Basic Earring making tutorial

Hello All,

Often we know how to make the 'rest of the ' quilling jewellery but stumble at making the final metal loops :)

And material for basic earrings........

Here is a guideline on how you can do that :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Diwali special - Tutorial for attaching studs to quilled tight coils......

Hello All,

Wish you all a very happy (though belated) Diwali. Hope you all had a fun and safe Diwali......

Here's a little tutorial (in response to the queries) for attaching a stud base to a quilled tight coil (as seen in this creation).......

This is bare basics and the material is mentioned in the tutorial, Please use your own ingenuity to try variations, and even better, coming up with your own methods that surpass this.......

Hoping that the tutorial helped.............happy stud-attaching :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Inserting head/eye pins in a Quilled Pendant - Tutorial

Hello All,

I am back (only to disappear again, after a while) with a tutorial. I've taken the bold step of making a video against the tide of slow Internet! :D Let us see after how many hours of "Trying to upload" does it go online :)

Many people had this question about how to insert the head/eye pin into a quilled pendant. So, here is how I do it (and it truly is very simple). This is only a guideline video and you're free to devise your own methods, based on what is available with you :)

With this tutorial, I am nearly touching a MILLION views on my blog :)

After a mere 3 years and 1 month of being in existence, I am fortunate enough to see this landmark on my blog. Thank you! Every single one of you :)

Loads of love and keep crafting............

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

A blog hop with a difference

Hello All,

After a long long break from writing, I am back with a very unique blog hop, where I got involved, thanks to my College classmate and an avid crafter, Kripa Koushik. The number of years I've known her can't be counted on the fingers on our hands! We did Graduation together and then, recently got back in touch through the world of crafts.

She works magic with her mixed media layouts, and unlike me, cards! She has a distinct style, which often begs careful examination, for there are so many tiny details that add up to the big picture :)

I agreed to be a part of this hop because of the different format! This hop actually helps us all get to know each other better, as people and as crafters.............idiosyncrasies included! :D

More about me:

1. What am I working on?

A lot of things, like always. Quilled jewellery is something that always adorns my table. In addition, there are a couple of frames in various stages of non-completion. I just finished this jewellery piece (which took quite a bit of time, split over 3 days, to make). This is my attempt at recreating the ancient jewellery making technique - Thewa

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't know if there is a lot of difference between the work I do and the others do, but I try to play by my strengths, namely, free-hand drawing and an understanding of the chemistry of the materials. The combinations of materials become a lot easier to devise once you know how they work in tandem. I try to exploit that information to get better at my work.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

The simple answer is: Because that's what I can see myself doing day after day, for years to come. My husband once asked me: Where do you see yourself five years from now, and the only vision that I could come up with was: In a giant craft workshop, doling out really good craft pieces. I craft, because I live for it :)

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

This is a complex question to answer. Most times, the most difficult/tricky part is to come up with an idea. Often, ideas strike seeing something completely unrelated. And sometimes, something similar sparks an incremental idea. Often, it is the craft material itself that makes me think about how I can use it in a different way. 

Once the idea is in place, the first thing I do is a strength test. In my mind, I run through the process of creating it (earlier, I used to draw them but with experience, I am able to visualize them now). On the way, I look for loopholes like a hawk. I've an almost manic obsession with sturdiness. If my work is not sturdy, I take it as a  personal insult. So, making designs sturdy or devising processes to introduce sturdiness is what comes next. Often, I modify the design/idea to keep strength a priority. Once the process is clear in my head, I start with the actual execution. There have been rare times when I have been stumped by hurdles (largely, because of lacunae in my information database) but mostly, I've been able to foresee mistakes. If some mistakes get the better of me, I restart the whole process, subtracting the mistake.

I'll give one example. There was this one time I was making a yellow jhumka and no matter what I did, the yellow colour kept "leaking". It'd separate into a pale yellow part and dusty brown part. It took me 4 trials to figure out that it was the problem with the yellow paint (which I figured out after trying three different and top-of-the-notch brands) and the 4-step process finally because 7-step process to eliminate this pigment separation. 

To pass this baton on, I choose two of my favourite crafters: Manuela Koosch and Cecelia Louie.

Although neither of them need any introduction to crafters and quillers alike, I'll go ahead and introduce them (pardon me if I sound like a star struck teenager, but both these women are my role models!)

Manuela (or Manu, as I call her) is a crafter with superlative capability to transform the mundane to magic and if you think I am exaggerating, drop by to www.manuk.ro and see for yourself :)

Cecelia redefines "Design isn't when you can't add anything more, it is when you can't take anything away". She gives simplicity an elevation the way I haven't seen anyone do. Minimum talks maximum is a quote written for her.

Happy Hopping and thank you for dropping by!

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Vrrroooom vrrroooom...........

Hello All,

A very quick post (while I nurse myself back to health) about a very interesting and different frame I got around to doing :)

Profile: A car lover's B'day, and he has a long name :D

So, I got to work. When I got this order, I had a very different idea in my mind. But when I aligned that idea on the frame, it just wouldn't work out properly. So, I had to abandon that and start afresh. And this is where I landed up! :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Hobby Mela Tutorial Video

Hello Everyone,

When Avani called me for a video interview, it sounded too good to be true..........and when she did turn up on my doorstep, it was wonderful! :D Making tutorial videos is hard work, there is loads of planning that goes into it. Avani has worked very hard at editing this video and boy! Am I thankful or what :)

She has done a terrific job with the speeding up parts and the clipping as well......thank you from the bottom of my heart Avani :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22KAGmQVx4

Some snapshots.............

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

For a photography and Social Media Buff

Hello All,

When a social media buff celebrates his birthday and the order for a gift frame comes to me, an instant kinship is felt ;)

So, here goes the 'design' I made for the frame:

And this is how the frame looked eventually :)

 In a typical style, I've altered the colour scheme slightly to make it look less monotonous.......

Something rare is happening with this frame though, I am entering this in the Pratvam Progs 1000 likes challenge.

Feedback is very welcome :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Send your quillography frames safely - Tutorial

Hello All,

I am sure all of us face it at one time or the other.............how to send our lovingly crafted quillographed frames safely? It is obviously safer to send them inside a frame but that poses the great and often confirmed danger of the glass breaking. Acrylic framing leads to opacity over time. Also, glass framing increases both the weight and the volume of the frame substantially and it can be a crippling number as far as International parcels are concerned. So, Priyanka and I once brainstormed about it and after discussions with Richa, we came up with a solution that worked beautifully for us.

Here is a tutorial on how you could possibly do it......this is merely an indicative tutorial, you might need to improvize according to what you intend to send.

When I made this frame and needed to send it to Singapore, the challenge was to pack it with minimum weight and volume gain......

What you will basically need is TWO boards of the same size. This is a precaution you'll need to take from the very beginning. On one of the boards, you make the pattern and use the other board as the guard. You should create "spacers" of a width more than that of the quillography part. I have quilled with 4 mm strips and the width of the spacers is 10 mm. 

The spacers are TIGHT COILS made using 10 mm quilling strips

A representative layout is here:

And this is how it will be in reality:

On the right hand side is the frame (wrapped in cling wrap for protecting it from dust) and left side is a blank board with the "spacers" (10 mm blacks). 

After you bring the two boards together, wrap them together tightly using bubble wrap and newspaper to prevent their movement against each other. Adding spacers in the middle of the board can be a bit tricky, make sure you place them carefully before adding the second board from top.

Hope it helps you all :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Kundan embroidery jhumka ;)

Hello All,

I have to start with, I am feeling mighty please with myself! :D Yesterday night was an unusually happy night where a pretty risky experiment paid off!

When I had a phone conversation with my supplier and a very dear friend Neha, of A-One Craft Supply about buying some half pearls, I am sure she wondered if I was right in the head! Asking for half pearls THAT small is kind of insane! ;) But she persisted, hunted them down and bought me the most marvellously useful craft supply........Neha, I owe you a zillion for this one :)

I have to thank my clients who don't even blink at allowing me to experiment wildly with various materials and processes :)

So, here goes, yesterday's R&D result..........a kundan embroidery look jhumka

The first trial is shown here (which didn't turn out great but then, if you do enough work, you'll eventually get there :D)

Thanks Ketaki and A-One Craft Supply, for making these possible :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

A simple wall clock

Hello All,

A very quick post to write about a very simple quilling + punch craft clock I literally pulled out of the hat! :D It was too short a notice for me to do anything more elaborate :) Feedback welcome........

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

"Pretty Quilled Cards" - A book review

Hello All,

Anyone who has seen Cecelia Louie's work (on her blog) will probably use these words to describe it: Simple, Airy, Uncomplicated, Effective.......

Thank Heavens, she decided to share her genius with all of us, through her amazing book - Pretty Quilled Cards - 25+ Creative Designs for Greetings and Celebrations.

When asked to review the book, I have to confess, I felt highly flattered. When the book landed in my hands, it was like talking to Cecelia, almost like seeing her working in front of my eyes.

Now, over to the book......

The book opens with a very elaborate introduction to the tools and techniques in quilling. In a typical Cecelia style, the descriptions are elaborate and lucid. She goes on to describe the various techniques, with clear illustrated images. Everything about her works spells simplicity, down to her gluing techniques. Her ingenuity at using simplest of things as quilling tools shines right through! What struck me was that she has "named" techniques which most of us just "do". Nomenclature of techniques definitely did appeal greatly to the scientist in me! :D

All projects start with a crisp list of components, precise instructions as to how to use those and where. These are followed by images of how to put them together AND a template for the card background. It truly can't get any simpler than that.

The cards are so well illustrated that even I could follow the instructions. Though there are 25+ projects described in the book, I absolutely fell head over heels in love with the wine-glass charms and cupcake toppers.

Anyone looking to make cards using quilling and simplest (yet, most effective) ideas, this book is an absolute must-have. And Cecelia, I hope you realize that you've penned a classic, as far as quilling books are concerned :) Thank you for giving me this opportunity to review your book, It's an honour beyond all honours :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh 

Double tier carved jhumka

Hello All,

A quick post to show you the versatility of the "carved" finish jhumka (you can see how you can make it here). The carving effect has been extended to both the domes :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Carving effect on quilled jhumkas

Hello All,

If you ever have been to the Fourvière Basilica, this pair of earrings will immediately transport you to the golden and intricate interior of the church! Making this type of jhumka was an idea planted by Ketaki and it kept swirling in my head until I had it executed, the way she had visualized it :)

Hope I have done well Ketaki :)

Making it is not really difficult. You just need to make a regular paper dome, the usual jhumka grind and then, use 3D outliners (I lean towards Fevicryl, you can choose your preference) to draw an abstract (or structured, whichever you prefer) pattern The key is to let it dry completely before you go to the next step......agreed, it can be a bit tricky to make the patterns on a 3-dimensional structure, but hey, the end result will totally justify the effort :)

Now comes the slightly difficult (or rather, tricky) part. Taking a really fine tip painting brush (synthetic bristle brush, preferably), line the outer edges with gold to make this beauty possible :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)

Bead Soutache jewellery base tutorial

Hello All,

I am sure it has happened to many of us that we set out to make a quilled (or otherwise) jewellery but don't have the correct size base. I faced it many times and decided to solve it the punch-craft way. This is the kind of backing that went into this kind of a piece:

and it can be used like this:

 and this:

Following are the step-be-step images of the tutorial.....

These are the things you'll need: Glue, base paper (I've used 160 gsm black paper) punched in the shape of your choice (I've punched 1" circles using Martha Stewart circle punch), scissors, tweezers, a wire "blank" (to create a gap in the jewellery base) and elements to stick on top. It could be half pearls, beads, quilled elements etc.

Stick 4 layers on top of each other (increase or decrease the number depending on the thickness of the paper you're using) by applying glue throughout the surface.

Fold one circle in half

Cut a thin strip from the centre 

Make it as thin as possible, it only needs to be thick enough to accommodate a wire in the centre of the base.

Cut two circles in that manner, creating 4 semi-circles

Apply glue on the semi-circle and stick on the 4-paper-thick disc ready. Make it a point to align the edges properly.

Two layer thick semi-cricle stack will begin to look like this.

Do a similar step on the other side. Now, the 'groove' in the centre is ready for insertion of a wire.

The idea to insert the wire while making the base is to avoid the "weakness" brought about by sticking the wire to the back of the base. :)

Put glue on the ready base and stick the other 4 layers one by one (the total thickness of the base is 10 layers of 160 gsm paper)

Stick the "central piece" (I've used a 10 mm half pearl , bought from Craft Universe) 

Start sticking your elements in an "outside to inside" manner. 

And this is how it will end up looking :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)