How to make a Paper Sunflower

My neighbor was just about to chop down his first sunflower plant last year, when I asked him why he wasn't saving it for the seeds. He was surprised when I showed him where they were hiding. He gave me a bag after they were dried, but actually they were kind of too small to bother eating. I thought it would be intriguing to make a paper sunflower from those seeds.

Printable quilled thank you card and envelope

I'm so excited to introduce my new blog and paper direction! Paper Zen describes both how tranquil I feel when working with paper, and the enlightenment I hope my work gives others.

I'd like to thank all my previous readers of Crafting Creatures and any new ones who've found me here by giving you my quilled Thank You card. It's a printable PDF with score/cut marks to make a 6" x 4" card. It'll be for sale in my Etsy shop afterwards, so grab it while it's free.

I also designed a matching fillable envelope (simply type in the recipient's name). It has score marks and trimming outline as well.

 
I have always loved the retro look of banner ribbons, a vintage look that's come back in style big time. I used my Silhouette digital die cutter to cut the banner, then shaped it just so. A simple die punch made the flowers which I sculpted with a burnisher. The quilling is 3D, because I didn't glue it all down so it's more free flowing, casting soft shadows. Lastly I shot a photo of the layout, then added my text following the curve. I thought brides and grooms could also use this card to give their guests because yellow and grey seems to be quite a popular combination lately.

Until Aug 16, 2013, if you leave your email in a comment below, I'll send you a downloadable link for my printable card. If you have time, I'd be grateful for your thoughts on my new work, how it prints on your printer, or how the recipient enjoyed it – thanks!

Quilled Thank You Cards (8 of 8)

Yet another variation of the first card, just a different mix of colors and layout. Thanks to all who have been tracking this set of 8 cards.

The blank greeting card stock I'm using is Neenah Classic Linen Cover, Solar White, 80 lb. It's A6 size (4 5/8" x 6 1/4"). Can you believe I scored a box of 250 for just $5 from Spicers Cash & Carry? They were being discontinued, so of course I bought all 5 boxes for easy Christmas gifts. I love how the embossed rectangle subtly frames everything.

I'd like to thank my client, "C", who kept me in her back pocket for a whole year, waiting for this project to come along to contact me. It's been a dream come true! I am allowed to reveal it tomorrow, and if you live in Vancouver or Toronto, you'll can see it in the Ming Po or Sing Tao Chinese newspapers too.

Quilled Thank You Cards (7 of 8)

I was running out of left over bits, so this one was a bit of a struggle. Not my fave, but it still runs along the same vein as the rest.

It's an amazing time we live in when I can "show and tell" online and within seconds, my thoughts are read halfway around the world. Without the web and its crafting community, I wouldn't have had the exposure I've had. I'm thankful for the opportunities that have been handed to me on a silver platter.

Quilled Thank You Cards (6 of 8)

I never realized how fun it would be to do abstract quilling until I had to use up my leftover pieces. It's amazing to me how little can still say so much. Since these were made with thicker strips I didn't want to mix it up with my regular pile of quilling pieces in progress, which I keep in a fishing tackle box - just $6 at Canadian Tire and comes with re-positionable compartment walls.

My thanks this time goes out to all of you who comment on and follow this blog. Your positive words encourage me to work through my doubts and give me a pick-me-up. I appreciate your visits and the time you take to let me know your thoughts. Thank you all!

Quilled Thank You Cards (5 of 8)

Another variation of Card 1 and 3, but with a softer color palette and smaller scale of petals.

These quilling strips were cut on my Silhouette die cutter out of Canson Mi-Tientes. I chose this paper because the thicker qualities allowed me to carry the curves over a longer distance with more control. I find standard quilling paper to be rather thin, more suited to smaller designs. I learned cutting with/against the grain had an impact on the innermost coil, causing either buckling vs a smooth tight line. I suggest cutting one strip and testing it first before cutting the entire sheet.

A quick thank you to hubby for wrapping all the xmas gifts this year, leaving me free to focus on finishing my project on time. It's not his forté, but he took it on without hesitation.

Quilled Thank You Cards (4 of 8)

These two particular shades of orange and green remind me of cantaloupe and honeydew - they just go together.


The project I'll be showing soon had to be completed during the holidays, from the moment I got off work on Dec 21st and due on the 27th. Usually hubby and I would do our holiday baking together in choreographed synchronicity in our compact kitchen - this time he did almost all of it himself and with a huge variety as well. Although it was nice not to be covered in flour, I'm looking forward to next year's bake-fest when we can just orbit each other again. Thanks honey, for taking this huge task off my "plate".

Quilled Thank You Cards (3 of 8)

This is obviously a variation of Card 1. The deeper colors were the client's first choice, but we had to swap it out because it took away from the main piece. It was also too large compared to the overall design. Sometimes with quilling, I can't tell until it's all done.

I'm very thankful my hubby cooks (so much better than I can), and didn't mind taking on all our meals, prepping, and clean up so I could focus solely on this project.

Quilled Thank You Cards (2 of 8)

Here’s my 2nd thank you card made from leftover quilled items from the project-yet-to-be-named. Ever feel that zipped mouth feeling playing Taboo when you can’t say the actual words?

I’d like to thank my hubby for driving me to 3 different store chains, 4 separate nights, to pick up 23 shades/sizes of paper for this 1 project…and for listening to countless hours of debates on color usage, composition, drawing style and my self doubts of ability to do this in general.

A sneak peak can be seen in today’s SingTao & MingPao in Vancouver and Toronto. They’re Chinese newspapers, so that should give you a hint which direction I’m going in!

Quilled Thank You Cards (1 of 8)

I hope everyone’s new year has had an auspicious start. I’ve been sitting on some wonderful news since mid-December that I’m still not allowed to share for yet another month. So until then I’m just going to leak out a few items so I don’t burst. These are quilled items I couldn’t use in the final design, so made them into Thank You cards. I’ll be posting more in the month to come, until I can finally reveal the full design.

I’d like to thank my hubby for letting me peruse the aisles of Daiso, an Asian version of a dollar store, for an hour and a half. His patience has no bounds – even though I test those bounds often. Anyway, here’s a little gem I found that was perfect for my cards to make a floating message. Pre-cut foam squares (336 small and 84 large) for just $2.

Captain's Anchor Award

A group of ten have been planning a big event, and to lead them through all the details was a staunch captain. I was honored to be asked to quill an anchor trailing nine chain links – I’m a sucker for these unique, heartfelt thoughts of appreciation, something you’ll never find in a mall. They will sign their names above each link before being presented to her.

The distressed blue background paper was from the scrapbook section of Micheal’s and cut down from 12×12 to 8×10 to fit a standard picture frame. I first searched for images of anchors and used it to trace an outline, holding it in place with pins.

I’m a pack rat and I’m proud of it. Admitting it is the first step I hear. After flattening and cutting a used metallic gray envelope, I had more than enough strips of this perfect weight and color. My favorite part are the half loops (.5″ length) linking the full chains (1.375″) because of the depth and realism it gives.

The water is cut from the background paper. They matched of course, and since the back side was white, it represents white crests of waves. I love it when a plan comes together.

Thank You Cards

 
I was surprised with my gift of a personal die cutter, the Silhouette / Craft Robo. I love it as much as my iphone, which is pretty much top of the totem pole. Of course the first project had to be thank you cards.


Had some difficulty setting it up for a Mac even though I know Adobe Illustrator. The software had to be downloaded (only PC software found on CDs), and their numerous websites were not only confusing/inconsistent but also did not have the latest software. Some even stated it would not work for Macs. The one that finally worked correctly was found here: http://www.craftrobostore.com/craftrobodownloads.html
Each flower was drawn in Adobe Illustrator using bezier curves to define the petal and stamen. My poor adhesive mat was well used very quickly due to so many fine cuts. Instead of making new mats with spray adhesive, I delved into my roll of airbrushing frisket from high school, neglected for too many years. The frisket adhered to the not-so-sticky mat very well because it’s made of plastic. My paper stuck to the frisket almost better than the original matt because as I peeled it off, the flower strips didn’t curl. The only thing was if I cut too deeply or too many times, the frisket would stick in pieces to the backs of my quilling strips. The strips were rolled up using my usual slotted quilling tool.
I had a hard time finding the right paper in Vancouver. Craft and art supply stores carry heavier card stock for scrapbookers. Stationary supplies and even paper mills have limited color ranges. In the end I used alcohol-based felt markers to color in the petals or stamens to give it extra depth and yet stay coordinated. I enjoyed customizing each bouquet for each person. Of course, after I was finished, I found out venders on ebay sell the matching quilling paper in 8.5×11 sheets. My thanks to Ann Martin‘s post on Robert Sabuda‘s pop-up flower for Mother’s Day. It was the perfect floral surprise on the inside.