That Ikea paper tape and a fun use for it.

Long time readers will recall my obsession with the foldable paper photo corners. I did a YouTube “video” (slideshow, really) for folding them way back in 2010.

After I printed on those Ikea paper tape measures, I realized they were perfect for this technique. It only takes a few folds to create a whole row of corners, just ready to snip apart.

They are perfect for lots of things but I think Junk Journalers will be particularly interested. They would make great additions for holding journaling cards, for example. How cute, right?

I am awaiting my new phone being set up and once it is, I may make use of it and have a bash at a video. Don’t hold your breath, but maybe….

An ATC display cube that sort-of works

Long time readers will know I love my origami cubes. The original post of how to make them is here and I did a version with graph paper that I really love here, and a larger one with 12×12 papers here. I am not going to bore you and do a whole tutorial again. The first link has both photos and a video so if you want to make one, start there.

I did an ATC swap as a warm up for the WOYWW anniversary swap and I was wonderng how I might display some ATCs on my desk. I thought the cube might work. This one was folded using A4 size, fairly thin Kraft paper. All of the sides and the hinges were thin paper, but the lining was fairly thick black card.

After adding all the hinges with double-stick tape facing inward and assembling the cube…

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… I took the extra set of adding a thin bead of glue to seal it all securely and reinforce the structure. OK so not traditional origami then but it works well to strengthen the structure.

Then, cause it was a bit plain, I added some decoration in the corners. I tried to make it so the decor didn’t detract from the ATCs themselves. Also, the large corners do obscure a bit of the ATCs – although, as you can see, you can pick and choose which corners to tuck under to hold the ATCs in place

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They are reasonably secure – not if you toss the cube around the room, but certainly sitting on a desk. Maybe next time, no decor? Maybe see if there is a way to make the corners smaller? I think not, because of the mechanics of it, but you never know.

Day 81

ATC holder folder

So I just had to work it out.  And I obviously can’t keep it to myself till next year’s ATC swap, so although this has a WOYWW theme, it is easily adaptable for other sorts of swaps.  I may take the time to work up a printable, more generic version others could use for their own swaps, at some point.

I am loving my monster monitor, btw.

The placement of the printed images was the tricky bit.  This isn’t the final one, as you can see a couple of bits are ever so slightly off perfect placement

That is the outside – an ATC fits that flap pocket.  And likewise the inside:

Room for an ATC or two or even three, and a little pressie of the flat and small kind.  I think it I were using the folder AS an ATC I would stick the ATC back, for all the info, to the outside, so it couldn’t get lost or slip out. But as a folder to hold it, not every pocket HAS to be filled. As for the side openings, you can slip a ribbon right thru from side to side, creating a tie. Or stick it to the inside before you tuck in the corners

Stick the ribbon inside

then tuck in the corners

and tie it closed!

And, yes, I am sorry to say, the text is all too accurate…

It’s a folder, it’s an ATC…it’s and ATC folder!

LOL!  Funny how this one came about.  An email asking about an origami folder.   I think I actually made one of these before but it’s been AGES and I had totally forgotten about it.

One of my followers was working on something that used a variation of this as a base.  She wanted my opinion on one element, which I gave, and I think sorted out the problem she was having. But in order to do that, I had to make one again, to see how it worked. It’s a fairly well-known origami fold, but making it gave me an idea.  I thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to make one that was ATC size, to use as either an actual ATC or as a folder/mailer for an ATC.

The trick is the size of the paper and where to make the folds.

1. Cut your paper to 8 x 10 inches – I was using a sheet of grid paper from a spiral notebook so couldn’t manage 8 inches across

Mine ended up about 7 3/4 inches, but so long as the essential fold falls at 7 inches, it’s fine.  I’ll reference it when it comes up later.

2. Fold in half, top to bottom

3. Open and with the mountain fold up, fold the top edge to the fold, then the bottom edge to the fold, creating a W

4. Open the sheet and crease and fold 1/2 inch down at the top and bottom edge, towards the centre mountain fold.

 5. Fold all four corners in to meet the first fold, like so:

then fold in. Again, the mountain fold is facing you.

6.  Flip over, and score one end at 7 inches.  This is where the width of the paper might make the size of the folded edge differ.

Mine is only 3/4 inch because my sheet couldn’t be 8 inches once I cut off the holes.

 7.  Insert the edge without the fold into the small triangles, like so:

and fold along the centre crease to close and create a 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 folder!

You now have a folder that can BE an ATC, HOLD and ATC, or just be a cute little folder for anything.

ATC inside

two pockets

two more pockets

and two more pockets!

Kinda sorry I have already made most of my ATCs for the WOYWW swap, and they are too thick to fit inside this, but I have another idea to play with that I might keep in my back pocket for another swap sometime….

I’m not mentioning the follower only because she told me what her plan is for her version and she might not want that.  If she wants to, she can comment with a link or more info.

Christmas Card done

My goal was to arrive at a card design that would enable my DD to assist in the process, given her limited physical abilities.  I wanted the ornament to be a part of the design, and fiddled around with a few different methods for hanging it on the card, but in the end the simplest solution was the best one, a small slit in the top edge that would hold the yarn hanger.

I used a number of things that I had on hand and that haven’t seen the light of day in ages.

– plain white untextured card blanks.  I bought them on sale, on a whim, and haven’t used one yet.

– Making Memories magnetic stamps.  They only go up to 2009 for the year stamps, but had all the numbers so I was able to combine the Christmas word and the year on the magnetic holder to stamp as a unit.  I figure DD can stamp them a bit spread out on a shee of white card and I can then punch them so they are centered.

– Hero Arts Christmas words background stamp.  NO idea when I got this but it must be 15 years ago.  Don’t think I have ever used it.

-Kaleidacolor ink pad, variegated greens.  Used this one a lot, but not since I got my Distress inks.

– PM adhesive stones, the little stars that are on there.  I’ve never had a use for the stars (or the hearts for that matter) but this is a good way to use them up! I think I have tow or three that have nothing but the teeny round ones, the stars and the hearts left.

So there you have it.  Simple, cute enough for kids, and basically at no additional cost at all.

If I cut the slit, with help DD can hang the ornament and she can do some of the stamping and sticking as well.  She might manage the background stamp if I set each one up with a stamp positioner but I may have to accept that some of them will be slightly wonky.

It may not be the most elegant of cards, and it’s still so dark and gloomy here not brilliant photography, but it certainly hits all the requirements.  I can even set up a printing press stamp set I have to let DD stamp For Your Tree, from me or something like that, for the inside.  That way she feels part of the process and can say she helped make the cards.  I think she’ll enjoy that.

Now back to tidying up in preparation for ANOTHER visitor for a few days, then blissful peace.

Origami Wreath Ornaments

Just because I don’t send Christmas cards doesn’t mean that I stop the kids from doing them.  DD has quite a small class, maybe 10 people plus 5 more helpers, so I like to do something more than just a store bought card when I have the time.

At some point I thought I might take these little origami stars and turn them into a wreath, but then I thought it would end up with all the other wreaths, and we have, ahem, a few holiday ones, so I went off the idea.  Then I thought of another idea – turning them into DDs holiday cards and turning them into removable ornaments for her classmates.

So I’ve been working on converting them.  Simple enough, just a hole punched, a bit of ribbon or yarn, a center stuck on to make sure they hold their shape and don’t pull apart (since they are interlocked, not stuck together) and that’s it.  I will attach them to plain card blanks with a printed explanation, and that’s it – simple, cute, and fun for the kids (I hope) but if they end up in the bin there is no great expense lost. Some of the plain ones I Cosmic Shimmer-ed, the centres vary a bit, but overall they simply use up stuff I have.  DD loves them and likes the idea of giving them to her mates, so it’s all good.

They aren’t hard to make and there are instructions all over the net for them, but this one is as good as any.

Have fun – they can be any size, but mine are about 3″ x 1.5″and the final wreath is about 3″ across.  Perfect size for adding to a card.

 

Quick and Cute Origami Heart Card

DH – look away now!

While I am surely blowing yet another card surprise, I realize there is little point to waiting to share it till AFTER the day.  Who will remember it for next year?  Although having said that I think it would also make a cute wedding card.  Anyway, here it is:

and open:

You can watch the super-easy instructions here and then watch my under-2-minute video and turn the folded heart into a card.

DH and I share a loathing for paperwork.  We always have a lot to do, and we do it, but like the vast majority of people we don’t really enjoy it.  I thought it might make him smile.  And if he is reading this, I hope he’s smiling now….

love ya sweetie.

 

Origami bookmark

After finishing the card keeper I had lots of scraps of thinnish, single sided patterned paper left.  What to do with it?  Oh, sure, I could make more cards, and will do with some of it, but I remembered making a little origami bookmark for my DS and thought that might be something useful to do with the scraps – and frankly, I don’t need THAT many cards, after my marathon last week!

I’ve deviated from the instructions a bit so have noted where and why.

If you are using double-sided paper (and really, thin is good here – cardstock is too thick, for this many folds) you can skip the folding back – I just didn’t like the white side showing after the tucking-in part:

I added the decorative scallop, but that us also not a requirement.  I just thought it looked nice.

You can add it to either side of the book.  I’ve been reading the Holly Black books (this one is Valiant – a very enjoyable and quick read) so used that to show it in place:

Fast, easy, cute and useful.  Perfect use of scraps!