Feature Etsy Shop: Origami Kou

We watched the movie Megamind over the weekend.  It started off so cheesy it was hilarious!  I recommend watching this with your family.  Like all family movies, there’s the basic moral to the story type messages.

When I searched for Etsy stores to see if there were Megamind themed products, it was a wonderful surprise that an origami artist actually designed a mask based on the main character!  I’ve heard of Jaime Kou the last few months.  His work is based on the preliminary foundations of masks designed by the late Eric Joisel.  I know many of you will wonder about the price point but remember this, it takes many hours to design and then produce this type of origami.  The paper he said he used is elephant hide paper (not made from elephants, it’s a description of the thickness of the paper) and it’s preserved in layers of Carboxymethylcellulose

I hope you enjoy his work of art, and if you do buy it please let me know, I’d love your opinion of it when you see it in person!

Megamind Mask, designed and folded by Jaime Kou

Tutorial: Clothespin Valentine by Brown Paper Packages

This is one of my “meaning to do” craft list.  I have a slight addiction to clothespin crafts.  This tutorial is by Kierste who runs Brown Paper Packages!

Tutorial: Clothespin Valentines

1000 Paper Cranes Mission

Sandy has a personal goal, fold 1000 origami cranes, each with a unique, positive word.  At her leisure, she places them at random places for them to be found, in hopes that someone will find one and if lucky, go to her website.  Please check her out, her mission like a karma pay it forward.  Check her out!

1000 Paper Cranes Mission

I love it when I find out personal projects like these using origami and the primary reason is to spread love out to the world!  I had to look up the word that reflects my personal mission, Happy, which happens to be her first crane.  She left this one in July 2010 at a local library in New Jersey.

Tutorial: Paper Christmas Wreath

Since it’s Christmas time, just surfing to see any great craft ideas.

This wreath is so striking and made from one of my favourite mediums, paper!  This is a tutorial by Lisa Tilse a busy mom, blogger and entrepreneur who runs owns The Red Thread

Her blog is full of tutorials and the few that I did scan through were so beautiful.  I’ll definitely checking more out soon!

Paper Christmas Wreath Tutorial by Lisa Tilse

Bulembu: Handcrafted Wall Art

Bulembu is a small town in Swaziland, South Africa, that was once a vibrant community supported by a local mine.  In 2001, that mining company closed down.  Much of the key infrastructures that supported this community such as hospitals, schools, stores closed or downscaled.  The community fell apart.  This sounds terrible isn’t it?  Well, there are people who cared and wanted to help.  In 2006, a group of developers and entrepreneurs purchased the town with the key intent to restore Bulembu to be again a self sustaining community. 

My company is a funding partner for Bulembu cause, I can’t remember exactly which year, but I think they sponsored this town close to the beginning when the town was purchased.  Over the past few years, we had numerous charity events and donation drives.  My company even give employees the opportunity to go the Bulembu as a volunteer!

This year, the Swazi people wanted to give their thanks.  The Creativity Centre in Bulembu made this handmade advent calendar as a gift!

It was such a pleasant surprise.  The quality of work is beautiful.  I wish you can see it in person. They hand stitched each felt piece; the detail work is amazing.

As beautiful as it was, we didn’t have a place for it.  So, after being displayed for a couple of weeks so everyone had a chance to admire it, we raffled it off and donated 100% of the proceeds back into Bulembu.  

My favourite part are the angels over looking the town.  I didn’t win the raffle, but I wish I did!

 

 

Tutorial: Mini Clothespin Snowmen

 Mini Clothespin Snowmen

Lately I’ve been addicted to clothespins and clothespin crafts and I stumbled upon this cute tutorial by a fellow blogger Eyeballs by Day, Crafts by Night.  Click on the picture or the title to check it out!

I love her pseudo name

The Paper Place: The Katazome Contest

Last year, I missed out on an awesome contest held by The Paper Place called, The Great Origami Giveaway.  I literally found out about that contest one day too late.  It was such a major disappointment, I actually sulked about it for an hour because I love working with Chiyogami paper.  This year, The Paper Place is hosting a new give-a-way this season The Great Katazome Giveaway – 12 Days in December

The prize this year is one sample sheet  each of all 169 patterns of Katazome paper.  Of course I entered in hopes to win.  I’ve never worked with Katazome paper before but I know they are sturdier so it would open many new opportunities of creativity.  I’m already thinking of potential projects if I win!  The designs are so beautiful. 

If you haven’t heard of The Paper Place, check them out!  It’s a Canadian based store based out of Ontario, Canada.  They have such variety of paper and designs on their online store.  One day I’ll be visiting the East Coast and definitely be visiting.