The Art Of Folding: Origami

Hello everyone! I'm very sorry about the delay in posting but 'the ordinary life' caught up with me and pretty much took up all my time. I had to literally create time in order to blog again. :D I had something to finish every single direction I looked.

Yes! I know I have work to do! I'm going to finish it now! Wait! Please!

And I also rediscovered my love for origami when I experienced one of my arty-crafty (is that even a word?) episodes. I used to love origami, but then I started writing and kind of lost touch with my arty-crafty self for a while. And today, it returned! 

I ended up working on a flower that looked so very simple...and it was just so very....beautiful. I don't know - it kind of just appealed to me in a way. Like a, "I know you want to create me." sort of way. So I did. Here's what it looked like.

The little forget-me-not in a box, so blue,
With a little yellow center, it's quite pretty too!

Do you like it? I hope so. And if you want to make it, you can find step-by-step instructions at www.bloom4ever.com. It's quite easy to follow, fortunately. Sometimes I have the hardest times figuring out written instructions online. Oh, and make the flower using white paper first - and then paint it. It gives a beautiful realistic effect to the petals. I tried it on the flower above, so now it's your turn to try it.

So, origami. Heard of it before? It's basically creating spectacular works of art using the method of folding. Traditional origami involves only one sheet of paper and folding that one alone. The forget-me-not I made above is traditional, I didn't use scissors in making it. Non-traditional involves the cutting and gluing of separate parts or 'units' of the final piece of work.

Me, I prefer traditional origami - it makes you appreciate the final result much more. To think that you created that with only a sheet of paper and your hands is fantabulously  (another word mash of fantastic and fabulous. I'm in the nonsense words mood today. :D) awesome. The scissors and glue undermine that feeling for me. 

You know, origami flowers and baskets make great presents. Trust me, they look so pretty it's the best thing you could do. Rather than buying something expensive from the store, make something yourself! It adds to the present in an untold way. It goes to show you care about that person that you took time off to make something special for them. I make sure I give a bouquet of origami flowers to my mum on her birthday every year - because what's better than sweet-smelling flowers? Flowers that don't wilt away!

Spencer's 3 Tips

1. Introduce yourself to origami by learning the different types of folds first. If you jump directly to making even the simplest of works, you might get stuck on a simple fold. Some folds have special names like 'mountain' and 'valley' that you need to know the meanings of.

2. Use a specific sized paper for your creations. A box won't do you any good if it's so small you can only fit your pinkie in it, and small flowers don't look good if they're over-sized.

Plus, some of the folds can get difficult if the paper's not the right size. Most instructions tell you the approximate size required.

3. Be patient. Origami takes both time and patience to master. Some of the folds you'll find so incredibly difficult that you'll want to throw the piece of paper away and give up. But don't. You'll master it after a few more tries. (Note: This might take several pieces of paper and a bit of time too. :D)

Alright then, I think I'm going to go and try to fold a Kawasaki rose. It's quite challenging, I've tried quite a few times and I'm yet to accomplish my mission.

As always, read, enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment! Have a great day (or) night, everyone!

Catch you later!

Spencer :)