Quilling birthday cards

I have a few birthdays coming up. Felt like doing something spring and vibrant.

Die Punched Leaves and Daiso Paper

Someone recently asked how I made the leaves for my 3D Daisy Cake. I punched paper with this flower punch, then snipped out 5 petals. Then I used my quilling needle to score a line in the middle and gently folded it in half before gluing under the daisies.

 

The paper I used comes from Daiso. Shades of red, orange, and yellow are sold in a pack called "Warm", while blue, green, and lilac are "Cool". This is a 5x7 inch size and several sheets of each color is included. Larger sizes are also available for the same amazingly affordable price of $2, but you get less sheets of each color. The weight is not too light, not too heavy - just fantastic for my accenting paper crafts. The color is carried out through the entire sheet,  not just printed on the surface, so you don't get a incongruent core of white, especially if you plan to make your own flocking.

3D Coffee Cake Birthday Card

This was a par-boiled idea, but I was making espresso the other day and realized the grounds are quite fine, so of course I thought of flocking. I have a birthday for a guy coming up and he loves coffee (it's not as easy for me to make cards for guys for some reason). I thought of making a coffee cake and covering my cake with grounds, then topping it with real whole coffee beans.

 

I tried using double sided tape, but the grounds (unused) wouldn't stay on. The glue holds an amazingly thick layer of grounds when I did a test. So I put down light blue vinyl on the cake where I didn't want coffee. Unfortunately the glue stayed on the vinyl too. So I had to apply the glue carefully before dousing with grounds. It's a good thing I used brown paper so any bare patches blend in.

Now that it's done, it makes me think of a chocolate mocha cake – plus it's like scratch and sniff sticker, except no scratching is needed!

Wedding Cake Card by Kelly

I'm not a bling personality, but I have to say this wedding cake card by Kelly, (findingtimetocreate.blogspot.ca) got my attention. It says everything a bride wants their special day to say, an event to remember for all time.

Although the background is neutral and allows the flowers to take center stage, the glitter makes a splashy show all on its own.

Kelly explains in great detail how she made this 3D cake card with glitter and what materials she had to change up to make it work. I love how she explains things so thoroughly, like all her posts on her blog.

Thanks, Kelly, for generously allowing me to show your card on my blog!

Cecelia

DIY Flocking

I've been seeing flocking all over the stores (and some ingeniously decorated nails). It's kind of like colored, fluffy, cotton candy, but in teeny pieces. I didn't want to buy more things, so my first thought was can I make my own? Yes I can!

I borrowed the microfine shredder from the kitchen, wadded up some paper scraps from Daiso, and shredded away. In case I didn't cover everything, I used the same color yellow as a backing, covered it in glue and dipped into my paper flocking (tweezers are helpful!). Then I glued it to my daisy flower, which then decorated my 3D cakes.

3D Cake - Daisy Birthday Card

Ever get those birthday cakes topped with plastic signage? I kind of wanted to replicate that for this birthday girl's card. I stacked the words 4 times out of card stock to make my own chipboard, just like I did for the LOVE sculpture. This time I made the top layer out of a lighter green so when it's viewed from the side, it gives another dimension - just a little something different. I stuck foam squares near the top so they stick up, then glued the bottom part behind the daisies.

Her fave color is yellow and since my original cake was too short to let me go nuts on the decorating,  I made it twice as tall. I always place my elements on my card to assess the spacing before gluing permanently. Although I thought everything was well placed, it ended up being lower than I intended when I stood back. So I added the fireworks I used on my Mickey Mouse project to fill the top. I feel like I overdid that too, but ah well, I'll live.

PS, here's a teaser image for my next post, where I'll explain how I made the stamens in the middle - yes, it's paper!

Shaping Die Punch Flowers

Before buying my Silhouette SD digital die cutter, I bought die punches like these. I toyed with giving them away, but now I'm really happy I didn't.

I shudder to waste paper scraps and want to use every inch of it before tossing it out (see my post on How to Use up Scrap paper). Using these die punches was easier and faster than trying to register the exact placement needed on my Silhouette. However, I still used the Silhouette to cut my cherry blossoms (middle punch) because I wanted the cup the petals more readily.

Top left: If using a cherry blossom die punch, snip in between the petals to make them easier for cupping.

Top right: This blossom is cut from my die cutter - see the deeper gaps between petals? I used a burnisher and rubbed the petals against a mouse pad. For those who have a digital die cutter, here is the cherry blossom I made in SVG, DXF and PDF format.

Bottom left: Continue rubbing into the center to make a small bud.

Bottom right: If you want the blossom to stay open, flip it over and poke a smaller burnisher into the middle, then add dots with a felt marker to represent the stamens.

I then used them to decorate this 3D cake card.

3D Cake Card with Punched Flowers

My sister in law is always well-dressed, so put together. She is feminine without being girly. I  wanted to give her a 3D birthday cake card that expressed that (I hadn't chosen my greeting yet when I took this photo).

I had so much fun making these flowers after being inspired by Michelle's version. After stepping back I worried I had gone too far and overdid it, but I think I'm just not used to so much adornment, being a tomboy at heart.

I cut some 1/8" quilling strips in half which made them more pliable as I decorated the cake. This let me strew blossoms in a more random way. I used a white felt marker to dot some stamens in the middle of the blossoms.

I dipped the blossoms into Aleene's Tacky Glue and they held fast when applied to the cake. I didn't have to sit there and wait around. I'll be showing how I shaped the blossoms in a following post soon.

3D Cake Card by Stephanie Elliott

This is a card made by Stephanie Elliott, who customized my 3D Cake Collection. I love how she customized it with dripping icing and then topped it off with glistening glitter. Here's how she did it:

I love microfine glitter so I layered cardstock with double sided adhesive, stacked the icing designs on the cake, and sent it through the cutter twice – once to cut the design from the adhesive liner, the second time to actually cut the parts from the card stock. The design cut beautifully and, after coloring the icing & cake parts with glitter, assembly was easy (with your great instructions). I used the double sided adhesive only because I wanted to color by selection with glitter. Using that adhesive, though, proved to be incredibly useful in assembly. I completed one card and constructed the box (which is great, by the way). I love how everything turned out.

I cut all of the parts for the first card on a Black Cat Cougar. I cut all of the parts for this last card on a Cameo (can’t let either cutter feel left out). This card is a top fold card with accordion pockets on the inside. There are note cards in each pocket. Again, thank you so much for designing such a wonderful set. I’m already thinking of a dozen events for which your design will be perfect.

OK, so I admit to being just a tad OCD and the way Stephanie has opened up those pockets to show the accordion file holding note cards makes me itch to make something just as organized. However if I were the recipient of this wonderfully coordinated card, I couldn't bear to use them!

When I asked her about the differences between cutting machines she's used, Stephanie went into great detail, describing their fine points and sharing her knowledge. She has been tempted to start a blog to share tutorials and files, but I think she's busy creating gifts to be cherished. She very kindly let me show her work here, and I hope you'll leave a comment for her to read - and hopefully she'll start her blog to share more of her projects! Thank you, Stephanie!

DIY Re-usable Gift Box using Vinyl and Free Flowers

"Just buy a dollar store bag and save yourself time", hubby said. But what's the fun in that? OK, so I was kind of rushed, but it's a different kind of rush right?

I salvaged a stationery box from work that fit my gifts perfectly, but of course it's ugly. I amassed the largest pieces of scrap vinyl (salvaged from a sign store) that would go together.

I made sure the vinyl would cover the box with some excess on all sides, removed the wax, and placed the box right in the middle, using a bone folder to squish out the bubbles from the middle to the outside edges. Then I cut 45˚ slits toward the corners.

I brought the long flaps up, stuck it against the box and trimmed off the excess triangles, leaving a tab to fold over to the other side. This ensures you'll never see the old box.

Then I adhered the short sides and trimmed off the excess all around.

My family and friends know I try to be as eco-minded as possible. I've had to ask for my xmas gift bags back and cushion their crestfallen faces by reassuring them another gift will come in the same bag next year. I don't tend to do that with birthday gifts, so when my sis-in-law saw this box, the first thing she said was "Can I keeeep it?" and hugged it to her chest. I can't tell you how happy that made me!

I've used this free flowers file for other projects in the past like cards and flower pots:
http://www.fordesigner.com/maps//10878-0.htm

Quilling Letters / Name by Karen Harr

I’m thrilled to introduce a new quiller, Karen Harr. Can you believe she JUST started quilling after buying my Flowers and Butterflies patterns? I asked if she’d mind me posting her photos here and share her experience.

I think many readers would be inspired to know what you’ve done because they think it’s too hard. Would you like to describe what the process was like?
First and foremost you were my inspiration for my project.  I knew I wanted to do something special for my granddaughters and when I saw your beautiful quilled name “Jade”, I knew I wanted to try doing something special like that for them.  You were the biggest help to me.  I had so many questions and you were so kind and helpful, sending me links, answering all my questions, and going above and beyond for me, someone you didn’t know.  Thank you so very much.

 

Any advice you might give to other beginners?
Quilling is very relaxing and rewarding to me!  I had so much fun doing these.  Since I am a beginner, I don’t really have much advice.  I am in awe of all the beautiful work that is out there in the world.   There are so many wonderful people out there who are willing to help, give advice, etc. 

What helped you get started?
Actually my wedding invitation was quilled as a gift 36 years ago.  I didn’t know anything about quilling back then.  But I did know how beautiful and special it was.  I was looking at it a few months ago thinking how beautiful and unique it really is.  Here I am, just learning to quill and thinking, why didn’t I start this years ago.  Better late than never.

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the fact that my adorable granddaughters love them.  It is something special that I could do just for them.

What are you going to make next?

Here is a pic of my next project.  I am just starting it as you can see and have been playing around with colors and shapes.  As you can tell nothing has been glued yet, lol.  I thought I would do just the first letter of my grandsons name for something different.  Hopefully it will turn out like the idea I have in my head.

Thank you, Karen, for letting me showcase your work on my blog and offering your thoughts. You have given me just as much inspiration by letting me know how my work has meaning – definitely a win-win! I hope you will start a blog of your own and continue to show us your masterpieces.

Readers, I hope you’re inspired by Karen to give quilling a try. Please let her know your thoughts by commenting.

Folded Lucky Stars Tutorial

For years I used to carry a small tin case with travel scissors and paper. I would fold stars on the bus, waiting rooms, dark movie theaters, and while having conversations with people because folding was like breathing. To give a jar filled with 365 stars to someone showed you thought of them every day of the year. I’ve lost count after a thousand stars but always enjoyed seeing their expression. I’ve decorated greeting cards, the outside of jars, even Christmas trees with them – is it a wonder I used them in my wedding invitations?

There are many tutorials online for folding Lucky Stars but while teaching others how to make it, I’ve learned their number one mistake is creasing the first folds too much. By the time you reach the end and are ready to “puff”, the star is apt to squish to one side rather than separate into it’s 3D glory. Notice how it’s gently folded in place but not sharply creased? If you haven’t had success in the past, please try again with this small change and let me know if it made a difference for you.

I also like to fold around a string as I go, to make a bracelet or a garland of stars. The easiest material to use is ribbons because the width is ready to go and they’re oh-so-shiny.

To see my step-by-step tutorial, please visit my guest post on Ann Martin’s blog, All Things Paper.

If you haven't seen Ann's work before, prepare to lose a few hours exploring her site. Her wedding certificates are simply exquisite as they enhance the newlyweds' choice of theme. Any time a beginner quiller asks me for basic steps, I always point them to Ann's Basic Tutorials because she really pays attention to the nuances and helps people realize quilling is not as hard as it looks. Her  paper projects (check out her washi Easter egg tutorial) entice you to try different techniques and materials.

Ann also interviews paper artists around the world, showcasing their work and highlighting the subtleties. As if her plate isn't already full scouring the web and offering up the best eye candy, she has also authored a book of the same title, All Things Paper, which is like a hard copy of her popular site - but contains nothing you've seen yet. Not only does Ann have uber-human attention to detail, she also has a way with words, describing steps as if painting a picture - the best kind of tutorial maker out there. Thank you for being you, Ann.