"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets folded...."

That angel hangs on the wall of my parents house up in Penn Valley.  Recently, I thought I might play around with a simple color change to make the halo stand out:

Several years ago, before Phyllis Snyder passed away, I had asked her to act on my behalf to seek permission from her friend, Louise Cooper, so that I might put out a video tutorial on her angel.  Phyllis said Louise granted me permission, but did not want to be credited.  I was perplexed by that; but guess it might have to do with her angel being a derivative of the classic Neil Elias angel (which I haven't folded, but really should).  So maybe she didn't feel like she made sufficient modifications to claim the model as completely original.

Phyllis is now gone; and OUSA fears that this might be the case with Louise Cooper.  At PCOC, I was asked if I had her contact information or knew of her current whereabouts because the last contact address OUSA has is no longer current.  The last anyone seems to know is that she may have suffered a stroke and moved out to a retirement home in California.  Phyllis' daughter said she had talked with Louise on the phone, after her mother's passing but not since.

I might still eventually come around to putting out a tutorial. 

Or, I do believe diagrams were published by WCOG before.  So maybe I'll send an email to Terry Hall and ask if this is the case and whether or not we could put diagrams out in the public sphere.  A few years back, I seem to recall him mentioning about maybe scanning old WCOG newsletters and making them available on the internet, to archive our history.

Anyway, hope everyone out there has a safe and Happy New Year's celebration; and stay tuned: Am planning to ring in New Year's Day with a post on a model that has been receiving some popular interest.


yw

Sunday Funnies

Photos of Yami by Kazuyoshi ITO

Yami has wanted to share these wonderful photos taken by his friend Kazuyoshi ITO earlier this year.  Enjoy.

Van Nuys Japanese Gardens Origami

From the first Sunday in November:

I feel like the best moments are never captured on film.  But here are some examples of how I share origami with the general public.

Photos are here.

Merry Christmas!

Aquarium of the Pacific

At the Aquarium

The 2nd weekend of November, my origami pals and I did the annual Autumn Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. 

I finally got around to getting a new computer over a week ago and am just now catching up on some uploads and updates.






Photos are here.

POP Sunday for December

Carmen Sprung's Bonner Stern

Army of Seiji NISHIKAWA Santas (along with one Father Christmas by Steve and Megumi Biddle); now all they need are Salvation Army kettles

Photos for November and December have finally been uploaded.

Sunday Funnies

New Jeremy Shafer Pop-Up Book

Available right now at Amazon.

Sunday Funnies

Gymnastics Princesses

Last Friday's origami present to my Hot Shots class:

Yami Yamauchi's Fireworks!

Sunday Funnies

Hat tip:  Rebecca Gieseking

Origami Usagi Yojimbo

A great piece of work by Joseph Wu of my favorite Ronin Rabbit/slash/Bunny Bodyguard:

On Facebook

Related post:  When Usagi Yojimbo Crosses Paths with Origami

1st Sunday at Marti's Origami Fun in Garden Grove

I'm posting photos here because I can't seem to upload from the library computer (can't seem to find the time to shop for a new laptop...grrr!).

Sorry I'm not posting much in the way of a description and account of what we did either; just shortage on time (and allowed only an hour on the library computer):

Munt's diagrams for her bulldog

Add caption

Diagrams for Janessa Munt's dollar bulldog are now made public (I believe it will also be published in The Fold).

I taught and folded two of these today at Marti Reis' 1st Sunday Origami Fun folding group.  It really is a cute model.

I'm limited to my mobile phone until I get a new laptop (or get to the library tomorrow).

I might update this with photos, later; or do a new post.

Sunday Funnies

Hat tip:  Mark Kennedy

December NOA #460

Reviewed by Heather of happypuppytruffles:

3D Transforming 8-pointed Ninja Star

Happy Thanksgivinnukkah!

Another one from Garibi Ilan:



And from Janessa Munt:




How about a hand at some Roast Chicken?

StarPuff Box

By Garibi Ilan:

Munt's Dollar Dogs

Folded Janessa Munt's bulldog yesterday:

I think I need to redo the head and make the length of the face less long.

Check out Janessa's West Highland Terrier, another nice dollar dog model:

A Gift for a Gift

November 10, 2013

Finally had a chance to give Joe a gift from Michael LaFosse.  Folded by LaFosse, the paper was made by Richard Alexander.

Joe had loaded me up with a bunch of modular giveaways that he had folded (from envelopes) and which I took with me to PCOC. 

POP, 5th Sunday

Joel Stern taught Janessa Munt's $ turkey just in time for Thanksgiving, at yesterday's POP meeting:





And since Thanksgiving and Channukah coincide this year....I taught Carmen Sprung's Bonner Stern (Semblance to a Star of David), which I had learned from Joe Hamamoto:

I gave a Jeremy Shafer Loud Mouth to a little Jewish boy and he told his mom, "A talking Torah!"

Might add a link to more photos later (I have computer issues at the moment).

Flapping $ Butterfly

This looks pretty cool....

Friday Ritual

November 1, 2013

 Every Friday, I give my Hot Shots (team developmental, age 6) origami.  It's become pretty much a weekly ritual.  Fortunately, there's only 4 of them in the class.

I also give origami periodically to the other team girls.  But that's a lot more kids! 

October 25, 2013

Some of the girls give right back, as good as they get....

October 19, 2013

Leaping Willy/Polypagon has been my favorite prize giveaway to all the kids (I also give them out every to random people everywhere I go) because they are so easy to mass produce:

Don't put a hole in one dollar bills

Created by Jesse Barr:

Photographed by Janessa Munt   My dad loves golfing.  I could never get into it.  For me, it's akin to watching grass grow and paint dry.   I've seen (and folded) golf clubs with a golfing bag; but this is a nice concept- clubs and golf bag all from one piece.   Source of the photo is on Jesse Barr's Origami FB page.

Sunday Folding Funnies

Tissue Animals

About:

Origami Twisted Tower

Joe Hamamoto has been folding these out of envelope paper.



Van Nuys Japanese Gardens, November 3, 2013

Here is one that Pam Miike folded:




Fold your own.

NOA #459 November Review

Halloween Folding

Just some quick links to Halloween-themed origami:


http://dosisdiaria.blogspot.com/2006/10/tricks-and-treats.html


Jack 'O Lantern (Noboru MIYAJIMA's blog)

Fun Halloween Party Ideas: Make Origami Candy Corn!

Polypopagon at POP

At Sunday's POP meeting, I had planned to share the Leaping Willy model that Mark Kennedy had shown me at PCOC.  Joel Stern recognized it as a model he learned years ago as "polypopagon".  Rather than pressing the "ears" down, the way Joel learned it was to fold the model in half and then watch it "self-pop":

The paper plane problem in baseball

Maureen Burt made mention of a paper glider that made its way near the pitcher's mound at the World Series.  

I looked for a video and believe this is the one in question:

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31191647&topic_id=47149486

And it would also appear that this isn't a unique occurrence.

May 29th at Dodger stadium:

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=26623523

June 29th or 28th:

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=28433937&topic_id=21753540

Here's an interesting article:

July 22, 2013

Pebble Hunting

Baseball's Paper Airplane Problem

by Sam Miller

“As the game ground to a crawl in the late innings,” the LAist wrote last week, “each pitch taking on more importance on both sides, the scene throughout the stadium began to resemble the opening scene of M.I.A.'s ‘Paper Planes’ video. As the crowd of 50,796 got more and more restless, they decided to make their own entertainment, to give themselves something to cheer for as plane after plane get [sic] tantalyzingly close to touch [sic] the field.”

Paper planes are having a moment. Two weeks earlier, while Skip Schumaker was on the mound, a well-crafted plane landed with a flourish between the mound and home plate

Sunday Folding Funnies

Halloween Fold-and-Give

First published in Creased Magazine, issue #5, I've been folding lots and lots of Talo Kawasaki's patty bat and giving them away- to my gymnasts, to random strangers...always bringing smiles to faces.  Not only does it create a great sound with the movement, but this model lends itself very well to shaping- from the face to the wings, if you want to go that extra fold.

I bought 500 black linen paper in bulk for about $27.


Diagrams on OUSA
Sara Adams' video

Sunday Funnies

NOA - Origami exhibited in shop of Nippon Origami Association, Tokyo

Ashok Saraf:

This place is amazing. They publish Origami magazines, certify teachers of Origami and arrange training classes and exhibitions of Origami .

PCOC Paperfolding Fiesta

This is a post about the recent Pacific Coast Origami Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  So why then is the lead photo of a hotel urinal?

You're one mouse click away from the answer....

How I mentioned your origami

Daniel Scher reports on the O-List that in last night's How I Met Your Mother Season 9 Episode 5 - The Poker Game, a reference was made to origami:

Ted: Well, call me Akira Yoshizawa…
[Quizzical looks from the other players]
Ted:…the world's most famous origamist…I fold. [Throws his cards on the table and walks out.]

*UPDATE* 10/16/2013 23:47

Chris Lott uploaded the clip in question:

*END UPDATE*

This episode reviewer notes:

  Ted WOULD know the name of the most famous origami artist in the world. His sheer exasperation when no one got his reference and he breathed, "I fold," was douche Ted at his finest.

In doing some light research, I found this:



Apparently, the show also featured something called an "origami stroller" in past episodes.

Sunday Funnies

Encyclopedia Origamica

Completed October 7, 2013

I got home a few hours ago after a 13 hour drive from PCOC in Albuquerque. 

I wasn't able to get into Glenn Sapaden's class on how to fold this model set; but Arlene Gorchov was kind enough to teach it to me during late nite Sunday folding. 

15 single bills in total to complete the 12 volume series (the bookcase is made up of 3 bills).  The hardest bills for me to find were the ones with "1", "5", and "9" (The number that signifies which of the 12 federal banks the note was printed at).

In fact, I had to dismantle a Wensdy Whitehead dollar spinning tip top, because it was the only one with the number 9 that I could readily spot.  (I went through all my fresh bills immediately on hand, without luck).

I'll post a bit on PCOC, after I've recovered.

Sunday Funnies

It Came to Him....In a Dream

Jeremy Shafer's Dream Cube story reminds me of Special Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks, where he wakes up from a dream in which Laura Palmer whispers the name of her killer in his ear:

5th Sunday in September

Joel Stern taught twice, Pasquale D'Auria's Bird Bath, published in this year's OUSA Convention Book

It was John Andrisan, Marti Reis, and Jim Cowling's birthday month:

NOA #458 for October

If Heather ( "happypuppytruffles") is going to do issue reviews regularly, I think I'm off the hook on posting scans of the model menu:






I retroactively updated this month's NOA with Heather's video review.

Played Like a Violin...

Gen Hagiwara:

Designed and folded by Gen Hagiwara
From 10.5*42cm(violin) and 5.25*21cm(bow) uncut rectangle paper.

A Bit of Folding in Las Vegas

 Look at all the people who turned up at the Desert Breeze Park for origami:

Sunday Funnies

 Sorry this one is so difficult to make out:

Box in a Box by Akiko Yamanashi

This is a really cool, quick, simple design.  I first learned it at Beverly's gathering, last June.




Last Friday I gave these out to my little team developmental gymnasts.  Inside I had a traditional crane and a flapping crane.


Chila's step photos.

Thebigbluevan explains the dimensions of the box in a box.

The Health Benefits of Origami

Well, it certainly does my heart good; and it seems to make others happy.  But there's more!

Go to Origami Spirit.

Book Review: Dollar Origami by Won Park

A good review by thebigbluevan for anyone who hasn't bothered to purchase Won Park's first book yet:




So now what are you waiting for?!

Won could use your support of his work....it's not like he actually does live out of a fancy garbage truck, you know.

As recently as four weeks ago, I was talking to Joel Bauer on the phone and he told me about how Won was living out of an amazing truck (Joel is the one credited with bringing Won into exposure to the wider origami community a decade ago).  I had to break the news to the master pitchman....

Jo Nakashima Money Dog

Jo Nakashima Money Cat V2

Sunday Folding Funnies

Source

Shiver Me Papers!

Ahoy thar ye scurvy band of Oriland Lubbin' scallywags!  'Tis International Talk Like a Pirate Day!  Aaaargh!


Here's a handsome swashbucklin' pirate fer ye foldin' pleasure:



Unfurl yer sails for the Seven Seas.  But beware:  The sharks.....and there be krakens in the waters, as well- aaargh!



How about we unfold our maps and find some buried treasure?

Joseph Wu Hyperfocused

PHOTO: Hyperfocus by Bryce Evans

A nice article involving Joseph Wu:

A Vancouver photographer’s image of origami artist Joseph Wu will be Canada’s entry at a social issues photography festival in Italy in November.

Bryce Evans‘ photo is called Hyperfocus. It shows Wu folding a yellow piece of paper while seated in a corner. He looks like he’s surrounded by so many pieces of origami that he doesn’t have any room left to move. He’s literally cornered himself.

Evans’ image is an intimate portrait of Wu.

Wu is an origami artist who has spoken out about his diagnosis as an adult living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – ADHD – and depression.

Evans knew about Wu and wanted to work with him. Evans wanted to make a photograph of Wu that explored how his skill at origami related to his mental health.

Wu told him that his ADHD allowed him to become hyperfocussed on origami. Evans wanted to portray the positive side of Wu’s mental illness.

“I had the picture in my head of all the bright colors and different shapes and intricacy of it,” Evans said.
“As I heard his story, I began to construct a story. It was a matter of talking with him, giving him my ideas and hearing what the thought about it. We collaborated to create the final product.”
Evans could also relate to what Wu suffers from. When he’s working on his photography, he can focus his attention so acutely he shuts out everything else.

“I wanted to make the viewer think he was working on it and cornered himself and didn’t realize it,” Evans said.

Read the rest.

The Infinity Paper Glider

Hat tip to Vishakha Apte for this post to the Origami-L:

This awesome video shows you how to make a paper airplane fly endlessly. The principal is the same as in real aviation: thermals. Thermals allow real sailplanes to fly for hours. As real thermals are to strong for our selfmade paper airplane, we are using a miniature thermal that everyone has in his kitchen: Hotplates. Four hot plates producing hot air which rises and let our paperplane fly as long as we want. The paper aeroplane must be centered while it performs it turns, in the middle of the for heating plates. so it took me about 87 takes to produce this video. if the paper airplane isn´t exactly in the centre of the plates, it will drop off. So feel free to build your own paperplane and let it fly as long as you want in your kitchen.

How Long Would You Stand in Line for a Bowl of Noodles...and Origami?

I had the chance to be the origami consultant on a commercial this past weekend; but I turned it down, having committed myself to volunteering a better use of my time, along with Pam Miike, in helping Yami entertain the masses through the joys of paperfolding at his origami booth.

It was standing room only (*Ahem*...because we were given only 3 chairs).

At the Torrance Cultural Arts Center:

Ramen fanatics and lovers of the Japanese culture will get their fix on Sept. 14-15 during the First Annual Ramen Yokocho Fest held in Torrance, Calif. 

This two-day ramen festival is sponsored by Weekly LALALA, an L.A.-based Japanese magazine. The celebration—to be held at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.—will commemorate the publication’s 10th anniversary, according to L.A. Weekly. 

This anticipated event, hyped as “the largest ramen festival in the U.S.,” will feature $8 bowls of ramen from renowned ramen specialists from around the world, including places like San Jose, Hawaii, Las Vegas and Japan. The confirmed vendors for the event include: Orenchi, Shalala, Gomaichi, Silverlake Ramen, Iroha, Ikemen, Hayatemaru, Jidaiya, Tsujita L.A. and Daikokuya. 

In addition to delicious ramen, several eateries will be serving up some of their house favorites. For example, Tsujita L.A. will provide sushi in addition to their noodles—featuring tsukemen and ramen—and Hannosuke will be featuring its signature ten-don. Not to be outdone, Jidaiya will be serving novelty ramen burgers, the current burger trend. 

Parking is free at this event, as well as entrance to attend.

Notice it says free to get in through "the entrance"; not that the ramen itself is free.

Can’t make it to Torrance this weekend? Not to worry, for a second Ramen Yokocho Festival will be held in Las Vegas on Oct. 19 (Sunday) at the city’s Rio Hotel.

I have never seen so many people standing in long lines that wrapped around the buildings throughout the entire day, just for ramen noodles.  They stood in line to get inside, stood in line for tickets, and stood in lines at noodle booths.  (Supposedly, they served 1500 people within the first hour!).  Some managed to find time to do some origami.