quilled congratulations card

     I felt truly honoured when I was requested to make cards to write the names of the winning schools to be read out by the chief guest  at the award ceremony of our inter school competition. The cards were given to the winning schools along with the trophy.
     I added the sentiment first and then quilled around it. Nothing like elegant scrolls to fill up a card quickly. It is just coincidence that this card has all the colours in our flag.
     As usual Akhil has a speech ready that he will be giving today morning at the flag hoisting ceremony at our library for our 65th independence day.  .

   Linking this card to For the joy of crafting  CAS card

                                  Itsy bitsy Tri-colour (Saffron,white and green)

     These Kusudamas are so special to me . My son Akhil folded them. I wanted to make some flowers for the center of the kolam for the final day, but then I had to go away for a couple of days and did not find time.I enlisted Akhil's help , I cut the squares , he looked up for the tutorial on the internet and  folded them .,I must say I am overjoyed , he folds so neatly and so quickly, It's so nice when our kids enjoy the same things that we do.

Thanks for stopping by, Happy independence day.

Quilling for Navarathri Golu

          Still in  Navarathri Golu mood. I wanted to share some papercrafts I made for our library's golu. The quilled lamps are but 6mm in diameter , I rolled scrap book paper for the lamps and quilling paper for the flame . All the kind ladies there were so delighted with it . The scene depicts a festival where lamps are lit and placed on leaves and are let afloat on water. The water itself I made from hand made paper.

            This is not a real shirt but a tiny origami shirt less than two inches in length.I made the shirt with pattern paper for a scene  where new clothes are gifted to newly weds. I found the tutorial on you tube.

          This is a miniature Mulaipari( During festivals seeds of nine grains are let to sprout in a vessel in the dark) and then the vessels are carried on the head in a procession . This is done as a worship for rain and fertility.

            My part of this year Golu  is the story of birth of river Cauvery. Me and my friend completed the steps with scenes which tells the story. This is the main scene where Cauvery starts flowing.I made the mount with themocol and then painted with acrylic paints and then for the water I used handmade paper crushed and folded with the help of water and glue. 
        According to the story the sage is carrying a divine girl after transforming her into water in a small vessel. But when he is meditating in the forest with the vessel beside him a crow(which is lord Ganesha in the form of a crow) knocks the vessel over and she flows down as the river Cauvery.
  
       Since I started working for our library's golu I have learnt a lot of mythological stories. We have a senior member who is so knowledgeable about these stories she also researches them thoroughly . She suggests the topic , tells us the stories and then guides us through . I am really fascinated by these stories and love working for the golu.


       Thanks for stopping by , have a happy navarathri.


 Linking this this Take a quill pill secret sponsor challenge  -celebration.      

inspired by Navarathri

        For this Navarathri Golu I made  two golden lotuses , I made a miniature Madurai temple pond which has a golden lotus at the center. This card is inspired by that lotus and the golden stars are all punched from the paper I have used to make the lotus. I have also used the ribbon we used in our golu. 

     The pattern in the card made with combing technique is inspired by the lotus.I have made a pair of ear rings which goes with the card which will make a nice gift as well.This time it is inspire and create at craftyJC . Right now I can't think of anything but Navarathri and my card is inspired by all the glitters of Navarathri festival.


      Thanks for stopping by, happy Navarathri.


     

origami-heart

Couldn't resist this heart.easy instructions.

For the joy of folding paper.

origami-cherry blossom kusudama

CHERRY BLOSSOM KUSUDAMA

origami-star

ORIGAMI STAR.

box

This is an ideal way to recycle old greeting cards or wedding cards.

Both the boxes are made from square sheets with the square to make the inner box slightly smaller than the sheet to make the outer box ,so that it fits.

I have taught this box to summer class students and also to lot of my students I have made a lot of these boxes over the years to box small gifts for my friends.

To make this box, take two square pieces of paper the paper for the outer box should be slightly bigger than the inner one. I have used an old wedding card ,I have made sure that the picture is at the center of the paper.



Turn the paper around and find the center .

Fold one edge of the square to touch the center.

Fold again the folded part as shown below.

Unfold ,

Repeat on all four sides,

You can see a triangle on each edge of the square.Now make a cut starting from the base of the triangle
until you reach the large square in the center(where I have marked ) on two opposite sides.

Fold the uncut edges along the folds that we have made earlier in such a way that the triangle lies flat on the square in the middle , Stick the triangles with glue to hold it in place.

Now fold the cut edges over as shown.

Stick the triangles of the cut edges too on the square at the center.

The picture is at the center of the box. This will be the outer box. Now repeat the same procedure for the inner box . 

origami-lotus

The lotus looks so beautiful and the picture looks perfect. Here's a neat tutorial for the origami lotus.

origami-ring

This I have made taking papers from a magazine.
I first saw this ring in folding trees and then found this tutorial there.

http://paperunlimited.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/modular-origami-rings-by-mette-pederson/

Origami-kusudama

Christmas time and back home, I though I will surprise my mother by decorating her home.

Being so proud of my own kusudama at home, I wanted to make one for her.Before I left Chennai

I had cut papers of 12cm squares and I thought I had 60 squares for 60 petals , but once I started to make the flowers I found at least 12 short in each colour( orange and blue) so I cut up some magazine covers and wrapping paper to make the rest of the flowers.

It looked good hanging from the ceiling .Detailed tutorial is available here-http://foldingtrees.com/2008/11/kusudama-tutorial-part-1/