Pretty Quilled Cards {book review} ..... and giveaway

 PRETTY QUILLED CARDS

A new gem is available in the mix of quilling books called Pretty Quilled Cards by Cecelia Louie. It is published by Sterling Publishing & Lark Crafts. I have been asked to review it and how lucky am I! When Cecelia asked if I would review her first quilling book, I felt like my two worlds had collided. In a 'past life' I managed a book store for 10 years & I am a sucker for books of all kinds but when you add quilling, it's like icing on a cake.

The first thing I noticed right off the bat, before even opening the book, is the soft, subtle, silkiness of the front cover. Being a paper addict I love paper in any form & I DO judge a book by it's cover. How can you not with the stunning piece of quilling adorning the front.

I have had the opportunity to meet Cecelia a few times because she works near my work and drops in on her way home. After she had asked me to review her book she asked if I wanted to see her advanced copy....OF COURSE I DID!!! It was a THRILL to leaf through Cecelia's copy with HER THERE IN PERSON to give me a glimpse of what she went through to write Pretty Quilled Cards. It brought me back to the excitement of author book signings when I managed the book store. I loved the behind-the-scene details she shared.

Cecelia is a quiller but what makes her work stand out from the rest is she is also a graphic designer and an ENORMOUS amount of thought and designing has gone into each project in Pretty Quilled Cards. Cecelia takes all of the guess work out of her designs and shares a lot of her designs on her blog, Paper Zen so make sure you pop over there as well as visit Paper Zen on Facebook too.

I have had my copy for a few weeks now and was able to take in the details I'd noticed while glancing at Cecelia's advanced copy and even though I have been quilling since 2001 I learned a lot of new techniques from Cecelia's open style of quilling....which is the polar opposite to my style.

So I will give you a peak inside and we will start at the beginning....because that's a very good place to start.

The table of contents is a great indication of the detail and thought put into each part of Pretty Quilled Cards starting from the quilled border to the dot system used to indicate skill level. There are 26 original & creative designs of all skill levels so this book is as perfect for novice quillers as it is to those of us who have been quilling for years.  

 

After the intro it jumps right into QUILLING BASICS and tools of the trade with details of paper types and functions of each tool. Even if you never make one project from Pretty Quilled Cards you have all the info you need to learn about quilling in the first 14 pages. The pictures are spot on and match up perfectly with the descriptions.

After you are given details on types of glues {I learned a new technique of spreading glue on paper to dip your pieces in ... thanks Cecelia} you are then taken to BASIC QUILLING TECHNIQUES. You will learn everything from softening, scraping, rubbing, crimping to how to make all types of coils and scrolls. 

 

Again I learned some new techniques but, even more helpful, was what to call them. Cecelia is a teacher through and through which is apparent from all of the tips given along the way. Be sure to check out page 13 which is full of tips and pictures to match. 

Before you move on to the projects be sure to read ABOUT THIS BOOK on page 14. It gives you great insight on the digital tools Cecelia has used to IDIOT PROOF each project.....from providing actual-size cutting guides for your quilling paper to providing a 'symbols key' to simplify instructions. She likens her method to a recipe.

AND NOW THE PROJECTS....

I am not going to go into each & every project because Pretty Quilled Cards is jam packed with goodies but what I will show you is the detail put into each RECIPE. 

First off you will see a picture of the completed project on the left side...which has always been helpful to me because I learn by seeing & not by reading. If I see a whole page of words...then I am done. 

On the right side is the PROJECT COMPONENTS which also gives you the skill level dot diagram as in the table of contents. Following down the page you will see the names of each component you need to make with a picture of the quilling paper in the ACTUAL COLOUR & SIZE of paper you need for the piece. Simply grab that colour and lay your piece down and cut away....no need for a ruler here.

Next to each piece is a corresponding letter of the alphabet that matches up with the pictures, instructions and digital diagram. The symbols show you what to do and where to do it....like folding, cutting and gluing....see I told you, anyone can use this book. 

Now you turn the page for the INSTRUCTIONS. Each piece is broken down into steps with a diagram to the left which again, is colour coded....Cecelia really did think of EVERYTHING !!

But just wait...there is one more amazing bonus to this book. If the finished piece has a printed detail she has provided a page that can be photocopied for you to use...complete with crop marks and it is to scale. Everything in this book is crafter-friendly and easy to follow.

The last thing I want to mention is the ABOUT THE AUTHOR and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS because Cecelia's attention to detail and design ability is what makes this book stand out from the rest....along with her LOVE of paper and keen eye. She is a delight to chat with and when she comes in for a visit the time flies by as we talk about our love of paper. Now after making it all the way to the end of my review I think someone deserves a reward.

As you can see in my picture I have 2 copies of Pretty Quilled Cards so you know what that means.....yes I am GIVING ONE AWAY (thanks to Nicole at Lark Crafts). 

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post and give a shout out to Cecelia for the 2 years of hard work she put into this amazing book. Contest will close at midnight on March 23, 2014. I will pick the VERY LUCKY winner on the morning of March 24th by using www.random.org. Don't forget to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you for your mailing address.

 PRETTY QUILLED CARDS is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and I know that you won't be disappointed. Thanks for following along on my very first book review. I would like to thank Cecelia and Nicole for offering me this opportunity and of course for the AMAZING book.....PRETTY QUILLED CARDS.

~ cheryl