The PaperLove Blog Hop is a celebration of all things paper! Follow the links at the bottom of this post to discover more bloggers who love paper and use it to inspire and delight. And if you want to explore a whole world of paper, and stretch your paper passion further with a host of creative projects, why not join the innovative new online course PaperLove (starts March 31). Led by book artist Rachel Hazell, PaperLove is a five week creative adventure for paper lovers. Find out more HERE.
My “paper crush” goes back to when I was a child. I used to do quilling projects when I was a kid. I was and I still am absolutely fascinated with this art form!
I have such a vivid memory of making this piece, I was 11 or 12 years old. I clearly remember how much fun it was to roll the colorful papers, and arrange each coil to make all of the flowers.
Quilling or paper filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is rolled, looped, curled, twisted and otherwise manipulated to create shapes which make up designs to decorate greetings cards, pictures, boxes, eggs, and to make models, jewellery, mobiles etc. The most popular and versatile technique is that of rolling. The paper strip is rolled in fingers or using a tool. The coil is then released and then glued at the tip and then shaped. These shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns.
During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. The paper most commonly used was strips of paper trimmed from the gilded edges of books. These gilded paper strips were then rolled to create the quilled shapes. Quilling often imitated the original ironwork of the day.
In the 18th century, quilling became popular in Europe where gentle ladies of quality (“ladies of leisure”) practiced the art. It was one of the few things ladies could do that was thought not too taxing for their minds or gentle dispositions. Quilling also spread to the Americas and there are a few examples from Colonial times.
Today, quilling is seeing a resurgence in popularity with quillers (people who practice the art of quilling) on every continent and in every walk of life. No longer confined to the “upper classes”, this is a peoples art form and the beauty of the art is always expanding. The craft has become increasingly popular due to the low cost of the material. It is used to decorate wedding invitations, for Christmas, birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and boxes. Quilling can be found in art galleries in Europe and in the United States and is an art that is practiced around the world.
I recently received a birthday card from my Mom. A quilled kitty!!!
Check out the rest of the Paper Love BlogHop participants!!! And thanks for stopping by!
Majo Bautista / Tona Bell / Louise Best / Cathy Bluteau / Jennifer Bomgardner / Giova Brusa / Lindsay Buck / Beka Buckley / Joanna Caskie / Jonathan Chapman (Mr Yen) / Halle Cisco / Sarah Clare / Cathryn Clarge / Dawn Clarkson / Rhiannon Connelly / Jenny D’Fuego / Molly Dhiman / Ian Dudley / Ayisatu Emore / Akmal Farid / Monika Forsberg / Claire Fritz-Domeney / Louise Gale / Chrissy Gaskell / Julie Hamilton / Emma Hawman / Rachel Hazell / Holly Helgeson / Claudine Hellmuth / Kim Henkel / Sarah Hoffman / Joanne Hus / Paula Joerling / Beth Kempton / Julie Kirk / Eos Koch / Katie LaClair / Kristy Lankford / Michelle Manolov / Doreen Marts / Rosie Martinez-Dekker / Tori Mears / Maria Mederios / Lise Meijer / Debbie Miller / MaryJane Mitchell / Suzy Naidoo / Grace Noel / Hannah Nunn / Camilla Olsson / Jo Packham / Rachelle Panagarry / Monette Pangan / Melanie Paul / Nicole Piar / Jen Pitta / Liz Plummer / Julie Reed / Michelle Reynolds / Lisa Rivas / Angee Robertson / Natalie Ryan / Aisling Ryan / Elisabet Sapena / Kyrrha Sevco / Jamie Sprague / Elizabeth Steele / Terri Stephens / Juniper Stokes / Mary Tanana / Maike Thoma / Linda Tieu / Gabrielle Treanor / Tammy Tutterow / Deborah Velasquez / Jordan Vinograd Kim / Cat Whipple / Brooke Witt / Katie Wood / Amelia Woodbridge
Groovity 
Oh I admire your patience with that kind of art. I so love doing this blog hop. So nice to read about every once love for paper. Thank you for sharing yours.
/Camilla Olsson – also in the blog hop http://www.camillaolssonart.wordpress.com
Thanks Camilla! I have to go through all of the “hop” later on tonight. So much fun!
It is really fun. Have visited every one now. Not every one was possible to comment on though. You have a nice time to look forward too.
Oh the cat….love it ! I did this,too when I was a child but doing Christmas ornaments instead of flowers ! Great blog post Mary !
Thanks Maike! I need to get back to making things with my hands again. It’s so gratifying!
Beautiful work Mary!
Thanks Rosie! I’m very fortunate that my Mom would frame all of my young artwork. It’s “preserved” so nicely 🙂
Reblogged this on Haven of Inspiration.
I love your post…and oh that kitty!! So adorable! I have not tried quilling…but would love to. I used to roll paper to make beads for bracelets and necklaces. It was so theraputic! LOL! Thank you for sharing Mary!
http://hollyhelgeson.blogspot.com/2014/03/from-story-booksto-comic-stripsto-paper.html
YES! I remember it feeling like that, therapeutic! I really have to figure out what I can make with my hands, you know? I’m itchin’ to make stuff 🙂
How utterly enchanting – Paper Quilling
Gorgeous post!! So enjoying all this inspiration.
Time for me to take the PaperLove Bloghop journey for myself 🙂 Thanks Deb!
Thanks for sharing ~ I’ve always loved quilled paper, but have never tried it!
This PaperLove blog hop has been fun! 🙂 Julie from http://bricolage-julier.blogspot.com/2014/03/paper-love-ephemera.html
Thanks Julie! I’m still making the rounds through the bloghop! So much fun!
Quilling paper is absolutely beautiful, but I’m no good at it. I don’t have the patience part to make these beauties. Lovely post!!
Thanks Giova!
Its interesting to see how many people trace their papery love back to what they did as a child – myself included ! 🙂
Yes! I did a number of crafts when I was a child, but quilling was a very special one to me.
Fabulous and interesting post… I’m still on the Hop it is taking me ages 🙂
thanks Dawn! This hop is fun because I don’t really know many of the participants, it’s like getting a surprise reading every post.
I think the quilled paper looks so neat…I would really like to try it some day, another reason not to throw away tiny strips of paper…I’m working my way through the bog hop, it’s nice to meet you {*}
Hi Louise! and thanks for checking out my post. I actually found the same exact kit on Etsy that I used way-back-when. I am so tempted to buy it just for old time’s sake. Not that i need another hobby or anything, haha!
Great post Mary and wonderful images! I can really see your signature style and colours even in these paper quill artworks!
…oh my gosh! I remember quilling too as a child! Though alas I think after the kit I was given was all used up I think I must have lost both patience and interest as I moved to other things. Still gives me a fun kick to see it still in practice today, though. So delicate and intricate, and so meditative to create too I imagine…
Love your vibrant blog, btw 🙂 Hop on!
thanks Beka!! I did so many cool hobbies long ago, I’m jealous of my own childhood, LOL!
Oh my goodness! That cat card is just amazing!!!
Thanks for the potted history of quilling – I love the idea of the quilled gilded pages. Personally I’ve only tried quilling a few times … not sure I found it as non-taxing as the ladies of leisure of the past though!
Great post.
A [rather belated but still full-strength] hello! from a fellow PaperLove blog hopper.
Julie 🙂
Thanks Julie! I still have a few more blogs to hop over to, it’s so interesting to see what everyone posted!
Very beautiful!