Graduated colors

If you're not familiar with the specialty papers available for paper filigree, there are loads of options - beautiful options! Pearlized or parchment strips, speckled, glistening, or sparkling, pearl edge or silver, gold, or copper gilded edge papers, two-tone strips with a different color on each side, not to mention a rainbow of colors from pastel to jewel-tone. My very favorite variety just might be the graduated colors. Because nothing is ever simple, there are {happy} choices within this category also. There's the type that's shaded most in the center of each strip with the color lightening at the ends and there's also a strip that starts out dark and lightens toward the opposite end.This is a bookmark card I made for a quilling friend in Dubai that's an example of using graduated color strips. You can randomly cut the papers without thinking about the color variations for a casual look, or as I did here, cut the strips so the shading is the same for each flower petal.

The filigree design was inspired by an embroidery or beadwork pattern. In looking at it now, if I had it to do over again I think I'd leave out one of the elements toward the bottom as it's a tad cramped... ah well... best laid plans and all that! The background paper started out as an envelope liner that came in the mail - but me being me, it was just too pretty to throw away. I attached the cardstock bookmark with a small sticky dot at each end so it could easily be removed for use.