Lighting In The New Year

Day 90: The origami light string is done, and the lights are lit to bring in the new year in festive fashion. This was a fun project! The string holds 20 clear bulbs (a flasher and spares were included) and the kit supplied enough origami paper for 25 balls. Approximately 2/3 of the paper was unpatterned, and the selection of patterned pieces contained both standard origami sheets and some in heavier rice paper. I was pleased to see that the heat generated by the lights was minimal. I left the string on for several hours last night, and the paper never felt overly warm.

I'll Huff And I'll Puff...

Day 89: The origami light string project is nearing completion. Now it's time to blow them up! The ones made using standard origami paper are easiest. A quick puff of breath into the hole at the end and the sides of the balls pop out with a snap. The heavier rice paper ones are a challenge. The paper is "breatheable," like Goretex fabric. They take a bit of tugging at the corners to pull into shape.

I won't be giving the Big Bad Wolf any competition. I've huffed and I've puffed until I've gone dizzy, but I'll have the string done for New Year's!

A Most Unusual Ornament

Day 88: Now 'twould be a pity t' tuck Jack away wi' th' rest o' th' ornaments when I takes down th' tree, but 'tis findin' a place t' 'ang 'im wot's givin' me cause fer concern. Were I t' put 'im above me bed, might be givin' folk wrong ideas. A'ter all, Jacky's young enough t' be me grandson, never ye mind 'is present woeful condition. Nor do 'e fit on me mantlepiece where 'e might be givin' me guests a fright. Ah, Jacky! Ever a problem were ye, so wot place be fittin' t' keep ye outer mischief? Bloody 'ell, I shoulda thunk o' it afore'and! Best place fer ye, me scoundrelly lad, is swingin' frae th' yardarm!

Teensy-Tiny Beaded Corn

Day 87: A few days ago, I posted a photo of a Christmas ornament I had made using #6 seed beads to create a "cob of corn" approximately three inches long (not counting the husks). I mentioned to a friend that I had made similar cobs on a much smaller scale, so here they are with a dime for comparison. The beaded portion is 5/8" in length. They're worked in square stitch over a piece of rolled pigskin leather which also forms the husks. #13 seed beads were used in the construction.

As a very small person, I seem to gravitate toward the "micro" end of the scale with my crafts. I prefer knitting and crocheting with the finer needles and threads, seldom do cross-stitch on anything larger than 18-count canvas. Larger materials feel cumbersome in my hands; working with size 8 or 9 knitting needles and worsted feels like wielding a pair of spars to knit ship's hawser.

While fine yarns and threads are somewhat difficult to find these days, tiny beads are available in a wide selection of colors at my favorite bead store. That said, I normally work with #10 seeds unless I'm in the mood for corn.

Making A Paper Ball

Day 86: You'll find instructions for this origami figure in almost any book or website offering a basic introduction to the art of paper folding, however, what I'm showing you here is just one component of a kit given to me as a Christmas present from my good friend Patty. When I have all the balls folded and inflated, they will be installed along a string of lights, and hopefully, I'll have them done in time for New Year's Eve. Patty was curious how you got from a flat sheet of paper to a cute little ball, so I promised to take pictures of the steps.

First, fold your piece of origami paper on the diagonal (white to the inside). Unfold it, and fold it again along the other diagonal. Lay it out flat. You will see that you have fold lines which intersect in the middle of the paper. Now turn the paper over, and fold it in half across the width of the paper (color to the inside). Only make one fold. Now we'll collapse the figure. Lay the form on the table, colored side up, and push the edges in so that the intersection of fold lines rises as a peak. Flatten it out, and you'll see that you've created the triangular form shown in the second image.

Next take the outer points of the triangle to the center of the peak and crease the folds on one side of the form. Do the same for the opposite side. You now have a square. Fold the side points in to meet at the center (bottom of the third image) and crease them well. For simplicity's sake, the images from here on only show the fold on one side of the figure. Repeat the identical folds on the opposite side of the form.

In the first of the middle row of images, you can see the points folded in during the last step. Above them, you will fold down the top points to make a crease. The top points should be returned to their previous position after creasing. Now following the second image, fold the tips of the points down to meet the center junction. The third move in this series is a little tricky. Those points must be inserted into the little "pockets" in the side folds. It helps if you curl them slightly with a thumbnail. Once you have them seated in the pockets, be sure they are well creased. Your form will look like the first figure in the bottom row.

To inflate the ball, open it out as shown in the center bottom photo. At one end, there will be a small hole where the paper edges meet. Put it up to your lips and give a quick, firm blow. The ball should puff out into its inflated shape! Have a ball making your own origami light string!

Temari

Day 85: The first time it happened, I was humiliated to tears. I was attending a Tupperware party at a neighbor's, joining in conversation several women previously unknown to me. The subject matter of our chatting was varied, as you might expect and reclusive as I normally am, I felt I was doing the socially proper thing by adding my two cents' worth where it might be of value. One of the ladies happened to mention that she was laying new linoleum in her bathroom but was having difficulty fitting it around the base of the toilet. Having done some home repair in that line, I suggested that she purchase a template-making tool, a comb-like device which can be pushed against an object, the teeth retracting in such a manner that an outline of the item is obtained. I expected her to ask me if I knew where she could get one. She did not. Her mouth hardened and she said sharply, "Isn't there anything you don't know something about?" I could have died of shame in that moment. Instead, I retreated to a corner and said nothing more for the duration of the party.

Several years ago, when one of my sisters-of-the-heart came to visit me for the first time, I was showing her various craft items I'd created, including some greeting cards embellished with ribbon. The template episode resurfaced when she said, "I suppose you made the paper, too." However, by this point in my life, I had become so accustomed to remarks of that sort that I responded, "Um, yeah...as a matter of fact, I did."

A day or so ago, the subject of Temari came up when another friend posted a picture. Without thinking about it, I said, "Oh, temari! Somewhere around here, I have a bunch I made years ago."

My friend's response was predictable: "Of course you have done this." My foot had found my mouth again.

I have to tell you that I still cringe when "Isn't there anything you don't know something about?" comes back to haunt me in some form or another. The alternative course of action is to learn to keep my big mouth shut (something I've tried to do with very little success). I've lived a long life, and I've done a lot of interesting things despite the fact that I'd tell you I've found it rather boring. My passion for crafts was instilled in me by a grandmother who taught me that my hands should never be idle, and as my friends would tell you, my craving for new adventures still runs strongly indeed. I love to learn and I love to create, and perhaps to my undoing, I love to teach. Therein lies the problem. I can't make myself bite off the words which might open an avenue to instruct. I'm not an insufferable know-it-all looking to be the center of attention. I simply want to inspire others to explore and learn.

Temari originated in China but is best known as a Japanese art form. The balls are created by wrapping layer upon layer upon layer of thread or fabric strips in precise patterns. These temari were made using sewing thread and perle cotton.

Seasonal Greetings

Day 84: Merry Christmas, everyone! This photo was taken on my Christmas Eve Day walk up Mount Rainier National Park's Westside Road and shows snow-covered Mt. Ararat, so named because early explorers purportedly found wooden timbers on its summit. Ararat is to the southwest of Indian Henrys Hunting Ground which in summer is one of the Mountain's most beautiful wildflower meadows. The trail to Indian Henrys from this side was badly damaged during a flood some years ago and was never reconstructed. It is currently listed as an "unmaintained" trail, and the washed-out sections often present navigational challenges, particularly if Tahoma Creek is running high.