MY TRUE MASTERPIECE

What a joy to start creating something without a set plan. Spikey Head a la Klimt is the product of many hours of work and creative pleasure. 

Click here to see the sequence of its creation...

The collar is made from paper sticks and petals. 

RECYCLED PAPER PENDANTS - MORE PAPER FLOWERS

Before I tell you about my "Sleepless Night" creations, I decided to show more paper flowers. They are certainly not trying to compete with nature, but I am amazed what one can do with a simple (Pun intended) old magazine. 

Aren't they beautiful? Last year I found another use for the photos I took.  I bought 4x4 ceramic tiles, printed the photos and attached them with Mod Podge making coasters! What a perfect, original, inexpensive hostess gift! 

Wonders of technology allow me to use iPhone and iPad and some few Apps to take pictures, edit them and add text... 

Well, as I wrote on an earlier post, I had many sleepless nights after my surgery. One night I was especially lucid and it propelled me to roll many paper tubes; using matchboxes, and other shaping forms I created rather interesting paper pendants. I did not want to use metal chains to finish each necklace, I just took a matching color fabric. My dear and talented friend María del Carmen, attached a clasp to each of the necklaces. 

Still unfinished!

 I was surprised about the effect of the paper tube around the circle. 
And the beautiful design on the link. 

I was so stimulated by the creative process, I did not noticed how fast the sleepless night went by! 

Copper fastener

I am proud of my creations. You may notice how I used beads and one coil on a pendant. 

The blue one above, instead of fabric, has a matching color leather string.

My "Sleepless Night" collection is unique and very inexpensive, just $15.00 ea. 

More and more my creative inspiration comes from within. Thinking out of the box, allows your thoughts become free, a most exhilarating feeling  

A pile of paper tubes created last night

As soon as I finish my sculpture I will post it here! 

Thanks for reading my blog, if you live nearby feel free to come by and join me in the creative process.

PAPER BEADS AND ORNAMENTS

After making dozens of paper flowers Kusudama style, which is not Origami,I attended a bead-making workshop at the McColl Center for the Arts + Innovation.The resident artist Ruganzo Bruno from Uganda taught the big audience how to cut paper  and roll it producing beautiful beads. He told us about the women and children in his village who make these beads. Watch this video about a group of widows in Northern Uganda. What a wonderful source of income and a perfect way to re-use old paper. 

After the workshop I did go home filled with enthusiasm and produced a few beads. I really did not get much pleasure from the process...

Colorful beads of  different sizes + paper strips

I use them as accessories for my other creations. Last week, my granddaughter made this beautiful picture. Cutting geometrically perfect strips ties me down to a table and a ruler...

BUT, in the mean time I made hundreds of beads.I disregarded the ruler, just eye balling the size. 
I take a hand full and let them slide through my fingers, what a pleasurable feeling! 

Not too long ago I finished a five strand necklace. How do you like it?

my necklace

Beads, coil and rolled paper mounted on simple cardboard

Ruganzo Bruno, invited us to look at a display table, and it was there where I found my real inspiration. beautiful spheres rolled from paper! I have made dozens in all colors and sizes, they are not perfectly round, but very beautiful, creative and whimsical. 

I have sold some, given away others and decorated my home with artistic arrangements. 

During my months of convalescence from a knee replacement I used this activity as therapy. Stacks of old magazines helped me to make hundreds of rolls. Some ornaments are made of one color in different tones and designs, while others are just multicolor. There is never a specific plan, your hands are the instruments, but the outcome is determined by the paper. 

My show piece is this one

A glass cylinder filled with multicolor coils, dry branches from my yard, ornaments hanging at different heights. 

I am selling these little treasures in a small craft paper bag, ready to give away as a Christmas present. (It is never to early to find a stocking stuffer for your loved ones.) 

Usually I stay away from plastic, but it was too tempting not to decorate this ornament with pearls...

Writing this blog fills me with renewed enthusiasm! It is important to share my experience with people near and far.

My next post will feature some unique necklaces I created during one sleepless night (I had many, after surgery). I am sure you will like them...

Until then!

PAPER FLOWERS - THE LITTLE BIRD IN THE HAT

After a while I took a break from magazine rolls and coils and started creating whimsical flowers. 

Colorful flowers
$5.00 ea.

Christmas wreath with paper flower

Five petal red flower
$5.00

The technique is called Kusudama. The size of the paper square, determines the flower to be big or very small. 

I made dozens of flowers, but did not really know what to do with them until I took an old straw hat, cut off the brim and inserted the crown inside out. 

I used a hot glue gun and started adding flowers in all sizes around the brim and hang the finished design on my main door. 

It has been hanging there for months, and the paper has faded a bit. One evening I opened the door with the intention to remove the hat and replace the old flowers with new ones, BUT to my great surprise a Carolina Wren flew passed my face into my living room. Pepito el del Sombrero (his name could be the title for a Spanish Zarzuela) has been sleeping in the hat. He tucks his head under his wing, all you see is a round feather ball. 

Pepito arrives at sundown and leaves at sunrise. He has not made a nest, the straw of the hat and the paper flowers keep him warm. I cannot open the entrance door to receive my guests, they have to come through my garage! 

I am curious to know what Pepito's intentions are for the future, I hope he finds a mate and builds a real nest somewhere else, or not? 

In the mean time I have a basket full of flowers, but I have not come up with other creative uses...

Any suggestions? You see, they are pointed on the back...

Up-Side down paper flower

My next post will tell you about my Christmas ornaments, inspired by a workshop I attended last summer at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation. 

CREATING JEWELRY AND MORE

Before I start talking and showing you my jewelry I promised you to post more pictures made with magazine rolls and coils.

10.5" x 14" Geometric star with Guatemalan Worry Dolls
$45.00

My friend Mónica created the Sun Rays using a big round coil as a starting point.

10.5" x 14" Sun Rays on burlap canvas.
$45.00

The next step in the creative process was to make jewelry:

Pendants in all shapes and sizes
$10.00 ea. 

Square links with leather finish
SOLD

Simple ring on red ribbon
$10.00

Red rings with gold links
SOLD

WHEN DID I START MAKING PAPER CRAFT?

Some few years ago I saw a beautiful "Novel Wreath" hanging at an office door. It was made of hundreds of  old novel roses. I searched for instructions on Youtube and started cutting and rolling three pages at a time making at least 200 roses. It was an exciting process; the old book destined to end up at Good Will is joining my books again as a festive decoration...

Once I started searching on Youtube, I found another wreath created from Yellow Pages. It became my Christmas decoration that year...

I was totally "hooked" on paper crafts. It brought me back to my childhood when my father (the paper maker) explained to me the different fibers used to make paper. Short fibers for newspapers, phone books, longer fibers for more durability, glossy shine of magazine paper by adding talcum...

I made snowflakes for Christmas using old colorful magazines and a cute angel using paper doilies...

That was the beginning, but I kept looking and found more ideas on Youtube. Rolling magazine pages to create all kinds of things...

One page, a wooden skewer, and a bit of Elmer's glue is all you need.  Since my first attempt I have spent hours rolling paper in all colors. It is a good exercise to eliminate stiffness in your hands and fingers while letting your mind wander thinking of your next project...

My first creation was placing magazine rolls on small canvas, which became a nice group activity. A friend and my grand-daughter joined me...

Below is my first creation; I will add more at my next post...

10.5" x 14" Bargello on yellow background
$45.00 

Close-up showing the first coils I made.