Quilling in Resin

I can't take my eyes off this stylish bracelet that Laura, the Nashville owner of Etsy shop, handyarts, created by coating rolled paper with jeweler's grade resin.


She used the same colors for each of the discs, but the circular designs vary - this adds such nice interest. The rounded bubbles of resin offer great protection for the paper (if you worry about that sort of thing), but mainly I like the glossy shine!

Laura tells me she's in the process of creating more quilled jewelry, so be sure to keep a watch on her shop in the coming weeks.


By the way, the Faber-Castell art supplies giveaway ends at the end of today. Check back over the weekend to see who won!

Lampada Lighting

New York City artisan, Vilma Farrell, creates one-of-a-kind lamps and lampshades with an unlikely material - recycled coffee filters.


Yes, you read that correctly... coffee filters in all of their natural tan glory!


Sometimes she uses filters as is, and other times stains each one with the juice of vegetables and spices, such as collard greens, beets, spinach, saffron, or paprika.


Originally a journalist in Brazil and now a stay-at-home-mom, Vilma is inspired by her native country's love of dark coffee, rich spices, and muita alegria or joy. She makes each light by hand in her living room/studio after her children are in bed for the night.


Vilma cuts and ties wire cloth to create a lampshade's framework. Coffee filters, which have been dried, cleaned, dyed (or not), and cut, are woven into the wire frame. Lastly, varnish is applied to protect and give durability to the surface.


She also uses coffee filters to create impressive wall decor on wood-framed canvas. This piece is composed of natural color coffee filters with black acrylic paint detail.


See more of Vilma's captivating designs in her new Etsy shop, Lampada.

Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Giveaway!

***This giveaway has ended - scroll down to see who won!***

Faber-Castell, a company whose name I've long associated with quality art products, has developed a product collection called Design Memory Craft. Mix and Match Color Gelatos, Stamper's Big Brush Pens, Art GRIP Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils, PITT Pastel Pencils, and Metallic PITT Artist Pens provide a fine selection from which to choose. The variety of color palettes and mediums make it very easy to try one's hand at new techniques.


MIX & MATCH Color Gelatos are just plain fun to use... they come in mess-free tubes from which creamy color swivels up, similar to a lip balm stick. The opaque product glides easily across the paper leaving a trail of glorious color, and is odor-free, acid-free, and non-toxic. Most of the Gelato sets include a paintbrush with a triangular handle that prevents it from rolling off a work surface - love that! - as well as a floral clear stamp.


The MIX & MATCH Mixed Media Sampler contains a metallic Gelato, along with a Stamper's Big Brush Pen, Art GRIP Aquarelle Watercolor Pencil, PITT Pastel Pencil, and Metallic PITT Artist Pen, all in a coordinated color palette.

Color Gelatos are packaged in a variety of color combinations, including black and white, silver and gold metallic, colored metallics, neutrals, blue/green, and red/yellow, which is the collection I received. The colors can be blended with your fingers - it washes right off - or transformed into a watercolor painting by stroking the colored paper with the dampened brush.


The product information suggests coloring the clear stamp with a Gelato for traditional stamping, or coloring paper with a Gelato first, and then using the stamp to remove some of the color. I have to say I didn't have a lot of success with either of these methods (although adding water may have done the trick), but instead enjoyed using the color sticks to create card backgrounds.


I created the striped effect on this card with a pink Gelato, coloring over that first layer of color with a coral metallic Gelato on matte finish photo paper. I love that the paper's slick surface resulted in crackles, giving a weathered look.. In this case, the surface needed to be sprayed with a fixative to preserve it, but when using Gelatos on regular, textured, or flocked paper, the color stays firmly put unless water is applied.


I've been an avid doodler since way back... well, actually more of a scratcher. In school I would fill the margins of notebooks with little V-like scribbles. I still do it to this day while on the phone or at a meeting, so to test out each of these pencils, I set to work making backgrounds for cards using variations of my johnny-one-note scribble skill.

Squint for a moment at this paper on which I used a PITT Pastel Pencil and then smudged the lines to soften the look:


Don't the squiggles give the effect of wood grain? Maybe a tiny bit? Humor me. Wood grain is very popular in the stamping world at the moment and I enjoy being in style.

For this bookmark I used the purple Metallic PITT Artist Pen (India ink) on photo paper. The ink has such a nice shine in real life and the color doesn't budge once it dries.


I found that the Metallic PITT Artist Pen also did a wonderful job of inking the clear stamp, which I stamped on orange vellum to create this card. The pink and orange background was done with an Art GRIP Aquarelle Watercolor Pencil and a PITT Pastel Pencil on white cardstock.


And then just because I'm first and foremost a quiller, I felt compelled to try my hand at recreating the flourishes on the clear stamp... a quillable design if ever I saw one! The background was more squiggles, this time on pale yellow cardstock with the Aquarelle Watercolor Pencil to which I applied a bit of water via the paintbrush to blur the lines.


The Design Memory Craft site has lots of information and also a blog where you'll find many more ideas for using all of these tools.


Faber-Castell sent me the supply sets pictured above for review purposes, and is offering two All Things Paper readers (U.S. or Canadian residents only; so sorry, all of you international folks) the chance to win the very same sets (color selection may vary). Leave a comment to enter. If you would like additional chances to win, just spread the word about the giveaway via your blog, Facebook page, Twitter, and/or any stamping/scrapbooking forums you might belong to, and tell me if you've done so in your comment. The giveaway ends at the end of this Friday, April 29, and winners will be selected at random and announced the next day on this post. Good luck!

And the winners are: Congratulations to Deb Plapp and Aurora! They were chosen by the random.org number generator. Faber-Castell's contest organizer will see that you each receive your art supplies - I hope you'll enjoy using them! Thanks everyone, for all of the lovely comments and for spreading the word about the giveaway.

Sweet Peas

More crepe paper goodness today... I came across these eye-catching sweet peas on Teabytes, a Seattle paper crafter's blog. Such a bright, fresh color and the tendrils spiral just like the real thing. Tough as iron, those true sweet pea tendrils!


Paper twist cording, floral tape, crepe paper rounds, and waxed twine are used to make the stems and delicate flowers. If you'd like to create some sweet peas of your own, these tutorials look like they'd do the trick: here (scroll down albout halfway) and here. [Edited to add this pdf sweet pea tutorial provided by Diana via a comment.]

Fragrant sweet peas love cool sun (which always sounds like an oxymoron to me), thus they have a limited growing season here in the mid-Atlantic states. Our weather steams up fast once they start blooming in late spring, but now there's no reason not to have some on display all year long!

Cooking in Paper - Japanese Style

A while ago I promised some paper-related photos from my husband's trip to Japan. Here are shots of breakfast one morning.... you can see a lovely folded piece of paper holding vegetables and tofu. (And lots of dishes! Can't imagine washing that many each morning.) Beautiful, no? I love Japanese attention to detail; even the corners are punched.


He had mentioned that the paper was balanced over a small flame, similar to Sterno pots that are used for serving buffet-style here in the States. So, I wondered... just how does the paper not catch fire? Of course, silly moi - liquid was involved. Because the paper isn't heavy, heat is quickly conducted to water inside the paper and the food cooks without disaster.


Inspired to do some googling, I found other cooking techniques in Japan that involve paper. One is called kami-jio, or paper salting. This is a method of bringing a light, salty taste to raw fish used for sushi or sashimi. A board is sprinkled with salt and a dry sheet of washi paper is laid on top of the salt, then the fish is placed on the paper. Another sheet of paper is placed on top of the fish and this "sandwich" rests for up to an hour, during which time the moist fish absorbs a subtle flavor from the salt. An absorbent paper towel can be used instead. I'll have to try this!

photo: The Roasting Plank Company

They also use something called cedar cooking paper (above picture), but it's actually a very thin sheet of cedar wood, not true paper. A square is soaked in water for several hours and then wrapped around poultry, fish, and vegetables before grilling or baking. I'm conjuring up the aroma of freshly cut cedar and can imagine the wonderful flavor it imparts. Cedar packets are sometimes spritzed with white wine or sake and with that, my foodie pals, the tastebuds are tingling.


Sometimes stars really do align... with Easter brunch right around the corner, it was the perfect time to come across these bunny cube muffins. The combination of Japanese origami with the French cooking method, "en papillote", (in paper) couldn't fit into this post any better. Parchment paper is folded to create a small parcel in which ingredients are essentially steamed with their own moisture when placed in the oven on a baking sheet. Find full instructions for cream cheese bunny muffins on the clever blog, Eye Candy.

And last but not least, here's a zany, little video that shows how to make an origami Japanese cooking vessel. It goes way too fast to follow the steps, but the result is so darned cute, you can always skip ahead to the end.

Quilled Rabbit Cards

Ahhh, I love this time of year... the days are warming up, tulips are in bloom, and birds are nesting. It's a nice time to be a quiller as chicks, ducklings, and bunnies are fun to translate into paper.


I made this card for the Custom Quilling newsletter and enjoyed creating the polished stone background. There's nothing like a good play session that involves mixing drops of re-inkers (small bottles of ink used to renew stamp pads) with rubbing alcohol on glossy white paper. Here's a link to a tutorial by Beate Johns of Splitcoaststampers fame. The paper truly winds up looking like marble if you use a few drops of metallic ink... I just wish my camera had captured the shine so you could get the full effect.

This next card shows the same chubby rabbit, but it features a quilled tulip instead of a folded flower. Just some ideas in case you're in need of an Easter greeting to send... be quick like a bunny and hop to it though - Sunday will be here before we know it!

By the way, is my family the only one to wish one another good luck on the first day of each month by saying rabbit-rabbit? The unwritten rule is that it has to be the very first thing said that morning. Of course we usually don't think of it, but it's pretty fun when one of us actually remembers!

One last thing for today... the Creative Paper Cutting book giveaway winners were announced on Saturday. Congrats again to Eva and The Bees Knees. Even if you didn't win this time around, there's another giveaway coming up next week. Crazy, right? But true!

Crepe Paper Carrots

I have to admit I'm not usually a huge fan of cute, except when it pertains to babies.... and for that reason I'm perfectly fine with the adorable-ness factor that ramps up high on the craft scene at this time of year. All sorts of bunnies, chicks, lambs, and decorated eggs spring forth - yep, I'm a guilty participant... you've already seen my spring centerpiece and on Monday I'll have another bit of cute for you.


All that said, I got a kick out of these rolled paper carrots at MarthaStewart.com because they're something different than the usual spring decor suspects. With very few necessary supplies, the life-size carrots look like a breeze to make quickly and simply from crepe paper streamers. Place a bunch (pun intended, ha) in a garden basket as a centerpiece or fill them with little toys and treats to give out as party favors.

By the way, one of my quilling pals, Molly at It's Molly Smith, recently blogged three versions of mini-carrots that are pretty sweet too!

Springtime Centerpiece

Back in my counted cross stitch phase I made these rabbits as part of a spring centerpiece, and still enjoy getting them out each year, along with a bowl of blown eggs saved from Easter egg decorating sessions.


You might be wondering where the paper-y part of this post is... oh yes, a bit of paper is involved! The rabbits are stitched on ovals cut from glimmering gold perforated paper and are backed with patterned wallpaper.


Of course the mention of rabbits is never more appropriate than at this time of year. Last spring in fact, a rabbit decided to build her nest smack in the center of our front lawn to the delight of the neighborhood kids. How it was noticed still amazes me, except that children have built-in radar for these sorts of things, don't they?!

In case you've never seen a bunny nest (I hadn't), this unimpressive little bit of fluff is what one looks like. It's an extremely shallow hollow in the ground, just an indentation really, a couple of inches deep. The mother doesn't stay there - instead, she steers clear to avoid bringing attention to the nest. Every now and then, we would notice her hovering over it while she nursed her pair of bunnies.


How those babies stayed warm despite early spring snow, cold April showers, and curious little fingers lifting away the covering of fur and grass bits for frequent peeks I'm not sure, but somehow they did. Here's proof the babies left the nest after a few weeks, and joined Mama Rabbit to munch on our tender hostas and bumper crop of clover. (Bun #2 was nearby, not to worry.)

bun with mum

Okay, I'll admit it... the whole reason for this post was just to show you the above picture. All together now... awww

Wishing you a happy spring or autumn, depending where you are on the planet!

Creative Paper Cutting - Book Giveaway!

***This giveaway has ended - scroll down to see who won!***

I bet you've heard the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well, in this case, by all means judge away...

Lovely, isn't it?!

Creative Paper Cutting is the newest title in the Make Good Books series of craft titles released by Trumpeter, an imprint of Shambhala Publications. The cover image is the perfect enticement of what you'll find inside... very simple Japanese craft style paper folding and cutting projects that use few supplies. Novices are guided through basic paper cutting techniques with the help of tips, diagrams, and templates.


Included are ideas for using paper cuts as embellishments on cards, wrapping paper, mobiles, collages, and even lamp shades. Young crafters will be drawn to the birds, rabbits, hula dancers, and ballerinas. One of my favorite projects is paper figures (above) that have been cut from colored shopping bags by artist, Keiko Tsuji. So lively!


Many of the projects are scissor-friendly. Craft knife projects are included for adults and older kids. I was inspired to try my hand at cutting a few samples designs and found that lightweight paper (origami) is perfect for these designs, as they start out with a series of simple folds. With spring ever so slowly making its way to my neck of the woods this year, it's no wonder I was drawn to a flower, the pair of fluttering birds, and a windowsill with pots of leggy seedlings stretching for the sun.


One thing I might mention is that I would have preferred a spiral binding on this book (as well as all other craft titles!), simply because it's much easier to refer to a pattern book when it opens flat. I realize publishers rarely use spiral bindings so that the title will be clearly visible on a bookstore shelf, but with more and more books being purchased online, perhaps it's time to offer the more user-friendly option.

Trumpeter sent me a copy of Creative Paper Cutting for review purposes and is offering two All Things Paper readers anywhere in the world, the chance to win a copy. Just leave a comment to enter. If you would like additional entries, mention the giveaway via your blog, Facebook page, and/or Twitter, and tell me you've done so in your comment. The giveaway ends at the end of this Friday, April 15th, and winners will be selected by a random number generator and announced the next day on this post. Good luck!

Disclosure: The book title is an affiliate link.

And the winners are: Congratulations to Eva of The Netherlands and The Bees Knees! Shambhala's publicist will see that you each get a copy of the book. Random.org selected the two winners after I methodically and meticulously (because that's how I roll :)) spent ages tallying all of the names and extra entries.

Air Vases from Upon a Fold

I've been eying the lovely Australian paper shop, Upon a Fold, ever since it opened just over a year ago. Owners/graphic designers, Justine and Matt, traveled to Japan last June. It's no surprise then, considering Japan's flair for beautiful paper goods, that many of Upon A Fold's products are imported from there.


Case in point... these collapsible, reversible, and fabulous paper Air Vases. Designed by Torafu Architects, not only do they look like a ton-o'-fun to shape (here's a must-see little video), they can also be stamped with ink to make a colorful statement.

Quilled Spring Basket

I finally feel like I have a license to post spring quilling projects now that our days are warming up here in the northeastern U.S. Birds are chirping and flower bulb greenery is poking its way out of the ground... good times!


This is a woven basket card that's actually a revamped version of one I made a few years ago for the Custom Quilling monthly newsletter. I just wasn't happy with the original result... the basket is such a chubby shape, it needed a bigger arrangement than my first design.


But now that I'm focusing on photos of this version, I have to say the flowers and leaves could still be widened more. Sometimes though, a "stick a fork in it - it's done" moment occurs, and this is one of those.


By the way, the chipboard basket is covered with yogurt foil. I've mentioned before how much I love that sturdy, textured stuff for card making projects.

As I remember, the background paper is one I printed out from this wallpaper site, which is fantastic! Open a sample book of any style paper you like, page through until you find a pattern that's just right, and print out a full-size sheet. Just please don't sell anything you make that has been decorated with papers you've printed out, as you could possibly be violating copyright laws.

Pulp Fashion - The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave

Please someone, beam me across the country, as I'd like to see Pulp Fashion, an exhibit currently on display at the Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco.

Marie Claire de Croy and Child, after the painting by Van Dyck, 2010

Isabelle de Borchgrave is a Belgian artist with a love of costumes and textiles. By painting and shaping simple rag paper, she creates astonishingly opulent costumes. some of which are designs extracted from historical paintings. The collection includes examples that span from the Renaissance to the early 20th century.

Photo courtesy Créations Isabelle de Borchgrave

Here's Isabelle (far left), at work with collaborators on a piece of paper "fabric" that is based on Massimo Stanzione’s painting, Woman in Neapolitan Costume.

Neapolitan Woman, 2010, after Stanzione's ca. 1635 portrait

Though her work has been widely shown in Europe, this is the first time it has been seen as an entire exhibition in America. Isabelle began the sixty piece collection in 1994, and each dress takes at least several weeks to create. What's especially wonderful for the viewer, is being able to see a painting brought to life, so to speak, in all three dimensions.


18th century men wore gorgeous brocade coats, but these are paper, of course, as are all of the accessories and smallest finishing touches in Isabelle's body of work... lace, buttons, and jewelry.

The Medici family of the Renaissance

The exhibit closes on June 5, but if you can't be there in person, this excellent documentary is truly the next best thing to being there.

photos via the Legion of Honor website, except as noted.

Starburst Pendant Lamp

How's this for a knock your socks off light? Allie of The3Rs made it after seeing a tutorial by Gabrielle Guy that was featured recently on Design*Sponge. Gabrielle used scrap paper to cover a Chinese paper lantern and Allie used white vellum... either way, you're guaranteed a spectacular result!

Have a Fab Friday!