Quilling

Last Sunday my friend Amy asked if I wanted to try quilling.  I had never tried it before and she said she had just bought a kit with all the supplies.  So she came over and we spent the afternoon twirling paper around a metal pin.  

After you wind the piece of paper, you can create different shapes with the tightly spun circle.  I ended up just making these eye-shaped pieces by gently squishing the circle and then gluing the end of the paper back to itself.  Amy had a great glue dispenser that basically dispensed glue through a needle so it was easy to apply to precise areas.

I had so much fun playing with my shapes after they were made.  At first I thought I was going to make two butterflies with the red, yellow and orange pieces.  But after playing around with it I decided to make some green leaves to create a flower.

I realized it had been a long time since I learned a new craft and spent the afternoon just relaxing and fiddling around.  I realize I can be a bit "tightly wound" when it comes to making art in general.  I don't often let my hair down and just play.  But as I watched my friend Amy finish a graduation card and move right on to making a quilled tree, I was inspired and reminded of the joy of it all.  

"Creativity is not the possession of some special talent.
It's about the willingness to play."

— John Cleese