
