' So,' you ask, 'what exactly is paper filigree (paper quilling) and what's so special about it?'
The art of paper filigree is not a quick, mass-produced artform. While it is not difficult to learn, it does require a good eye for detail, time, and patience....lots of patience!
A quilled design can contain a few coils or scrolls, or hundreds of individual coils and scrolls. Each coil or scroll shape is formed from a strip of paper which can vary in width from 1/2" (sometimes wider) to 3/8" , 1/8", 1/16" or even sometimes 1/32". It is measured to the required length, generally between 2 to 6 inches, then hand-rolled using fingers or quilling tools. (I prefer finger rolling as it allows me to 'feel' the paper tension more accurately.) The rolled paper coil is then hand-shaped and hand-glued; it is a very labor-intensive process. Bent-tipped tweezers are often used to help hold the tiny coils and assist with exact placement in the design. Some specialty papers are even hand-dyed and hand-cut to achieve the desired appearance. While technically not considered quilling, sculpted paper designs require even more time, as each individual flower petal and leaf requires careful cutting, tinting, and shaping with multiple tools to mimic the real flower. Quilling also incorporates other techniques such as fringing, crimping, husking and looping...all requiring a similar degree of precision and care.
The simplest cards may take under an hour to create, but most take longer--some much longer. More involved pieces, like framed keepsakes or free standing designs, require hours of patient effort. The design time alone can often be very time intensive. It is a trial and error process to design and re-create complex and intricate flowers and can take hours to achieve the right balance and combination of coil shapes and techniques to achieve the look desired. The two-dimensional photos shown here cannot begin to capture the exquisite appearance of this amazing artform. A quick scan of satisfied customer comments in the guestbook will verify this bold assertion; many are amazed when they hold the actual piece in their own hands!
If you appreciate the timeless skill and artisanship of unique, carefully handcrafted or hand-embellished gifts and keepsakes, I invite you to browse through our galleries, or contact me if you have a special request that I can help fulfill. We are pleased to include Provenance Papers with all custom keepsakes, providing a valuable record of the occasion plus ownership information for the benefit of future generations. (We anticipate these keepsakes will become valued family heirlooms.) Be sure to ask about this service when discussing your custom order.
I hope, above all, that your visit to Gem State Quilling is pleasant and you discover in part, at least, some of the enjoyment and satisfaction in viewing as I have found in creating. Soli Deo Gloria!
Rolled and shaped strips of gilded paper trimmed from books were used in convents and monastaries to decorate religious pictures & objects, imitating costly gold filigree metalwork at a fraction of the cost. -GSQ
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