What gentle art to confine / By plane of paper -- folded line

What magic here to capture me / In infinite variety.

About Origami

The word "ORIGAMI" (おりがみ) derives from the Japanese verb "to fold" (折る) and the noun for "paper" (紙). This traditional art began in 17th century Japan and spread to global popularity by the mid-1900s. Origami involves folding and sculpting a sheet of square paper into various representations. Origami is so simple and yet the message is so powerful.  

The paper dolls featured here are not "true" origami in that they use multiple pieces of paper in various shapes, along with glue and cardboard. These dolls are often called "shiori ningyo" (しおり人形) or "bookmark dolls" for their flat shape. Although there are three styles shown here, Ume Origami can create all kinds of dolls upon request.

About the Crafter

Like many American children, Christina folded her first origami paper crane in second grade after reading the story of Sadako for a class assignment. A story of hibakusha suffering, Sadako's story has urged peace and understanding from the perspective of those on the ground during the atomic bombings.

Christina attended a program in Hiroshima and the stories she heard and the people she met had a profound effect on her. She started brainstorming how she could contribute to the project of peace.  So in her spare time, she began to fold little cranes.  Slowly but surely, this led to a passion for papercrafts and the inception of Ume Origami.