Party Origami - Review and Giveaway

I'm forever marveling at the many things that can be made with origami paper and especially admire projects that have a useful purpose.

 

If you're of the same mind and you like to host parties, I'm positive you'll appreciate Party Origami, a new title from Chronicle Books by Jessica Okui. You might recognize Jessica's name from her enjoyable blog Zakka Life where she shares crafting tutorials and entertaining ideas.

You'll find fourteen fun ways to incorporate origami decorations into your next celebration. These little bird place cards are pretty darn cute, as are the bow napkin rings, chopstick rests, irises, swizzle sticks, and sweet heart-shaped lollipop covers, just to name a few of the clever projects that range from ideal for beginners to those that will take a bit more practice.

Party Origami is not so much a true book as it is a cute, compact portfolio. The instruction booklet is accompanied by a 6 x 6 inch, tear-off tablet of origami paper. The 75 patterned papers feature playful stripes, dots, arrows, candies, or cupcake sprinkles on one side, while the opposite side is a coordinated solid color.

Jessica has been paper folding since early childhood and with her background in graphic design, Chronicle found the ideal person to gather a great group of projects and illustrate the steps via diagrams and accompanying text.

As is true with the majority of craft books, while working on the projects you will most likely find yourself doing what I did to snap these photos - hold the envelope-style portfolio open with a bookend or two. 

Chronicle has offered to send a copy of Party Origami to one reader in the U.S. Just leave a quick comment to enter, and as always, be sure to include a way to be contacted within your message. The winner will be selected at random and notified first thing Tuesday morning, May 28.

A great weekend to all, and to my fellow compatriots here in the U.S., have an enjoyable Memorial Day on Monday!

Collage Illustration and Paper Type Necklaces

This time of year is often filled with remembrances... Memorial Day, graduation speeches, and reflective wedding toasts. In keeping with this theme, I'd like to introduce you to the artwork of Laura Tarrish. Laura began her career as a graphic designer, but now focuses on collage-based illustration.

She has designed art pieces for notables such as Apple, The Washington Post, and Travel and Leisure, but also works with individuals who seek her out to commemorate a life, home, special event - a wedding, perhaps - or memorable trip.

This example is one she created for television journalist Tom Brokaw's retirement.

Laura determines the story to be told and encourages the client to send even the smallest meaningful item, such as a signature from an old letter or a vacation postcard. She scans the memorabilia, adds her own imagery if needed (an avid collector, she has all sorts of ephemera to draw from) and sends the client a rag paper print as the final product.

On a completely different note but still paper-related, Laura makes these wonderful little bottle necklaces (only 1 1/4 inches tall including the cork!) that can be the perfect reminder of a special person or place.

She has the tiny letters and icons laser cut from metallic card stock in Portland, Oregon where she lives, and fills the bottle with initials, names, or even a secret message.

Sometimes Laura adds a gold metallic icon to the mix... here's just a small sampling:

She also designs custom cards with graphic or photographic icons, making it possible to coordinate an event with matching invitations and thank you notes. Here she created a clever little paper house that contained a we've moved announcement featuring a photo icon of the new home.

See more of Laura's work at Bridgetown Papers and at Laura Tarrish. The necklaces aren't shown on her sites, but contact her via email at tarrish@bridgetownpapers.com or the Bridgetown Papers Facebook page if you have questions or would like to place an order.

By the way, this is not a sponsor post... I simply enjoyed learning about Laura's work and thought you might also.

Objects of Devotion - Magpie Workshop

Something a bit different today... Jeanne Berg of Magpie Workshop is a New York native who resides in Bath, England. She wrote to tell me she shares my interest in paper, and to introduce me to the Rite of Spring miniature canvases she creates. Each features hand cut flowers that adorn faces from beloved Renaissance paintings.

Jeanne says... I love paper, more specifically the cutting and pasting of it. For the last two years or so, I have been making collages. They all feature images from my favorite paintings. I love being able to re-imagine them - to give them a different twist.  

I like to think of the faces as steadfast companions, whether they mark the page in a book, are tucked in a pocket, or watch over me from a place on the wall. The timeless beauty of the 500 year old images offers me a respite from the modern world.

All of the items Jeanne creates are very small... no more than a few inches and are meant to be displayed or simply held as treasures by the romantics among us. 

This miniature shrine was inspired by Jeanne's love of Mexican crafts and the long tradition of carrying objects for personal devotion. 

Her original career was as an illustrator and during that time she looked for inspiration in the works of Renaissance artists. When Jeanne began making collages, she found herself returning to the paintings.

My intent with each collage is to remove them the images from their past context and create a new story around them... a story that I hope will resonate with others, inspire their imagination. 

I want the viewer to become involved in the story I create with my scissors and glue, and not to be preoccupied by what the original painting had been about. For example, many of the images are of Madonnas, but I will often turn them into a Demeter or Persephone.

This is a laminated bookmark that features hand cut flowers and sequins.

Jeanne also collages small matchboxes by embellishing them with sequins and glitter, and then applies a coating of acrylic medium to create a gem-like surface. She covers the drawer with brushed paper, adds a pull cord, and sends the box complete with a paper fortune.

Sometimes Jeanne perforates the backing and fills the drawer with French lavender as a version of the centuries-old tradition of carrying a pomander to mask odors. It can be opened on your nightstand to allow the scent to lull you to sleep.

See more at Magpie Workshop and follow along with Jeanne's latest work via Facebook.

DIY: Quilled Bird Necklace

You might remember this bird necklace I made a few years ago.

I still receive compliments whenever I wear it, so I'd like to share the how-to so you can make one too. Let's start at the very beginning...

If you're brand new to quilling, just a few inexpensive supplies are needed - a rolling tool, paper strips, and glue. Keep in mind my first tool was a cake tester from my kitchen drawer... in other words, any slim, stiff wire will do. Cut a sheet of copy paper into narrow strips to use for practice. If you decide to purchase a tool, there are two types - needle or slotted. The slotted tool is easiest to use; its only disadvantage is that the slot leaves a crimp in the center of a coil. If this bothers you, try an ultra-fine slotted tool or a needle tool. People usually find the needle tool is more difficult to master, but the reward is a perfectly round coil sans crimp.

You will need:

Quilling paper - gold-edge black, 1/8 inch (standard width) - Whimsiquills in the U.S. and J.J. Quilling Design in England stock it and other online suppliers may too. It isn't expensive (only looks that way!) and comes in a package of thirty strips. You'll be able to make about six birds/package.
Quilling tool - needle or slotted
Craft glue - I like to use clear glue, such as Martha Stewart Crafts All-Purpose Gel Adhesive
Ruler
Scissors
Tweezers
Toothpick, glass-head pin, or paper piercing tool - to apply glue
Plastic lid - to use as a glue palette
Jump rings (2) - 5mm
Jewelry pliers (2) - flat nose
Satin cording - bronze, about 48 inches

And now, the basics:

Roll a coil with a slotted tool: Slide strip end into the slot and turn tool with one hand while guiding strip with the other hand.

Roll a coil with a needle tool: Dampen fingertips and roll strip around needle with the thumb and index finger of one hand while holding handle with the other hand. Be sure to roll the paper, not the tool, and apply firm, even pressure.

Allow coil to relax:
Whether using a slotted tool or needle tool, when the strip is fully rolled, allow coil to relax and slide it off the tool. This is called a loose coil, the basic coil from which many other shapes are made. For the bird pendant, you'll be making teardrop and shaped teardrop coils.

Make a teardrop:Roll strip, slide it off the tool, and pinch to a sharp point.

 

Use only a tiny amount of glue on the strip end, applying it with a toothpick, pin, or tip of a paper piercing tool. Hold in place for a few moments while the glue dries.

Make a shaped teardrop: Use fingers to curve the tip of a teardrop coil.

Now that you've learned the basics, you're ready to roll!

 Step 1: Glue three 7 inch strips of gold-edge quilling paper, one on top of the next. If the stack gets sticky, wipe it with a damp cloth before the glue sets. When the glue is completely dry (a few hours or even overnight; otherwise the paper will buckle) fold the strip in half and shape the bird outline. Curl the ends away from one another around the handle of a paper piercing tool or quilling tool. Apply a small amount of glue where the top and bottom of the outline touch.

Step 2: Make 3 head feathers (shaped teardrop coils) and glue them in place:

6 inches

5 inches

2.5 inches

Step 3: Make 5 tail feathers (teardrop coils) and glue them in place:
10 inches
8.5 inches (make 2)
7 inches
5 inches

Step 4: Make an 18 inch shaped teardrop coil. Glue it inside the body outline as pictured.

Step 5: Turn pendant over and reinforce all of the joins by applying a dot of glue wherever coils meet. Allow glue to dry before going on to the next step.



Step 6: Attach a jump ring to the largest head feather and a tail feather as pictured. To open the jump ring, grasp each side of the ring split with pliers. With a gentle twisting motion, push one side away from you while holding the other side steady. Slip ring through coil and reverse motion to close.

Step 7: Cut cording in half, thread one piece through a jump ring and tie a single knot close to the bird. Repeat with the opposite jump ring. Finish off with an adjustable sliding knot so the necklace can be slipped on and off over your head. I used the sliding knot instructions found here. If you prefer, a length of necklace chain can be attached to each jump ring. Fasten with a clasp.

There - something new to wear tomorrow!

A little fyi... Quilling has been around for ages... centuries actually, and has changed very little over time except for all of the specialty papers that are available... graduated colors, two tone, pearlized, and even silver, copper or gold-edge like the kind used to make this bird. Not only is the metallic edging beautiful, but it lends extra strength. I have to say though, rolled paper is surprisingly sturdy on its own with or without a metallic edge, making it especially suitable for pendants or earrings.

If you don't have access to metallic edge paper, you can run a gold leafing pen along the edge of plain black quilling paper before rolling it or press the finished bird in a metallic ink pad, such as Galaxy Gold by Brilliance.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Happy weekend!