Quilled Christmas Ornaments and Mandalas

Last year about this time I posted a quilled Christmas wreath made by Beth Reece of Virginia. Today I have more images of her beautiful work to share.

Beth's style is completely her own... densely rolled coils that are often accented by crimped paper. This ornate Christmas ornament is just one example and was created as an entry in this year's Washington Post Holiday Crafts Contest.

Beth also makes ever-popular quilled snowflakes... here's a beauty that is quite unusual with its finely crimped loops.

Beth mentioned to me that she finds coming up with an idea for a new project to be the hardest part of the process. Most of her inspiration comes from unlikely sources such as shopping ads, old jewelry, architecture, kaleidoscope images, etc. She prints out a picture and refers to it occasionally for ideas, but says there’s rarely any resemblance between the item that inspired her and the finished design.

This photo of Hindu architecture from the book Living Architecture: India published in 1969 by Andreas Volwahsen was the inspiration behind one of Beth's favorite pieces - a gold, black and silver mandala.

She began quilling after receiving a Martha Stewart email around Valentine's Day less than two years ago. A simple white card with three red, quilled hearts captured her attention. (Funny, she sounds like someone else I know... me! Images in Martha Stewart Living are what started me down the quilling path too.)

Beth Reece

"At the time I didn't know a thing about quilling, but the memory of that card kept popping into my head, so I did a Google search. I fell in love and ordered a starter kit that spring. It's amazing to compare some of the first quilled shapes I made to the ones I create now. What a difference time and practice make!"

Like so many of us who quill, Beth finds it relaxing and meditative. "When I complete something, it’s like coming to the end of a really fantastic book that you don’t want to end. A lot of people ask me if I sell my work, but there are some pieces I can’t fathom parting with. This year I gave "selling" a try by donating a dozen quilled snowflakes to a charity at my workplace. The response was fabulous, and the best part for me was explaining to people what quilling actually is and sharing a little of its history."