Wooden theme photo frame

Since a long time, I was thinking of making a photo frame with a dark background. Black is the darkest of all, however, keeping that aside for another project, for this one with limited materials in hand, I thought of creating a wooden look using burnt sienna and umber black mix to create the look.

This time, the photo frame is created with a single card stock instead of using two different colors on top of each other. Hence, the blank space for the photo (5/7 inches) is created by an outline with black decorated lace.

The rest of steps are same as described before. In this frame, I have used only Malaysian flowers, my most favorite floral pattern in quilling. The leaves are created by assembling five marquise shapes on yellow paper strips, which are used as small stems in this case. Three of each of these five composite leave patterns are further joined together to give another composite structure of 15 leaves together and a total six such sets are used in the assembly.

 Here's posting some snapshots on floral assembly on silicone and the side view of the frame.

Drying the flowers on silicone glue on a plastic base

Trimming the excess glue and keeping the flowers ready and planning some assembly by adding the composite leaves and swirls

The side view (Total size 8/12 ", photo space 5/7")

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Customized photo frame - Blue color theme

I started working on the assembly part for this frame on the auspicious morning of Ganesh Chaturthi, which was on 17th September this year. I was simply having a picture in my mind of how to assemble the quilled shapes when it just struck that it looked like "Ganesha Trunk and Crown" from one angle. This is how it looked and I quickly added a Ganesh silhouette in the center and captured the assembly in my camera :)

Just oriented the assembly top down and captured another angle and with this my celebration for Ganesh Festival, which I was missing a lot this year sitting in France is partly completed.

GANESH: Gives All New Energy and Spirit of Happiness

The final assembly of this customized photo frame in blue and orange theme colors looks a bit different, though. Here are some pictures of the completed frame :)

Zoomed in

Hoping to add more frames in this series, soon. 

Customized photo frame series continues

Here comes the second customized photo frame from A4 cardstock, keeping the same neutral color theme. Using black, cream and light yellow color mostly with adding a pinch of light green as an accent, the finishing is completed with the addition of golden glitter balls used in the centers of the Malaysian flowers.

The photo size which can be added here is 5/7 inches. Once can even use it as a nice quotation stand by adding any favorite quote with a picture as background in the blank area. The frame can, therefore, be customized based on the user's requirement.

The completed frame looks like this. I have added the butterfly to complete the look.

The flower at top left corner is made with beehive pattern.

Composite assembly with beehive patterned petals

Some other views of the frame are as follows and without the butterfly as well. Yesterday while I took the picture the blank area somehow caught my mind as the continuity seemed to be broken. I made this butterfly today morning and adding that simply completed the look as I wanted (see picture above).

Top left (zoomed in)

Quilled assembly (zoomed in)

The next plan is to create more such frames with differently colored themes. Please stay tuned :)

Quilled Photo frame_Theme Brown and White

Instead of buying a photo frame and decorating it with paper quilling or sospeso, the alternate option is to create a photo frame from scratch using simple cardstock papers.

I have taken two different color textured cardstock papers in contrasting colors. Keeping the theme colors as brown, yellow and white I have cut out a 5/7 inches (width/length) space on the brown paper. Then it was glued over the yellow textured paper to give a photo frame like structure. Both the cardstocks are of a standard A4 size which is 8/10 inches. Sizes are customizable.

Daisy and Malaysian flowers assembled on silicone glue (Anabond 666 RTV)

The following quilled shapes are used to create the 2D assembly on the brown paper as shown below:

Specification of paper strips for:

Daisy flower:
(1) White strip from Quilling essential (you can use any other brand as well)
(2) Length 10.5 inches
(3) Width (3 mm)

The Malaysian flower petals are also with same specifications. For tutorial on Malaysian petal please watch the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzrDZk5zt44

For the center which is a full-length fringe flower please follow the video link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPR4iWKIkr8

For the leaves:
(1) Light green and Dark green paper strips from Quilling essential (or any other brand)
(2) Length of each strip taken is 10.5 inches and joined together to give a full length of 21 inches. The quilling can be done from either end of the paper strip depending on whether you need the dark or the light color inside.
(3) Width (3 mm each)
(4) Set of three and five leaves quilled in Marquise shape are assembled.

For the butterfly:
(1) Yellow and white paper strips from Quilling Essential (or any other brand)
(2) Length of each strip taken is 5 inches and joined together to quill into tear-drop shape.
(3) Width (3 mm each)
(4) The wings are created in a set of 3 tear-drops each side and then assembled separately on the center. The center is created from 10.5 inches black strip (3 mm width) by combing.

For some nice butterfly tutorials, you can follow one of my favorite blogs by "Ayani Art".

With that here comes the final photo frame once more

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Quilling work on 3D surface

Like Sospeso, Paper quilling can be also used to adorn different 3D surfaces with unique assemblies. MDF cut outs of photo frames, plaques, coasters, pen stands, trays, boxes, gift tags and many more are available in craft stores as well as can be ordered online from The Crafts Lane.

The 3D surface can be prepared first by applying acrylic colors and then adding an acrylic spray to give a matte or glossy finish as required. Acrylic sprays, varnish, sealants etc are available in any paint store or can be ordered online from E-bay or Amazon.

The work that I am posting here is created a couple of years back as orders from some of my friends. All these can be a nice gift for many occasions and can be customized as well based on the choice of background color, type of assembly and color of paper strips.

Set of customized photo frames

Jewelry box (long rectangular)

Pen stand

Jewelry box (hexagon)

Quilling can be also added on a glass surface. It can be nicely combined with other art forms or painting as I had combined here with one glass painting created by me almost 3 years back.

Please visit my facebook page "Lights and Papers" for more pictures and project ideas.

Sospeso Photoframes

This is my first post on Sospeso art. I learned it through a workshop in Bangalore by artist Kosha Shah from Bombay. Thank you Kosha. I acknowledge Think Color (Bangalore, Ms. Shabana Patel) as well for arranging the workshop.

"Sospeso Transparente" is a 3D volume decoupage craft invented and patented by Monica Allegro (an Italian Artist). The procedure involves the following steps:
(1) Preparation of the Sospeso sheets
(2) Cutting and sorting
(3) Heat embossing and sharing
(4) The assembly of the shapes in flat designs to create some gorgeous three-dimensional finishing.

Some snapshots while working on the project:

Heat embossing using the tool and embossing pad and T-light candle

Assembly planning before you stick them with a glue gun

Sospeso materials are available online and can be purchased from the craft shop (Owner: Ms. Priya Shivraj). The glue gun is available in any craft store along with glue sticks. You require an electric point to heat up the glue and have to be very cautious as the hot glue is really sticky and can also burn your skin.

The first frame created during the workshop (Sospeso on wood surface)

And this is another wooden frame, my latest creation.

Sospeso work can be also done on a glass surface. I have created a small design on this colored cup and this can be used as it is or as a T-light candle holder.

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Punch craft and embossed flowers

I was feeling absolutely accomplished to finish another quillography project. It was a Sunday afternoon at our residence in Orsay, France. I was just planning my next quilling project and was looking for some nice background papers. There were some embossed felt sheets kept inside the carton boxes which came from India a few months back when we had moved from Bangalore :)

While just creating some design in my mind I suddenly got reminded of my punch craft tools! Bingo! I just took out all the punch craft and embossing tools and started with some paper cutting, sorting, embossing and shaping. 

Sometimes even without much of planning when you get something nice the happiness goes to an additional level. I could not resist to take out some money envelopes, which I brought long back from Nupur (Nupur Creatives, Pune) and just started decorating them. Here are the results! 

My Sunday fun was completed :)

A greeting card

Set of money envelopes

Some more ideas to create handmade customized photo frames using cardstocks, acrylic colors, embossed flowers and punch craft flowers and swirls. Distressing technique (Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads) is used to create the shading effect on the swirls and paper doilies

Zoomed in view

Customized photo frame (1)

Zoomed in view

Customized photo frame (2)

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