NOT Just Another Mom

I have a close friend who has trusted me to create several pieces for her and this was one of them. It makes me happy to have a new challenge and this was indeed one. I used a photo given to me as a reference and quilled atop a print out of it. I have the photo cut out in my pocket protector and am quilling on top of it careful not to glue the paper to the plastic. I use straight pins to hold it together until it dries. Here I’ve taken the quilled rider and horse off of the styrofoam backing and added to a background I added of layered trees. Here’s the final piece…

Just for putts and giggles, I made this for one of my hubby’s golfing buddies. I found a neat Fathers Day Card set from SVGCuts which included this amazing card! The svg file is from SVGcuts.com and I used a sizzix “tiny dot” embossing folder for the golf balls. I then created shadows using Dew Drop Brilliance Platinum Planet and Cosmic Copper.

One thing I loved living in NC is the time of year as the leaves change colors. You knew it was a sign for cooler weather and all things pumpkin. I am a huge lover of pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice cake, and creamer. Now that I’m in Florida, it’s still pretty much summer time so I am grateful when the creamer comes in to the store and I can start working on fall quilled pieces. I had some wooden embellishments left from the craft store I had purchased last year, so I completed them and I love how they look hanging in the house. I have some listed in my Etsy store as well… Here are some pictures of the pieces I have made…hope you enjoy. I incorporated the leaves change of colors and the bright pumpkin orange.

With every letter I create, there seems to be a story that goes along with it. Some are more in depth and emotional than others, but I think it makes what I do even more heartfelt and meaningful. This one is for a special family. The heart and rainbow of colors represent their story…

I was honored to make a special birthday gift for a persons Mom. How I love making these beach scened letters… I make these letters with 1/2″ hand cut paper strips and carefully place them with my handy dandy tweezers until they resemble a beautiful beach sunrise…I love the creamy yellow background although sometimes in the pictures it turns out a little darker than it really is. I want to think that this would give someone a lot of pleasure looking at it everyday and thinking of the beach….Can’t you just hear the sound of the waves gently lapping and feel the gentle breeze tugging at your hair?

I realize I haven’t really introduced myself. I’d much rather show you my creative endeavors or give my opinions… . However, I will indulge in hopes of you getting to know me better…. First and foremost, I am a wife and mother of two. My family has always come first, but now that my children (15 and soon to be 19) are older, I’ve been able to delve into my love of art. I love creating and the process that comes with every new thing I try. My latest passions are paper, alcohol ink, and digital drawing. Paper is so versatile and you can do so many things with it once you figure out its secrets. With alcohol ink, the possibilities are endless as well and I have lately intertwined the two in a fun and unique way. Digital drawing allows me to use my art to radiate positivity which I think the world needs more of. I am a former middle school music teacher. I had about 11 yrs of experience teaching grades 6-8 choral and general music education classes as well as directing a show choir. Then...

I’ve had in my mind to do a set of quilled pieces using word collages in the background. I’ve tried getting my Cricut to write for two years and for some reason it’s been skipping out in certain spots and not making contact. I had tried everything (I thought) from resetting my pen to restarting my Cricut to cleaning the mats several times. Nothing worked! Finally after asking several times on some Cricut Facebook pages, a lovely lady suggested for me to pop the pen holder out and put it back in following the directions on a video. So, I did. Lo and behold y’all, it finally worked! So, today I worked on one of the collage pieces and here it is. I used the combing technique to make the football and cut out the flames and layered them for a cool effect. The yellow paper is a pearlescent kind and adds just the right touch of flare to the flames. I love how it turned out and I think the combing adds such a neat effect of highlighting to the football. Hope you enjoy . Advertisements...

I had a special request for a gift for a couple who were very romantic and the giver had an idea to quill on a beach photograph. I had never quilled on a picture before and so after asking some of my special quilling friends, I proceeded to research into the best possible ways to go about it. I tested out several glues before deciding on one that was acid free and easy to manipulate with my 1/8″ strips. I first decided on photograph that was royalty free and totally commercial free to use yet had the simple background I needed for the couple to “stand” in front of. Then I chose the silhouette of the bride and groom (also commercial free to use). The name, Flowers, and aisle are both outlined and quilled on edge using 1/8″ strips and the bride and groom are made using 1/16″ strips. I hope the newly married couple love their custom quilled gift. I enjoy making things that I know will be special one of a kind gifts made just for them….

I had the pleasure of making a 12″ x 12″ shadow box custom quilled name for a special baby girl. I was asked to include pink, white, purple, and grey. She wanted it to be simple and for the name not to be hard to see, so this is what I came up with. I wish the best for the little one and her family….

Somehow my posts were stopped from auto posting and I have a lot to catch up on and show you! I’ve been mad busy since October making things for the annual Markham Woods Presbyterian Church Pumpkin festival and starting projects for Christmas. I bought some wooden embellishments that are exactly 1/8″ thick. They are perfect for quilling into! First, I stain them and then I cover the back with card stock paper. Then, I take and quill and fill in the gaps with my quilling strips. My last step is to spray it with a clear non-yellowing sealant to protect it from dust. I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate) and this post finds you doing well! Tagged: paper crafting , paper filigree , paper quilling , paperart , quilling , quilling design , QuillingFun , wood signMarkham Woods Presbyterian Church , wooden embellishments

A sweet couple just received this in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. It is an 8″x10″ quilled in several shades of gold. I love the shimmer of the shiny strips especially. They make such an elegant statement. Tagged: paper art , paper crafting , paper filigree , paper quilling , paperart , quilled , quilled letter , quilled monogram , quilling , quilling design , QuillingFun

I had the opportunity to make a beautiful letter N using the colors maroon, brown, peach, and cream. I always love seeing how various colors come together. The person wanted those colors and a flower in the design. Aren’t these colors so elegant together? Tagged: paper art , paper crafting , paper filigree , paper quilling , paperart , quilled , quilled letter , quilled monogram , quilling , quilling design , QuillingFun