Diana Official Blog

We recently returned from our first cruise (Celebrity Reflection), which was a great experience after I got over seasickness from the choppy waves. I wish there were more craft activities on board, but it wasn't that kind of cruise. We received maps, notes, agendas and such daily, so I wanted to keep them visibly accessible yet tidy on our compact table. I saw this benign coupon book and immediately thought of Allison Patrick's Phone Book Letter Holder, shown in Ann Martin's book, All Things Paper . Made in a minute without any glue, this was the perfect paper-based feature piece for our stateroom. Loved using it! I even pretended to pull items out only to put it back again, just for the sake of using it. In high school I thought I wanted to be a secretary because I enjoyed organizing things and being efficient. I still get a thrill when I see something tidy, fun, compact, and made from what was on hand.

This year's last Easter egg is a birdcage. It is delicate, airy, intricate, and at the same time easy to make. This egg may look simple compared to the Emperor penguin or the super-complex egg with a surprise , but I like it no less than the others. Read more »

Our wonderful neighbors have the busiest pets - mason bees! They only live 2 months but help pollinate our plants during a crucial time. Our blueberry bushes were the fullest they've ever been last year and our neighbors are generously sharing their extra cocoons with us. Although they also gave us a pre-made house, there are so many extra cocoons that I wanted to build a second house - out of paper of course. It's easy enough to buy paper straws, but where's the fun in that? When the bees hatch, they remember the color of their "door" - in this case green, to match the tissue box. I made a removable velcro door "lock to keep the door from moving around, yet allow the paper tubes to come out. I will be placing the cocoons inside the hollow door cavity. Here you can see the opposite side of the velcro and the other door stopper along the top. Remove the door stoppers and out comes the paper tubes. Mason bees don't sting (unless squeezed or stepped on) a...

On an Easter note, I would like to show another quilled egg I made recently. This is an emperor penguin. Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and are endemic to Antarctica. In my opinion they are the most beautiful, too. Males and females are similar in plumage and size, so my penguin may be either a mom or a dad, whichever you like better :) And there's a surprise, too. Read more »

Hippity-hop! I had so much fun designing this bunny box for treats. After making the first one, of course they bred like rabbits into a set of 5 colors.  It's a printable design that fits on a single page and can be hand cut and assembled.   There is a spot on the back to type in your own message into the PDF file. Notice the fluffy tail? It's made the same way I made the Easter Egg Spaceship . It's easier if you have a circle punch. All that's left is filling it up with your sweet treats! It's stuff like this that makes me feel like a kid again! The bunnies can be found in my Etsy shop .

Do you see what I see? Amazon has been surprising me with little Easter Egg presents all over the place. What a treat to hunt and find all the ways they've been stashed away. Simple yet visually flirty - love it! To me, this acceptance in mainstream media says quilling is gaining popularity! My non-crafting friends are so excited when they spot quilling and can't wait to tell me. Have you been seeing it in other places?