Wordless Wednesday #12 (Chiyogami Paper Stash)

I am a paper hoarder.  Yes, you heard me right.  I like to collect gorgeous prints, but then I hate using them for projects since it means that they will no longer exist in their original form.  I always have this unsupported fear of screwing up a project and wasting this pretty (and expensive) paper.  Sometimes, I wish I could forgo creating at all in order to plaster the walls of my apartment in chiyogami prints!  (Even though J. might have a few objections about that...)

I decided to show off some of my stash since I had some questions about prints that I own, but are unavailable in the shop at the moment.  These are all being used in an upcoming series of dolls and bookmarks that I hope to finish next week.  The colors remind me of a tropical island.

Aruba, Jamaica, ooo I wanna take you to Bermuda, Bahama, Come on pretty mama!  Okay, enough of that...  Happy Wordless Wednesday everyone!

The Sushi Experiment

I have been working diligently on a series of paper Japanese food and I wanted to unveil my latest creation: paper maki sushi!  My prototype was a complete failure, but after fiddling around with the process, I have found a design that I absolutely adore.

This is my first "set," but I plan on making salmon, tuna + avocado, salmon + avocado, and kappa maki (cucumber).  Along the way, I have also devised a way to make cute nigiri-zushi (the kind with the fish on top) out of a modified origami waterbomb base.  Very cool.  When J. came home and saw them, he was shocked at how real they looked from afar and the two of us craved sushi the entire night.

My goal is to make all kinds of goodies that I can put into a little food container with paper wasabi and ginger.  I think it would be a fun gift for any lover of Japanese food or a fun decoration for your coffee table.  But I am really torn over pricing paper foods...

Anyhow, I probably will not have any ready for sale until the summer since my "real life" obligations are piled high for the next two weeks... (although I would much rather be playing at paper chef!!)  In the meantime, I would love your feedback on these (+/- comments are okay).  Before I start going too deep into this paper restaurant adventure, I want to make sure that people are actually open to the idea!

My Love Affair with Paper

There is something that I need to get off my chest.  I have a love affair with paper.  (But shhh!  Don't tell my boyfriend!)  

I am sure you have all been aware of the "signs."  Missing money from my paycheck, tons of unopened packs of paper I picked up on my travels due to the "cool design" factor, and tons of paper how-to books that I have barely cracked open.  I like to use my paper in creative projects but another part of me simply wants to hoard all of the pretty designs and interesting textures all to myself!  So the other day when I was standing in line at the store with a shopping basket full of the stuff, I had to stop myself and ask:  When did this crazy love affair start?

I have been folding origami since the second grade, but I really do not think my "affair" started then.  My six year-old self was quite content using white printer paper and cutting them down to size for paper cranes and origami fortune tellers (despite the fact that it dried my hands out!)  Although I have always loved "origami," I was more concerned with the "ori" 折り or folding than I was with the "gami" 紙 or paper.  So when our relationship change into something more serious?

I did some soul searching and I think I have found the answer.  When I was in elementary school, I found a penpal in Australia.  It was a partnership that was organized by my local library who tried to pair us up with other children around the globe.  My partner's name was Hailey and I wish I had kept in touch.  After a few years, our teenage selves got busier and busier and we had less time for letter writing.  But during this whole penpal process, I started to amass *A LOT* of stationary.  Everywhere I went, I would pick up interesting papers for my penpals.  A lot of it made the international trip, but there were some sheets of paper that were so beautiful that I could not find the heart to part with it.  If I return to my old bedroom in my parent's house, I am sure that I will find a little tub full of my prized paper possessions.  

My collection grew bigger and expanded to include stickers and envelopes.  When I went to college, my paper went with me where I corresponded with family and friends the "snail mail" route.  I figured that if I mailed out letters, then people would send me some in return which would give me small surprises to look forward to in my mailbox!  I continued to write to people and collect paper when I lived in Japan and I had a sufficient stash when I had finally retuned to the U.S.  

Nowadays, my paper is organized into little plastic units based on type and color.  When I opened my shop, I started to "keep stock" so I could recreate particular dolls and patterns.  I am amazed that this love affair with paper all started with a single letter to another little girl across the globe!  I wonder if she remembers me and has a fondness for paper in the same way I do?

What is your "love affair"?

New Product: Paper Doll Magnetic Bookmarks

I absolutely adore those little paperclip bookmarks that I have seen all over Etsy.  However, the reason why I don't actually use paperclip bookmarks is that they usually leave indents on my pages.  As an academic, I really treasure my books and I needed something that would not harm them.  

So I have taken the best part of the paperclip bookmark (the little bulbous part that sticks out of your book) and replicated it with paper and magnets.  The result?  These little magnetic bookmark dolls.  

Their bodies fold around the page with a magnet on each side to make sure your doll won't go anywhere when marking your page.  You know it is on secure when you feel the little magnetic "click"!  I am having a blast making these.  The are only 1/2 inch thick at the body and I have been using strips of chiyogami and washi paper to decorate them in the same way that I would an actual doll--obi, butterfly and all!  The hair is made from crepe paper.  I have not treated the paper with any varnish because it would warp the paper and take away from the appearance of the paper.  However, as long as they don't go swimming in the rain, these bookmarks should hold up nicely.  I have been using one in my book for the past week and she looks great.

I know not everyone is a fan of dolls, but love the appearance of chiyogami paper, so I have also made some "faceless" bookmarks to list.  Both types are coming in a variety of colors and be sure to keep your eye open for them in our Zibbet and Etsy shops!

Paper Flower from Helen Croft's Scrap-a-Little!

Most of my projects require very specific sizes of paper, and as a result, I have a whole box of paper scraps sitting in my living room... So in order to remedy my scrap paper problem I stumbled around for a tutorial for paper flowers and came across Helen Croft's Scrap a Little blog and this paper flower tutorial! What I love so much about this tutorial is that it combines a little bit of craftiness and a little bit of folding -- the perfect combination for Japanese chiyogami paper! And it is easy for people like me to understand which is always a definite plus in my book.

So this is what I came up with! I did not have any cute buttons to glue on top, so I tried to make a little flower center with hot glue, seed beeds, and wire. I made the clear and purple part first by threading beads onto the wire, and then made a little mound of hot glue on top to which I sprinkled the seed beeds. I think it looks pretty cute and gives a different texture to the center. You can get a better idea by looking at the close-up photo below.

I think this would look awesome on top of packages or for use in any scrapbook that doesn't mind a little extra volume on the page. I could also see it being used in some kind of paper sculpture or card!

I am excited to some her other flower tutorials to get rid of this ever-growing pile!