Nov 18, 2014

Quilled Stethoscope Card

quilling stethoscope nurse doctor heart

Hi there, I haven't been able to blog much lately, as I have a new job and a family member needs medical care.

This card reminded me why I love quilling – I can make something special just for the recipient and plus, I can't buy this in a store. I put a heart at the bottom of a stethoscope to thank a nurse for her care. It just says so much with so little.


Sorry I don't have measurements for a tutorial, because I just had to make it and go, but I'll explain what I did. I started off with a gray strip, loosely placed over my card to judge the length needed, leaving some extra length for the ear pieces. After coiling the ends, I glued them closed leaving long tails and crimping at that join. Gently rubbing in the middle and a bit of distance from the ends, I formed the curves needed for the earpiece.

After making two red teardrops, I glued them together to form a heart.

Next, I folded a long strip of black in half. I glued the point of the heart into the black fold, and continued gluing all around the heart, meeting in the middle at the top. Then I glued the black strip together, about halfway up, leaving two ends free to be glued onto the gray earpieces.

Making two matching pink same-sided scrolls on either side simply adds some embellishment and motion. In this case I wanted the whole thing to be asymmetrical and added a gentle curve to the black, just to give the entire piece some motion.

quilling stethoscope nurse doctor heart


Nov 10, 2014

Winner of 2014 Craftsy Pattern Design Awards - Paper Crafts Category


quilling snowflake grid

Wow, Christmas came early! I had no idea Craftsy held an award for top pattern designs and am delighted my Quilling Snowflakes Grid  won this year.



Using a grid is essential when quilling snowflakes because our eyes can detect when just one arm is a tad off. I used mine to create these snowflakes many years ago (one day I'll update all those credits I made when blogging as Crafting Creatures) and keep meaning to make a pattern one day. Until then I hope you'll make your own unique snowflake with the help of my free grid.

Craftsy Pattern Design Awards - Paper Crafts: Winner

Nov 2, 2014

Book Review: Paper Play by Shannon E. Miller

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440239770?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1440239770&linkCode=xm2&tag=crafting0d2-20

I've been asked to do my first book review! Shannon Miller is a DIY designer/writer and since her book is about paper, of course I was itching to play.

This 160 page book is jam packed with 40+ paper projects, perfect for a beginner to explore different ways of using paper. The projects are broken up into 7 sections (Fold, Cut, Sculpt, Quill, Stitch, Draw & Paint, and Collage). The step-by-step photos are well lit with great close ups. It can be a daunting world for a beginner to paper crafts, and this book is a great way to learn about the myriad of possibilities.


The tools are clearly listed and don't require much investment to get started. Most of the projects shown can be made in an afternoon and offer many ways to create projects ranging from cards to wreaths to jewelry.


Each project starts off with a list of materials, followed by step-by-step photos and directions, making every example achievable.


Here is a fun wreath created simply by zigzag folding the pieces. I like that she shows an atypical example of red so one can imagine using a wreath throughout the year, not just Christmas.



Since I have an affinity for quilling, this section obviously appealed to me. I like her example of using corrugated cardboard to create fern leaves, so one can see you don't have to have to standard quilling supplies to get a taste of how fun coils can be.


I've never been a button fanatic, but this project has possibilities. I can imagine making it out of red for Valentine's Day or even in the shape of an elephant. I like the mixture of materials here.


Here's another example of how Shannon replaces the usual materials, using paper instead of fabric to create an embroidered card. Hats off to her for creating a fun intro to how many ways one can play with paper!