Pulp Function

I'd been wanting to visit the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania ever since reading about an exhibit titled, Pulp Function. It promised to showcase the ultimate in paper recycling. Yesterday was finally the occasion to go and just in the nick of time, as it was the last day for the exhibition. What a delight to study more than seventy 3D pieces that utilized a wide range of creative materials and techniques. My very favorite was this cast paper sculpture - isn't she exquisite?! Deborah Baldizar, Edge, 2006, cast paper, H. 54 x W. 33 x D. 50", Photo: Chuck Pappas

Handmade paper pulp, recycled paper, cut paper, cardboard, papier-mâché, and folded paper were used to create clothing, jewelry, lighting, vessels, furniture, statement art, and whimsy. It was fascinating to see ordinary materials such as egg cartons, diapers, maps, and cereal boxes refashioned in surprising and often barely recognizable ways.

Cat Chow, Not for Sale, 2002, 1000 Shredded US Dollar bills, fishing line, glue, dress form, list of 1000 sponsors, 72" x 30" x 26"

All so inspiring and I daresay the mood was contagious. I smiled as I overheard a woman speak in good humor to a bystander who was crinkling a candy wrapper... "Sir," she said, "you might want to hold onto that and make something with it later."

Gugger Petter, Five People with Two Dogs, 2007, Newspaper, hemp, paint, 54.5" x 87.5" x 2"

Podcasts and more

A few months ago I discovered craft podcasts. Took me long enough... I'd been missing out on a great resource! While working on projects, Pandora. com has long been my pal - it's a pretty wonderful free music site, but lately I find myself browsing the backlog of podcasts (also free) that each of the following sites offers... all different and well worth the listening time. There are interviews with people who craft for a living, many are book authors, and also discussions about the opportunities that abound in online and live marketplaces. Soon you'll be familiar with the various interviewer styles; perhaps you'll choose a favorite, or maybe you'll be like me and listen to them all every chance you get.

Craftypod.com Diane Gilleland's Podcast and blog all about Making StuffCraftsanity.com Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood's Blog and podcast for those who love all things handmade
Hellocraft.com Tina Seamonster's podcast... The future of making is in your hands.And one more: Craftcast.com Alison Lee's podcast motto is Listen. Learn. Create!

Now then, since it's Friday, let's have some more freebies...

The brand new summer issue of Canada's Scrapbook and Cards Today magazine is available as a free download. Tips for using brads and taking outdoor photographs are just two of this issue's hot topics.

For Keeps Creative Paper from Australia is another magazine that's available in an online format. I like it very much as it often features paper filigree, along with lots of other paper techniques. A hefty portion of their budget must go toward photography because the beauty shots really stand out. Scroll down to this badge on the right sidebar and click:You'll have your choice of magazines... Creative Weddings, Down Under Quilts, Creative Expressions, Beads etc, or For Keeps Creative Paper. Nice!

Recently I came across a very nice site and free e-book to tell you about; it's called The Art of Quilling and features simple quilling patterns and tips that are perfect for beginners.

And lastly, you might remember the cake card I made for the May issue of CardMaker Magazine. If you're in need of a wedding card design, a friend noticed that the pattern is now available for download at a nominal cost via ePatternsCentral.
Have a great weekend, everyone; I hope you'll get a chance to create!

Deer Sweetheart Studio

Via a recent Twitter link, I found myself at the lovely Deer Sweetheart Studio blog, owned by Viola Joyner, a graphic designer and photographer in Chicago. The post was about the giveaway of Viola's Sunflower Bird note card set as a free pdf download via the inspiring Modish.Cute, right?! Well, I took one look at the swirly design and knew it would translate perfectly to paper filigree. As much as I love creating my own designs, this little bird with his flowery tail feathers was calling to me. I checked with Viola to make sure she wouldn't mind; she responded right away that she loved the idea, so here's the result after a happy (and very rainy!) weekend afternoon spent playing with paper:By the way, perhaps you remember my post about the closing of the Mrs. John L. Strong stationery company. Well, after seeing the post and knowing how much I like paper, a friend sent me a note on a Mrs. Strong card. The striped paper I upcycled for my card's background started out as the envelope liner - such beautiful textured paper with a metallic stripe and way too pretty to discard.
Be sure to stop over at Viola's Etsy shop where you'll find handcrafted unique pdf templates for stylish note cards, bookplates, thank you cards, invitations, holiday cards, gift tags, calendars, and greeting cards... like this one:
And here's one more cutie:Thanks again, Viola!

Handspun Newspaper Yarn

From the always interesting GreenUpgrader.com, here's a how-to for lessening that pile of newspapers in the garage. Designer Greetje van Tiem shows how she spins yarn from sheets of old newspaper. When spun tightly and woven into a mat-like structure, newsprint becomes quite strong and durable. Greetje uses it to make things like this cool rug, and also room dividers.
Click here for GreenUpgrader's step-by-step tutorial to learn Greetje's spinning method. Check out the comments section too, as there are lots of good tips - crumpling the sheets first, for example, makes them easier to spin.

photo credit: www.greetjevantiem.nl/

Ring of Keys

As I seem to be in an appreciative mood of olden days (thinking of the William Morris table in the previous post), this is a project of mine that's another reminder of time gone by.A few years ago I became interested in translating found and natural objects into paper filigree; my mission was to make them as realistic as possible. Mostly I replicated plants, but then tried my hand at quilling an ornate key, inspired by one that fits an antique Victrola. From there I went on to create a few more and put them on a ring, which I also made of paper. Ring of Keys is one of the pieces that was on display in my show last summer at the Brandywine River Museum. I exhibited it at the annual convention of the North American Quilling Guild too.

Cardboard to Art

The United Kingdom's Jonathan Ro-Schofield is a paper sculptor. He doesn't work with just any paper though... no, Jonny Cardboard transforms the pedestrian brown corrugated variety into some pretty incredible objects. Appreciate the "carved" detail on this William Kent table, for example. Due to the wow factor of his work, he's acquired quite an extensive list of well-known names on his resume... displays for Tiffany and Co. and the Guggenheim Museum, as well as an exhibition at Sotheby's.

Elegant wedding cakes dressed windows at Tiffany's:We might think of cardboard as tough and unyielding, but Jonathan masters it on a very fine scale... in fact, as evidenced by this necklace and earring set created for Christie's, he even quills! photos: jonnycardboard.com

DEADLINE Post-it stop motion

To get the week off on the brightest possible note - yea, pun intended - enjoy this imaginative video created by a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design as his senior project. He says the idea sprang from the fact that when busy working on a new assignment, the struggle comes more from endless Post-it notes and the looming deadline than the work itself.

Okay, admit it... were you dancing in your chair at least a little bit? :-)

And what would an intriguing video like this one be without a 'making of' accompaniment?!

Sweet Treats

Every now and then I come across something that reinvigorates my enthusiasm for paper filigree. Feast your eyes on these beautifully constructed greeting cards! The tropical drink is adorned with quilled fresh fruit, the cutest palm tree ever, and a parasol that is oh-so-cleverly accented with colorful paper strips between the folds. The glistening hot pink cardstock and sparkly rhinestones marry perfectly with the cocktail theme.I love the way Agnieszka puts so much thought into her designs. She tells me she's originally from Poland and lives in the UK. A self taught quiller, she discovered it via the internet and continues to surf, always on the lookout for inspiration. I can definitely relate to that; there's much to be found via Yahoo groups, crafty blogs, and a multitude of quilling supply sites.

This is another favorite of mine that Agnieszka made... what's not to like about chocolate?! Again, everything about the design is perfectly coordinated... from the gold foil and crisp candy liner, the arched message that compliments the curve of the tasty treat, to the delicious shades of brown and pink.

I came across Agnieszka's cards via this post at the fabulous FoldingTrees.com. It's a call out to quillers to add pictures of their projects to the FoldingTrees Flickr group. What a great opportunity to show the world that quilling is indeed thriving and super-stylish!

Pop-Up card tutorials

Robert Sabuda is an award winning 3-D paper engineer and children's book artist with a long list of titles to his credit. He's been creating captivating, movable paper ideas ever since he was a young boy.photo credit: thepioneerwoman.com

The Chronicles of Narnia and Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs with its fierce T-Rex, are two popular titles.photo credit: doobybrain.com

Robert, his partner, Matthew Reinhart, and a team of designers produce cleverly detailed pop-up books that bring classic and original stories to life.

Check out Robert's website - he's generously posted templates and how-to instructions for making these nifty cards, plus many more. If you've ever wanted to give pop-up designs a whirl, here's your chance!

Simple Flower Card Tutorial

If you've been thinking you might like to give paper filigree a try, but haven't known quite where to start, this is the tutorial for you! click card for close-up view

Trust me, quilling, as filigree is also known, is really quite easy and relaxing to do once you know a few basics. People are sometimes reluctant to try, thinking that working with small strips of paper would have to be super-complicated. Not true at all - it's just a matter of rolling coils and then pinching them to create a variety of interesting shapes.

So are you with me? I hope so!
Let's get started:

Supplies

Cardblank - use a purchased card or make your own by folding a 9 inch x 6 inch piece of cardstock in half to make a card that measures 4.5 x 6. You'll get a very good result by using a scoring blade to mark the fold line and then a bone folder to burnish a sharp crease, but if you don't have these tools, your thumbnail will do a fine job too.

Note: The card is made with a pearlized rose duotone cardstock; the two colors add interest the way the circles are folded back to reveal the second shade. Obtain a similar effect by using any two-sided paper - patterned scrapbook paper would be great, for example. Just cut the circles and use a glue stick or double-stick tape to glue the paper to a card made of plain cardstock.

Quilling paper
rose - 1/8 inch width
silver-gilded ivory - 1/8 inch width, online suppliers sell gilded paper or gild your own with a Krylon leafing pen. Pressing a rolled coil into a silver stamp pad also works.

Quilling tool - either a needle tool or slotted tool - more about this choice later

Circle template - a Coluzzle template would be ideal, but alas, they've been discontinued, put to rest by the many die cutting systems on the market. If you don't happen to have one in your crafty stash, create the same effect by doing things the old fashioned way... use four round objects of descending sizes - measuring cups, for example - and a craft knife to cut halfway around each one to create two circles. Fold each circle back on itself to create the layered effect.

Glue - any kind that's suitable for paper
Scissors
Ruler
Tweezers
Paper piercing tool or T pin - to apply glue
Glass head pins
Plastic lid - to use as a glue palette
Non-stick workboard - cork or Styrofoam - something into which you can stick pins
Damp cloth - to keep fingers free of glue

So... that's it; very few supplies and all are inexpensive. Cool!

Choose a quilling tool: there are two types - a slotted tool or a needle tool The needle tool is a bit tricky to learn to use, but the payoff is a coil with no center crimp. The slotted tool is a cinch, but the end result is a little tab in the center of each coil - this is no problem as long as you ignore quilling purists who frown on the crimp. Ahem... I know this because I used to be a purist. I've since made crimp-peace by using an ultra-fine slotted tool; my fingers thank me and the crimp is so tiny it's barely noticeable.

Practice a bit first; you'll soon be used to the amount of tension needed to roll even coils. Cut 1/8 inch wide strips of computer paper with a paper trimmer to use for practice. If 1/8 inch sounds scary, keep in mind that some quillers prefer to work with 1/16 strips or even narrower - not kidding!

To roll a coil with a needle tool: dampen fingertips and curve one end of a paper strip across the needle. Use the thumb and index finger of whichever hand is most comfortable to roll the paper around the needle. Use even pressure and be sure to roll the paper, not the tool. example: needle tool

When the end of the strip is reached, allow the coil to relax, slide it off the tool, and glue the end. The relaxed roll is called a loose coil.To roll a coil with a slotted tool: slide the strip end into the slot; turn the tool with one hand while evenly guiding the strip with the other hand.
How easy is that?! Complete the coil the same as with the needle tool.example: slotted tool

Make the quilled flower:

teardrop (petal) - rose, 7 inches (make 11)
loose coil (flower center) - silver-gilded ivory, 7 inches (make 1)
shaped teardrop (leaf) - silver-gilded ivory, 9 inches (make 2)

To make a teardrop (petal), pinch the join spot of a round, loose coil to make a sharp point.To make a shaped teardrop, curve point gently.Assemble the flower on a workboard; my favorite is a Styrofoam meat tray from the grocery store. Put a dab of glue on a plastic lid and then dip into it with the tip of a paper piercing tool or a T pin; this gives just the right amount of control. The main thing is to not use too much glue; none should show on your finished project.

Start the flower shape by gluing the pointed end of a petal to the side edge of the flower center. For ease, use tweezers to handle the small parts. Continue gluing petals evenly around the center. Before the glue hardens, prop several of the petals up on pin heads. Leave in position until dry; this will give a natural look to the flower. Add a shaped teardrop to each side of the flower, gluing the rounded ends under a couple of the petals that are raised.Hold the finished flower with tweezers and dip the underside in glue; place on card.

Step back to admire your masterpiece!

Questions? Leave them in the comments section and I'll be happy to answer.

Origami Kimono

While in San Francisco's Japantown recently, my husband came across The Paper Tree, a shop that sells origami paper and art supplies. Knowing this find would be right up my alley, he snapped a picture of a beautiful origami kimono jacket that was on display in the store's window. Made by Linda Tomoko Mihara, it's constructed from just one sheet of folded paper! click pic for close up view

Linda is a member of the family that owns the store. Her grandfather, Tokinobu Mihara, published two of the first English-language origami books in America in the 1950s. Linda has been practicing origami since age 5 and is known for dollar bill folds and a connected cranes technique. She designed this intricate Peace Sphere, a globe of eighteen cranes folded from a single sheet of paper.

Linda's Sembazuru designs are also remarkable. These are framed mosaics composed of 1,000 paper cranes arranged in a family crest or unique design. It's believed that if you have a special wish, folding one thousand cranes will grant the wish by the time the task is completed; cranes are symbols for luck and longevity. In ancient Japan, it was customary for a bride-to-be to make a thousand cranes to ensure a long and prosperous marriage. 3 photos: origamihara.com

In the 1960s, Japanese-Americans in Hawaii began to create crane artwork for weddings, but 1,001 cranes were made because it's believed one additional crane brings extra luck. These framed pieces, composed of cranes made of gold foil, were displayed at a couple's wedding and then were hung in their home for good luck. The tradition continues today and has expanded to other ethnic backgrounds as well.

Another talented member of Linda's family is her sister, Vicky Mihara Avery. Vicky has written a book for children, Origami Fun for Kids! and also a DVD, Origami Fun for Kids, Too! She's an award-winning gift wrapping expert and has a DVD titled, The Japanese Art of Gift Wrapping.

A Thousand Bees and more

You might think this Sara Lov music video for her song, A Thousand Bees, is off my usual mark. Trust me, there's paper art involved, although not in the usual sense. I find it retro, quirky, even a bit haunting, and I hope you'll be as mesmerized by its creativity as I am. The director, Noah Webb, used over 4000 still photographs for the animation.


Speaking of quirky, here's another something that might not look like paper at first glance, but it is. The daughter of an Australian friend recently purchased this handwoven purse in a Sydney 'reverse garbage' shop. (Don't you like that term? It was new to me.) And have you already figured out the material? That's right... juice boxes! They're known as poppers in Oz, by the way. Poppers have a plastic coating, thus the shine, and heaven knows they're durable since even the most clever pint-sized child can't break into one any too easily. A tag on the handbag said "Bags made from recycled materials by community cooperatives worldwide." A website was given also, but you'll thank me for not sharing it because when I tried to open the page, a warning shot up about it being an attack site and to enter at my own risk. Yikes... the things I do for you, my dear readers. :-)

Cashmere dresses

These incredible dresses are made of something unique... can you guess what it is?

Cashmere bath tissue!
click on each pic for a closer look

This past September, Kruger Products of Canada sponsored the Fifth Annual White Cashmere Collection 2008: A Touch of Pink fashion show. Eight leading Canadian designers created elegant dresses using Cashmere, Canada's best selling bath tissue. The designers were requested to incorporate Pink Cashmere into their white dresses. The limited edition pink tissue has been sold across Canada as a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. You can see more fabulous dresses and read about the designers on the Cashmere website.

In another recent Kruger Products event, eighteen year old Carol Ching of Thornhill, Ontario was named the winner of the Cashmere Design Contest. photo credit: marketwire.com

Contestants were challenged to create an original fashion statement using Cashmere. Carol, who plans to attend fashion design school, entered the contest after seeing it promoted on Project Runway Canada. The Versace-inspired gown took more than 10 hours to construct and required 66 rolls of tissue. Carol's prize is a trip for two to New York City's Fashion Week this fall.