Craftside

How to fold an origami mosquito from the book and DVD Origami 101

I am officially starting to wrap my brain around Halloween! Yes I have indeed-e-ola! And while the mosquito is something generally considered a summertime nuisance, I kinda thought this origami mosquito would make a cool Halloween decoration. The book it's from, Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction, is also today's giveaway!

To get yourself in the running for a copy of Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction, just leave your answer to the question:

What are you (or your little ones) going to be for Halloween this year?

Are you making or buying your costume?

Leave your answer in the comments section of this post by Midnight ET August 31, 2011 and you are in the running for a copy of Origami 101!

Click on these pages from Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction to read how to fold an origami mosquito.

More about:

Origami 101:

Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction

by

Benjamin Coleman

Have you always been intrigued by origami, but often found the diagrams confusing or the models uninspiring? Origami 101 is here to help. Geared toward the absolute beginner, this book contains more than 40 amazing folding projects for the whole family and includes models that evolve from one of four basic origami shapes. A revolutionary illustration enhancement called Glow Fold makes the diagrams and video steps easy to understand. With the introduction of every folding symbol, you'll find a detailed sidebar explaining what it means and a symbol index bookmark that guides you to these sidebars whenever you need to be reminded. If you need more help, just pop the accompanying DVD into your computer and go directly to the video of any model.

In these pages, you'll learn how to create:

• A roosting robin
• A flowering branch
• A flying dragon
• A sea turtle
• A Tyrannosaurus Rex
• A tree ornament
• A tropical fish
• A graceful swan
• And so much more

With the help of origami enthusiast Benjamin Coleman, you'll learn how this classic craft can be enjoyed by all ages. Amuse yourself and delight your friends with these captivating folded figures!

Benjamin John Coleman, also known as Benagami, first found success in the business world and then turned to teaching math as a creative outlet. An origami book he received from a friend brought back childhood memories of paper folding and renewed his fascination with the craft. Always intrigued by the complexity and simplicity of origami, Ben has most recently devoted his time to making bonsai botanical sculptures from recycled paper that he calls Origami Bonsai. He has published a book titled Origami Bonsai. Ben maintains http://www.benagami.com and http://www.origamibonsai.org, and he publishes online The Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine. He lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. 

How to fold a fractal geometric from the book Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction

Yippie! A fabulous new book (and DVD) to share with you on one of my absolute favorite subjects: origami! Check out this tutorial on how to fold a fractal geometric from Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction. There are all sorts of new icons in this book that make origami super easy!!!

Click on these pages from Origami 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction to enlarge and try making a fractal geometric that you can build upon and alter.

 

More about:

Origami 101:

Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction

by

Benjamin Coleman

Have you always been intrigued by origami, but often found the diagrams confusing or the models uninspiring? Origami 101 is here to help. Geared toward the absolute beginner, this book contains more than 40 amazing folding projects for the whole family and includes models that evolve from one of four basic origami shapes. A revolutionary illustration enhancement called Glow Fold makes the diagrams and video steps easy to understand. With the introduction of every folding symbol, you'll find a detailed sidebar explaining what it means and a symbol index bookmark that guides you to these sidebars whenever you need to be reminded. If you need more help, just pop the accompanying DVD into your computer and go directly to the video of any model.

In these pages, you'll learn how to create:

• A roosting robin
• A flowering branch
• A flying dragon
• A sea turtle
• A Tyrannosaurus Rex
• A tree ornament
• A tropical fish
• A graceful swan
• And so much more

With the help of origami enthusiast Benjamin Coleman, you'll learn how this classic craft can be enjoyed by all ages. Amuse yourself and delight your friends with these captivating folded figures!

Benjamin John Coleman, also known as Benagami, first found success in the business world and then turned to teaching math as a creative outlet. An Origami book he received from a friend brought back childhood memories of paper folding and renewed his fascination with the craft. Always intrigued by the complexity and simplicity of Origami, Ben has most recently devoted his time to making bonsai botanical sculptures from recycled paper that he calls Origami Bonsai. He has published a book titled Origami Bonsai. Ben maintains http://www.benagami.com and http://www.origamibonsai.org, and he publishes online The Origami Bonsai Electronic Magazine. He lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

 

How to fold a ric rac border with a paper strip from the new book The Complete Photo Guide to Paper Crafts

Ric rac is one of my favorite trims and guess what? You can make ric rac with paper! Click on these images to enlarge and read how to make folded paper ricrac:

 

 

These cool pages are from the new book:

The Complete Photo Guide to Paper Crafts
Over 700 Photos - Cutting - Folding - Weaving - Quilling - Punching - Collage - Casting - Journals - More

By

Trice Boerens

This book provides a reference for all kinds of crafts that involve decorative papers. It includes step-by-step photographed instructions for a wide range of techniques as well as projects to accompany each area of paper crafting. This is a comprehensive guide.

Most books on paper crafting are specific by technique or end result (card making, stamping, paper embellishments, collage). This book explores a wide range of techniques and end products, making it a valuable reference for any crafter.

Trice Boerens is an author of paper crafting, quilting, jewelry making and stitching books. She has also worked as an art director, a magazine editor, and a product packager. Living and working in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains in Ogden, Utah, she is always on the look out for new techniques and unexpected inspiration.

"F" is for "Forty" That is the number of Valentines I'm making for a Valentine Swap!

Also the age I will be turning this year, but I digress.

Back to the subject at hand (or heart?)-Valentines!

Saturday is Valentines Day and I was invited to a swap party by the Author of:

The Creative Entrepreneur
A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real

Lisa Sonora Beam

I have never been to a Valentine swap but it is reminiscent of school days when you brought Valentines to school for everyone in your class and maybe a special one for the teacher and a certain someone...

So I was told to bring:
A decorated shoe box with my name on the end
and to wear red or pink shoes!
And the count was just over 30 so I decided I would make 40, then I would have enough for my non-crafty friends too.

This is what I came up with:

Outside back.

Outside front.

Inside.

I went with a kind of snarky rebus

"A rebus (Latin: "by things") is a kind of word puzzle that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words."

Here is how I did it:

First I made a big a** mess. No really, I made a few prototypes out of scrap paper (the yellow and pink paper in the middle) and then the one out of red paper that I worked out the other elements.

I gathered all my stamps, inks and some other Valentin-ie elements from around the craft stash to play with.

These are the ones I landed on:

The top one that I used for the "I" or "eye" is Judikins Soul Windows #3 and the "U" or "you" is #3991 F. and the others were in my stash.

It's a bit hard to see but I stamped the real heart on a pink square of paper and embossed it with red embossing powder.

I inked the edges of the Valentine and the edge of the little foam pink heart sticker.

 

Now what do I "heart"? I "heart" my new Pink Comfort Grip X-Acto knife! It made cutting all the labels out dreamy!!!

And if you want to make some of these here is the folded envelope heart template:

But wait! there's more.

I didn't want to lose my Valentine so I thought I'd keep one for posterity and what better place than my altered journal book.

So here is what I did:

I marked a page in my book to allow plenty of room for the thickness of the card to easily slide through and then cut the slits with my tiny cutting mat under the page.

Then I simply slid my envelope Valentine in from the back. If you missed the post about the opposite page seen here pop on back to this post, it's a fun Silhouette Figure Study technique from:

True Vision
Authentic Art Journaling

By L.K. Ludwig

 

And now you can see both sides and easily remove it to read the inside.

Today's question:

What is your most memorable Valentine experience?

Mine: When I was little my mom threw me a Valentine party and made a post office out of a big refrigerator box. There was a window with doors that opened. It was so cool!

Leave a note in the comment section and you'll be entered to win a free book, just 'cause we love to hear from you!

Origami Envelope from 8 1/2 by 11 paper

As promised yesterday, here is a super easy and cute origami envelope for your ornament card from:

Origami Sourcebook: Beautiful Projects and Mythical Characters, Step-by-Step

Origami isn't just a paper craft, it is a way to decorate the home. This book brings to life the popular Japanese art of origami as home d¬cor. Readers will learn how to create an extraordinary range of useful and beautiful projects including an elegant paper flower arrangements to one-of-a-kind greeting cards and envelopes.

Striking photographs and precise illustrations, and easy-to-follow instructions, lure the readers into the pages and entice them with projects they can create with a minimum of time and effort.

Jay Ansill has spent his lifetime practicing origami and creating new design.

And just to help you out a bit more here are a few photos from my folding.

You will be bringing the mountain folds (the diagonal one) toward the bottom left square.

And the top right square will be on top.

Then simply fold over the flaps into the square envelope spaces. And the ornament from Craftside's August 28th's post fits great in this little envelope.