Art Lesson #2 - Quilling

Art Lesson #2 - Quilling




















(Quilling shapes by Peg.)


My cousin and I started the art lesson off at Michaels taking as much time as we wanted to look at the supplies, dream and to answer her questions like, "Why do you need sandpaper when using charcoal sticks?"




















For the last art class we painted pysanky eggs and needed to make/buy a base to display our art. A stroke of luck, a worker at Michaels suggested this miniature terracotta flower pot, which works great!















As while slowing walking down each aisle, we discovered wooden models of all sorts of objects like tanks, squirrels, bridges... My cousin S bought a frog model for $1!! Cant wait to see how she paints it.





















Back at my house using a Klutz book on quilling we created birthday cards for her sisters upcoming birthday (who happens to not read this blog, so I thankfully got to show off our art).

















I remember twisting thin strips of paper around pencils, when I lived in England. I had forgot how much I enjoy it; it must be the repetitiveness and little details that I adore. After our time together making the cards, I looked online for the history of quilling, images of stunning contemporary works and for examples of how this art form has been adapted to other mediums.


History of Quilling

Examples of this spiral art form dates back to the illuminated manuscripts. Check out wikipedia for more details.

There is a guild for artists of this craft, called the North American Quilling Guild (NAQG). You can sign up to join them, check out images of stunning works of quilling, free patterns and links to the artists websites.

















Chess set made by an artist of the North American Quilling Guild.
















Free standing quilled sculpture by another NAQG member.
Pat Caputo
blog: www.quillingwithwhimsiquills.blogspot.com
web site: www.Whimsiquills.com

Stunning Contemporary Quilling Artists

The following are not images of my art, but instead artists I found online. The links site where I found these stunning craftsmen.













Not only is quilling glued to cards, but as 3D objects.




















This spider made me realize that I've conditioned myself to be afraid of the shape of spiders. Why else would this paper give me the wee-be-gee-bees?
















Lots of styles prevail such as elaborately ornate quilling and simplified, suggested forms.

















This artist has lots of amazing designs. I was "wowed" when I found the above image.





















To really appreciate this mandala, you have to click on it to see all the tiny details using just paper.


















Too cute!





















This would be a fun idea to implement for scrap booking, by making the first letter of the page huge and quilled.




















Now I want to decorate a Christmas tree with quilled snowflakes, pysanky ornaments and strings of popcorn.





















This is one of my favorite uses of quilling paper, use of white space between the paper of each petal and leaf and the 3D quality of the flowers springing off of the paper.


Other applications of this technique

I asked myself, what can be quilled? Fabric? Belts? Thin pieces of wood? What have other artists done with quilling? Here's a sampling:





















Looking at this image makes me want to dive into elaborate cake decorating. This cake is so pretty and whimsical. I love it!

















Some artists sell quilled jewelry on etsy, which is the online mega store for handmade crafts. Surfing this familiar site, gave me the conviction to either make all of my future gifts, reuse what I have, or buy from an artist. Times are hard for everyone, even for the artists who sell on etsy. Never mind supporting the Waltons by running over to Walmart real quick for a present, but I want to spend more time choosing a gift that the receiver will really cherish. I'll get off my soapbox now and get back to the topic - quilling.


















This cracked me up, quilled chairs. I had to share it. This is something I would do. So now what should I make since these designers beat me to it? hmm...

Have you done quilling? What have you made? Any tips?

11 Guidelines to Getting Art Grants

11 Guidelines to Getting Art Grants
-Elizabeth Symington

There are lots of places to find grants for your art projects. In fact there are so many it might be overwhelming. This is an investment of time and staying organized is very important. Grant deadlines are often in the spring, so start looking now for where you can apply and put the pertinent information into a database, like Excel. You don’t want to wait until the last minute and possibly run out of time.

One thing to keep in mind is that most grants are from non-profit organizations since the donator gets a tax benefit for giving to them. One way to work this to your advantage is by teaming up with a local non-profit group. For a list of grants for individuals check out the Foundation Center. (Hi Deb, would you please hyperlink to the foundation center? http://foundationcenter.org/) You can go to their brick and mortar location and search their database for free or pay a minimal fee to use it via the Internet.

Look for grants from the government on the Federal, State and City levels, along with private granters. The government offers grants because they need help fixing a problem. In the application write about how you can help them with their problem. Local grants attract less competition which works to your benefit.

The place to start is by writing out what you specifically need the funding for and how much of a budget is required for the project. Then look for granters who have similar goals. You can find this information on their web site under “Vision.”

How to Put the Odds in Your Favor:
1. Confirm Eligibility. Before going through the work of applying for a particular grant, make sure you are eligible. If you are unclear pick up the phone and ask. This will save everyone time. By talking on the phone you starts the relationship with the funder, which is key to getting selected.

2. Plan Your Time. Put the deadline for the application on your calendar and see if you have enough time to get all of the paperwork together, such as a proposal, budget, and letters of recommendation. Be sure to note when the deadline is and when the application needs to be either received or post marked. If you are late, most likely it won’t even be considered and your hard work will have been for nothing.

3. Follow Their Rules Exactly. Each application process is specific to the granter, so make sure you follow their rules to a T. If there are a lot of great applications, they might narrow down the list by eliminating those who have missing paperwork or who didn’t follow the guidelines exactly.

4. Create an Accurate Budget. Some applications will ask how much money you are requesting, so take the time to plan out a detailed and accurate budget. Be as thorough as possible to show that you are thoughtful and that their money will be safe in your hands. Some granters will let you include in the budget the cost of your labor. If you are unsure about including anything in the budget, give them a call.

5. Research Past Winners. It is a good idea to see who has received the grant in the past to get a feeling for what the grant readers are looking for. Often past winning applications are online for you to read.

6. Proof Read Your Application. Allow time for someone to proof read your proposal. Some granters that you apply to will even proof it for you.

7. Make Their Life Easier. Help the grant reader by making your application clean and professional. Be sure to type up your proposal, use a legible font size, and spell and grammar check everything. Often the grant readers are over worked and may even be a volunteer so make their job easier. They will appreciate it!

8. Create an Assessment Plan. In your proposal include how you will asses if the project was a success. The granters want to know how they can concretely determine if their money made a positive impact.

9. Apply for Multiple Grants. Apply to lots of places. It’s best to get so many offers that you have to turn them down, then to not get enough. If you get a grant, it will show the grant reading community someone considers you trustworthy, so be sure to note on your application (if asked) if you have received any grants. You might end up getting the funding you need from several sources.

10. Send a Thank You Note. Just like after a job interview, send a handwritten thank you note. It will put you in a favorable light as a considerate person and remind them of who you are.

11. Reapply Next Year. If you received a grant a previous grant from them and used the money responsibly, they will know that they can trust you and consider giving you another grant. If you have applied before, it shows you really want the grant and they will recognize your name.

There are lots of places to help you with finding funding. There are free classes on how to write a budget like at the Foundation Center (both in-person classes and online). Or, if you’d rather have someone else write the proposal, hire a grant writer and use the proposal as a template for future applications or purchase DIY grant hunting programs.

If you have any suggestions or when you get a grant, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear about your success!

Storybook Houses

Storybook houses of LA (click for the article and more photos)

1st Art Lesson - Ukranian Egg Painting

CPR, AED and First Aid certified

Last week to show future employers that I am serious about working with kids, I became CPR, AED and First Aid certified.

It was really easy to find a class. I went to the Red Cross and registered online for an in-person class that happened to meet the very next day. The 10 hour class cost $58, which is such an amazing deal considering the value of the information, the quality of the teaching and resourcefulness of the take-home skills cards.

The class was mostly hands on, with a written test at the end, where I passed and received 2 cards saying that I am certified. I am such a nerd and loved being in class, absorbing the numbers, demos and videos about helping to save a life. I would love a job where I could take classes or be a teacher.















The scary ratio that I learned in class was that 60:1 people are trained in CPR. It's time to take a class to be prepared and more confident in the event of a crisis. Sign up for a class now.

Winnie the Pooh Mural

Magnetic Paint Bedroom