Origami Tie Book

Lynne continued our folded/exploding card exchange and sent me what she calls an origami tie book.                                                                    

Its folds up to a small square tied with a bow....almost like a little ornament.  It opens to a larger square and the triangle folds provide good places for text or images....loads of possibilities!  Thanks Lynne....for the card AND the directions!

You can see I'm enjoying the bright colors of my puzzle as a back drop 

for my photos. Once I take it apart...I'm passing it onto my friend Patsy.

And....I have to share a picture I snagged from my sister LaVonn's Facebook page. She came home to a patch of tulips planted on the snow bank going into the garage a few days ago. Way to go Tim!

Exploding Card

I've seen different versions of an exploding card and wanted to give this particular one a try.

First I cut my paper twice as long as it was wide....in this case 6 x 12. I folded the X's first...then the vertical line down the middle of each side.  One you make the creases it folds up like a dream.

I decided to glue photos of flowers in the triangles....so made a template and cut up some photos.  I used a sharpie to cover the white area along the folds to better frame the photos. I also traced around the triangle photos to cover the white edge....I think it makes a big difference.

It easily folds up into a nice little square. For this prototype I repurposed a used calendar page mostly because I liked the weight of the paper and I just like to repurpose stuff. 

I added a little photo collage on the outside square....

...and added a quote to the center: "What good is the warmth of the summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." 
John Steinbeck

I'm pleasantly surprised how easy it folds right back up. 

 

I wrote a little something on this side...and as of today it's on it's way to Lynn in North Carolina.  I like having someone to share my practice projects with...it's a good thing to have an art friend!

Box Love

I'm one of those people who loves a good quality box....especially packaging I can repurpose into something useful.

This sturdy Bob Dylan CD box has become the perfect travel container for my star making strips.  During the drive from Lexington to Portland last weekend I folded 51 sweet little stars. 

Tiny Stars

Every once in a while I get into a little funk....I'm guessing some of you do too. I've learned over the years to ride it out because I know it will pass. During these stretches I'm better off sticking with projects that are familiar and a bit mindless with immediate gratification.

Last evening I channeled my friend Adam and folded stars....tiny, bright, cheerful stars. It was comforting.

And when you make little stars you need something to put them in.  I saved this tiny little jam jar from a trip Paul and I took to Door County WI many years ago.  If you zoom in on the label, like us, you might wonder if Bea should have reconsidered the name. You just have to chuckle.

Simple Little Boxes

I wanted to contribute something to the Shupe family Christmas celebration in Colorado....it included Paul's mom and his two sisters and their families. It didn't have to be much...just a little something to let them know I was thinking about them.

What I came up with was a little bit of Dave, Paul's dad, who passed away several years ago...and a little bit of Margie, Paul's mom.

Years ago Dave taught me how to make little origami boxes...I wrote about that story here.  And more recently Margie has been enjoying coloring and I have several of her pages that I have been making into cards.... you can read about that here....and here.  So I combined the two and made simple little origami boxes using Dave's pattern and Margie's coloring pages.  I filled the boxes with chocolates and Paul added a silly quote.

I included an extra set for Margie where I nested several together....unfortunately I forgot to take a picture.  I tucked a little star in the last tiny one. 

So much you can do with just a simple little box.

Dave's Boxes

One of my funny money boxes.

Every Christmas before my father-in-law passed away he made each family member a little origami box out of old Christmas cards. Dave spent the year collecting his "funny money" which always included a $2 bill, a 50 cent piece, a Susan B. Anthony dollar, and whatever new new coins were minted that year like the bicentennial and state quarters.

I had him teach me how to fold these little boxes and I hit the ground running.  I have made boxes by the hundred and I especially have fun making them nest.

Several years ago I made a set of 20 that all nested inside each other for a friend's birthday.  The largest started with a 12 x 12 piece of heavy card stock scrapbook paper and the smallest started with just a few inches of wrapping paper...the light weight of the wrapping paper made for easier folding.


       

It's pretty clear that I wasn't worried at the time about them coordinating....they're just a bunch of random patterns...most of them from old calendars.  Several of the boxes are from my "Sun Stars and Moon" calendar.

Here is a link to some instructions I found on line...but I do it a little differently.  I find the middle by using a ruler corner to corner and drawing an X on the back side.  I don't want that folded X on the top of my box.  I would be happy to show better instructions if anyone is interested...just let me know.

They are all tucked neatly inside.  

My Star Collection...

...Surrounding Myself With What I Love

My friend Adam has been making paper stars since he was in the 4th grade. When he was a freshman he attended the high school where I was teaching and that winter the whole school took a break from regular classes for a few days and teachers offered special interest courses. I offered "Paper Crafts,"  and as you might have guessed, I had a room full of girls.  During a break on the first day much to the pleasure of the girls...in walked Adam.  He had signed up for "War Movies, Just for Fun." Yes, you read that right.

Having been a paper star maker for years Adam spent his break showing some of the girls how to make them....needless to say he never made it back to War Movies. At the end of the session, I was lucky enough to end up with a small jar of stars on my desk and I gave them out to students when they needed a little token of recognition.

Over the years I have collected 

many of Adam's stars.    

This jar contains about 1800!

It sits on a cupboard as you enter my back door and is probably the thing in my house that gets noticed and asked about the most.  Even service workers have asked about it.

Next to the big jar is a little jar with small stars made from notebook paper. 

Adam used markers to make thestripes.  

These teeny tiny little stars sit in the printer's drawer in my dining room.  You can see just how small they are...I think he had to use tweezers. 




     Can you spot the little jar?

Here's another jar on the shelf in the living room.

I think I also have a jar upstairs and I know I have some in Maine....but you get the idea.

Thanks Adam!  I love that your stars are sprinkled all over the house!


Adam is a young adult now and is still making stars and selling them in a store in Maine.