It's taken me long enough...

It's taken me long enough to get things on here! I needed one place to store all of my pictures of my quilling and other craft projects online (mostly so I can show it off :0). I created the blog weeks ago and I'm now just getting around to posting!

(Side note: What's in a name? When I was little, my grandmother called me 'shenanigans' as a nickname since my name is Shanon. So, yes, I do realize my blog title is spelled wrong, it was on purpose!)

Ok, some history...

1. History of quilling (from Wikipedia): 'Quilling, also known as 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 wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is glued at the tip and the coil shaped, these shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns similar to ironwork.'

2. My history with quilling: I love quilling. I first learned about it in an email I got from Martha Stewart Crafts a few years back. It looked awesome, and didn't sound too hard so I thought I would learn more about it. I'm glad I did! I'm not incredibly artistic, but I can often be found wandering around Jo-Ann's or Hobby Lobby to find new, creative ways of using quilling.

Here's the very first quilling project I did:


It's a birthday card I made for my cousin. The flower and bud are about 4 inches by 4 inches. I had made the flower and then decided to make the card last minute, so I just grabbed some scraps of paper and ribbon I had around. I was pretty pleased with the outcome for my first try!

My second project (the same day):

Another card, for my sister. This butterfly wings are made using a technique called 'alternate side looping', which was actually easier than I though it would be.

My third project (also the same day!):

I love this design (as you will see in later posts!). This card I gave to a sweet woman at church who had my husband and I over for dinner. She has it hanging in her kitchen. As fun as it is to make things for people by hand, it's a good feeling when you know they actually like it.

Comment and let me know what you think of my projects. Have any quilling tips or fun craft ideas? Let me know that, too! If you want to try your hand at quilling, I'd be happy to offer some great online resources that I've used, for supplies, patterns and inspiration. I'll share some in later posts, too!