Falling Leaves Quilled Necklace

Hi everyone!  I have neglected my poor little blog and will be posting about the same amount for a couple of more weeks. I am working on the classes for my online quilling class for My Creative Classroom and there are two more weeks to go. So after that I should be back to posting regularly : ) !  

I do have a post for today though and at the first of each month I have projects that I have created for the Custom Quilling Newsletter.  The kit for October had beautiful fall colors in it and I couldn't resist making another jewelry piece.  I used oval filigree jewelry pieces as my base for the quilled leaves.  Each quilled gold gilded leaf gives a flash of fall color when seen from the side. 

The leaves are "falling" down the necklace to the last one that dangles.  Fall color beads dangle amongst the leaves while beads and crystals give it sparkle. I am very ready for fall and we are just now getting some milder temperatures here in Texas, although not any rain!  This is my first online class and I have been enjoying it and the students so much, and they are doing so well!!!  Some of the students have quilling experience and others are just trying it out for the first time. They are very creative and their projects are wonderful!

I still have two projects from the newsletter that I have ready to post and I will get them up later.  Thanks to all who visit and leave such nice encouraging notes!   See y'all later!

Shalom,

Sonya

Quilled Decorative Bottle

Hi all, I have another project to share using the new technique, curled loops (tutorial here).  I love pretty glass and when I saw this red one I new that I had to make a project with it. I used the decorative paper and strips from the August Custom Quilling kit to make the embellishments.  Simple 6 petal flowers are accented with curled looped flowers upon the bottle "label" that wraps around the middle of the bottle.

This time I didn't encircle the loops and curled them for a fan like shape.  I really like this technique it has soo many possibilities. I added a bit of the same to the neck of the bottle along with a tassel.

Try this new technique and post your picture links in the comments!  I have put a link to my online quilling class with My Creative Classroom, Quilling, Twirled Paper! on the sidebar.  Registration is now open and the class starts September 15, 2011.  You can register after the class opens and you have access to the class lessons, gallery until December to finish up.  If you have any questions about the class or projects, just email me at appelquillinggarden@yahoo.com .  Another project tomorrow.

Shalom,
Sonya

Quilled Letter Holder

Hi all, I have neglected my poor little blog but have been working hard behind the scenes getting my online quilling class for My Creative Classroom ready for registration. It is now finished and I am excited that I can now reveal the link to the class.  But first the project above that I made for the Custom Quilling Newsletter this month.  I used a purchased letter holder and added the quilled embellishments.  The technique that I used for the center flower was from this blog and it uses looped flowers in a new and very pretty way.  Asma has a great tutorial on how to create them plus many wonderful projects using them! Stop by and visit her blog you will love her projects. I know I will be using this technique again.

Now for the quilling class, it is named Quilling, Twirled Paper! It will cover the basics, intermediate and some advanced quilling techniques and will be 6 weeks long.  There will be a class project(s) each week with week's 5 is a quilled keepsake such as I feature here on my blog.  Week 6's project is a quilled necklace that used the technique that combines jewelry pieces and quilling such as this one.  You can visit My Creative Classroom Quilling, Twirled Paper! class site here to see the full description, cost, and supply list (which Denise at Custom Quilling has a copy of and can help in ordering any supplies, Thanks Denise!).  If you have any questions about the class, just email me at appelquillinggarden@yahoo.com and I will be glad to answer. There are also many other wonderful papercrafting classes offered this fall through MCC.

I should be back to creating on a regular basis now that the class is up for registration.  I will be back tomorrow with more projects!  Thanks for all the comments, I have and do read them all.

Shalom,
Sonya

Quilled Butterfly Necklace

Here is another of the project for the Custom Quilling Newsletter this month, a quilled butterfly necklace.  I used a butterfly filigree piece for the base and used pink strips to quill teardrop shapes to follow the pattern on the base piece.  I then gilded them with a silver pen.  

The butterfly's body was made from beads and silver wire which also made their antennae. AB and pink crystals give it some sparkle as well as the butterfly dangles.  Click on the pictures to enlarge. I love making quilled jewelry with these filigree base pieces and the possibilities the extra foundation that it gives to the piece.  Short post for today, thanks for all the encouragement!!  Back later with another project.

Shalom,

Sonya

Back Again!

Hi everyone, sorry for the long MIA.  I have not been blogging, but I have been working on a project that has been taking a lot of my attention and that I am excited about.  I'll tell you about that in a just a minute.  First I want to share a project for this month's Custom Quilling Newsletter, an altered ribbon spool with a quilled fan.   I have seen several of these altered spools and have been collecting them to try my hand at one. 

I used the shades of pink strips and card stock that came in the kit to create the fan and floral punch flowers.  I used a quilling grid with circles and angle lines to lay out the spirals that make up the spokes of the fan, pinning them in place.  I then made the looped portions at the top of the fan, again pinning to hold them in place while drying and keeping the fan shape steady.  The two wing butterflies in the middle give the fan more stability as well as the teardrops between the spokes where they meet. A gold tassel hangs from the bottom of the fan.

It is a delicate design and if I do one again I will have to make adjustments to the double spiral spokes.  You can see that a couple of the spirals are separating.  I think I needed to glue the ends together so that they stay spiraled next too each other and do not separate.  But, that is for next time.  Three teardrops and a flower help stabilize the point where the spokes meet even more.  At this point I could un-pin the fan and it held it's shape well.  A few more tear drops at the tips of the spokes and some bling and it was finished. 

The spool was covered in decorative paper around the center and has scallop circles out of the same paper on the ends.  To cover the bottom end I die cut the center of a scallop circle with a circle die the diameter of the center, cut between two scallops and hid the seam with embellishments. I wound the wide pink ribbon from the kit around the spool and added pearls, buttons and lace at the ends.

Next came the more quilled flowers and butterflies mixed in with the pink lilies.  Aurora crystals, more buttons and pearls make it frilly and feminine. 

Now for the news that I have been waiting to tell you about.  This fall I will be teaching a 6 week quilling class with -

 I had taken two Tombow marker background classes through MCC and loved the format, the classes and the teacher, Kim Teasdale! The class was online and while I was considering taking a class, I wondered if it was going to be worth my time and cost.  It was and I was not disappointed!  There was a lot of content, easy to follow and understand and you feel as if the teacher is right there giving you private lessons even though it is a PowerPoint presentation with added videos.  Kim, as well as all the instructors, were also there to answer questions and give feedback on our projects that were posted to the class gallery.

There are many like me who would like to take a class but have no teacher close by or giving a class when you would like to or able to take one.  I wish there had been a class like this when I first started quilling. One where the basics of quilling, using the tools, through the varied techniques of husking, looping, 3D etc. were taught and demonstrated.   The online format with MCC gives you that opportunity and the freedom to sign in on your schedule and view the weekly lessons when the class semester is open.  And you have the added time of two weeks after the last posted class to go back and review any lesson, post your projects, get questions answered, and download the class PDF lessons.

The class that I will be teaching is 6 weeks and covers quilling basics, using the tools, shaping coils, fringing, domes, bells, folded roses, looping, husking, 3D quilling.  Each week there will be a guided project to showcase your new quilling skills. The last two weeks you will be completing a Keepsake quilled project and I will teach you the quilled jewelry technique that I used to make the necklaces and bracelet posted here, here, and here.  All with class lesson PDF's.

The class will be open for enrollment on August 23rd 2011 and I will have more info later. Until then, if you would like to get a preview of the projects and explore the other classes at My Creative Classroom click here. and see if the classes are a match for you. And anytime you would like to go to MCC to see what great classes are offered, from my blog, just click the MCC blinkie on the right sidebar.  If you have any questions please email me at appelquillinggarden@yahoo.com.

Tomorrow I will post another quilled jewelry project.  Thanks for all the sweet comments while I was MIA.

Shalom,

Sonya
Your comments are read and appreciated!

Magnolia Box

Hi all.  Did you think I was never gonna post again?  I thought so for a while!  It has been crazy here with some family issues, health and other things.  And I have been trying to get caught up and the stomach virus caught me!!  I still have some lingering issues here and there but I am getting back to the craft room finally.  I have had this to post for weeks but just didn't have the umph to get it written, sometimes one more thing, is, well too much.  So, here is a project that was made for the Custom Quilling Newsletter, last month. 

The kit had a black and white theme and since I had been wanting to alter a chest type box, I thought the time was now.  The box is decorated and stays open to see the punched magnolias and quilled flowers.  I'll keep it short so if you would like to know any details let me know in the comments and I'll edit this post to answer them!! 

I had a lot of fun creating this box and have another little one to do also.  I guess this break has done my creativity some good as I have several "ideas" sprouting for projects along with some of the not-yet-posted finished projects.  Back tomorrow with another post and some announcements!!

Shalom,
Sonya

Quilled Spring Mini Album

Hi all, back with the first of this month's Custom Quilled March newsletter projects, a mini album with quilled accents. 

 A while back I had purchased several chipboard albums with a ring at Michael's and stashed them away for a later time.  One Youtube video caught my eye and I started looking at more of them and their creators blogs.  I fell in love with these little album's with their many surprises, pockets and pullouts.  I love the shabby chic ones, the steampunk ones, the ornate ones that have something new to find every time you open it. 

 One of those video tutorials here, shows how to paint the chipboard that has edges too detailed for covering with paper.  Also it shows the binding technique that will expand with the embellishments and future addition of pictures/keepsakes etc.  I painted the pages a light green and bound each page with a binding piece, card stock piece and then DP and then started to make the pockets and tags. 

 Again I went to Youtube to find all the pocket ideas and tutorials.  Some I changed other I used as they were.  Most pockets in my album have many more places to tuck more tags or pictures into. 

 The tags are a combination of manila shipping tags and ones that I cut out with my Criuct and Picturesque cartridge.  All of the tags have simple 5 petal quilled flowers and leaves as embellishments that were made from the shades of spring strips in the March kit.  All the flowers have rhinestone centers for sparkle.  Edges of the tags were inked and some have gold gel pen stitching.

The front of the album has a frame for either journaling or a special picture. It was fun to make and I will be making more of these.  There are so many ways to create pockets, foldouts and tags and even the shape of the albums are endless.  With the expandable binding it allows for the dimension of quilling and all of it's versatility.  If you make one, link a picture in the comments section below to share!

Also don't forget to stop by Custom Quilling to see the super cute projects that Sue has also made for the newsletter! Back tomorrow with another of the projects!

Shalom,

Sonya

Y'all are so sweet to leave me such encouraging comments, THANKS for all of them!

Quilled in Blue Bracelet

Hi all, back with another quilled jewelry project.  This bracelet was on of the projects made for the February Custom Quilling Newsletter that I haven't posted yet.  I used the navy strips that came in the kit to quill the motifs.  These strips are a little heavier weight and I think it gives the quilling more stability for jewelry. 

I used oval shaped antique gold filigree pieces as the bases for the quilling.  The motifs have alternating rounded and softly pointed petals with light and medium blue crystal centers.  Bugle beads and peacock beads accent the bracelet ovals for additional sparkle. 

The motifs were gilded after completion and before adhering to the filigree bases with an 18KT gold pen.  I love the way the filigree bases expands the possibilities of quilled jewelry and have more ideas and shapes to play with!  Back later with another project!

Shalom,

Sonya

Thanks for the lovely comments!!

Rose Garden Diorama Card

Hi all, sorry to be MIA for a while.  My husband had surgery on his knee that kept me busy and I had to be his chauffeur and runner on his job while he was unable to do it.  Early mornings and exhausting days!  But I did manage to get a couple of projects done and I still have some to show you. 

This is one on my "want to do" list and Tracey's pre-colored roses were first on my list to try it out with.  You can find the tutorial on how to make a diorama card here. It is really easy and the hardest part is deciding what to decorate it with.  I wanted it to be like looking into a climbing rose garden and used a Martha Stewart punch for the rose mounts. 

I printed out the single rose spray in pink, red and peach several times and then cut out the different roses to layer.  Some I layered the largest rose and others the smaller to give them dimension.  They are all popped up on foam tape.  The butterflies are from the Fred She Said Ornate Butterfly and Tattered Rose set.  It has a digi file and a cut file for your electronic cutter.  I used only the bottom blackout file of the butterfly and glimmer misted them with pink and gold. 

The sentiment was stamped and embossed in gold on a Cuttlebug tag.  The bow looks blue but really is a in shaded greens.  The original card design easily folds flat for mailing, but with all of the pop dots on this one it doesn't really lay flat enough for a regular envelope. It has a lot of depth that the camera doesn't pick up well.  The pre-colored images makes it super easy and vibrant and a design that has lots of possibilities. 

Tomorrow another quilled jewelry piece.  Until then,

Shalom,

Sonya

Thanks for your comments, I read them all!

Quilled Arbor Perpetual Calendar

Hi all, back with another of the Custom Quilling DT projects.  This is a different perpetual calendar than the previous one that I did.  I saw several of these handy little block style calendar made from wooden blocks or paper and decided to give one a try.  The basic design of these calendars is blocks and bars that have numbers and months that can be mixed and matched for the correct date.

There are many square box templates and tutorials on the Internet and you could also use your Cricut to cut them if you have one.  Here is a good tutorial, with cute examples, that shows how to cut and assemble one of these calendars from card stock.  The month blocks are smaller and the base design is different but you can alter the design as you like.  If you alter the month blocks to be larger be sure to add to the end flaps as well so they will close properly.   

For the calendar assembly I inked and stamped the edges of the number and month blocks before I put the them together.  The numbers were cut from my Storybook Cricut Cartridge.  I printed the months out on my printer and then used punched the ends with a MS punch, cutting off excess to fit the block front. In the tutorial  the three month blocks sit on top of the calendar base and the number blocks fit perfectly on top of them.  Since I wanted to print my month names I made mine a bit bigger and only two fit on top of the base, the third is stored in the base.

The calendar base is constructed from an open rectangular box and a back piece that forms the arbor.  For the arbor back I started with a rectangular piece and used on of my circle Nestabilities that made a nice rounded shape on the top and ran it through my Cuttlebug only half way so it would leave a rounded top.  next I took the next smaller Nestie circle and laid it on the rounded top and did the same half way cut and then used my craft knife to cut the straight edge at the bottom of the half circle to finish the arbor arch.  The white lattice is a MS punch. 

For the quilling I used the pretty shades of blue and green quilling strips in the CQ Feb kit and quilled the flowers and vines adorning the arbor.  The grass on the front is made from hand fringing two strips of green card stock and layering them.  It isn't a straight fringe but one of tall spiky grass like shapes.  A blue bow and some Stickles to the centers of the quilled flowers finish off the design.  It is an easy design and can be altered in so many creative ways for a calendar that you will get many years worth of use from, or give as a gift.  Back tomorrow with another project a quilled bracelet.  Until then,

Shalom,
Sonya
Comments and project links are always read and appreciated!

Rainbow Awning Card

Hi all, back with the projects for the Custom Quilling February Newsletter.  The first on that I have to show you is a window card.  When I saw the scalloped fabric like stickers in the kit it reminded me of the trim on a window awning and it inspired this card.  I used a window stamp from Heartfelt Creations that I stamped, colored with Prisma Colors/oms and then cut out the "glass" portions.  Here is a picture of what it looks like with the awning closed. (That little spot above the ribbon on the awning you see on the first picture is a glue dot that I used to hold up the awning to get a picture and forgot to take off!)

Here is what it looks like open:

 I know that an awning is on the OUTSIDE of a window and not on the inside but for purposes of the design I put it on the "inside", and used some of that "artistic license".  After the window panes were cut out I lined it with a piece of acetate for the glass and put foam tape on the back along the wooden parts of the window.  I drew a rainbow shape on card stock that would fit into the window area and colored it in with my Tombows first.  Then I applied clear glue to each band of the rainbow and glittered it. 

Next the sky was done using a cloud template and blue ink, the rainbow was popped up on the sky.  The outside of the "house" was made with a Cuttlebug folder and I cut out the place where the window would sit.  The window frame was adhered to the cut out embossed panel and then I placed it over the sky and rainbow and finally onto the card front. 

I used the green card stock from the Custom Quilling February kit and cut it to be a bit bigger than the window frame.  It was edged with a EKSuccess punch and then embossed with a Cuttlebug folder about halfway down.  Next I used that cute scalloped sticker and green ribbon to trim my awning.  It was scored about an inch from the top so that it had the awning look and would lift up.  The sentiment was stamped, inked and put on a scallop circle with the cute shamrock that also came in the kit.

The inside of the card also has a little awning and shamrock.  The rainbow really sparkles with the light hits it, unfortunately the camera doesn't pick it up. There are so many things you could do with this window stamp and I will be using it more often.  I think it is a cheery card to send to someone needing an encouraging lift.

Click the link here, and then "Newsletter" on side bar to check out what other projects were made by me and Sue, really CUTE, and what is in the February kit. I will be back tomorrow with another project, a different kind of perpetual calendar.  Until then,

Shalom,
Sonya

Ribbon Flower Bracelets

Hi all, hope you are enjoying the Fred She Said Blog hop that will run through tomorrow midnight.  Click here if you would like to hop before it ends and enter for some great prizes.  Today I have one of my ribbon bracelets to show you.  This is one of the first ones that will be posted for sale in my Etsy shop this week.  I have put a page at the top of the blog where you can find the link to the shop.  This bracelet features a beautiful jacquard ribbon as it's base and has a variety of ribbon flowers.  It is embellished with seed beads, Swarovski crystals, hand dyed lace and a beaded dragonfly.  The ends are finished with bar clamps and has a bar and circle clasp.

This season of life and others have encouraged me to start this business venture that I hope will be successful. I will have many more ribbonry projects listed for sale along with quilling and paper florals in the shop as soon as they are finished.  Working hard to get them finished, photographed and listed. I does take a while to get a selection, samples and examples of what will be for sale and is quite different than making them for fun.  I love all things floral and have been in love with ribbonry flowers for some time and am enjoying getting back to these as well as my paper versions.  There are several great books and video tutorials for making ribbon flowers if you would like to try your hand at them.  Here is a link to Helen Gibb Ribbonry, a great site that has ribbons, books and supplies. Back later with another project.  And a GREAT BIG THANKS to all who stop by and leave such sweet encouraging comments!

Shalom,
Sonya

Fred She Said January Blog Hop Chubby Girl Flinging Hearts

Hi all! Are you ready to HOP again! If you made your way here from Nancy's blog, you are in the right place.  Today, January 28 through February 4th, midnight is the Fred She Said January Blog Hop.  The FSS Design Team has created some LOVE-ly projects for your inspiration using Tracey's wonderful digi images.  As you hop along be sure to collect each DT's members special word and enter the completed phrase at the FSS Challenge blog, the last hop stop.   If you would like to start from the beginning, go to the  Fred She Said main blog here.   There will be two lucky winners, one will receive a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Fred She Said Store, and one will receive a $25.00 Gift Certificate to CropStop!

Here is the order to the hop in case you lose your way or want to revisit a blog:

1. Tracey-Lynn 

2. Robin 

3. Tracy McD 

4. Danielle

5. Anne

6. Marlena 

7. Nancy

8. Sonya - That Me your HERE!

9. Carol 

10. Michelle 

11. Darsie

12. FSS Challenge Blog - Enter your completed phrase here!

My project uses the new Chubby Girl I love you THIS much! precolored image.  The front of the card uses the sentiment and the main image is in the inside to show off the surprise!  When you open the card Chubby Girl flings heart confetti at the recipient of the card.  I made a video so you could see the hearts flinging.  I have been waiting to make this card for just the right image, and isn't she perfect! Here is where I found the great tutorial for making this card:  http://www.hogwildaboutstamping.blogspot.com/. 

I added two hearts on little springs to give added action.  You can either put the card in an envelope or hand deliver so you can see the persons reaction.  I hope you are having fun on the hop, here is my special word:

and 

Don't forget to collect the words and enter for the great prizes.  Your next stop on the hop is at Carol's blog where I know you will see some awesome eyecandy!!  Back later with another project!

Shalom,

Sonya

Faith Prayer and Hope

 Hi all, back with a card this time!  I love fancy folds and this Joy Fold card fits the bill.  I have had this on sitting about 90% finished on my table and couldn't get the right embellishments for it.  I tried several different things and nothing grabbed me.  Finally I was searching though some of my Fred She Said images that I had stashed from a previous project and came across one of the vellum flowers in just the right shade of purple. I cut 3 out and added a purple metallic gel pen accents and then layered them.  I added the wispy punched spike flowers and a little flower punched out of 8 layers of tissue paper.

The sentiment is embossed in gold embossing powder and the edges of the card are edged with my 18KT gold pen.  All the layers are sewn with a straight stitch using a variegated green thread.

                                     
 You can see the card has a lot of room to write a message or to stamp on.  I stamped a floral image on each panel in gold embossing powder for some simmer. 

 The left side panel folds down then the smaller right panel over that and it creates a pretty presentation when opened.  It is done in a rectangle but you could do it in a square or any shape that will fold down correctly.

The ribbon is keeping the card closed and was a design challenge in itself. I put two eyelets on each side of the card and wove the ribbon through them. A knot at the end of the ribbon holds it in.  In these days this is the perfect card to send for encouragement!  I am working on a lot of things and trying to get samples and pieces done for my Esty shop, so check back, thanks for visiting!!

Shalom,
Sonya