Thursday 18 December 2014

How to make a paper Protea




Buy cheap books, you'll need at least two. I just bought a bundle of Mills & Boons, yes judge me all you like. I didn't read them. Or buy some second hand ones. So two books. The paper should not be too thick or it will not fan out, or may even split. Tear the cover off completely. Take care not to damage the spine. 1. The following instructions apply to each page of the book. 2. Fold each page back into the gutter, allow from 1mm-2mm from the gutter (if you fold right into the gutter as you start finishing the book these pages will get creased and pushed back from the gutter). 3. Fold each page back again into the gutter, allow from 1mm-2mm from the gutter. 4. Fold back the little triangle that sticks out above the page so it is flush with the page.



From the top fold back into the book. Allow 10mm - 15mm from the spine for the fold. This will form the top flat area of the flower. If you wish to have a pointed flower then fold back into the gutter from the top, see two small images below. Continue doing this with each page in the book, the fanning out of the 'flower' will occur naturally as you complete all the folds.


To create the outside petals, use the second book (must be the same size as the first book) and cut some pages into squares. Fold the square diagonally, then open up again and fold the two corners up along the centre line you have created with your first fold. Fold closed along your original fold. Gathering three pages in the book and push the petal into position, allowing it to jut out as shown in the photograph. Repeat this process, allow for one free page between each group of petals. So three pages for a petal then skip a page, then three pages for the petals and so on.


To finish off your flower you can slip a triangle onto the single pages. Cut your left over squares in half. Fold the square diagonally, then open up again and fold the two corners up along the centre line you have created with your first fold. Fold closed along your original fold. Slip into position over your single page between the petals and line it up with the outside point of the page. Viola! You're done.










Wednesday 17 December 2014

The Age of Magic

Read this book while I was manning the stand at Kamers. What a wonderful book, every page had a sentence I wanted to etch into my mind forever.

"They stood there, waiting for something to happen, when in fact everything was happening."


Bayleaf wreath


Snowflakes

Snowflake decorations for Christmas.
Hung them next to last year's decorations which are still up ;-)


Monday 15 December 2014

Thursday 11 December 2014

Where is the sun?

They have stolen the sun, the moon and the stars. They have hidden their crime behind a sky filled with cloud and rain.
Please bring back our African sun.
Miss the sunshine.

Tuesday 9 December 2014

Wild at heart


Warhorse

Amazing. Loved it.


Rand Club Johannesburg

About a month ago I was fortunate enough to attend a function at the Rand Club. Love the history. http://randclub.co.za What a wonderful evening. Took Uber there and back, also an awesome experience.


Bit of this and that, with some grey


Tie-dye the sky

The red patches on the clouds are from the early morning sun. Moments before all-day rain.


Art in the Forest

Art in the Forest had a lovely stand at Kamers. I loved their plates and bowls, the colours are so wonderful. I would like to have bought a whole set but only bought the one plate on the left. Sigh!


Kamers 2014, Irene

I had a stand at Kamers this year, Pretty Ugly Creatures, so there was limited time to explore. Some great stuff again. Having my own stand was an awesome experience, I learnt so much.