Diana Official Blog

My friends celebrated their 15th anniversary recently, and this is the card I quilled for the love birds. I didn't have time to capture the entire process, but thought I'd show a bit of how I work anyway. Instead of using standard quilling paper, I decided to cut them 1/4-inch wide out of Canson Mi-Tientes paper, using an electric cutting machine (such as Cricut Explore or Silhouette Cameo / SD). I enjoyed quilling with the substantially thicker paper (160 gsm), and I really liked how all the colors went so well together, especially how the colors are earthy without being drab. To create the tiniest coils, I used a quilling needle, but I always pre-soften the paper strip beforehand to soften the fibers. As you can see in the video, I am using a crochet hook to rub the paper into the shape I want for the dragonfly. I prefer using the greater circumference of a crochet hook rather than a quilling needle because I want a gentle and soft curve. A quilling needle could also be used ...

Last year, I was surprised to realize that many people are intimidated by quilling because it seemed complicated, or needed much practice to acquire the exacting results, as well as a whole shelf of new tools or materials. When one searches for examples of quilling coils, many boards and charts appear. Rather than seeing the board as a helpful dictionary, it can seem more like a confusing map with no “start here” sign. Since then, I gave it much thought, and wanted to design a pattern to make paper quilling less daunting. I broke down the steps and used materials that were easier to handle. Essentially, I wanted to make a CIY greeting card kit that could be completed quickly and easily. Yes, that’s not a typo; CIY stands for Cut-It-Yourself, a phrase I’m coining. I love my electronic cutting machines (first a Silhouette SD and now a Cricut Explore Air ), so why not have it cut all the pieces I need? Plus you won’t have a rat’s nest of supplies left over when you’re done. Here is how m...