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

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

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

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

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