Lifelike Quilled Animals by Jan Cassettari

I have Facebook to thank for introducing me to the lifelike quilled animals that Jan Cassettari of Stoke-on-Trent in England creates. Her work is really quite marvelous with much fine detail. I messaged Jan to ask if she would like to be featured in the Artist Spotlight and luckily for us, she agreed. 

 

 

Yes, there have been other artists featured on this blog who create wonderful quilled animals. For example, Carol of GTLand, Nikki Besser, Zoe of The Serial Quiller, and StacyBettencourt of Quantum Artistic, but it's always a joy to come across someone new (or at least new to me) and to hear their story. Read on to learn how Jan came to be an avid quiller... I'm so glad she found her niche! 

 

 

Welcome, Jan! How and when did you discover paper quilling? 

 

I’ve done many crafts over many years - decoupage, pyrography, jewellery making, pastels, watercolour pencils, and cross stitch to name a few - but I never seemed to settle on one type until now. I got into quilling after seeing such beautiful work on a Facebook craft page that I used to help run. However, I didn’t try my hand at it until Dec 2019 just before lockdown, which was fortunate as it turned out.

 

I buried myself in quilling during that time as it helped me get through the loneliness of not seeing my family, who are miles away in Kent, for nearly two years. I learnt the basics and made the usual quilled flowers, snowflakes, etc. and then decided to make animals. I began with printed outlines and filled them in with random quills and flowers. 

 

 

When I finished my first lion, My Handsome Man (above), who was half floral and half fur, I felt so proud and overwhelmed that I’d made something like that. From then on I have concentrated on making my animals look more realistic. Some still have traditional quilled coils, but most of my work is made with strips that I run through my faithful quilling crimper.

 

 

Tell us about your process.

 

I find outlines online, using free printables. I mainly get free photographs and then use an app to turn them into sketches. I print these out and quill straight onto the printed card. I also use a reference photo to perfect the colours and shading. When finished, I carefully cut out the piece, glue it onto a fresh background, and place a mat board on top. 

 

 

I rarely frame my sold pieces as some have suffered a few accidents when travelling to their new homes. One of the recipients said it looked like it had been stamped on and you can imagine the upset I felt! Luckily people were so kind; I replaced the frames for them straight from the manufacturers.

 

Do you have any tools to recommend? 

 

My favourite tools are my crimper, tweezers, and Mod Podge glue. I’ve also invested in a small desktop easel as I have back problems; this has helped a lot. I use to quill for hours until I developed trouble with my bones and back, and so I’ve had to cut down on time spent quilling. (example - adjustable easel)

 

What size are your completed animals? And please tell us about this amazing crimper that you use. The crimps that compose the fur don't appear as pronounced as when a typical crimper is used... at least not the kind I have.

 

Most animals are quilled on A4 card (8.3" x 11.7"). Large pieces that nearly fill an A4 sheet are mounted on a larger board that I find sets them off nicely. I use a multi-sized crimper so there's no need to smooth out the crimps. Some are tighter and some are looser. (example - multi-sized crimper with six settings)  I also cut really tiny pieces for more delicate detail.

 

Do you find that your quilling is still evolving?

 

I feel that I am always learning with every project I make. The eyes have always been my favourite part. I feel it brings them alive, so I almost always start with the eyes. It’s like the animals can see themselves come alive and this encourages me to do the best I can for them. As you can probably guess, they are all made with love.

Jan Cassettari is a member of the British Quilling Guild where she has been featured in its magazine and published in the calendar. She has sold many pieces in the UK and abroad via her Facebook page, Jan's Crafty Bits. She is also on Instagram.

 

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