Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Clear Modular Origami

One last origami post, for now! I would only suggest attempting this if you are curious, or stubborn, or both. 


This is another Toshie's jewel folded from three Sonobe units. It is made from clear giftwrap, the kind you would use to wrap baskets.



 
 
I found that to make this model, it's easiest to use a bone folder to get sharp creases. Also, use a grid underneath, so you can see through the wrap and fold along the lines.


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Traffic flag book

Anyone who has lived near Baton Rouge since Katrina knows the traffic flow problems on the interstates there. One big wreck can shut the interstate system down for the afternoon, so I began carrying food and water in my car in case we were ever stranded. It happened with alarming frequency while I was living there. In true Louisiana fashion, I decided to poke fun at the situation with this book. One of the things that I really miss about LA is the sense of humor.



The covers of this book are painted museum boards.


And when you open it, the flags open up and point out in two directions. I drew cartoons of people stuck in traffic, with dogs barking and drivers taking a nap. There were times you just had to turn the engine off, and wait, and it could be for hours if it was a large wreck.

I know there are commissions studying the situation right now. The interstate there was simply not designed to handle the traffic patterns that have developed post-Katrina.  I hope they can find a solution.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Origami Envelope book

This was a fun book to make, and it's from my series of Louisiana Impressions books. I thought it would be fun to make something that might capture a child's eye, and light a creative fire. I suppose I am reaching out to kids who might be creative like I was, and give them some ideas and encouragement.

I got the idea for an origami envelope book from Alisa Golden's book, Making Handmade Books. The paper I used is painted with acrylic paints, and the book is tied together with linen thread.


The book is called Louisiana Backyard, and has removable creatures in each pocket. Inside is a crawfish, a dragonfly, a lizard, and a June bug, all of which I found in my backyard one warm summer day in Louisiana.