It was an artful craft perfected by French and Italian nuns and monks during the Renaissance, and in the 1900’s, by gentle ladies of quality. Called “paper quilling,” it was used, respectively, to decorate book covers and religious items, or to occupy 18th century “ladies of leisure” as one of the few things such women could do that didn’t tax their gentle dispositions. In time, the art would spread to the Americas, and some pieces survive the colonial period. We’re happy to report that far from being a dead art, quilling –  the coiling and shaping of narrow paper strips to create a design –  is very much alive today and has become a “people’s art form” since all ages and incomes can practice it. Quilling is used to decorate everything from utility boxes to wedding invitations, and the subjects of quilling are equally varied. To our delight, purebred dogs are among them.

We purposefully kept the image above large so you can appreciate the work and artistry that’s gone into the rendering of Stacy Bettencourt‘s own Miniature Pinscher. Below is another of her work, this one a Labrador Retriever:

You can see more of Bettencourt’s work on her Instagram page.

At the right is Janice B of Quillextra‘s version of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, while our thumbnail image of a French Bulldog was created by Acuda at Stanamastrov. If want to learn more about how to get starting quilling, check out this link. What a fabulous hobby, source of income, or skill to learn to make fund-raising items or gifts!