Origami

Origami
Bettering our world...one cubicle at a time

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I'm Sooooo Soooorrrry Day 12-20 All in One

I'm sooooooo sooorrrrryyyyy!!!
I know I am soooo far behind on my origami page but last week I was away for a work trip that took me up to Iqaluit Nunavut where I might add it was the coldest temp in almost a decade (-56 Celsius)!!!!! EEEEEKKKKK! I started to blog on my trip as the balloon was made while I was away, but unfortunately it did not survive the suitcase travel and so I decided to hold off on origami until I returned home. Plus posting on the Internet up north is not easy or fast...or particularly fun!

So - not to worry though. I still made origami and they are up in my cubicle my co-workers can attest to this. It has just taken me some nerve to get up and post allll these missing origami. So to make this a little easier to get back on track I'm going to post all of my missing origami on this one blog page and then start normal again tomorrow.

So..... here goes DAY 12-20!

So DAY 12: The SAIL BOAT




I decided that I was going to work out one specific book that I had taken with me on the trip (see the intentions were there!!) It had a section of about 5 different types of boats so I thought I would work through them first. So first came the cute little sail boat. Not too difficult at all although a little concentration at looking at the photo ahead to see what I was supposed to be doing...but I really like him he's super cute and looks exactly as a boat!! So safe to say that I was totally on the boat wagon after day 12!


DAY 13: The Japanese Fishing Boat of Doom!




So I don't know if you can see in this picture well but this is the sadest boat EVER and wouldn't float on land! This poor boat is ripped, dented and deformed. The instructions told me I had to fold inside out the whole shape that I had made which did not go over well and somewhere down the line I must have made a mistake so I will have to keep trying....but seriously this is such a sad little dingy. But I'm an honest girl and so you have it....the Japanese Fishing Boat of Doom!


Day 14: Simple and Square



So after the whole Japanese fishing boat thing I totally gave up on the boat pages as they only got more complex as the pages turned.....so where did I go....back to the basics....boxes. Actually I've always wanted to learn to make boxes. Now I have somewhere to keep my copious amount of paper clips, candies...and maybe some more paper clips. So I started with the basic square box but used some of my nicer paper to add a nice decor to it. Very easy overall but it is a rather abstract item that gives instructions to "feel where the creases fold and find the spots where they fold most naturally" ummmm I"m not a paper whisperer.....it took me like 15 minutes of "feeling" the paper before I finally got it to fold the way I wanted it to. HA! Even the box seems to challenge me these days!


Day 15: The Star Box!



This box was so cool looking and was by far the easiest box to make of the three that I made. I think it's definitely more interesting than the other ones and ironically the easiest to make. I even got compliments on it from cubicle passer bys. Well then, only the highest quality of candy for this special box!



Day 16: The Box with a Lid



This box was fairly easy as well but also took me a little longer staring at the picture ahead trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. I know the diagrams are supposed to be short and sweet but sometimes their verbal directions are too short and too sweet making the learner feel inadequate that they can't even figure out how to make a six fold paper box with flaps! Ughghhg...either way I was happy with it overall and it was a good end to my box obsession...for now.




Day 17: The Trojan Horse



So just to veer from boring trends for the whole week I went online and tried to find something interesting to make. I found a horse that looked quite fun and wasn't too difficult at all. Actually he looks pretty cool and was one of the easier animals that I have made thus far. I really like making animals maybe because they look like something familiar and not so abstract and cold. I can't wait until the end though when I can see what kind of Noah's arc I've created out of animals...except I can't make the same origami twice so they may not necessarily have mates.....kind of the Noah's arc with no potential.



Day 18: The Star



Today I kept it simple and used my origami calendar at work. I made a cute little star which was definitely one of the easiest things I've ever made and only have four folds. SWEET! I love things that look cool and were super easy!!! Maybe tomorrow I'll try a 3-D star if I'm feeling up to it!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Day 11: The Balloon Box

Back to the Basics Are Not so Basic




Wow - that' all that I can say for today. This is ridiculous. I went to my new origami book called "classic origami" by Michael G. LaFosse. I like this book as it comes with paper and very simplistic traditional abstract origami - very beginner, very basic.

SO where do I start? The classic balloon. I chose it because you get to blow into the opening and voila! You flattened folded paper becomes a magical and beautiful balloon! Yet, when I try to go ahead and blow into it......well....it doesn't really fill up or it does and then instantly deflates. I try to fill it a couple times to no avail. By the time I am done the opening is wet and soggy and almost ripping and my balloon is dented in areas and not so awsome.

How depressing is this? A simple classic and basic balloon and all I did was drool on it till it started to fall apart. Geesh. Regardless this is a documentation of all my attempts and this cube is the best hat I could garner out of myself tonight. So here it is, don't laugh at me and please don't give up on me - I will get better.

Tomorrow...is there anything easier than this?.....well just check out tomorrow and hopefully I will have redeemed myself in some way.

Kirby

Day 10: The Seal

Day 10: Goodbye and good riddance for now - animal week.





So my apologies for the last posting of the final animal origami for week number two. My intentions were there and I swear on my dedication to this blog that the seal was made late on Friday night. But my camera was nowhere to be found and thus I had no way of posting the picture to the blog. Now, I could have tried to use my phone camera but here's the deal - I'm still in the dark ages and my phone doesn't have a camera on it - which I am thankful for.

Regardless, the seal was quite cute no? I really like his little whiskers. I think he does a good job at being a basic version of a seal - simplistic but you can tell what it is. Although his head was challenging and I had to fold and refold a couple of times to get it. I find that looking ahead to the next diagram really helps you figure out what you are supposed to be doing on the current fold.

I can't wait until a couple more months when I attempt another animal week and am able to do more lifelike animals that actually resemble their real life forms. But for now I am satisfied for my attempt (minus the pathetic penguin) but am happy to see it go so I can return back to the basics as this week has taught me more than anything that you really need to master the basics before jumping ahead.

So next week - flashbacks to the 80's - I'm going back to the basics. To where it all began - to a time of simplicity - tights and leg warmers - not sheep skin boots and merino wool socks.

See you next week - don't forget you stirrup pants.

Kirby

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Day 9: The Paper Swan

Take That Penguin....we're back on track





So day 9 of the blog and day 4 of animal week. Again, longing to work out of my super advanced animal book but feeling inadequate at this point, especially after such a disappointing penguin yesterday I went back to the origami calendar. Again, as per usual searching through for something interesting as today's origami was a bench. Yes, that's right my friends a bench. Did I mention yesterday it was a cupboard door. HAHAHAH seriously take a square piece of paper, and fold it to make two door flaps....and presto.....you are an origami master! Long story short, my cute little swan is made of the directions for the cupboard door....hahahha sucker.

Anyways, the swan is cute and very easy to do again. But for some reason I really really love making birds out of paper they seem satisfying to me and always look nice and pleasing to the eye. And I'm pretty sure you can tell it's a swan too.....well maybe a duck.

Anyways, I'm happy with today's swan and happy that animal week is almost at an end because the next time I have an animal week it will be because I'm awsome enough to use my advanced animal origami book.

Kirby

Day 8: The Pathetic Penguin

Look at the poor thing....






First I would like to officially apologize for the missing blog entry for yesterday. My plan was to post the blog once I got home after work later in the evening after I played my soccer game. But as the fates would have it we would finish the night with our first team win (whohoo) but me in a crumpled ball of Kirby at in front of the net with a yucky swollen ankle that is quickly turning purple today. So, by the time I drove myself home (which in a standard with a useless ankle is hard) the blog had completely left my mind as what then became my priority was trying to suck out as much sympathy from my fiance as I could :)

So I would like to thank Krista for pointing out that my fingers aren't broke so that is no excuse and for my mother who constantly leaves me emails wondering why I haven't posted my blog for the day before lunch is even past....

So today, I have two blogs to post. So I would like you to know that the penguin was already made but the post was not put up so technically the best is still on.

So today's origami was the penguin. I picked him out of my calendar because he seemed simple for the day and the drawing of the penguin looked cute. But as you can see from the pictures - this is the lamest origami ever! Really? The penguin too four folds and when it was done I couldn't even really tell what it was. I had to draw two eyeballs on it just so people would recognize that it was supposed some kind of animal and not a salt shaker.

Anyways, seriously disappointed with this one and kind of embarrassed to have him in my cubicle. But the good news is my special origami book for animals that is far too advanced for me at this point has a really cool penguin in it. So the time will come for pathetic paper penguin to meet his match so he better enjoy his time while he has it.

Tomorrow, hopefully a little something more sophisticated.

Kirby

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Ominous Standing Crane

Day 7: The Standing Paper Crane




So day 2 of my animal origami week. Wow, the standing paper crane - nothing like the traditional paper crane that I learned to make a many years ago. This guy is serious and he looks serious when he's done too. He reminds me of a wise old man that you must be delicate with and respectful of the entire time. I could not imagine what would happen if you ripped a piece of him by accident.

I love this guy - by far my favorite. He to me, looks full on origami. He is what I would have imagined all my origami to look like. Sophisticated, elegant, complicated and traditional in a wise old way. He took a lonnnngggg time for me to figure out and I want to make a few more to get him perfect. He is by no means an easy or beginner origami - at least in my standards. I would consider him moderate for normal people and advanced for someone like me who really jumped into this with no background or understanding or ...I don't know more than 7 days of practice.

But regardless, this guy is the best and I love him the most. He will sit in a place of honour in my cubicle.....not sure where there is such a place but I will find it.

Welcome ominous standing crane - you have my full attention and respect.

Kirby

Hop on in Mr. Kangaroo

Day 6: Paper Kangaroo




So it is the beginning of another week and if I do recall at the end of last I said that perhaps I would do an entire week of flowers. But if you know me, distraction is easy and I ended up playing around with animal origami instead. So....I officially name this week - week of the origami animal!

So to start off the week, I decided to go right into it with a much higher level of difficulty - to see if I could really handle something challenging. I found a really great diagram for a cute little kangaroo from my origami calendar - again skipping ahead several months. Anyways, I have to say he was quite difficult and took several refolds for me to get just right. He also required the use of scissors which I was not sure at first if that is considered true origami practice. But, looking at many of the books and websites I have saved on origami, quite a few of them require the use of scissors at some point in the creation. So, I'm going to consider scissors an important - not an essential - but an important addition to the origami supply box.

So welcome to the first day of animal origami week which is heralded by the cute little Mr. Kangaroo - perhaps by the end of the year I'll be good enough to make one with a mommy with a joey in her pouch as well to join our lonely bachelor :)

Welcome Mr. (single) Kangaroo!!

Kirby

Friday, January 08, 2010

Take that Ottawa Tulip Festival

Day 5: The Tulip





Well, I made it through the first week with ease I like to think. I really like the tulip - it's cute. It took me a little while to figure out how to fold the bottom of the flower flat without squishing the whole thing....I mean that I actually went through two flowers before I got it right. One of the pedals is actually a little ripped too....oops :)

Either way, I like it and it's more advanced that I thought I would be after only the first week....think of the possibilities in 12 months! I'm going to put the Ottawa Tulip festival to shame!

So signing off for the weekend to recuperate my little fingers now needed so see you again on Monday! Enjoy your folding!

Welcome pretty little tulip!

Kirby

Thursday, January 07, 2010

I Don't Follow the Rules and You Can't Stop Me!

Day 4: The Lilly




So day four is here. Almost the end of my first week. I bought one of those calendars where each day is a different origami and you use that sheet to make it as it has a pretty pattern on the back for each day. Peeking through it and looking in advance I happened to come across the lilly and really liked it. It isn't actually meant to be made until April 13th but...this is my blog and I make the rules so I skipped ahead and made it anyways. So HA!

It took me a little while and some serious concentration but I did do it and I did it on my first attempt which I was more than pleased about. I still need to make a stem for it but that's okay - it will come.

Perhaps it was a little more tedious because it was meant to be done in April once the origami basics have become somewhat mastered but I proved their little methodological process wrong!

Anyways, tomorrow I"m going to do the tuplip that comes from the webpage www.origami-fun.com. It actually has a few flowers I would like to do so I may stick with their page and do a whole week of flowers...but we'll see how distracted I get.

Welcome Lilly!!!

Kirby

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

An apprehensive welcome to the anti-dog sled

Day 3: The Anti-Dog Sled





So - this sled was created out of frustration from a not-so-great experience out on the NCC Gatineau trails on New Years Day with some friends and my gorgeous super dog "Jack".



This is Jack - Nova Scotia Duck Toller


We decided to ring in the new year with an early morning cross country ski through the Gatineau trails with our dog Jack. Now, Jack is a new dog for us - only a few months now but was a stud dog along with professional showing and hunting ducks. So essentially he was perfectly trained when we received him. So deciding to see how awsome he was at running for long periods of time we decided to take him on the trail with us. Unfortunately, we had no idea that dogs were not allowed on the NCC trails because the "ruin the tracks" and "scare people"...ummm hello have you seen my dog? Anyways - simply put we were super dissapointed as he was a stellar ski companion always staying with the slowest skier (who happened to be me) - a "leave man behind" kind of mentality.

Yet somehow, even though dogs are not allowed on trails some guy can tow a giant sled with his two children in it behind him right over the classic ski tracks whiping them out behind him as he goes.....ummmm.....well.....I say that is totally not fair. Wonderufl cute-as-a-button Jack leaves less trace of his presence then a giant sled with children in it. But I suppose I see their point - but it doesn't mean I have to agree with them. Even one dog friendly trail would be nice for us to have.

So - long story short. We have to find a new place to run Jack and I decided to dedicate this day to the origami sled - or as I have renamed it; the "anti-dog sled".
Super easy origami with only a few folds, crisp and clean looking (unlike the aftermath of a real life one on the tracks). I apologise for my synicism in this post but seriously - who hates dogs? Who hates Jack? Looks like we're going to have to find a new place to play.

Despite the sour expereince, I welcome the "anti-dog sled" to the origami family and wish it a better relationship with me than its real life companion.

Kirby

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Welcome Hopping Frog

Day 2: The Hopping Frog




The origami hopping frog is a classic beginner craft. Yet it was always something that I wanted to learn but never did. It seems like the next logical step in origami making. How fun to make a cute little frog who will be so content to sit on my desk or the top of my computer? This guy is rather easy to make with only about six folds or so - so I highly recommend it if you totally want to impress non origami makers as it not only looks cute but also looks like you are super talented because he actually hops!

Anyways, welcome little hopping frog - come join the fun!

See you tomorrow for the sled!

Kirby

Monday, January 04, 2010

It begins: The Classic Paper Crane

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the first day of the Office Origami Challenge!!

You wouldn't believe how excited I am about this, but also how rediculously nervous I am about being able to carry this through for a whole year. This is 52 weeks of continuous focus while still maintaining a job, writing my masters thesis and as of Christmas Eve...planning my wedding for September 2010 (Yay)!

So, how many origami am I actually going to make? Well, 52 weeks a year with one origami for each work day of the week is equal to 52 x 5 = 260 origami in 365 days. I chose not to include the weekends as even I need some days off to have a life outside of paper folding - and well....it does say OFFICE origami...so only work days count, so.......

DAY 1: Classic Paper Crane





In light of my history with the crane and my loving connection to it, it was inevitable that the paper crane would be my introduction into the office origami challenge.

There are many stories behind the significance of the paper crane - it has been said that giving 1000 paper cranes at a wedding is used to wish 1000 years of prosperity and happiness on the newly wed couple. It is said that cranes mate for life and are a symbol for eternal love and companionship. What a thought eh? 1000 cranes as a wedding gift.....this could truly be tempting forget shopping off a wedding registry....just fold them cranes instead.

The paper crane is welcomed with ease and confidence into the office origami challenge. It is here to lead the way and remind me that even something as complex looking as a crane can be mastered and replicated thousands of times over. Perhaps there will be 1000 cranes on my own wedding day - what a treat that would be!

I chose to use some of my really nice origami paper to start the challenge as I new I wouldn't ruin it with the crane. The following weeks will consist of much more basic origiami as I learn the beginner folds and master the basic techniques. I hope by the end of the year I can make beautiful and majestic origaimi pieces, but for now - they may be a little abstract but it's all about the learning process.

On top of this I hope to show you the different books and websites that I am using for my origami. I hope to give the opinion of a origami begninng on how these books and websites effectively teach origami and the user friendliness of relaying techniques and enhancing one's ability. By the end, we should have one great origami library that will help us move from beginning to paper folding master.

See you tomorrow......witht the hoping paper frog!

Kirby