Now I read, after the fact, that the Space Shuttle “Discovery” landed for the last time, and I gather it will not go up again.
I quite like this model, fairly simple folds but the shape relies on shaping and puckering in places to indicate lines – neat indeed.
You too can have a go: http://www.nickrobinson.info/origami/diagrams/shuttle1.htm
Looking for something simple for a change, I stumbled across this little stegosaurus:
There is much to like about this little fellow – plates across the back, head with enough paper (if the moder were bigger) to get eye expressions, and cutey little feet.
Built like a Sherman tank, these guys sadly had a brain the size of a walnut – I know that feeling sometimes.
You can have a go at this one also: stegosaurus
Now to celebrate International Women’s Day, I initially decided to make a woman, and stumbled across a model known as “bloxy” because she is a box pleated block-like lego lady.
I like that she has a firm bosom, bangs and is sort of free-standing (although the centre of balance is a little off because of the weight in the head – you get that).
I am hoping my feminist friends will not see this as an objectification of women as that was not intended of this … object … well … umm … Happy(?) IWD anyway.
I have grown these, but the blooms of the cultivars I am familiar with are really tiny yellow leopard spotted flowers – I misjudged the scale (seems a full square from an A4 makes quite a sizeable bloom)
A delicate, spidery flower, with a well developed nectary and some interesting folds – if I was to fold it again I have learned what does what so I think the second+ fold would be much better
You too can have a go – it is not that difficult: goldenslipperorchid
Ingenious folds that create waterproof containers are interesting:
Massaging the edges to the top and finishing them off decoratively so they lock and stay together is an art, this little vase is a beauty, apart from the whole 1/3rd 1/6th thing necessary to initially pleat the structure. 
I cheated, did a square in quarters and cut off one quarter on 2 sides to leave thirds – am sure there is a method to precisely fold thirds though. I could imagine this in tissue-foil with camellia blossoms – a pretty bit of geometric paper torture – see if you can follow along.
Taken from a book I bought in Japan, no idea what it is called, sorry as it is all in Japanese.
wow, no again I mean WOW! This little beauty is another elegant example of Robert Lang’s extreme paper torture:
I should have realised it was going to be tough when the head folding required fingernails and a magnifying glass to complete (yes, my A4 -cut square of photocopy paper was much smaller and I think thicker than recommended, but I was determined not to let the media fail this time) – such a nice looking model:
I am so impressed that I actually achieved it, patience and accuracy were important here as details emerged from places unexpected. I like that it has pleated wings (with little claspers at the top – can you see?), a horned and snappy head, twisty tail and is free-standing. 
I added feet bends because I thought they looked better, getting the head posture and expression right on such a small scale was interesting to say the least.
Very happy with this as a first-fold, next time I will know what to look out for and I think I will make it with a bigger sheet as the amount of scrunching down made the neck and legs pucker a bit – ingenious nonetheless.
Have a go yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5JhIL-THGU
Looking through the British Origami Society website, I stumbled across a simple pattern for a Polar Bear:
Made from 1/2 a square triangle, you fold half the bird base and massage from there – nice little model designed by Max Hulme that uses creases to create a 3d body and hindlegs out of nowhere. As a first fold I am very happy with this one, but would improve the posture and expression next time I folded it now I know what makes what.
Why a Polar Bear? Well a colleague suggested it (thanks Bruce).
You can try it too (diagrams are a little rough and leave a lot open to interpretation): http://www.britishorigami.info/practical/creative/bestof/mh.php
I intend to try a few horse models – thought I would start with the least horse-like and work towards something nicer:
A tiny-wee model that takes a square from A4 and reduces it to a very tight mass of paper. Not sure that the legs work very well and the tail is clumsy (partly because of the bulk of paper bent to form it), but it is a start
Wow, no I mean WOW!
This little beauty is a masterpiece of box pleating, designed by Max Hulme. I was sure it had no chance of working correct as the whole working in 6ths, 12ths and quarters was a real pain on such a small scale. Made from the largest 2×1 rectangle that can be cut from an A4 page, I think next time I make it I will do it bigger and it is really fiddly with such big fingers.
This pattern was given to me by a Year 12 student years back on a Kairos rereat, and one look at it relegated it to the “yeah, maybe later” pile to try – I decided to give it a whirl first-fold today and am totally chuffed it worked.
I am amazed with the intricacy and detail – his face has ears, body is wearing a coat with sleeves, he is sitting on the most torturous but beautiful spring and most magically of all, actually folds up into a tiny neat box so the lid closes – wow!
Month 2 done and dusted – looking back some notable models, lots of complicated ones too (hope I have not peaked too early):
Quite happy with progress so far, but with 306 still to do there is no time to relax just yet.
Deceptively simple, this exercise in pre-folding followed by a magical collapse results in an interesting box/table/container…thing:
I like the design, geometry, clever self-locking but am not sure a paper container is the best thing to light up incense in.
A nice simple model to finish the month with – thanks @ackygirl for the loan of the book this comes from.
I was lent a book (thanks @ackygirl, must remember to return it) that contains some designs I have been meaning to try – the Rhino looked impossible:
The head of this beastie has some 15 layers of paper in it, bending it puts stress on photocopy paper (it began to split up neat the ears) but I like the body formation, it has the cutest little hooves and tail. The body armor looks right (as my feeble memory allows me to remember the last one I saw at Western Plains Zoo).
I was mightily pleased when this model worked first-fold, as there is a bit of guesswork needed to get the proportions right – it looks rhino-y tho so I am happy with the first fold.
Now I first found a partially incomplete PDF of this model and thought that it, for the most part made sense:
Little did I realise that the important parts (head, legs, abdomen) were not actually explained so I … improvised. It is an ingenious re-working of the frog base – the same one that I taught my tutor group, with some twisting and tweaking to make extra limbs – nice to remember when next I feel inventive.
Mightily pleased with the result but it is some serious paper torture – A4 page twisted, crimped and bent down to make a model that is barely 5cm long – my reference pad (underneath) is sideways to display the model.
I like it – realistic enough to make my daughter jump (she is afraid of them) so that says something at least.
I like this fold, the eyes, winds, body shape all work, not bad for a first fold:
Why an Owl? Well, being surrounded by so many wonderful (and wise) QSITE members past, present and future reminded me of the wisdom we all rely on – to me, wisdom is an owl (tissue thin justification I know but there you go). Also, against all wisdom, QSITE have me on their board again, editor of their Journal – silly fools, surely they have learned better by now?
