UME ORIGAMI

Little Peter Cottontail, Hoppin’ Down the Bunny Trail!

Christina — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 22:03:07 +0000

For those that celebrate, Happy Easter! Now that I live across the country from my family and friends, the holidays have gotten a little lonely for me. Phone conversations just cannot replace dying eggs with my younger sister, playing hide and seek around the backyard, and getting together with my extended family to eat good food and sweets! This year, J. and I are going to go get ourselves a ham and make some devilled eggs to “celebrate” in between the reading that I need to do for my meeting tomorrow. It is not nearly as festive, but it is just going to have to do.

When I was a little girl, my mom always looked at the holidays as a time to create. I cannot even count the amount of craft kits she used to bring home for us to make gifts for friends or decorations for the house. Origami decorations are one of my personal favorites and so I folded a few of these bunnies from the water-bomb base to decorate the apartment. The little guy in the photo is about to attack his Easter egg M&M in my front yard. I made a couple to hide near J.’s desk for when he comes home from work as a little surprise!

They are *very* easy to make and here is an online video that outlines the process. This one is a great project to do with the kids to keep them busy if you are anything like my mother!

Happy Easter!

Wordless Wednesday #4

Christina — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:56:16 +0000

Origami TinyTulip by Mαzen from Yemen

Sometimes the best things come in the smallest packages.

Angels for Dillon: Bookmarks for a Cause

Christina — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:24:27 +0000

So a little while ago I was browsing My Craft Corner (a fun crafting community that I frequent) and I came across a forum post soliciting donations for a little boy named Dillon. I have known about Dillon and his big sister (a fellow Etsian named Jennie @ Odeleya ) since I had joined MCC a few months ago. He is a little boy who has undergone an amazing amount of surgeries to try to correct intestinal issues, and despite his handicap, he still brings tons of joy and love to his family. When I saw a thread called “Donate for Dillon,” I really felt that I wanted to do my part as a member of the crafty-community.

I am not made of money and so the one thing I can donate is my creativity and time (the latter which has been in high demand recently!) And so, I created two bookmarks (Dillon & Angelica) whose proceeds will be promptly donated to Dillon through MCC (they are organizing the donation). They are $6 a piece and are 2 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I decided to go with an angel theme since I remember Jennie calling him that one time. If you want to read more about Dillon, you can find information here and here.

Angelica: purple & white marbled washi paper kimono and purple obi, yellow crepe paper hair and, white cardstock wings

Dillon: cerulean blue washi paper kimono and white & purple marbled obi, yellow crepe paper hair and, white cardstock wings

Tutorial: Etsy Mini on WordPress

Christina — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:30:36 +0000

This tutorial still exists! But it has moved over to my new blog due to popularity. Please click here!!!

New Hair Colors for Chiyogami Dolls!

Christina — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:55:09 +0000

Well, everyone… If you have been to our shop recently, you might notice two little dolls who are quite out of the ordinary! Based on some of your feedback, I decided to start adding additional hair colors to our origami dolls. Right now there is only Blonde (Marielle) and Redhead (Sherona), but this will also include our first Brunette as soon as the brown crepe paper gets here… They are both in the hinasama style with chiyogami kimonos. I sat down and thought long and hard about who my buyers were and why they would be interested in our dolls in the first place.

If purchasing for a project, why not have a doll that looks like you? I do not think I will ever have the time to offer personally customizable dolls for everyone, but I want to offer enough of a variety that people do not feel limited by the doll’s appearance. I have no doubt that our traditional black-haired models will continue to dominate both my production and my sales, but options never hurt anyone!

I am currently on the market for different color cardboards for different skin tones. I am really picky about what paper I use and I have yet to find something thick enough and pretty enough to get the job done. I am also playing with wire to try my hand and making little glasses for dolls to wear. Eventually, I want to be able to make a “Christina” doll that looks like me!

If you are interested in buying, you can purchase the dolls on Etsy or on Zibbet.

Wordless Wednesday #3

Christina — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:31:35 +0000

originally uploaded by chlorine lights on Flickr

Watching the world through my window…

Origami Font Fun! Free for Download

Christina — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:21:07 +0000

I was checking out one of my favorite blogs for Origami-themed coolness (Peacefully Folding), and I came across this post featuring Ole Fredrik Ekern‘s origami font called Gami. As someone who loves origami and is also a graphic design enthusiast on the side, I couldn’t help the fact that I was in love. Ekern’s website shows the paper designs prior to the black fontface and I just think it was ingenious! Unfortunately, It does not appear to have a useable version for people like me. So I did a little snooping around the internet for free origami fonts. There aren’t too many available, but I did come across these gems in my search. I think they would look great in a variety of projects! The OrigamiBats in particular would probably complement web banners and what not quite well. Happy font-ing! I hope you find them useful.

Origram by Nunodias

Origami Font by Formfound.com

Origami Font by Flop Design

OrigamiBats by Lauren Ashpole

Wordless Wednesday #2

Christina — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:20:55 +0000

Origami by ~iomaSaty on deviant ART

Feeling a little bit whimsical today… I think iomaSaty says it best in this photograph! More WW?

Happy Anniversary: 7 Years Strong!

Christina — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:35:10 +0000

Although I usually do not share too much of my personal life on here, today is a really special day for me. March 15th, 2010 marks my seventh anniversary with my partner. We met my senior year of highschool and we are still together, going strong (how many people get to say that they are still with their high school sweetheart?) We have survived so many trials and tribulations together including separation when I was studying abroad for one year, a hectic and frustrating move to California, the loss of loved pets (Sunny, Fat Cat R.I.P.), and the adoption of new ones (my girls! – Ame, Sushi, and Miso). Living on the other side of the country can feel alienating, but we have had each other every step of the way which makes it all bearable. And hey… Maybe we have grown to like California just a little (although we would never say it out loud!)

Jon is the patient person behind me when I am grading (or writing) papers, who always finds the time to proofread for me no matter how late I am up writing. He has been my go-to man for shipping packages (and if you have received any origami from me, chances are it got to you on time thanks to Jon!). He has endured living with an apartment covered in paper scraps and abandoned folded creations, and yet always finds the time to go to the craft store with me to buy more. I do not think that I could do what I do without him, either professionally or creatively.

So today is my day to reflect on the past and to think of the future. I cannot believe it has been seven years… It absolutely blows my mind. We have both changed (and aged!), our interests have shifted, and our goals have gotten loftier, but if the next seven are half as good as the last, then I think I can make it without a hitch.

Happy Anniversary, Love.

Future Directions

Christina — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:59:23 +0000

Hi everyone! As my little adventure into Etsy selling becomes mildly successful (42 sales to date!), I have to consider new directions I can take my shop. Although I think my pendants and earrings garner me endless compliments when I sport them, it has become painfully obvious that they are much harder to sell on an online marketplace. I do not know if this is because the jewelry market is so over-saturated, or that the photographs really cannot capture how vibrant and pretty they look in person. On the other hand, I have had a surprising success with my origami dolls! I have been having at least one sale a week (and each “sale” usually consists of more than one doll). I want to introduce diversity in my products to appeal to the largest possible audience. And so, I am putting that decision into your hands.

Please choose one object from the poll below that you would like to see in our Etsy and Zibbet shops! It would really help me get a feel for what direction I should move in.