Quilled Octoberfest Cookies

It's nearing Oktoberfest here in Munich, and the Lederhosen and Dirndl (traditional women's costume) are proliferating. In addition, you can see giant gingerbread cookies decorated with festive colors and sweet phrases. These cookies are souvenirs and gifts; they aren't meant to be eaten. The cookies are very hard and the icing really doesn't taste very good. Here's an example of a display you might see at Oktoberfest (photo not mine):
 
What does that have to do with my quilling? Well, in keeping with my latest efforts to find inspiration from things around me for my quilling, I came up with the idea of quilling some of these cookies. They, too, make great gifts and I am working on a "cookie" for each of my friends here.

Here are my efforts so far:

The cookies in the first photo are about 12 inches wide; mine are about four inches. These would make wonderful placecards at an Oktoberfest-themed party or tags for wrapped gifts.

I am thrilled that my quilled facsimiles came together so well. I'm really enjoying designing my own creations these days instead of following a pattern.

Original Quilled Birthday Card and DipQuills

I made this quilled card for my German teacher's birthday out of some leftover pieces I had tucked away from doing a jewelry box a few months earlier. It's an original design, something I've been trying to do more of instead of using patterns or emulating work by other artists. I'm still not totally comfortable with it, but I'm getting there!

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From time to time I do a bulk order to send to my friend Lauren who came up with a fabulously clever idea of dipping them in liquid acrylic. When they harden, she makes earrings and pendants out of them. Here's a shipment I did just before Easter. I totally DIG the bunnies! And didja notice the cute little snails in the middle?

 

Here is an example of a pair of DipQuill earrings we did for Valentine's Day:

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I did these placecards for my landlady's 85th birthday party. All this and a free lunch, too! My fondest memory of the event was the fact that the old man at our table who had advanced-stage Alzheimers was happy (over and over again) when he was told he could take his home.

 

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 Here is a gilded snowflake I made that Lauren dipped - we gave it to her mother for a Christmas present. Her mother, Miss Ella, keeps a half-Christmas tree mounted on the wall year round and changes the ornaments for each season of the year. I hear this snowflake stays for every season!