I'm a Guest at Rhinestone Beagle today!!

I'm excited to be a guest blogger today for the HOWL-OWEEN Tricks and Treats Craftathon over at Rhinestone Beagle -- a seriously awesome crafting, cooking, and gardening blog that also as you might have guessed is highly dog infused!! 

Sammy and I are sharing how to make origami bats to incorporate into your spooky Halloween decorations!!

Have a frightening good time as you pop over and make a few bats for yourself?!!!?!!

Awesomeness from the Weekend

Oh what a long sunny weekend!  Here are some snips of what I've been up to.

A little creating time.  Can't show the whole finish... it's a surprise -- Monika, watch your mailbox love... this one's headed your way!

A Bridal Shower for my soon to be sister in law.  Finally an excuse to play with embroidery on paper and decorate a package with handmade origami flowers!  It was fun to see my brother too!

We ate.  Sushi!!  This was called the Love Boat.  And let me tell you... it was a lovely dinner with the mister.  So much fun and lively conversation.  Just the way I like it!

We've been keeping an eye on a Robin who has not one or two, but three nests under our deck. (sorry for the blurriness)

Here is mamma bird keeping an eye on me while I try and sneak a few photos.  I even got to see her sitting on a nest.  We aren't really sure if it's one mamma or many, but either way I am so excited to see all this up close and personal!

We took down some dead trees and chopped it all up into kindling.  Look at all that warmth sitting there in that pile!

And almost the best for last... remember the bird house?  Well... we have Guests!!!  I have seen two very busy birds build a nest most of the weekend!  I am not sure if they have laid eggs yet, but I am beyond tickled to again see this whole dance up close.  Truly magical!

And I did say almost... as in, I have an even bigger surprise for tomorrow.  You won't want to miss the big news.  

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan 

Origami Spring Flower {tutorial}

Re-posting this since it doesn't seem to be coming back after Blogger's recent hiccup.

I'm here today to help you get your spring flower on.  These origami flowers can be used to make a bouquet, decorate a package, as a pin on your lapel, on a headband, decorate a bike for a parade... well you get the point. 

They are so cool!  After I show you have to make one you are going to want to make a whole field of them!  Serious!

Here's how you get started.

Step one.  Start with a square piece of paper (I used pre-cut origami paper).  Printer paper has about the right thickness, but you could also use wrapping, news, or magazine paper.  With the pretty side of the paper down (the part that will become the center of the flower) fold the paper diagonally pulling one corner up to the opposite corner.

Open the previous fold you just did.  See, you can do this!!  Origami totally rocks!

Yup, you guessed it... now turn the paper 90 degrees and fold the other corner to the opposite corner.

And yes, open it back up.  You should now see an X made from the two folds you just did. 

 Step two.  Turn the paper over to the pretty side.

Fold the paper in half bringing one flat edge to the opposite flat edge.

Then open up your paper and fold again in the other direction.

Your paper will now have lines horizontally, vertically, and on both diagonals!  Ta-da! 

If you have followed this far, then you are going to be able to do this for sure!

Step three.  Bring the top 3 corners of the square down to the bottom corner.  This will start to tuck in two of the flaps leaving you with a small square.

 Flatten the paper pressing each crease well.

 
Step four.  Now take one of the flaps and fold it toward center crease line and then unfold.

 
 Step five.  Open and flatten this flap by sticking your finger in it to create a pocket like this.

Now, smoosh the flap down until it's flattened.  Remember, this is only paper.  If you didn't get it just so, then unfold and try again.  See how this creates something that looks like a ladies skirt.. with two colorful legs below? 

Oh, and remember to smile... this is fun!

Step six.  Repeat step 4 and 5 on the other 3 flaps until all you have left is the ladies skirt.

Step seven.  Now, ‘turn the page’ of the front and back flaps; so your skirt gets hidden and looks like this.

Step eight.  Take the top layer up from the bottom and fold it toward the top point.  This will make a two triangles of color appear!

Step nine.  Now repeat step 8 on the remaining 3 flaps, so you are left with a pointy tree covered up by a colorful triangle.

Step ten.  Turn your tree upside down and make sure it's laying flat.  There should be an equal number of arms on each side.

Step eleven.  In this step we are pinching or folding two creases through all the layers.  The fold should extend from the diagonal line formed by the colorful (now upside down) triangle.

You can see as I fold the top right arms down it will look a little like this.

And then, open it back up and you can see how the new crease 'extends the line' from the upside down triangle.  I know.. this part takes a little practice, but seriously... don't give up now... you are 90% there!!

Now we are going to bring the top left arms down to extend the line off the other side of the upside down triangle.  Here I am starting the fold....

It's folded over....

...and I open it back up.  You will know you have it right.. if you can now see a diamond shape at the bottom point created with the creases you just made.  Whoop whoop!!

Step twelve.  Now grab the diamond between your fingers and you see how I am making the fold go up?  Keep pinching it there at the narrow end until fold meets in the back. 

Squishy, squishy!!  Remember... it's just paper.  You can't hurt it

Step thirteen.  Holding the narrow point of the model very loosely, pull the outermost petals toward each other until they meet.  It's starting to look like a flower, right? 

Here is what it looks like from the bottom in case you want to compare!

Ok, back to the top.

Step fourteen.  and last step!  We are going to form the petals.  Take each petal, one by one, and pinch the ends, and slightly folding back the tips.

I'm going in for a pinch.... come here you cute 'lil flower you!

*pinch*

The result is a more curvy and fluffed out flower petal!  You guessed it... do that all the way around!

A look from the bottom once all the petals were pinched!

And voila!!  You did it!!!  I'm so proud of you! 

Now embrace your newly found origami awesomeness and make a ton of flowers!!  A whole field full even!