The Prettiest Galaxy I Ever Did See

I came across this fun tutorial for origami stars from bloomize the other day. I love the idea of getting lost in a pretty pastel galaxy, especially when one has to contend with dreary winter weather outside. Why not make your interior world whatever you want it to be?

New Books

On Saturday, we went to the closing sale at Border's. The place had been pretty well rummaged through, but I did manage to find a few treasures hiding in the stacks.

I bought this book by fellow Etsy seller Emily Martin of The Black Apple with the intention of giving it to my niece, but it's so cute I might just keep it for myself!

It's filled with lots of quirky characters,

outfits and accessories,

and colorful scenes in which to put them.

This beautiful book on Van Gogh was truly a steal. It explores his entire life and works, some of which I'd never seen before.

That color! I wish I could climb inside these paintings.

Last but not least, I couldn't walk away without this fun origami book.

 It comes with a cute pack of origami paper and instructions to make lots of animals I've never tried before.

Have you found any good art or craft books lately? The last thing I really need is more books, but I have a weakness and am always on the lookout for recommendations!

In the Fold

I love all the origami-inspired items I've been spying on Etsy lately. Here are a few recent favorites:

(Bear origami pin by hugaporcupine)

(Wooden geometric candlestick holders by Revisions)

(The Miriam Pendant by larkendesign)

(Origami throw pillow by leonandcoco)

Roman Diaz

I came across these amazing little creatures by Roman Diaz when I was browsing flickr. I did some digging and found that he's actually authored two origami books, Origami Essence and Origami for Interpreters. I read an interview about him, and my Spanish is not great, but I think it said he was a veterinarian in Montevideo, Uruguay and had been designing and making his own origami animals since age 10 or 11. No doubt his scientific knowledge of animals helps his origami. I think he is incredibly gifted!











Click here to see more images of Diaz's origami.

Look up, if you like me.

I was feeling a bit under the weather last weekend, so I made some paper animals to cheer myself up.

Some fun mail arrived to distract me briefly from my misery, including a letter from an old friend in California. She always makes her own envelopes out of recyled magazines or paper. Pretty.

My boyfriend was nice enough to walk to the store to get essentials, like chocolate and kleenex, and then we watched lots of bad television and Netflix. I'm now addicted to the British show Skins, though I'm not proud of it. On a related note, I can't see how the American version (debuting soon on MTV) will be anything less than horrible, which means it will probably be a huge hit - haha.

New from Studio Cochae

I just noticed that several new origami books by Studio Cochae will arrive in stores on December 1st here in the US. For those of you unfamiliar with their work, Studio Cochae is an origami graphics group based out of Tokyo. Their products are creative, well-designed, and lots of fun.

Summer's Over, But This Little Guy Is Hanging Around

I've held on to this catalog cover since the summer of 2002 because I love to look at this little grasshopper. He's been on my inspiration board for years. I guess I'm attracted to this image for the same reason I love to look at origami; all those intricate folds and patterns can be fascinating. And of course, I appreciate the attention to detail and the tactile handmade quality. Also, from a marketing standpoint, what better way to introduce a summer catalog than a grasshopper made out of blades of grass (or more likely, palm leaves)? I found a tutorial on how to make a similar grasshopper out of palm leaves if anyone wants to give it a try.