Yoshizawa Butterfly

Very pretty butterflies!  Loved this butterfly model, which can be found here: http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-yoshizawa-butterfly.html

Butterflies. 11.30.2016

Folding this butterfly model was like a light bulb turning on in my head.  This was mostly due to the very good instructions online.  Here is what I learned:

1.  Origami models are frequently built from bases.
2. The butterfly model uses the waterbomb base.
3. Squish folds are like ways of rounding the model.
4. There are two squish folds in this butterfly body which lift the model and animate it.
5. I fold better in the morning than at night!

Grasshopper

If you had three guesses and did not see the title of this blog – what would you guess this fold is?  A bird?  A plane? No, it is a grasshopper. Do you think it at least resembles one?

Grasshopper. 11.29.2016

This design was on YouTube for kids:  “How to fold an Origami Grasshopper” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OI_isfuCKw

Yet, I still managed to mess it up…uneven folds and way too many creases as I unfolded and refolded.  I suppose I am tired at night so my folds don’t come out as well as in the mornings.

Cicada

Another wonderfully easy model to fold today.  This is a cicada.  It’s great that so many free designs are posted on the web.  I found this traditional design on the website: http://www.origami-resource-center.com/origami-cicada.html.  There are a lot of other easy or intermediate animal designs listed as well.

Cicada. 11.28.2016

Perhaps next month, I should challenge myself to fold animals – of course, the easy ones and maybe a few of the intermediate level folds.

Yesterday, WordPress sent me a link to Blogging University https://dailypost.wordpress.com/blogging-university/.  This was a fascinating site and had lots of courses along with free ebooks.  I enrolled in the basic blogging course “Blogging: Fundamentals” – a 14-day course and have already completed the first assignment which was to start my blog.  I wish I had enrolled immediately after creating Myfolds as I stumbled around a lot when I started this blog.

Star Box

Today, I had an epiphany as I struggled with this Star Box design.  If the folding directions are not clear, find other directions for the design somewhere else and keep going!

My book, “Traditional Japanese Origami,” had simple directions for the Star Box but I just did not understand the instructions.  In particular, it was the squashing of the folds.  So after one hour of struggling with the red square paper, I googled “Star Box Origami” and found the website “Origami Way”: http://www.origamiway.com/origami-star-box.shtml.

But again, I struggled with comprehending the “Origami Way” steps to fold the Star Box.  Why was I so daft that I couldn’t understand the instructions? Ok, I resolved to google the design one last time and found the YouTube video: How to Make an Origami Star Box https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjviEp1UQZw

Within minutes of watching the video, I had folded the red square of paper into a Star Box!  Then, I folded a blue Star Box.  Slowing down the video to half speed and turning off the sound reduced the stress of folding considerably and I folded a green Star Box successfully.

Star Boxes. 11.27.2016

Rabbits

This rabbit fold was so easy I completed a brown and white rabbit in no time whatsoever.

Rabbits 11.26.2016

Wish all Origami designs came to me this easily.  Practice, practice, practice.

Pochi Bukuro 1

I discovered a terrific website called the Origami Club with all types of  gorgeous shapes.  http://en.origami-club.com/index.html   Of course I was overly ambitious when I saw the beautiful designs and tried to fold a frog!  Ha…after one hour of massive failures in folding, I realized that this design was at the advanced level so tried to fold a box.  The box was at the neutral level and I was unable to do that fold..giving up a half hour later.

Determined to succeed folding a simple design, I opted for the easy level “Pochi Bukuro 1 (aka. A Congratulatory gift of money 2)”  http://en.origami-club.com/traditional/pochi2/index.html

Tough step #11

Pen helps hold the form

Finally a finished product!

Various fold attemps

It took me two hours to figure out how to get past the last step #11.  In this step, you had to fold one side inwards, creasing the other edges to get the desired shape.  Four attempts later, I ended up using a pen to slide the edge inward and hold the folds down as I pressed the pink paper  – more or less – into the final lopsided form.  What a challenge!  I guess I will stick with the “easy level” designs for a while!

Water Balloons

What fun this was!  I folded these two water balloons this morning.  This simple design for “Inflatable Origami Water Balloons” is on the Internet. There was even a video.  http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-water-balloon.html

The online instructions were quite good – though sometimes, it was assumed you knew to turn the design over before folding each of the corners upwards.

Water Balloons 11.24.2016

Then as instructed, I blew air into both finished designs then filled one balloon with water – perhaps too much because it fell apart.  So, I filled the second balloon with just a little water and it indeed became a water balloon for a few minutes before the paper began to dissolve.  This would be great for kids to learn and just at my folding level.

 

Flapping Bird

The folds in this Flapping Bird design were tricky.  At step 5, you had to turn folds inside.  This was the confusing step.  I think it would help if the instructions were clearer.  Anyway, here is a picture of the bird.

Flapping Bird 11.21.2016

Sumo

Hurrah…I actually finished a simple fold today.  This one is so cute.  It is called Sumo and really resembles a Sumo wrestler.

Sumo 11.20.2016

Feet askance and powerful arms outspread, the folded paper looks like it could throw you right out of the ring!  The pink paper with gold swirls is such a contrast to the Sumo form.

Rose Folding Disasters

Today, my folding was disastrous.  A simple rose…or so touted the tutorials on YouTube.  I tried my best but could not make anything rose-like.

After 1 hour, I gave up with a headache.  Here is the product of my folding disasters.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Rose Folding Disasters 11.20.2016