Designs from paper strips

Exploration and discovery are related and one often stumbles upon something beautiful while exploring something else.

This was what happened to Kalyani Y, a human resource professional, who while pursuing a hobby, discovered another.

Now, quite proficient in the art of paper quilling and jewellery-making, she says, “I started making greeting cards and jewellery three years ago while looking at an alternate career option. These turned out to be huge stressbusters and I started making and  giving these to my friends and family.”

“As my work is pretty stressful, this has been my way of coping up with the hectic schedules. I use my free time during the weekends for these hobbies. Besides, it is great fun doing it. My concentration has improved to a great extent after I started pursuing these hobbies,” she states.

It so happened that one of her friends gifted her a paper quilling kit and she started exploring it. Though she knew the technique, she was intrigued by it and wanted to know more about the art of paper quilling. In no time, Kalyani mastered this art and today, she has graduated from making greeting cards to quilled jewellery.

“A couple of years ago, I spotted a similar kit at a hobby store in the City and that is how I got my concepts clear. Initially, I used to make greeting cards with fresh flowers. I dried them and pressed them and later, I pasted them on the card.

However, in the course of time, the flowers lost their freshness and the cards started looked bad. Once I started quilling, I found out that I could replace those flowers with the quilled ones. And they looked beautiful,” she adds.

She had also tried making greeting cards with crayons and bits of paper before she stumbled upon paper quilling. Since the investment is less and the space required is negligible, she has now stuck to paper quilling and loves gifting these to friends and family members.

“I started with greeting cards and continue to make them in all sizes, whether they are big or small. I have also made earrings and neck pieces by applying the same technique. However, since these are made out of paper, these are not waterproof. I generally apply a transparent nail polish on the ornaments to make them water proof. That also increases the longevity of the ornaments. To give these ornaments a proper shape, I use the comb,” she says.

“This art requires me to make many knots, hence I use the quilling board. I read a lot, so I have made quite a few bookmarks as well. Quilling requires a lot of patience since one is working with bits of paper. I use bright colours to accentuate the effect,” she adds.

From colourful greeting cards to bright wall hangings, these delicately handcrafted exhibits add beauty to the place. Quilling is not the only hobby that she pursues, she also takes time out for jewellery-making. She has also taught many of her friends and colleagues as she believes in passing on her knowledge to others.

“I have always been very popular among my cousins and relatives because of my hobbies. I used to make earrings and bracelets for my cousins and friends when I was growing up. I have used my grandmothers’ beads to make some of the jewellery. Some of these beads are very old and I have tried to make them stylish,” she says.

“I also love wearing my own creations and can often be seen sporting them. All my pieces have a distinct style and I like to keep it like that. I use different kinds of beads, tassels and strings to make them look stylish and pretty. What has really inspired me to pursue these hobbies is my passion to make something new and gift it to my near and dear ones. I plan to continue learning and exploring my
talents,” she sums up.