Folded Paper Ornaments by Paper Displays of Affection

A colorful Etsy shop called Paper Displays of Affection [edit: no longer open] caught my eye recently. It's owned by Suanne, a real estate consultant for a busy accounting firm in New York City by day, but evenings and weekends she satisfies her creative side by making origami objects, something she's enjoyed doing since childhood.

I can just picture a Christmas tree with shining ornaments like this one hanging from the branches.



Here's a wordy variation that makes lovely use of the pages of an old book - recycling at it finest.



A money rose takes the guess work out of selecting the perfect graduation gift.


Suanne offers these tips for taking eye-catching photos - something that's especially important for internet sales:

You can't beat natural light. Try taking photos near a window, making use of the indirect light - this works well to not bleach out your shots. Use a tripod for the clearest result and also a solid, uninterrupted background - something as simple as a large sheet of white paper does the trick. Use the macro setting on your camera and then adjust the contrast and hues with a photo editing program until you get the look you're after.

She admits it's definitely a trial and error process, but judging by her crisp Etsy shots, I'd say it's time well spent.