A Mini-Series of Gratitude Posts
November 19, 2012
This is Thanksgiving week, and my thoughts naturally turn toward prayers of gratitude. I’d like to devote my blog posts this week to the theme of gratitude.
I did a similar series of gratitude posts in my first year of blogging, culminating with our Thanksgiving feast. If you are interested, you can re-visit them here:
- Lessons in gratitude # 1
- Lessons in gratitude # 2
- Lessons in gratitude # 3
- Lessons in gratitude # 4
- Lessons in gratitude # 5
- Lessons in gratitude # 6
- Lessons in gratitude # 7
- Lessons in gratitude # 8
The older I get, the more aware I am that each day is a gift. My gift of days is finite. It is up to me to use this gift well.
Evening
by G. K. Chesterton
Here dies another day
During which I have had eyes, ears, hands
And the great world round me;
And with tomorrow begins another.
Why am I allowed two?
Clouds of Cut-Paper
April 25, 2012
The University of Washington is 150 years old and it celebrated last weekend with Husky Fest. I stopped by the big tent on Red Square, a temporary pavilion and Husky Fest central, to see the cut-paper installations by Seattle artist Celeste Cooning. I like paper crafts of all kinds, but Cooning’s “Honeycomb Clouds” took this type of art to a new level. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for new works by this local artist.
You can see more of Celeste Cooning’s work on her website.
Valentine Papercrafts: DIY Hearts
February 2, 2011
I remember making these woven paper hearts years ago, and I found the instructions here: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/Heartbasket.shtml. I made half a dozen hearts so that I could string them together and hang them in my kitchen window. They are constructed in such a way that each heart forms a pocket, so instead of stringing them, you could use them as little heart baskets.
I made another hanging heart ornament by adapting the instructions for my star ornament (see https://rosemarywashington.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/christmas-papercraft-3-diy-paper-star-ornament/) and cutting heart-shaped pieces instead. This was a project originally inspired by a tutorial on the Craftynest blog (http://www.craftynest.com/).
Winter Papercraft: Snowballs
January 7, 2011
I remember making these paper snowballs when I was a kid. They would make a nice ornament for the Christmas tree.
One of the secrets to successful papercrafts that even an adult can find pleasing is to make multiples of an item. Whether the same size or graduated sizes, multiples can be strung into garlands or displayed in other ways. Repeated patterns make their own visual beauty, I think.
Here are instructions for making paper snowballs:
Trace twenty circles on pretty paper. I used a page from an old art book.
Cut out the circles as carefully as you can.
Fold flaps on each circle so that the remaining flat surface is an equilateral triangle. (I trace a triangle on each circle so that I can use the pencil markings as a folding guide.)
Glue five triangular pieces together into a circle. Repeat. These will become the top and bottom of the finished ball. Now fill in a band around the middle, always creating circles of five pieces, to shape into a sphere.
Make several more snowballs in varying sizes to make an interesting winter display.
Window Dressing with Papercraft
January 5, 2011
I volunteered to do the January display at the Greenwood Branch Library, so I chose to feature books about papercraft. There are so many good books on the subject. I didn’t have room to feature even a fraction. Here are some close-up shots of parts of the display:
Christmas Papercraft 4: DIY Snowflake Garland
December 24, 2010
It’s been a few years since I’ve taken scissors to white paper to cut out snowflakes. I love how each snowflake is unique, just like real ones! This year I went an extra step and sewed the paper snowflakes into garlands. I made short garlands, each string with three or four snowflakes. But you could easily sew them into one long garland for a Christmas tree decoration.
I simply sewed each snowflake down an imaginary center line and left about two inches of thread between snowflakes.
I tied a bead to the bottom of each of my garlands so that they would hang down nicely.
I used the finished garland to make a snowflake “valance” in my kitchen window.
Dreaming of a white Christmas. . .
Christmas Papercraft 2: DIY Folded Star Book
December 21, 2010
Many years ago I ordered one of these tiny star books from Chinaberry Books (www.chinaberry.com), and after looking closely at its construction, I decided I could figure out how to make them myself. These tiny treasures (about 2 inches square) are made out of folded paper, origami-style, and when opened with their covers back-to-back, look like a five-pointed star. They make delightful stocking stuffers or Christmas ornaments. Or you can use them as miniature blank books.
Here is how you make a folded star book:
First, cut five paper squares, 4 x 4 inches. Then fold each one in half lengthwise and again in half crosswise. Now each square has four quadrants. Next fold each square diagonally corner to corner. (You’ll have just one diagonal fold line on each square of paper.)
Each 4 x 4-inch square now needs to be folded in on itself by reverse-folding along the diagonals to the center. You’ll end up with a 2 x 2-inch folded square. (Look at the photo and try to replicate the pictures.)
The five folded squares will be joined by gluing together, outside square matching outside square. You’ll want the center points to match up so that you can see that unfolding will make a star. Don’t glue together into a circle! Keep the last two outside squares unglued.
Next you make two covers. Cut heavy paper or cardboard into two 2-1/4 x 2-1/4-inch squares. Then find some pretty paper for your covers, and glue them to the cardboard.
Brush the inside of each cover with glue. Then lay a ribbon across the two covers diagonally as pictured.
Now you are ready to glue the covers to the assembled pages. The center folded points should line up where the two covers meet so that the finished book can open like a star.
You can now tie the finished book closed with the ribbon.
Or, you can tie the little book open and hang it up as an ornament.
Enjoy!