Hello buddies! It has been so lengthy since I’ve posted, yikes! I’ve been doing a little quilling and I’ve a number of good posts that should be written, so I’m beginning at this time by sharing a big paper quilled peacock body that I made as a customized order for a marriage. The beautiful couple displayed this colourful body on the entrance desk to their wedding ceremony.
In addition to some paper quilling I’ve been busy with my three children (wow, child quantity three has actually taken away virtually all of my free time!) as I homeschool my two ladies. We additionally took a month lengthy trip to the US to go to household and buddies, which was superior! I’ve been doing a number of different initiatives at residence as nicely, which has left this weblog sadly a bit uncared for. I give it some thought EVERY DAY as a result of I LOVE this weblog! I really like this area the place I can share my quilling, share tutorials and ideas, and extra. On the identical time I would like to just accept that there are such a lot of hours within the day. I’ll proceed to replace this weblog, simply not fairly as typically as I used to be the primary few years, and hopefully in one other 12 months or two I’ll be capable of get again to devoting extra time to it.
Within the meantime, I hope you take pleasure in this peacock venture!
The way it Began
So this couple messaged me asking me if I do customized initiatives they usually instructed me what they have been in search of. They needed a pair of peacocks together with some particular textual content that they requested. So I got here up with 5 sketches of assorted peacock designs (the tails have been all very totally different). I’m solely sharing those they selected as I would need to use my different ones for designs sooner or later 
It was plenty of enjoyable getting my markers out and making the sketches. I’m not one of the best at drawing, and I didn’t need to spend hours on the sketches, however it was enjoyable arising with totally different tail designs.
The couple selected the tail from the picture on the left above, and the physique from the one on the fitting. They preferred the way in which these two our bodies got here collectively to make a coronary heart. They have been all concerning the romance on this design! Who can blame them
Time to Get to Work!
I began the venture by inserting the physique sketch below the plastic sheet on my workboard (I put a contemporary plastic cowl on my dependable workboard. Click on right here to see how I do this). I put pins across the physique and wrap the define paper round it. I needed the paper to be sturdy, so I glued two strips collectively. If in case you have cardstock or on edge quilling strips (you will get them right here from Little Circles) it’s a lot simpler! However I didn’t have that coloration in card inventory strips, so I simply doubled up. Nonetheless labored!
My subsequent step was to make the tail items. I attempted a number of totally different strategies, however lastly settled on utilizing this quilling board with pins to make the tail items. I’ve extra pictures of this course of, so I’ll put up them in my subsequent put up particularly about utilizing that device. It was my first time utilizing it and I cherished it!
Subsequent I made some double layer magenta quilling strips to make some hearts. Right here is how I made my hearts, I made a number of totally different sizes:
- Reduce a strip of paper and fold it in half.
- Use a quilling device to barely curl either side inwards
- Pin the underside and sides in place.
- Curve one aspect inwards and use a pin to carry it the place you need it.
- Bend the second aspect in to fulfill the primary. Regulate as wanted till the guts is the form that you simply like.
- Dab some glue the place the 2 edges meet and let dry. I like to make use of PPA matte in order that there isn’t a shiny residue as soon as the glue is dried. It does take a while to dry totally, although, so be affected person.
- As soon as the guts is dry, choose it up and use high quality tip scissors to trim any extra from the midpoint of the guts the place the 2 edges met.
- I needed a background coloration on the guts, so I glued the guts to pink paper and minimize round it with high quality tip scissors and an exacto craft knife.
I needed some extra items that had coloration background. I’ve seen different quilling artists do that fashion, however I don’t know how they do it. I figured the simplest approach with small shapes like this could be to connect the form onto the background paper after which minimize it out. It turned out to be each harder and simpler than I anticipated. The troublesome half was reducing out the hearts! With the curves and angles, it was fairly tough. I couldn’t simply use the high quality tip tweezers. I needed to additionally use an exacto knife to get into the highest crevice half. I put the form down on a self therapeutic mat (you’ll be able to see it within the picture under, I’ve been utilizing it for about 17 years) and used the exacto knife to trim the locations that I couldn’t get easy with the scissors. Afterwards I assumed perhaps another choice would have been to hint the guts onto the background paper, minimize it out, after which glue the form onto the background. I’ll strive that one other time!
With the small circle and teardrop shapes, it was fairly simple to make use of the high quality tip scissors to simply rapidly minimize across the form evenly and easily. To make these teardrops I used dowels (I exploit these superior bamboo dowels from Little Circles) and a Border Buddy to make open circles. Then I pinched them into teardrops earlier than gluing them to the background paper.
I made the entire stable items and positioned them within the peacock define as I needed. I then made a bunch of scrolls to fill within the areas.
For the tail I positioned the colourful items I had made the place I needed after which made free scrolls for filling up the area.
The body that I used was from Ikea, I’m fairly positive it was 30x40cm with out the matte. It already has the inset shadowbox body, which makes it useful! Listed below are some related dimension (16×20 inch) shadowbox frames on Amazon.
The couple was pleased with the paper quilled peacock body design (it made me tremendous nervous to see how the couple preferred the ultimate product because it was such a giant venture for me to complete!). I had been sending picture updates all through the venture so I might make tweaks within the design and colours as they desired.
That is the most important venture I’ve carried out up to now! Essentially the most rewarding a part of making this paper quilled peacock body was seeing the ultimate product after all! Essentially the most difficult was ensuring that it was what the shopper needed, as sure components can’t be undone simply as soon as they’re glued on!
After ending this I went on to make my first mosaic venture, a marriage reward for my sister. So keep tuned for pictures of that venture, and for an additional mosaic after that!
Have you ever carried out any giant initiatives? What did you discover rewarding? Difficult?