Quilled Christmas Ornaments and Mandalas

Last year about this time I posted a quilled Christmas wreath made by Beth Reece of Virginia. Today I have more images of her beautiful work to share.

Beth's style is completely her own... densely rolled coils that are often accented by crimped paper. This ornate Christmas ornament is just one example and was created as an entry in this year's Washington Post Holiday Crafts Contest.

red and gold quilled tree ornament

Beth also makes ever-popular quilled snowflakes... here's a beauty that is quite unusual with its finely crimped loops.

white quilled snowflake

Beth mentioned to me that she finds coming up with an idea for a new project to be the hardest part of the process. Most of her inspiration comes from unlikely sources such as shopping ads, old jewelry, architecture, kaleidoscope images, etc. She prints out a picture and refers to it occasionally for ideas, but says there’s rarely any resemblance between the item that inspired her and the finished design.

beth-inspiration-photo

This photo of Hindu architecture from the book Living Architecture: India published in 1969 by Andreas Volwahsen was the inspiration behind one of Beth's favorite pieces - a gold, black and silver mandala.

metallic paper quilled mandala

She began quilling after receiving a Martha Stewart email around Valentine's Day less than two years ago. A simple white card with three red, quilled hearts captured her attention. (Funny, she sounds like someone else I know... me! Images in Martha Stewart Living are what started me down the quilling path too.)

beth-reece
Beth Reece

"At the time I didn't know a thing about quilling, but the memory of that card kept popping into my head, so I did a Google search. I fell in love and ordered a starter kit that spring. It's amazing to compare some of the first quilled shapes I made to the ones I create now. What a difference time and practice make!"

colorful quilled mandala

Like so many of us who quill, Beth finds it relaxing and meditative. "When I complete something, it’s like coming to the end of a really fantastic book that you don’t want to end. A lot of people ask me if I sell my work, but there are some pieces I can’t fathom parting with. This year I gave "selling" a try by donating a dozen quilled snowflakes to a charity at my workplace. The response was fabulous, and the best part for me was explaining to people what quilling actually is and sharing a little of its history."



Ann Martin
Ann Martin

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Comments

  1. The quilled snowflakes are so beautiful. Wonderful work!

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  2. Stunning creations...Loved every detailing in each creation..

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  3. Oh my goodness! The mandala is out of this world. I'm always amazed at what inspires artists and how they translate that into their own art. Wow. Just wow.

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  4. These are breath-taking! The mandala is such a piece of art.. Thank you for sharing, Ann. I've just recently quilled a faux metal window railing inspired by the old mansions I saw this summer, so it excited me to see a real quilling pro drawing inspiration from architecture. :)

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  5. very beautiful. Love the snowflake

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  6. Truly beautiful works of art. I love how incredibly delicate that snowflake is.

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  7. Wow these are all stunning- I love the snowflake, but the colors of the last piece just grabbed me.

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  8. Can't stop admiring her delicate snowflake. Her mandala's look stunning and such perfect symmetry. Love her last mandala,So very beautiful.

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  9. It's hard to say which I love more...the densly packed quilling or the delicate...I just love them both! Wonderful!

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  10. Hi Ann,
    Beth's work is gorgeous and so is yours! I love the first ornament and delicate snowflake but I also love the red, blue, and gold ornament, I would love to have something like this hanging on my tree.

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  11. All are beyond beautiful...the first ornament reminds me of a pricey ornate glass ornament!
    Paper Hugs,
    Jan

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  12. Beth's story is fabulous. I love that Martha Stewart inspired both of you to start quilling. You certainly have become experts at it. Just amazing. I love how she says doing it is meditative. The process is a wonderful journey, it sounds like. Thanks for sharing her amazing quilling. I think she deserves to win the Washington Post Crafting Contest. She's a winner in my book!

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  13. Beth's pieces are astounding! You wouldn't know they were made of paper...almost look like delicate metal or wire-work!

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  14. wow!so beautiful!
    have a good weekend!

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  15. Good luck to Beth with her entry into the Washington Post holiday contest....the ornament is gorgeous! I especially love her gold and black mandala too!! Such a classy piece!! I enjoyed reading about how Beth came into the quilling world.
    Licia Politis

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  16. Félicitation pour ce travail de patience et le résultat est absolument fabuleux. Bravo!

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