I'm an AUTHOR!

In February 2012, I received an email from Linda Kopp, an editor at Lark Crafts with a publishing opportunity. I had to read it several times to believe it was real. Then I had to float down to earth to type back.

I have dreamed of being an author for years but never imagined this bucket list item could come true. Heavy loads of library books are like hidden treasures to me, waiting to be revered. My favorite craft books are from Japan. Although I can't read them, the diagrams and charts are enough for me to fumble through them anyway and the end results are always cheerful and useful. I also love craft books that offer varying degrees of difficulty, showing me steps as a beginner, then providing more of a challenge as I develop my skills - exactly the type Lark is known for.

So with the encouragement of my husband, family, friends, and editor, I plunged into this project. A year later I handed in my manuscript which included instructions, photography, and step-by-step diagrams. Then it resided another year with the crack team at Lark for editing, more photography, and printing. I work 4 days a week at a "real" job so quilled during evenings and weekends, with my husband taking up the household slack. He was a trooper and kept me sane and fed, and provided a keen eye on paper textures and card layouts. I also had help from friends with my patterns, photography, and how to get the ideas in my head onto paper. I could not have made this book without all of their help. After the timeline ended, I re-discovered what it was like to sip my coffee on a Sunday morning and not have to rush off to my studio to work. I had to say no to some activities and gatherings, but then I was able to say yes to producing some of my best work to date. 

For those of you who have come to follow my quilling via my previous blog, Crafting Creatures, this is the reason why I haven't shown as much quilling lately – because it's been saved up for you here. I'm sorry it's taken so long but I do hope it's worth the wait. I will be showing some finished projects in the coming weeks, but rest assured I strove to make the instructions visually easy to assemble and included a wide range of skills for advanced quillers. Some of you have purchased my patterns on Etsy and have come to know how I supply pre-measured bars with fold/pencil marks – the templates provided in this book are the same. 

 

The official launch date is March 4, 2014, but Pretty Quilled Cards is available via pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I look forward to reading your reactions and seeing your masterpieces! Wishing you all a quill-filled New Year!

Cecelia