Search Results for: blog sticky note origami david mitchell

The Lost Art of Towel Origami – Alison Jenkins

When my husband I went to Mexico last fall, I was charmed by the view, the ocean, and the towels. Every day our towels were twisted and folded into different creatures. I’d never seen anyone do that with a towel before. I found it very whimsical and fun. Last week I spotted The Lost Art of Towel Origami in the bookstore. This book by Alison Jenkins gives instructions for all sorts of fun folded towel projects: fans, windmills, sky scrapers, palm trees, lotus flowers, hearts, lady bugs, angel fish, a birthday cake, a gift basket, a lady bug, a monkey, … Continue reading →

Sticky Note Origami – David Mitchell

I love sticky notes. I have a collection of different sizes, shapes, and colors. I never thought about folding them though, until I saw Sticky Note Origami: 25 Designs to Make at Your Desk. Origami has ancient roots, but using sticky notes to fold into different shapes is very new. The projects in this book utilize the sticky portion to allow for attaching the origami design to walls or computers or to attach the notes to one another to create larger designs. You won’t need special products, the designs use the three most common sizes of sticky notes. The book … Continue reading →

Fun With Flip books

Flip books are a fun project that a lot of kids haven’t seen. Flip books even teach a little about animation and perception. They do take time and patience to complete, but aren’t messy, and don’t need many supplies. A flip book is simply pages with a series of drawings. Each drawing is changed incrementally, so that when the pages are flipped it looks as if the drawing is moving. What happens is that the image your eye sees stays in your perception a fraction of time longer than the actual picture does. This is called “persistence of vision”. Because … Continue reading →

How To Make Pop-Ups – Joan Irvine

How To Make Pop-Ups by Joan Irvine is one of those craft reference books that I can’t imagine not having. This book not only a great introduction to making pop-ups, it has lots of ideas pop-up fans can build upon to make complicated projects. I’m always amazed how a simple cut and a bit of glue can turn paper into moving, three-dimensional cards. The book begins with easy explanations on folding and scoring. Detailed illustrations accompany directions. Some of the projects use an X-acto knife for cutting in the center of the page. Most of the projects can be done … Continue reading →

Window Stars

Have you seen window stars made from translucent colored papers? I’ve wanted to try them for years now. The stars look old-fashioned and like modern art at the same time. I love how they glow in the sunlight. I had visions of covering our windows with them. I even thought they’d look pretty on the tree. So I ordered a book and some transparency paper, also known as kite-paper. It comes in about eight different colors. You can also use tissue paper which comes in many different colors. Some tissue paper even has glitter embedded in the paper. Be aware … Continue reading →

Snowflakes For All Seaons – Cindy Higham

Snowflakes For All Seasons by Cindy Higham takes an old idea and makes it exciting again. Remember folding paper and cutting out shapes, then unfolding the paper to reveal snowflakes? That’s the basic idea behind this book, but that’s all that basic. Snowflakes For All Seasons has seventy-two snowflake patterns that really are for all seasons, even summer. There are snowflakes for major holidays, not just Christmas but the 4th of July and St. Patrick’s Day too. Everyone always says that no two snowflakes are alike, and these patterns are sure not like anything I’ve seen before. At first glance … Continue reading →

Plush-O-Rama by Linda Kopp

Well I must be immature because I find Plush-o-rama: Curious Creatures for Immature Adults hysterical and completely charming. The book includes projects for monsters, creatures with tentacles and third eyes, star shapes, cushions with teeth, octopus, gremlins, a cross between a pig and a duck, a “catzilla” and a bipolar cloud. Apparently monster plushes are a growing trend. You can find then in art shops and even in museums. I love the creative aspects of these projects. They are truly one of a kind creatures. Each project has an example creature with their own name and background stories and personality. … Continue reading →

Week in Review – Nov 12th – 18th

What a variety of reviews we had this week! Read our posts on a Thanksgiving and a Christmas story for children, inspiration for future vacations, a new idea for sticky notes, a historical adult novel set in China, and an intriguing YA book on OCD. Tristi reviewed Beast by Margaret Wild, a haunting young adult story of a boy with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Tristi says the book provides good insight into the life of someone with OCD. Young children may be bored by traditional Thanksgiving stories, but they will love Clifford’s Thanksgiving by Norman Bridwell, as the big red dog … Continue reading →