Holidays Origami - Japanese Brocade and Pop up Flower

This holiday season, the weather has been lousy - stormy, cold and gray - so my children and I holed up inside the house; the kids play computer games, read or draw their comics, surf the net and watch movies. I, on the other hand, watch some old movies and learned how to fold a Japanese brocade and a pop-up flower.





This book, Practical Origami, by Rick Beech, was a gift from one of the North branch's patrons, and this is the first time I tried the Japanese brocade from the book. The instructions are easy to follow, when you glue each separate piece together (there are six pieces) you'll get a cube, and the final product looks like an intricate button. The above picture shows all the brocades/earrings that I made in two days.



The pop-up flower is another fold that I tried from the same book. For this fold, I used the 2006 calendar pages that my friend, Kathy S. from BPL's Technical Services, sent me (Thanks Kathy). I also used the Oxbow Art School accordion-brochure that my son, Bao, brought home from school for my pop up flowers.





These are viewed from the bird's-eye view - the accordion card is on its spines, front and back with my pop-up flowers in the middle.





Please click on any image to enlarge.


These are viewed when the accordion is right side up also from front and back. I would like to dedicate this fold and the accordion-book to a faraway friend, Bonnie M., an artist who likes books, travel and pho. Please check out her blog www.bonniemclaughlin.com to view some of her beautiful artwork and travel pictures. I would love to send you a pair of brocade earrings if I know where you are Bonnie. Happy holidays to you, kiddo, wherever you are!



I still have your picture, Bonnie, on your last day with BPL's Technical Services Department. I said that I will miss your quiet and gentle manner, and I really meant it.