Framed Camel

And finally here it is ...all framed and on display at the Rotana Hotel , Al Ain.

Quilled Camel

Live in a desert and you cannot stop thinking about the life in the sands. There are so many beautiful things about a desert Funny , though , when people speak about a desert it is usually in terms of heat, sand, dryness, lack of greenery etc... generally with a very dry and morbid kind of feel. Yes, I agree that deserts are not really easy . But I have seen the serene beauty of the landscape, the absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful sand dunes and spurts of tiny little desert plants here and there.It is so magical at sunset that you cannot look away. Anyways, this particular work is a tribute to the beautiful deserts of UAE - my quilled camel. I have grown up in UAE , been here most of my life and can relate to the traditions here and unique beauty of this country. It's my home away from home. P.S : Yes, this is the project that gave me all those horrible paper cuts. This paper has a very sharp edge but is beautiful to work with.

Pink Ribbon Project

October is the month of the "Pink Ribbon" - the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This cause is very dear to me because I have seen the pain of some of my closest friends and family too. Some of them are with us no more but fortunately there are a few who are the survivors of this disease. This quilled work my tribute to all those who are touched by it either by fighting it themselves or watching and supporting a loved one going through it. I will not mention names here but those of my friends who I mean will know .... Often I have been asked to make tutorials of my projects. I don't end up doping that but now I have started taking pictures of my work in progress. I hope this is helpful for those who want an idea of how I worked on it. It is a simple enough project ...but very special to me. First off I started with the outline of the pink ribbon ....

and then came the filling in .....I've used the beehive technique.

and the just add the different elements as you like. Here are some of the pictures with details and different angles.

A card for Mom

Lil Bees's March kit is really beautiful. I loved the soft peaches and pink of the roses. There was a total rush of ideas ....they were coming faster than I could handle!! Anyways , finally this is what I came up with.
I'm also making a few more things with this kit....such possibilities with these papers and colors. And I'm looking forward to using the rest of the goodies that come with it.

Here is the close up of the quilled flowers. These are from Alli Bartovski's new book. And have used lacy square punch - I've been waiting to make something with it all this time. This is my first project with this kit. Please let me know what you think and would love to hear suggestions too from all the lovely card makers out there.

Quilling for Jibran

This frame is for my son made in colours of his chioce and the font too. He wanted only the colours black, gold, silver and 2 shades of orange. Yes, he was very specific.
For a while now I've been thinking about making something for my little one. He thinks 'little one ' is an offensive term for a fully grown up 9 years old that he is. Well, sometimes I doubt there is a wise old man living inside him. Seriously, are all kids more grown up than their age or is it my imagination?
Anyways , he was very particular that I show him my final draft before sticking on all the elements. And as you can imagine , I had to make changes. He kept saying ..."Mom !! nothing loud please, just something quiet and elegant". Nine years old ??? Huh ...I doubt!
Let me show you the progress to the fianl work ...
first the letters ...

next fill them up and put them up on the chosen back ground ...

then playing around with the elements in rest of the colours asked for

well, nice but ...lets brighten it up a little , shall we ?

The reaction to it? " NAH !!! Too bright ...needs to be toned down a few notches ...hmm? ?

So the finally we settled for this :

And thankfully he is very happy with it. This is my first time trying a bit of typography. I have learn't a bit in this project but there is so much, much more to learn. This has been fun.

2nd ATC Excahnge at EQG - Part 2

Too many pictures in the previous post , so the rest you'll see here:)

I was also working on my entries for the Quilling Exhibition when I signed up for this ATC Swap. I would have loved to do so much more but time restraint did not permit me to. I had already handed over the cards when we got a further extension on the dates...well, by then they were already sent ...anyways, I did enjoy making these. It is so amazing how much we can learn in these swaps. The different ATCs from different artists gives the chance to learn so many new ideas and techniques. It also open up totally new perspectives. I love these swaps and find them a truly fun and learning experience.

Happy 40th U.A.E National Day !!!

Wishing all my friends and family of U.A.E a very Happy National Day !

This is one of my art works that had been displayed during the Quilling Exhibition. This is a traditional dance performed by the children of UAE. Many ,like me , who grew up here would relate to this and enjoy it. I consider this piece my tribute to the spirit of the U.A.E's 40th National Day.

Dolls...Another quilled one.

I've been quilling these cute little dolls and I just can't stop:)The ideas are coming in faster than I can process...how can I keep track? It is such a joy to see simple strips of paper turn to so many different forms and designs. Just amazing that all it takes is twirling paper strips and gluing it!

Quilled Doll

Paper quilling has been such fun that lately I have been spending a lot of time on it. From simple quilling to dimensional work - it's all so fascinating. Here is another one of my latest paper dolls. And here are the little details of her hair etc. More dolls coming up.

Paper Quilling ATC

In the last post you saw all the lovely cards I got from my friends. And now here are the cards I sent :)They are simple cards and I had such fun making them. When you think of cards , the general idea is the usual standard size or maybe sometimes the differently shaped ones. But one thing that never comes to mind is 'tiny cards'! And that was the challenge with these.The cards are all 2"x3" in size. It was difficult at first to find ideas to fit into such a small surface ...but then once I started working on it ,the ideas began to flow.

Paper Quilling ATC Swap
I'm thrilled and excited .....feel like a kid with new candy :)This is my first ever ATC and as you can guess by now I enjoyed it very much. These are the beautiful cards I received from the friends in the swap. Aren't they just so pretty? They are now proudly displayed in my living room.

I love each and everyone of them...Each one is different in it's own way.


Love stream's simple and elegant card with a subtle colour and beautifully fringed flower - the intricate design below the flower peeking out - like saying there is more between the lines :

Khawla's Bright and cheery card with such warmth and sunshine to it. I love the flower with tiny little petals and perfect scrolls :

Shaheen's perky delicious quilled strawberry card brings a smile....Love the colours - it's berrylicious !

Shaikha's summery card ....such bright and bold colors. These cards have a dynamic look about them Like they say ...I'm here so you better cheer up!!

Susan Lee has brought in soft romantic poetry with her serene and feminine card. Mmmmm...sweet and dreamy like a fairy tale !

Roopas's sheer lacey card with stamping background and intricate butterfly ....so many different things come together in perfect blend and harmony.

Amna's cards ... What can I say ? I'm so awe-struck to see such attention to details. Amna's work in not just intricate and beautiful but the finishing is perfect. I cannot stop admiring the evenness of her work. The tiniest details like the little pink paisley petals are shaped to perfection !

This swap was such fun and learning experience. I have all these gorgeous cards made by very talented ladies - So much to learn from these and improve my own work. Thank you all for making this swap so wonderful and Thank You, Amna for organizing it.