Diana Official Blog

Hi there, I haven't been able to blog much lately, as I have a new job and a family member needs medical care. This card reminded me why I love quilling – I can make something special just for the recipient and plus, I can't buy this in a store. I put a heart at the bottom of a stethoscope to thank a nurse for her care. It just says so much with so little. Sorry I don't have measurements for a tutorial, because I just had to make it and go, but I'll explain what I did. I started off with a gray strip, loosely placed over my card to judge the length needed, leaving some extra length for the ear pieces. After coiling the ends, I glued them closed leaving long tails and crimping at that join. Gently rubbing in the middle and a bit of distance from the ends, I formed the curves needed for the earpiece. After making two red teardrops, I glued them together to form a heart. Next, I folded a long strip of black in half. I glued the point of the heart into the black fold, and c...

Wow, Christmas came early! I had no idea Craftsy held an award for top pattern designs and am delighted my Quilling Snowflakes Grid   won this year. Using a grid is essential when quilling snowflakes because our eyes can detect when just one arm is a tad off. I used mine to create these snowflakes many years ago (one day I'll update all those credits I made when blogging as Crafting Creatures) and keep meaning to make a pattern one day. Until then I hope you'll make your own unique snowflake with the help of my free grid.

I've been asked to do my first book review! Shannon Miller is a DIY designer/writer and since her book is about paper, of course I was itching to play. This 160 page book is jam packed with 40+ paper projects, perfect for a beginner to explore different ways of using paper. The projects are broken up into 7 sections (Fold, Cut, Sculpt, Quill, Stitch, Draw & Paint, and Collage). The step-by-step photos are well lit with great close ups. It can be a daunting world for a beginner to paper crafts, and this book is a great way to learn about the myriad of possibilities. The tools are clearly listed and don't require much investment to get started. Most of the projects shown can be made in an afternoon and offer many ways to create projects ranging from cards to wreaths to jewelry. Each project starts off with a list of materials, followed by step-by-step photos and directions, making every example achievable. Here is a fun wreath created simply by zigzag folding the pieces...