theartofquilling.com

I was down in the basement going through some old boxes looking for something totally unrelated to crafts when much to my surprise I discovered not one, but two boxes packed with quilling paper!  The paper dates back to the 1980s and is still in perfect condition.  In fact, there are some beautiful shades of greens, blues, pinks, and yellows, that are different from the current papers I have purchased.

In addition to the papers, there were several commercial kits, my original masonite quilling board, and a Hazel Pearson Quill Quicky (which is like Quilled Creations’ curling coach only the quilling tool is built in) and Quill Designer (which is a design board with various size circles used to make uniform sized quills).  I remember a few years ago seeing the Quill Quicky/Quill Designer on Ebay and watching the price of it go up…and up…and up.  I think someone finally paid around $65 for it.  I bought mine in the 1970s for $3.69.  I was so tickled to find it since I thought it had gotten tossed a long time ago.  I told my husband about the Ebay story and he asked me if I was going to sell it, but of course I told him no.

 

I also found several original patterns I designed all those years ago — with the instructions typed on an actual typewriter no less.  I had created strawberries, lemons, a sea shell, and a sea horse.  Goodness, it brought back the memories.  They still look pretty good, though, so you will probably see a few of them on the blog or in the newsletter in the near future, so keep an eye out for them.

NAQGCON 2010 was amazing!  I would like to send a big “Thank You” to Kay Shockley and her Long Island Quillers (Anne Marie, Annette, Carole, Georgia, Helen, Janet, Joann, Kim, Odessa, Suzanne, Tina, and Yvonne) for all of their hard work.  It took so much time, effort, and creativity to pull together an event like that and I want them to know how much it was appreciated.

 

It was so nice to be able to reconnect with some old friends and meet many new ones.  To have so much quilling talent gathered into one room was so inspiring.  We had classes, demonstrations, and make & takes, not to mention the wonderful quilling submitted for the competition and brought by others to share.  It was truly quilling eye candy at its finest.  I couldn’t help but visit the vendor booths and picked up some new papers, tools, and watercolor sparklers to color my designs.  I learned so much and just can’t wait to share it with you.

 

Speaking of sharing, the class I taught on the Stencil Sailboat ATC was well received and I was asked by Caroline Mach, Editor of the Quill America newsletter, to send the pattern and instructions for publication in the summer issue.  And I thought, since I was going to be sharing it with my fellow NAQG members, why not share it with my own newsletter subscribers, too?

 

So, be on the lookout for next The Art of Quilling Newsletter to hit your e-mailbox next week.  And if you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time.  Just fill in the form in the upper right-hand corner of the blog.

The 2010 North American Quilling Guild convention is one week away.  I was so honored to be asked to teach a class and have been busy pulling my project kits together.  We will be quilling an ATC (Artist Trading Card) using the stencil quilling technique where the quilling is glued underneath a cut out stencil instead of on top of a background.  Check out this previous post for more information on this technique. 

 

While the convention is for guild members only, the public is invited to come and see all of the wonderful quilling on display.

 

Date:  Saturday, May 1st

Time:  1:00pm-4:00pm

Place:  Holiday Inn Ronkonkoma on Long Island, New York (near McArthur Airport)

 

If you are anywhere in the area, do try and stop by.  I guarantee you will be amazed and delighted. 

 

My card isn‘t the only one featuring quilling in this issue, however.  Alli Bartkowski shares a lovely card perfect for that special sister, and Ann Martin has designed a handsome Father’s Day card that could be used for any occasion simply by changing the sentiment.

 

If you are not familiar with CardMaker Magazine, I encourage you to seek it out at newsstands, or, better yet, order a subscription.  I was talking to Ann Martin earlier today and she said that, “Tanya [the editor] is great about including quilling in every issue - as far as I can tell, it’s the only U.S. papercraft magazine that features it regularly.”  If you are eager to see this trend continue, I encourage you to write a letter to the editor and let Tanya know how much you appreciate seeing quilling in the magazine, and support the magazine by ordering a subscription for yourself or your crafty mother, sister, friend, etc.

 

I would like to thank Alli Bartkowski for taking the time to talk to me at the 2009 NAQGCON held in Tampa last year.  She encouraged me to submit a card design to CardMaker Magazine and for that I will always be grateful.

 

Alli has a new blog, Quilling with Alli, full of wonderful quilling projects.

Ann keeps a close eye on the paper art community and her blog posts on All Things Paper are a constant source of inspiration.

 

I finally took the plunge and have opened a store at ArtFire.com!  Now you can purchase my finished quill art online.

 

I invite you to visit my store, The Art of Quilling, and browse around.  You’ll find buying is easy and safe through PayPal.

 

The inventory will grow and change over time, so check back often for that perfect gift or home decor accent.

 

After numerous requests, I am pleased to announce the release of my Quilled Floral Heart Wreath ePattern that was recently featured in the blog post, Enhance Your Quilling with Blending Chalks. 

 

Whether you want to embellish a wedding card, create a handcrafted framed wedding gift, or create a special card for your sweetheart, this versatile heart made of quilled flowers is the perfect way to express the beauty and magic of love.

 

To learn more about this 12-page downloadable PDF ePattern, click here or select the ePatterns link at the top of this blog.

Twice a year, my local library system conducts a book sale of hardbacks, paperbacks, children’s books, magazines, and tapes, that have been either culled from circulation or donated by patrons for the sale.  With the emergence of online used book sales through ebay, Amazon, etc., the lines are long and the sale is crowded, but if you are up for it, attending one of these events can lead to awesome treasures at a fraction of the price for new books (from $0.10 - $1).  

 

I limit myself to two tote bags — if I can’t carry it, I can’t have it.  Others, however, show up with rolling carts and suitcases!  I have purchased some really nice old Christmas craft books along with some new ones on rubber stamping which provide wonderful inspiration for card layouts I can use with my quilling.  For those into altered art, the possibilities are endless.  I was raised in a household where books were revered and you didn’t mark in them, let alone cut them up, so I have a harder time thinking about books as potential art material, however I did pick up a pocket-sized 1978 World Atlas full of maps.  I think that pieces of it would make a wonderful addition to a bon voyage card or scrapbook page of that special trip.

 

Contact your local library or visit their website to see if they have annual book sales.  For me, I find it well worth the effort.

 

 

Quilling Tip:  Readers Digest condensed books, or other nicely bound books, look wonderful as props for your quilling.  Stack two on their side and top them with a piece of your framed quilling to create a bookshelf display you’ll be proud of.

I just wanted to post a quick note letting you know that the paperwork is completed and it’s official — I will be teaching three beginner quilling classes through the Marietta Community School, the continuing education division of Marietta City Schools.  The classes will be taught at Marietta High School, Marietta, GA.

 

 

Check out the MCS online course catalog for complete registration information.  If you live in the area, I would like to extend a personal invitation for you to join me for a wonderful evening of quilling.