One of my favorite holiday traditions is making a new-to-me style of paper Christmas ornament each year. A couple of weeks ago I came across a video by Meredith Amand of The Papery Craftery who showed how to make a pretty paper star using a quilling comb. I've had an unused comb in my stash for oh, about a decade and I'm glad I finally gave it a spin!  

It's the rare person who doesn't appreciate flowers, even when they're made of paper - or dare I say especially when they are made of paper? Perhaps it's because paper flowers are so unexpected, not to mention far longer lasting than the real thing. UK designer-maker Laura Reed created and photographed beautiful projects for her new how-to book, Blooming Paper: How to Handcraft Paper Flowers and Botanicals , using just simple tools and materials.  

One of my favorite quilling techniques is alternate side looping (also known as ASL), so I made a batch of autumn-toned flowers and leaves to show how it is done. And what can you do with the little garden you make? Well, along with using your creations on greeting cards, perhaps make an arrangement to pin on a pillar candle or display it in a frame as I did with mine.   Let's get started. It will seem like a lot of steps, but fear not - they go quickly. As for what strip length to use, it depends on the size flowers and leaves you'd like to make.... I know, I know - that isn't too helpful. However, experimentation is key when it comes to quilling, and luckily, paper is inexpensive.   Note: If you prefer to see a demo of alternate side looping in action, scroll down to have a look at Shelly Krzyzewski's excellent video in which she shows how to make a variety of ASL forms. (By the way, I had the pleasure of meeting her a few years ago at a North American Quilling

Do you enjoy making Christmas decorations and you'd like to learn to quill? Carrie Birch of Tambella Arts is ready to teach you, and in the process you'll make four different tree ornaments!        Each one of her new printable patterns and templates is accompanied by a private online video that takes you step by step through the process of creating a simple quilled ornament.         The little Snowman, Wreath, Santa, and 2021 Bauble would make great gifts... surprise the recipient by attaching one to a present instead of a bow, or pin it to a card so that it can easily be detached and hung on their tree.          Carrie describes the projects this way: "They use a combination of simple quilling techniques and some on-edge paper techniques. The Santa and Snowman require some tracing and cutting of paper to create background shapes to work on. They’re fast projects that take between 30 - 45 minutes to create depending on the design."       Carrie has made a sepa

I don't know if I've ever spotlighted an artist who is as multi-talented as Asaki Oda . She uses paper, cardboard, and even Tyvek along with many other materials to create large-scale visual displays and installations, as well as much smaller framed works. Enjoy this taste of her diverse artistic ventures.    

Have you marveled at curved paper sculptures and wondered how on earth a flat sheet of paper is transformed into something so elegant? Thanks to artist and designer Richard Sweeney's how-to book, Paper Sculpture: Fluid Forms , you can learn the secrets!   As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying linked purchases  at no additional cost to you.     Originally published by Gingko Press in 2016, the book is newly rereleased by Schiffer Publishing. It contains new images and information, as well as a new cover. Take a peek inside the book on the Schiffer website .         Via the press release: "Simple, clear instructions and diagrams teach the building blocks: curved folding (symmetrical curves, circular folding), curved pleating (parallel pleat, reflection pleat, S curve, radiating pleat, crescent pleat), wet folding, faceted pleating (twist, herringbone), and modular forms (curved module, shell module, pleat module)."       This is a 128-page softcover book con