Shameless Self-Promotion

I am so dang excited about my holiday listings for Cyber Monday in my Etsy Shop that I don't have enough time to talk about it. So here is a big shout-out: Please visit and look on Monday. Maybe this will answer that reoccurring question I get from family and friends .. "Now what exactly do you do?".

And I will be there until the last week for you last minute shoppers! :O)

My Etsy Store and My Other Store

Have a great week!

Paper Pumpkin Pie

I follow Ann Martin of All Things Paper on Twitter for her fabulous paper finds. Check out her latest post and be sure to follow her blog if you love quilling and all sorts of unique paper creations.

Slice of Pumpkin Pie

Oh, and if you saw an Ann Martin making a quilled holiday card on HGTV's That's Clever! episode this morning, yes, that was this Ann Martin!

Thanksgiving Preparations

I love Real Simple Magazine for happy everything resources! This year, I am adding a few extra favorite links for Thanksgiving 2010 :)

• Real Simple Thanksgiving
• Real Simple Foolproof Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving Leftovers
• Thanksgiving Weather
• Thanksgiving History
• Thanksgiving on the Net
• Thanksgiving Crafts
• Black Friday

I'll be back after the holiday.

Happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Quilling Fill-in Technique

This is such a simple, quick technique that can be applied to any printed motif. On the left is my trio of dresses project from my book. I was commissioned by an international craft magazine to teach various quilling techniques and this is one of them. The issue was published in 2007 and the pictures I have left from the projects aren't the best, but they give you an idea of how to get started.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

All the printed motifs I used are free clip art that I altered slightly. I started with a simple handbag. I drew a diagonal line and filled in one side with black then printed on a white card. The blank area is filled in with 1/16" (0.158 cm) wide "S" scrolls and loose coils/tendrils. The lengths varied and ranged from 1/4" to 3/4" (0.635 to 1.9 cm).

 Using tweezers, I first tap the bottom edge of the shape on a thin layer of glue on wax paper and immediately apply to the card. The editor wanted quilling to be the main focus so I did very little embellishing. I inserted two eyelets and added a string of pearls for the handle. I let the handle dangle loose on one of the cards, but the purse was printed too low so they didn't use that one. 

I also filled in a dress and shoe. I added pink to the heel and removed the printed bow on the shoe. I added a black satin ribbon bow on the finished card for dimension.

If you try this technique or have used it before, please let me know and I'll post your project!  Enjoy!
~Molly

Halloween Favor Boxes

I changed the size of my tall treat boxes for Halloween. Three candies in mini wrappers will fit into this box size perfectly. I used satin and wire ribbons, embroidery thread, puffed inchies, a fabric pumpkin sticker and foam spider stickers to decorate. You can fill these with any candy treat, small toys ... even money!

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Here is the template I made showing the size and score measurements. The blue lines on the template are cut lines. The red dots indicate the pieces of the template that you will cut off and discard. I used a corner rounder punch for the top flap piece and I also cut the side flaps at the top of the box in half (as shown on the open orange box). 

This is what your box should look like before assembly.

First, the 3/4-inch flap on the side is adhered to the opposite side. I use a tape runner. I find it is easier to line up the flap to the side. Next, the bottom flaps are tucked in and the last one glued down. BAM! You have a box to embellish and fill with treats. Let me know if you have any questions.

Enjoy, and have a safe Halloween!

-Molly

BIG Quilled Flowers

I quilled these BIG flowers just as I would normal size pieces. Using the same shapes, same techniques- just a bit more glue than usual :o) I made them as table decorations for a quilling conference, many years ago. They are made using the traditional looping technique and are about one foot in diameter.

The tulip was an experiment and didn't work out very well.

 

I found a stack construction paper at Sam's Club for under $10.00, so these flowers are very inexpensive to make. I used one inch wide, 12-inch long strips and glued various colors end to end to make the individual petals.
 

I crimped ALL the strips before looping or rolling. The crimping technique (as explained in my book) seems to make the pieces easier to work with, plus a bit more sturdy.

Thanks for looking!

~Molly

Way too cute!

Becky Meverden is a Jill of all Trades but she is most talented with polymer clay, in my humble opinion. She was a regular on HGTV's Carol Duvall show for ten seasons and has written a ton of books showing step-by-step instructions on how to make her fabulous characters.

She lived in South Korea recently and has a book showing the elegant Korean knotting technique called Maedeup. See the technique and book link on her blog. It is an amazing craft and she has designed gorgeous jewelry using the technique.

I was lucky enough to have an exhibit booth next to her at a CHA show. When time permitted, we were able to visit during the day. So I know firsthand that she is a genius in her creative thoughts with everything she designs. Becky is also skilled in precious metal clay, glass beadmaking, quilting and other crafts.

I think she brings her polymer clay characters to life when she creates them. See all the other cute Halloween ideas on her blog HERE.

How cute are those?

-Molly