Tuesday 17 January 2012

A right royal struggle!

One of the Quilling Guild's competition categories for last year's Display Of Work was a quilled card to celebrate our Queen's Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the British throne) in 2012. I thought really hard about entering this competition, but just couldn't get my head around it. What would I quill? A diamond? A coat of arms? A crown? Inspiration simply would not come ... so I backed off, and did not enter anything.

But ... what goes around, comes around. Now that we're actually in the Jubilee year, the challenge has raised its head again! This time it's the Hampshire Federation of Women's Institutes holding a 'make a card for the Diamond Jubilee' competition - and my fellow WI members have INSISTED that I enter.

Oh dear - back to studying the Royal Crown again! The real thing is so ornate and intricate that I could easily spend the rest of my life quilling it. So I decided to create a simplified, stylised version representing just the central section which will - hopefully - look OK sitting flat on a card.

I have found this project to be a REAL challenge! I started with the base of the crown, using teardrops and tight coils to represent the ermine (white fur with black spots) that encircles it. Next, I created a section to represent three of the precious jewel clusters, surrounded by an infill of gold 'beehive' curls. Then comes some two-tone purple 'beehive' on a background of purple card, to represent the velvet centre of the crown. Then there are two crosses, each created using a set of four vortex coils squished into triangles. Oh yes, and an golden orb, plus a strip of gold paper up the middle which is mounted on card so that there's a slight ledge to hold the purple beehive in place ... do you know, I'm feeling tired just telling you about it!

I really don't know whether I'm pleased with this crown or not - but I've done it now, and I'm desperate to move on to something else!! So this is the design which is going to be mounted on to my card, which is unlikely ever to get sent to the Queen - but I'll let you know how I get on!





14 comments:

  1. This was indeed a real challenge, but I really love how the crown turned out! Is a very beautiful simplified version of it! The way you used the beehive is great! You are a little too hard with yourself, but on the other hand I understand the feeling of not beeing pleased enough with your creation. Doesn't matter what the ones around you say:)

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  2. I like the design of the crown, Philippa - it must have been a challenge! I wonder if the JJ metallic edged papers would add more of a bejewelled effect?
    Meg Crawford ~ Polly & Meg's Treasures

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  3. Philippa,

    Success in the competition.
    You did a very laborious work with various forms of quilling and the result was fantastic!

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  4. very nice and innovative
    megha
    http://www.meghanuj01.blogspot.com/

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  5. It looks nice. I know the feeling of frustration when you want to quill something so bad and the idea of how to do it never gets to the head :)

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  6. This reminds me of the Victorian era..Very unique..

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  7. I think it turned out very nice, like the beehive used in this!
    good luck!
    Paula

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  8. Philippa!!! Amei sua ideia!! Eu sei o quanto é complicado fazer uma versão de algum trabalho. Não conheço o original, mas amei o seu trabalho e a sua criatividade!! Felicidades e boa sorte no concurso!!!
    Philippa!! it´s easier for me to write in my language!!! LOL!! Hope you don´t mind!!! Have a marvellous week!!

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  9. Great! It would be interesting to try metallic papers.
    The tiara I think lends itself more to quilling. I was very taken with a tiara that the Queen wore here in Australia at CHOCM. It has enormous aquamarines in it.

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  10. Well I think you did an excellent job with the crown. I'm sure it will look quite regal on a card

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  11. Thanks everyone for your very kind comments! I try to respond to everyone who comments directly, unless your e-mail address is unavailable through Blogger - in which case, please know that I appreciate your words very much.

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  12. Hi,
    so nice!
    I'm a new quiller in quilling world (since november 2011) I've visited many sites and blogs and learned a lot. I'd be very grateful if you could visit my blog
    http://quillingpaperparadise.blog.hr/
    and leave a comment or suggestion

    Big hug from Croatia

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