Lest you think handmade paper produced at home must be rustic and not very useful, let me show you the pretty things that Ulrike Hagel of Münster, Germany and Etsy shop Paperuli manages to create with nothing more than discarded paper, a few supplies, time, and patience.


Her photos first caught my eye via Facebook group, Paper Threads, Yarns and Textiles (a gem of a place for meeting others who are into paper making, paper yarn, and paper sculpture). Ulrike's lovelies are a tribute to the possibilities - and dare I say even the elegance - of upcycled waste paper.


Like many paper people I've come across, her enthusiasm for all that simple paper provides is contagious. It's clear she enjoys experimenting...  in the photo above, for example, twisted paper yarn created with undyed teabag paper (the kind that is filled with a tea of choice) was dip-dyed with food coloring and elderberry juice.


Curious to learn more about Ulrike's passion, I wrote to ask about her work as a…

I could hardly believe my eyes when quiller Jennifer Stacey alerted me to artist Candace Hicks on Instagram, and I'm guessing you will have a similar reaction to the paper rugs she completes entirely with hand fringed strips. It's compelling work indeed, rich with meaning and created in an entirely different vein than Lisa Nilsson's series of quilled tapestries and Nava Lubelski's densely quilled statement piece, Tax Files.


An Associate Professor at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, Candace's artist statement indicates she creates interactive installations and artist’s books that examine gender, voice, and parallel universes through the analysis of fictional literature. Paper is a frequent material of choice as you can see in this example of a diorama in her recent series Many Mini Murder Scenes that allowed viewers the opportunity to play detective while searching for clues.


While the rug in the above photo is actually a non-handmade textile, there is…

Silina Pandelidou of Silinarte is an artist I've admired since spotting her elegant work via a paper jewelry search. Her designs feature colorful minimalism and organic shapes, not to mention gorgeous photography. Have a look... is it any wonder I was captivated at first glance?
She lives on Paros, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, noteworthy for its beautiful beaches. Each sleek Silinarte piece brings to mind warm days, refreshing water, and cloudless skies... you get the picture. It's difficult to choose a favorite!


Born and raised in Athens, Silina has been creating since childhood. She says, "I studied graphic design, fell in love with the book arts, lived in Seville for a while making books, lived in Florence for a while learning to work with metal, travelled to far away places and chose a special place to set up my home and my workshop."


"In my jewellery I try to convey fragments of the nature that I observe and admire. My main materials are silver and …

The first quilling tutorial I ever wrote was for a paper crafting site called Folding Trees... it no longer exists and I still miss it. My how-to featured two patterns - a quilled starfish and a scallop shell - both designed to be worn as necklace pendants. I've since reposted the quilled starfish tutorial on this blog, and today I'm happy to (finally!) share the quilled shell design, two actually, as I've tweaked the original and will show both in this post.


Tools and Supplies:


Quilling strips - your choice of color.

I used black with a metallic gold edge for the original scallop shell and pearlized gold with a metallic gold edge for the revised version, 1/8 inch (3mm) width, from JJ Quilling Design.

Tip: JJ Quilling metallic edge strips have a bright shine along one edge and are available in many color combinations. One package contains enough strips to make several pendants. U.S. online quilling suppliers, such as Custom Quilling, Quilling Supply, and Whimsiquills, carry t…

I love coming across a paper artist who is doing something completely fresh and modern. Such was the case when I spotted the lacy paper cut floral jewelry that Hong Kong artist Jeanie Ho creates in Sydney, Australia. After briefly featuring her Plucking Peonies shop earlier this season in a paper jewelry round up, this week I'm pleased to host a giveaway of Jeanie's hand cut earrings to draw even more attention to her fine work.


After completing art degrees in Hong Kong and Australia, Jeanie traveled to Japan where she was inspired to cut sakura (cherry) blossoms. She uses strong Yupo paper that is impervious to water and also tear resistant, and has gone on to cut interpretations of other flowers such as peonies, tulips, and chrysanthemums.

Jeanie's statement earrings might feature just one dramatic flower on a sterling silver wire or two, three or more flowers. Each creation takes hours to complete. She offers the option of a comfortable stainless steel clip for those wh…