Tags. Are they really inexpensive, easy and fun to make?

 YES, I think so. I've decided to start making "all occasion" tags and gifting to my daughter in an organized... something, I haven't decided what.  😃

I made tags 15 or so years ago for my mother, back when I hand-embossed a few and used one of those silver "office" hole punches. They were cut on a trimmer, no die-cuts available. I rounded the bottom corners, tracing a curve with a penny or dime, and fussy cutting.  

I make it easy by using one or three (always odd numbers) quilled elements on a single tag. I know of a guy who had a fit over a small tag with his name, one quilled fish element, and tied around a bottle of wine. It was a dinner-host gift and he enjoys fishing. He showed each guest as they arrived. 

As you know, Etsy, eBay crafters sell tags by the dozen. I think most people don't want, or don't know how, to make tags and it saves them time. Selling online, craft fairs, holiday sales parties-- oh my gosh, Christmas tags are hard to pass up.

Easy. Used punch on the divider cards you get in those craft store photo boxes. Love the lines. You could line cardstock on a printer and do this. No big scalloped punch? Make circles or squares (shape the corners).

Labor intensive 😁, a past thing. I quilled some flowers on the tag to match the gift paper. Retiring the photo.

I have no idea what this was for, but an idea for printing a message or quote instead of stamping. I used this daisy paper a lot with the daisy quilled stickers. Horrible angled corners on top, yikes, don't do this. 😬

I admit, I over-do holiday/winter tags during watching Christmas in July videos, but this is a more simple tag using scraps. I cover front first, then trim and shape corners. I use the backs of tablets mostly and don't stamp To & From. This type of cardboard is easy to use a marker, no bleed-through. 

And the basic quilled element on small folded tag to stick on a card, package (or a bottle of wine 😉).

If you feel creative and don't want to jump into a big project, make a stack of tags using leftover quilling elements (and scraps). When you need one you'll have a selection to look through. 

Stay safe and well.

xo, Molly

Quilled Snowflakes

Snowflakes are very easy and fun to make. All you need is one loose roll for the center and three basic shapes in groups of six. Nineteen pieces as big or small as you like, and you have a lovely six-point snowflake! 

On my website HERE there is a variety of different shaped examples and patterns to copy, instructions, tips and project suggestions.

Blog archive of Photo Examples showing 1-inch to 12" snowflakes. 

Quilled Snowflake Humor😅 

This short video is only 1:18min long.

Have a wonderful Christmas holiday.

Stay safe and be well.

-Molly

Quilled Snowflakes

From the Archives:

Snowflakes are SO easy! 

I like making them to tie on packages or give as ornament gifts. Below, I used white gold on edge English paper strips. I like this paper, it is thinner and easier to use with miniature pieces. 

(Click on the photos to enlarge.)

This is approximately 1-1/2 inches in diameter. When making these I try to hide all paper seams and no traces of glue can show anywhere, especially on the back.

English crimson quilling strips with shiny metallic silver edge.

Silver holofoil on white English paper strips.

These simple and easy snowflakes are in my book. So small they fit as candy toppers and on trinket matchboxes.

 This is one of my largest I have made for hanging as wall art. It is 12" in diameter and made from 1-inch wide crimped strips of construction paper. I only used four shapes plus the center coil. The strips are 12 inches in length. The crimping makes it more sturdy and I used a wooden dowel to roll the strips. I finished it by spraying very lightly with a glitter spray.

I made this pink snowflake many years ago. The instructions can be found HERE on the NAQG website. 

I made this snowflake project for a magazine in 2008. It is double-rolled using two colors. I was disappointed in the quality/size on their website so I made a super

 large one you can view (and use for a pattern) by clicking the photo.

Enjoy and have a fantastic day!
-Molly

Minature Quilled Flowers in a Pot

HAPPY APRIL! 💐

My niece makes beautiful mosaic birdhouses and asked me to put flowers in tiny wooden flower pots to go on the outside of the birdhouses (indoor décor). I made my first one. Only took me five hours from start to finish. 😀

I quilled with a small "quilting needle" using English quilling paper purchased at Quilling Supply that is more narrow than the 1/16" American strips. I plan to put fringed flowers in the next one. It stands about 1.25" (3 cm) tall.

Thanks for looking!

~Molly

Simple Quilled Project ~ Keep It Simple

Summer begins on Saturday so I wanted to change out my Spring subway art sign in the entry way. I was looking for something simple on Pinterest because I am out of two printer ink colors. I found this cute, free bicycle printable at The 36th Avenue blog -- three colors are available.

I printed one in black and white. 

I added some pre-made quilling pieces I had left over from another project .. and sort of followed the printed design. 

It is simple, but I like how easy it was and how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Molly xo

Inchie Art - St. Patrick's Day Theme

If I told you how old this frame is, you wouldn't believe me. Still had the price tag on it. I have two more I need to use, red & blue, round. Hello, my name is Molly and I'm a craft hoarder :)

I made this little inchie frame for the front entrance. It is small but fits perfectly in an empty spot.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Friday!
~Molly

Peace in 2014!

This is my favorite quote of all times that I refer to every New Year:

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” — Oprah Winfrey

I recently asked for a sign as to what I should do. I'm at a lull (and have been for a while) as to what I want to do and what I need to do. We are moving this year and I'm needing to make money but wanting to do something fun and what I love. 

So this morning I was looking for a certain photo and came across this ONLY photo saved in 2004, dated 1/1/2004 ... strange showing up ten years later. I am thinking this may be the sign. I love doing miniature anything. I cannot remember why these pieces were made, but I still have them in a box along with a table lamp, not in this photo. The floor lamp has beads hanging as a pull and the pole is a pop stick painted gold.

Is there anything you are wanting to do, new, in 2014? I want to learn to sew after we move.

Wishing for Peace in the world, in your job place, for your family, in your life and in your heart :o) 

Happy  2014!
~Molly

More Miniature Quilling

Happy November! I hope your month started out wonderfully and you are making time for some crafty fun this month.

Lately, I keep wanting to grab the thin English strips and work on miniatures. I made another tiny bottle necklace but not for the store. This one is for my niece who is a cancer survivor, twice! She had a total Laryngectomy earlier this year with many complications. She has adjusted very well to speaking with a prosthesis. I am so proud of her and want to surprise her with this necklace.

Three hearts, three flowers, the larger have centers on both sides - paper and Swarovski, pink ribbon with a crystal and a bit of confetti

Have a great week! xo

-Molly

Wordless Wednesday

1.5 and 1.25 inches tall

Design credit for boy ghost: Sherry Rodenhaver

Happy October!
-Molly

Miniature Quilled Flowers in a Bottle Necklace

This is a necklace I made with some tiny quilled flowers and leaves using narrower than the 1/16-inch strips (paper from England). I put centers on both sides of the flowers. The sterling silver snake chain necklace is 20 inches (50cm). The bottle is about .75 inches (19mm) wide. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Molly

From the Archives ...

Quilling Comes In All Sizes
I have said before that my two favorites are miniature and giant quilling! I would put this one below in the big category! I used one-inch crimped red and green strips of construction paper glued end to end. The stems are spongy insulation material that I cut into pieces and painted black. The leaves are 6" long and the cherries are 3.5" in diameter.

This is a piece I made to take to a CHA show in 2006 when I bought a table spot to show my designs. It is a MUST to have some type of eye-catcher to draw the manufactures and publishers to the table. My table was set up to sell my quilled cherry projects and large wall art designs. I used this cherry project, a 14-inch quilled snowflake and three 12-inch layered paper flowers as my eye-catcher. My plan worked :)

I wanted to share this technique to show that there is no limit to what you can do with quilled paper. Here are a few more examples: 

Lori Mondell ~ has an amazing creative mind when embellishing her projects (check out other items in Lori's store)
Suzana Ilic ~ brings quilling to a next level with her brilliant dimensional art
Ann Martin ~ this is an excellent example of how to be inspired by non-paper material and incorporate into quilling (also, check out Ann's new book!)

I hope you are encouraged to try something different and quill a miniature, traditional or big piece of art using your own creative style. 

Have fun!
~Molly

Update:  I found this poor photo showing how the large items are suppose to grab attention. This was the year I forgot one of my bags - containing makeup and my camera. I bought one of those disposable cameras and the photos turned out itty-shay!!!

Sour Cream Gift Container, Miniature Quilled Flowers

Happy July!

I made some 1" glass magnets, with yellow rose of Texas graphics. I wanted to wrap them but they are so small. They stack together easily held by the magnets and I wrapped them in tissue paper.

I decided to make a sour cream gift container using printed card stock. I made a tag and added tiny quilled flowers to match the paper I was using.

I used a 4" x 6" piece of card stock and rolled lengthwise into a tube as shown below. 

(10.16 cm x 15.24 cm)

I pinched the ends to close. I crimped the first end, applied glue inside along the edge, and crimped it again. After I put the magnets inside, I pinched the other end in the opposite direction. I repeated with crimping, gluing and crimping again.

I think it makes a nice presentation and this sour cream container is SO easy to make.

I purchased my graphics from Piddix. She has so many prints in many sizes and you get instant download.

Have a fantastic week!
Molly

Miniature Quilled Paper Chocolates

The 2013 NAQGCON (North American Quilling Guild) Conference in South Bend, IN .. a few weeks ago, was so much fun that I cannot even describe! I knew it would be, but did not know how fabulous the facilities and planning (by hostess Shelly Krzyzewski Thacker)  would be. The Waterford Estates Inn was the perfect venue, huge rooms - sleeping, dining, meeting - and the three days flew by. The theme was "Sweets" and we were asked to make our own quilled name tag using the sweets theme.

I made this two-inch tray of miniature dark and white chocolates that are in Diane Boden Crane's book titled Miniature Quilling, with a few variations of my own :o)

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

This quilled floral arrangement, created by Elaine Altmose, won 1st Place in the Free Standing category and was also voted Peoples' Choice. Yes, the vase is all quilled and the mums are quilled petals not punched leaves. 

During the awards dinner, Elaine gave her winning piece to Motoko Nakatani (Maggie) from Japan, since Maggie gave Elaine her quilled Accreditation piece last year. Maggie and two other members from Japan attended and there were two gentlemen in my class. Members from Canada and as far away as San Diego and south Florida attended. 

Elaine Altmose with her 1st Place blue ribbon and Peoples' Choice rosette ribbon and Maggie with the quilled floral arrangement, which really shows how large it is. 

This is how many items were donated for the raffle drawings. The prizes were wonderful!

When photos are released, I will post more photos and pieces that were submitted in the competition.

NAQG membership is worldwide. To join, go to NAQG.

Have a great week!
Molly

Wedding Bliss

I will be away for our daughter's wedding and enjoying the grand-kids. Here are a few pages from my book.

Everyone have a extra special week!
-Molly

Quilled Mother's Day Card (repeat)

I wanted to make some small flowers for a card, so I took the floral pattern from the print on this paper and attempted to kind of, sort of, duplicate it :o)

I used very narrow paper strips (English papers 3/32" wide). I also used three different quilling tools to minimize the center holes. A quilting needle for the tiny tight rolled flowers, corsage pin and a commercial quilling tool.

I made paper knots for the center of the flowers (and a few accents) by cutting a 3/4" (1.9 cm) strip lengthwise from corner to corner making triangle shapes. I start rolling this teeny piece at the wide end to the point. I punched out a 3.5" (8.9 cm) scalloped circle, attached a 3" (7.62 cm) piece of cardboard to the back for support and added pop dots. I used -faded jeans- Distress Ink on the edges.

Have a fun, crafty week!
~Molly

Miniature Quilling

These are a garden dish and pot of gerbera daisies I made for fun. I used 3/8" denim paper for the pots and added a strip of printed paper around the rim. I cut a small foam ball in half and placed in each pot. After adding the flowers and punched leaves, I filled the pots with brown and green loose rolls using 1/8" strips. The loose curls are approximately 1/4" to 1/2" in length and not glued at the ends- a big time saver. I used chalk on some of the leaves in the garden dish. When finished, I added more glue to the insides to secure it all together.

I hope this inspires you to make something fun!

Have a great week!

-Molly

Miniature Quilled Flowers on Card

The background paper is my inspiration for this group of miniature flowers. I used a thin quilt needle tool and narrow English paper strips. These strips are more narrow than the American 1/16" wide paper.

This is similar to the Mother's Day card I made last year, using a different background. More how-to details are here. 

Thanks for looking!
Have a great week :)
~Molly

Quilling Comes in All Sizes

I have said before that my two favorites are miniature and giant quilling! I would put this one below in the big category! I used one-inch crimped red and green strips of construction paper glued end to end. The stems are spongy insulation material that I cut into pieces and painted black. The leaves are 6" long and the cherries are 3.5" in diameter.

This is a piece I made to take to a CHA show in 2006 when I bought a table spot to show my designs. It is a MUST to have some type of eye-catcher to draw the manufactures and publishers to the table. My table was set up to sell my quilled cherry projects and large wall art designs. I used this cherry project, a 14-inch quilled snowflake and three 12-inch layered paper flowers as my eye-catchers. My plan worked :)

I wanted to share this technique to show that there is no limit to what you can do with quilled paper. Here are a few more examples: 

Lori Mondell ~ has an amazing creative mind when embellishing her projects
Suzana Ilic ~ brings quilling to a next level with her brilliant dimensional art
Ann Martin ~ this is an excellent example of how to be inspired by non-paper material and incorporate into quilling

I hope you are encouraged to try something different and quill a miniature, traditional or big piece of art using your own creative style. 

Have fun!
~Molly