919: Floral Perpetua by Dasa Severova

I am always on the lookout for interesting folds, this one was shared on a fakebook group as a photsequence on Flickr:

A fun folding technique, and a fascinating fractal pattern gradually converges towards the centre of the original octagon. Continue reading

18 things I learned from the 2017 365 Challenge

People think a 365 challenge is all beer and skittles, well there was a number of things I learned this time through that might be worthy of reflection.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CfJilbZ0JQZzDvte8aF6CoEKgfTOZP97QJxIe7F-6f4/edit?usp=sharing

What follows is a lengthy rant, strap yourself in if you are game: Continue reading

915: (365/365) Chris K Palmer’s “Flower Tower”

I have a long and terrifying “fold me” list of models I will one day get around to – this was on it:

An excruciating fractal tessellation that eats paper like few other folds, based on spiral collapses of a dodecagon that then gets turned inside out to make the next level to collapse.

The unfold and re-collapse stages (I did 3, but theoretically could keep going getting smaller and smaller) looks like it is going to hell in a handbasket, then it sort of just sorts itself out in a magic sort of way. Continue reading

914: (364/365) Cartoon Rabbit

Riccardo Foschi has a magic sense of design in his models, and this cartoon rabbit is a real charmer:

As an exercise in box pleating, this model takes a 12 x 24 square grid and, via a. Are fully designed collapse teases arms, legs, tummy and detailed head while providing enough paper to model those features in a fun way. Continue reading

913: (363/365) When you wish upon a Star …

So when I asked for suggestions on what to fold, Janet suggested a Starfish which prompted me to try Riccardo Foschi’s model:

Made from a pentagon, a lovely little fold that has some charming qualities. Continue reading

912: (362/365) Abandon Ship!

As the year 2017 swiftly comes to an end, after seemingly being in a hurry to do so all year, it is almost time to abandon ship:

Time for one last waltz, one more visit to the buffet, perhaps a cigar on the poop deck then it is lifejackets on and over the side into the icy uncertainty of the new year. Continue reading

911: (361/365) Tiny Teddy

There are many bears out there in the origami design community, and I have folded most of them:

This is Robyn Glynn’s “Teddy”, a charming bi-color fold that looks cuddly and seems quite poseable. Continue reading

910: (360/365) After Christmas Sales

Retailers really have a nerve when you think about it. Right up to Christmas they hike up their prices. We dutiful drones pay top dollar for loot which we wrap and give away. Come “Boxing Day” prices plummet in almost obscene ways and it can get hectic as people clamber for bargains:

We went early, with a list and an idea of what we would regularly pay for the items on that list. In, bought (from the then still full shelves and racks), and out again in an hour and a half – this is the stuff of legends. Continue reading

909: (359/365) The Real Present is your Presence

Christmas is many things to many people. For me it is another chance to get together with family and catch up over a shared feast:

I hope that wherever you find yourself, you stay safe and look after each other, share some joy, love, hugs and laughter. Merry Christmas, ho ho ho and all that humbug. Continue reading

908: (358/365) ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas …

…and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse:

Prep for festivities is always fun. Family feast tomorrow, lots to do. I hope you and your families enjoy the prep time as much as the day itself. Continue reading

907: (357/365) Mr Origami

Always on the look out for a model that somehow incorporates traditional cranes (Tsuru), I stumbled across this design and knew I had to try it:

A clever pre-folding sequence caches paper that later emerges as “bird-baseable” end points you can locate at the ends of arms. Continue reading

906: (356/365) Top of the Food Chain

As custodians of this planet, we do a pretty lousy job overall at looking after it. We see apex predators as threats and demonise them for acting naturally in their own domain:

In Australia, we employ shark nets which each year kill more OTHER things things than keep out sharks – time to think more about our place in this complex ecosystem. It is heartening to see activist groups like Sea Shepherds and Greenpeace actively working to change peoples perspectives but our News and media have much to learn about this – headlines are seductive but rarely paint a balanced or objective picture. Continue reading

905: (355/365) Emperor Palpatine

I am sure you remember the good old days, when things were better. In the Star Wars Universe this meant Luke, Leia and Han battling the dark side of the force wearing cheesy costumes, in squeeky clean spaceships, among a rain of pew pew pew:

The truth is there were no “good old days”, they were just days, and at the time they seemed amazing but you know, they were just days. This is Lee Armstrong’s “Emperor Palpatine” – you know that evil prune who bar-b-qued people with lightning by channelling the dark side of the force. Continue reading

904: (354/365) Caterpillar

When looking for a simple fold, one’s attention naturally falls on a torturous corrugation-based model that takes an age to fold (not):

This is Maarten Van Gelder Caterpillar – an exhaustive corrugation executed on an 8×1 rectangle (although I think it would be more effective on even longer paper). Continue reading

903: (353/365) Slippery Little Sucker

I must admit to being a bit of a fanboy when it comes to the works of Satoshi Kamiya. His designs are genius, fabulously complicated to fold and make good use of the sheet:

This is his Octopus – an amazing fold from an octagon that yields lovely little legs, a beady set of eyes and a pendulous 3D head/body with a modicum of paper torture. Continue reading