New Look Pleated Globe Ornaments

This year, I've added a new dimensional feature to my pleated globe ornaments. Each pleat has a circular projection - this creates a nifty spiral effect. Easier than it looks, once you know how!

Here are your free print-and-cut ornaments:
PleatedGlobeCircle.pdf 
PleatedGlobeCircle.Studio3 
PleatedGlobeCircle.svg 

To make the globes, first do a quick study with my Pleated Paper Globe Tutorial. These globes are pretty similar - you just have to make a few simple allowances for the added cut-out feature:

1 Print and the design onto 160gsm photocopier cardstock. 
2 Cut it out. If making the .pdf version, you must carefully cut the half-moons on the leftside of each circle design.
3 Score the fold lines, indicated by printed areas, using a fine-point embossing tool (hold against a small metal ruler for the straight lines).
Important: do not score across the circles.
4 Prime the folds - pre-crease them - accordion folds and Vs at top and bottom. 
5 Glue discs onto the wrong side of the ornament, directionally aligned with front discs.
6 Glue a continuous strip, then a ring.
7 Hanging loop: narrow ribbon  tied around a pony bead.
8 Use a tapestry needle to gather the top and bottom edges, popping the hanging loop in top, before closing.

Done!

Impressive pleating is sooo much easier when the fold lines are printed! Have fun making your print, cut, pleat ornaments. :D

Geometric Origami, by Mark Bolitho. Review.

The Art and Craft of Geometric Origami

Perfectly Mindful Origami

By Mark Bolitho, Photography by Brent Darby

Jacqui Small 2017

Paperback, comes with 30 sheets of origami paper  UK £14.99/US $19.99/CAN29.99

ISBN 978 1 91127 11 6

Star rating: *****

The British Origami Society is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, and the author of this delightful new collection of origami models, Mark Bolitho, is a former Chairman of the society. He worked for many years as an accountant, and is now has a flourishing second career as an origami consultant. (I always enjoy hearing about do-what-you-love success stories.) So, kudos to Mark Bolitho.

On to Geometric Origami. This new title is a beauty. The models are visually stunning and fascinating to construct. The chapter headings are One-Piece Projects, Twists and Turns, Modular Projects, and Advanced Modulars. Folding complexity of the models is indicated with a star rating. Detailed step-by-step illustrations accompany each model, with additional photographic step-by-steps where required. There’s a showcase pic of each project, in well-chosen origami paper.

My favourite section is Twists and Turns. It is right on trend, with its emphasis on pleated construction. The spiralling Twister is a vase-like shape, a bit like a spiral staircase. The DNA Wheel is a self-locking spiral – its construction process is a beautiful to behold (this is where the contemplation comes in). The Modular Projects section contains some pretty nifty models, such as The Octahedron Nolid, made of two interlocking shapes. You get the papercraft equivalent of construction toys, plus the buzz of puzzle-solving – an excellent mix.

At the back of the book, you will find a pack of 30 well-chosen origami papers – some techie-looking prints, ombres, and sophisticated plains.

There are other geometric origami titles out there, many perplexingly challenging - this new one is extremely accessible, even for the origami newcomer. Makes a nice gift!

Note: I was given a review copy of this title.

Matisse in the Studio

Matisse in the Studio is the follow-up exhibition to Matisse and his Textiles - it was worth the 12 year wait. Yay. It is on at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, until November. These exhibitions are ususally globe-trotters, so who knows where you can catch it next.

Matisse loved his objects, and they informed his work. Here, you can see them side-by-side. Some, like a favourite chocolate pot, surface again and again, over decades. A Venetian shell-like chair, African masks - it is an intriguing reveal to see the actual object and how Matisse interpreted it in his work.

Of course, in his later years, Matisse did his paper cut-outs. It is fascinating to see the system he used to plan them. A string horizon line, then shuffle the pinned painted paper shapes, until the perfect arrangement was achieved. 

Can't complain about "exit through the gift shop", either - good choice of cards and fridge magnets. (Often you go to an exhibition, and the postcard you were hoping for is absent.)

Paper Parties, by Erin Hung. Review.

Paper Parties

Over 50 paper projects for the perfect party

By Erin Hung

Pavilion Books, May 2017

Hardback, £16.99

ISBN 978 1911216254

Star rating: ***1/2

This very appealing papercraft party book, by designer/entrepreneur Erin Hung, is filled with simple, inventive makes. Most of the projects are smile-inducing ideas that are not difficult to execute, ideal for the fledgling paper crafter or the time-challenged party-giver. (The projects are given difficulty star ratings, but there are none that require consummate skill or even much previous papercrafting experience.)  There is plenty of variety – pleated paper, paper flowers, fringed projects, modular origami, and a few template-dependent creations.

The format of the book is LookBook upfront, step-by-step how-tos in back. There’s a reduced-size template section, too. This format is user-friendly – perfect for having a browse over a cup of tea. The how-tos are clear and conversational, with friendly project intros. 

In the first spread, there are ginormous sweet wraps  - bigging up or miniaturizing often works a treat when it comes to papercrafting party makes! The Ice Cream Cone Messages, with fluffy scoop of tissue paper ice cream on top would be ideal for a kids’ party, as would the oh-so-simple Ice Lolly Party Invitations. There are sweet and simple ideas like the You’re a Star Card – a shooting star depicted with fringed tissue paper (good timing with current Perseid star showers). Some of the ideas are ideal kids’ crafts – like the Cupcake Anemones (fashioned  from pleated cupcake cases), and the Astronaut Messages (spaceships with a message payload). The projects show an appreciation of colour and texture, and yes, plenty of glitz. A good mix of papers are utilized : tissue, giftwrap, crepe paper, print, plain, metallic.

There was an instance where I hoping a photo prop would be an project. The cake stands for the mini-doughnuts  (Doughnuts about You project), made up in card,  would have been a super template-based papercraft. 

There’s an excellent Floral Basics tutorial, to get you up to speed on paper flower-making. This is accompanied by several fun follow-up projects: A Floral Letter (new take on the jumbo initial trend), Flower Power Party Poppers (supercute fun floral  fancy dress for regulation-issue bottle-shaped poppers), Frida Kahlo Flower Crown,  Floral Bomb Pinata, and Giant Flower Decor.

The hardcover format of this title makes it a very giftable.

Note: I was given a review copy of this title.

The Art of Folding, Vol. 2, by Trebbi, Genevaux, & Bounovre. Review.

The Art of Folding, Vol.2

Design without Boundaries

New trends, techniques and materials

By Jean-Charles Trebbi, Chloé Genevaux, Guillaume Bounovre

Promopress, April 2017

Hardcover, £27.99

Star rating: *****

Welcome to the folds! This title, written by and for design pros, has awesome design clout and appeal for all. It is a (folded) box of delights. Folding innovation is very cutting-edge in the design industry :) – only recently there was a NASA callout for clever ways to fold a satellite! The power of origami has been given its due and is a massive current design influence. The scope of this wonderful, highly–illustrated book is pan-craft and global. It is a follow-up to a previous volume (The Art of Folding, Vol. 1), but stands alone on the strength of its content. 

The Chapters are Art, Decor and Scenery, Fashion, Furniture and Lighting, Architecture, and Innovation. Each section showcases the work of innovative designers, who discuss their influences and impart know-how. At the back of the book, there are several models for you to fold, including an origami-folded letter and a snail-like self-closing box.

There is something for every folding fan :D - do you like the lighting in Scandi noir thrillers?, Fortuny –style fabric pleats, sculptural origami, clever flat-pack furniture, trendy pleated-paper Christmas ornaments? Angular pleats or graceful curves? It is all here. And there are genius innovations – like the Christope Guberan’s Hydro-Fold Wet Folding machine, a printer-like machine that moistens folds to enable easy pleating.

 If you are fascinated by folding, this wow-factor title is for you. 

Note: I was provided with a .pdf file of this title.

The Hand-Stitched Surface, by Lynn Krawczyk. Review.

The Hand-Stitched Surface

Slow Stitching and Mixed-Media Techniques for Fabric and Paper

By Lynn Krawczyk

Creative Publishing International 2017

Paperback  £16.99 UK/ $24.99 US / $32.99 CAN

ISBN 978-1-58923-942-5

Star rating: ****

Lynn Krawczyk is a mixed media artist whose embroidered boho creations radiate folk art warmth. The particular good news for us is that she has honed her techniques for embroidering on paper – and is sharing her secrets with us, in this delightful new book (which covers both paper and fabric embroidery).

The “Up Front” section of this book is top notch. There’s an invaluable chapter on “Tools and Tips for Stitching on Paper”, where you will be introduced to the screw punch (a handmade-book-maker’s hand tool for drilling holes in card), awl, and hand-held hole punch (probably already your bestie, if you are a papercrafter). There’s a capsule stitch directory and a plethora of tips. You will learn how to transfer the design on to the surface to be embroidered (be it paper or fabric).

The author’s style has a spontaneous, ad hoc appearance, but of course, if you are stitching on paper the stitching holes must first be pierced – so every design is actually carefully considered.  

The projects are grouped into fabric projects and paper projects.The paper embroidery projects are Stitched Botanical Note Card, Stamped and Stitched Book Ribbon, Embellished Photos, Paper Succulent Garden, Mended-Paper Painting, Origami  Candy Catcher, and Moon Phase Calendar. These projects incorporate techniques that, as a paper crafter, you already love – such as making home made rubber stamps and collage. The Mended Paper Painting elevates sock darning technique to new heights (get weaving!). 

If you have never embroidered before, have no fear. The projects are user-friendly  –  never over-whelmingly complicated. They are about an appreciation of materials and technique. Clock the beauty of a frayed edge,  the juxtaposition of colours (the author is a a fab colourist).

The fabric projects include Stitched Buttons (yay!), Boho Collage Coasters (mandala-look!), and a Doodle Love Lap Quilt.

Same-size pattern templates are provided back-of-book, but the strength of this book is providing  foundation skills for your own creative adventures.

This book jumps on the slow-crafting/meditative bandwagon, which I am always a little skeptical about because any absorbing craft releases those beneficial alpha waves, so why state the obvious ?... but  hey, mellow OK. :D

The book emphasizes the portability of hand-stitched projects. So if you are going on a peaceful, bucolic holiday sometime soon – that could be the ideal time to get stitching. Or, just set aside your own craft oasis during the wonderfully slow days of August.

Note: I was provided with a review copy of this title.