Quilled Butterfly Card

My adventures in my new obsession continue so expect to see a few posts. I wanted to incorporate quilling into my card making so played around and made this butterfly for a Thank You card I needed to make. 

Supplies: 

• Cardstock and Scrapbook Papers for Card
• Quilling Paper and Tool
• Glue
• Quilling Board

The quilling board came in the kit my girlfriend gave me and it really helpful for ensuring consistent shapes and sizes. You make your coils and then drop inside the shape and use your fingers to help form the shape,  I chose paper strips that coordinated with the colors of the polka dot paper I used. 

To make the Butterfly Wings, I started with the orange and yellow papers shown inside, former the teardrop shapes and then just went around them with the other colors to build up the shapes. 

To make the antennae and the middle ( I have no idea what this part of a butterfly is called) I folder two black strips in half, then curled the tops to make antennae. Tightly coiled the green coils and wrapped the black strips around and glued down to the card. 

Once all my wing pieces were assembled, I glued to the front of the card as shown. Paractice makes perfect and this isn't 100% but I'm pleased with it for a first try. 

I had a question on my last Quilling post about how to actually make the coils and shapes. I think this video is really helpful :

BFF Open House

Happy Friday Eve all! Hope you've had a great week. Unfortunately, here in the desert we continue to spike in COVID cases, now leading the nation which is not a goal I think we ever wanted to achieve :(

Needless to say, sticking close to home which means more creative time. My most recent project and new addiction is here: New Addiction Modern Quilling

Let's take a look at some ideas from last week's party! 

Unique Creations by Anita shared this FABULOUS Steampunk Lamp. So cool for an Industrial look or accent piece. I've seen similar pieces at Art Fairs for a lot of money so being able to make your own is wonderful using assorted plumbing pieces and ephemera in your stash. 

If you can't get to the beach, maybe you have some shells around the house or can order some online to bring a little of the beach inside like Lisa from Fresh Vintage by Lisa S did. The combination with succulents is indeed a fresh take! 

This Exfoliating Whipped Soap from Eccentricities by JVG looks good enough to eat ( so if you have littles in the house you might want to put out of reach!). Make a batch for yourself or what great gifts they'd make. 

I can't get this picture bigger w/out getting it blurry but couldn't resist featuring this Snickers Martini from Cindy's Online Recipe Box. This is definitely meant to be consumed! 

Now let's see what you've been up to this week!

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Back Into Blogging With A New Craft Addiction: Quilling

Now that I have some unlimited time on my hands, I'm excited to get back into sharing some of my creations. Not that I had stopped making things but the past couple of years have been hit or miss on consistency and time to post regularly. I'm excited to share a new love I've discovered, thanks to one of my oldest and best friends: Quilling. Really "Modern Quilling". Last year for my birthday, she surprised me with a book and box of supplies and I sat down last week to play with them. 

Quilling is thought to go back to the 15th century and started by English, French, and Italian nun and monks. Traditionally, quilling, similar to embroidery, recreated images of nature etc. Modern quilling still does that but can also be more fluid and abstract. This appealed to me. As is my nature, I looked at the basic process and then just kind of went where I went with it. 

I had several embroidery hoops in my stash so they came to mind when I wanted to start my first project (shown above).  Stayed w/ my often used colors of black, grey, and white. 

Supplies: 

• Embroidery Hoop
• Lightweight Chipboard
• Quilling Tool ( available at craft stores or online)
• Tweezers
• Glue. I just used Elmers but PVA glue is recommended.  I had this package of precision tip glue pens in my stash which worked great! 
• Quilling strips

I traced the shape of the embroidery hoop onto the chipboard, cut out, and glued together w/ hot glue. As that set, I made a bunch of shapes. Pinterest and You Tube have great tutorials to show the basics!

I made a collection of loose coils, tight coils, teardrops and the "eye" shaped ones as shown ( loose round coils w/ each end pinched). Once I thought I had enough to fill in my hoop, I started gluing them down to the chipboard base. 

Since I'm an intuitive crafter, I just started filling in space w/ the black, then moved to the gray and the white ( really cream). Where there were big, obvious spaces, I just rolled some tight but smaller coils and filled in. 

I had so much fun with it , I decided to play with some other color combinations. For the next one, I chose browns and purples. 

I found it was helpful to have something damp to store my glue tip in to help keep it clog free as I was working and also to clean off my fingertips which get sticky as you seal the ends of your shapes. I put a couple pieces of paper towel in a small jar and wet them and they actually stay wet for a few days. I didn't close the jar because I didn't want mold to have a chance and you can just re-dampen if it dries out. 

I repeated the same process with the embroidery hoop and a piece of cardstock, then made my shapes and glued down, again in no specific pattern, just as I went along. 

Once again I filled in some spaces w/ tighter coils but the intent wasn't to fill in completely which is why I went w/ a coordinating piece of cardstock as the base. 

For the first two, I used 6 inch hoops. I was having so much fun I wanted to do another one and play w/ some other colors and only had 8 inch hoops so went w/ that and trust me, that little increase in size makes a difference in the number of coils you need! Not a bad thing mind you. It goes pretty fast once you get the hang of using the quilling tool. Law & Order SVU marathons or music make the time fly by! 

I am hooked! I cannot wait to play some more. I want to do monograms, and cards and, and, and ...

BFF Open House

Happy July! Here's hoping the second half of this year is less eventful than the first half. Hope that you are all staying healthy, and if not wealthy, wise about masking, distancing, and hand washing! 

Let's see some inspiring ideas from last week's party !

If you remember the Boho Patriotic Star from Artsy VaVa from last week, you have to check out this piece she did to match it in "Red, White and Boho Part II" and you really have to check out her post to see the condition it was in and what she had to get through! 

Fourth of July and Summer are the perfect times for S'Mores. But not everyone has a campfire or can be outside to make them. Too hot here in the desert plus I'm in high danger wildfire country. The Inspired Prairie has got a fabulous roundup of 15 Ways To Make S'Mores that not only covers some indoor options but different takes on this Summer classic. I like these Chocolate Chip Cookie S'Mores but there are 14 other variations!  

There's always a need for a memo board. No matter how paperless we think we are, there are still things I need to keep handy and not on my laptop or phone. Southern Sunflowers shared a thrifty way to dress one or a couple of them up! 

Since we've all been staying home more, I've seen a renewed interest in baking, especially bread making. Here's a delicious variation shared by Morsels of Life : Chai Tea Bread. The yumminess of a Chai in bread form and topped w/ toasted coconut. Perfect to enjoy w/ a cup of Chai or other tea, or coffee or just anything! 

Now, let's see what everyone's up to this week. Have a safe and happy Fourth! 

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BFF Open House

Happy Friday Eve all. I had to remind myself what day it was since Monday was my last day of work! Still early in the journey of figuring out my next chapter, but so far, so good! Hope you've had a good week, are taking good care , washing your hands and masking up when going out! 

Let's take a look at some features from last week's party. 

The DIY Dreamer shared this fabulous 3D Barn Quilt made from wood. The color combinations are endless and what a great piece of wall art!  I'm also sharing a pic of the pre-painted but finished version because I love it just in plain wood too! 

Artsy Va Va shared another wood project in her gorgeous style, this one patriotic themed in red white and blue: 

Both  the name of this card "Something Old, Something New" and the card itself caught my eye given that I've left something old, and figuring out something new, plus the gorgeous coloring of the image Linda from Paper Seedlings did! 

Finally, I think this dessert from The Kitchen Is My Playground is aptly named: Coconut Yum Yum looks yummy indeed!

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week!

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BFF Open House

Happy Friday Eve friends. Sharing some news. After 32 years working for the same company, as of Tuesday, I'll be retired. Well semi-retired. I'm going to take a break and figure out what I want to do for a least a few more years. I'm one of those the more I have to do the more I get done people and while I don't want anything as stressful or demanding as what I've been doing, I will want to do something. 

Like many companies, mine has been moving jobs out of the country for a while now and I knew this day would likely come. Up until about a month ago, I'd been on the other side of the conversation, having had to deliver the news to people in the past. I was hoping to make it a couple more years but it's all good.  I'm part of the generation that started hearing "don't expect to work for the same place your whole career" and managed to defy the odds. And now I'll have more time for making so it's all good! I'm thankful to have had the career I have and what's it's enabled me to do. 

OK. How about we look at some ideas from last week's party?!

Unfortunately, we're one of the states spiking in COVID cases. Our little town mandated masks today along w/ several other cities. Here's a DIY face shield idea shared by Hello Sewing that would be great for anyone needing some extra protection that's pretty and functional! 

I'm drawn to tiered towers whether for decorative display or functional storage. This one adds risers to give it even more elevation and South House Designs has some other great tips! 

With the Fourth of July coming up next month, here's a way to decorate (again w/ tiered trays...I told you I was drawn to them!) from The Organized Dream and there are 19 more ideas at the link!

Finally, last week I featured a cozy patio makeover. This week it's a front porch. Back, front, or inside, since we're spending more time close to home, it's nice to make it comfy and cozy. From A Day of Small Things: 

Cozy!

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

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