Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 5

Hello! As always, bunnigami is just slightly late... whoops! This time, you can learn how to make a crane. This is perhaps the most widely-recognised origami model, and there is a tradition in Japan that if you make a thousand cranes, you will be granted a wish.

You will need to know how to make the preliminary base first; this is covered in the instructions on how to make the waterbomb.

Click on the two pictures below to make them larger.

Now you've made one crane, you only have another 999 to make until your wish can be granted...

Good luck and happy folding!

Joey x

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 4

Oh whoops! A bit late again I'm afraid, I was very busy yesterday! Lame excuse... Here's what I'm making at the moment, bunny pouches embroidered with my bunny drawings. This is the first one:

Here is the next part of the bunnigami series, a waterbomb this time. Click on the pictures to get a bigger and clearer view of the text.

Good luck with the waterbomb, I hope you enjoy making it!

Best wishes

Joey x

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 3

If you've been following this series, you'll have noticed that I'm a couple of days late this posting part 3. Whoops, sorry! I don't know what happened actually. I think I was cooking lentil dhal when I usually remember...

Anyway, here is the latest part, this time you can make a masu box. This is a traditional Japanese model which is meant to resemble a square wooden box which was originally used to measure rice, and later used to drink sake (rice wine) from. I don't recommend using yours to drink wine from though!

You may need to click on the image of the instructions above to get a clearer view. If you get stuck, just leave a comment below.

You can use any sort of paper, but it needs to be precisely square. If you want to make a small box, you will need to use lightweight paper, like cheap printer paper or cheap wrapping paper. If you want to make a very large box, you will find that it holds its shape better if you use thick paper like sugar paper (contruction paper in the US) or even wallpaper.

Have fun!
Joey x

Next Thurs 16th July: a waterbomb!

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 2

Here's the second part of my origami instructions with bunnies! This week there are two pictures; the first are diagrams of origami symbols which are commonly used in origami books written in different languages, the second is the first model you can make: a paper cup!

I hope you enjoy them! :D

Next Thursday: a masu box! Please come back next week...

Joey x

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 1

Hi!

I've finally got around to posting the first of a series of origami instructions which i've drawn by hand and illustrated with bunnies. Well, what else? If you've been to my Etsy shop, you'll know by now that I have a bit of bunny fixation. :)

I'm going to be putting a new set of instructions here every Thursday, so make a note in your diaries if you'd like to join in the origami fun! Follow me on Twitter if you need a reminder! http://twitter.com/joeysdreamgardn

Joey xx

Sunset Fireworks Bag

orange bag in garden, originally uploaded by Joey 7.

You know that fabric I bought from the Extra Care charity shop in Hillsborough the other week? Well, I finished the first bag made with it about a week ago. It took me about 15 hours to make in all! I really love this stripey orange fabric, it's so sunshiney and bright and also reminds me of my bedroom when I was about 4 years old. My eldest sister (who is 16 years older than me) had just decorated it as she wanted - completely in a deep, rich orange; and then promptly got married and left home! Not that it was a sudden event because it wasn't, it was a very well prepared event for which I was bridesmaid for the first time, and loved every minute of it. But this meant that I got to have her bedroom - orange walls, orange sink with an orange tiled surround, orange floral curtains (very 70s design in some very nasty synthetic fabric!), and I think the carpet might have been orange and brown, but I may have been making that bit up. I loved her bedroom before it became mine, chiefly because she liked cooking and had under her bed, a couple of shoeboxes of pictures of different food which she'd cut from magazines. These were very lovely, and I wasn't meant to touch them. Anyway, I think this may be one reason why I love the colour orange so much.

You can also tell from this bag that I love buttons and embroidery! I really enjoy the repetition of embroidery, there's something meditative about it, it concentrates your mind but also lets you think of other things whilst you're doing it. I feel so relaxed when i'm embroidering.

Do you love this bag? See the listing for it on my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26329582
My goodness, i'm doing an origami workshop at the Sheffield Pride festival a week today. Naturally, i'm a little apprehensive, mostly that people won't turn up, and i'll be making origami all by myself!! I've spent hours cutting and sticking some nice yellow wallpaper to make squares of paper large enough for hats which will fit adult heads! When I get started on something, I always think it'll take just an hour or so, but that hour turns into 4 or 5 hours... Well, you live and learn. Anyway, if you will be in Sheffield next Saturday (20 June), please pop over to Endcliffe Park off Ecclesall Road at 3:30 p.m. and come and join in the paperfolding fun!

A few friends who came to my 'test' workshop a few weeks ago did blog posts about it:
Janine's blog: http://dilystreacle.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/origami-not-with-ziggy-with-joey/

Louise's blog: http://louisebroomhead.blogspot.com/2009/05/joeys-origami-workshop.html

Julia's blog: http://handknittedthings.blogspot.com/2009/05/test-workshop-origami.html

Thank you again everyone! :D
Joey xx