A new Dimension to Tyvek Origami

I am in experiment phase this weekend with the Tyvek paper/material that I have been folding with. COLOR! I discovered ( rather by accident) that paint DOES, in fact, stick to the material. I thin it out with water ( acrylic paint) and brush it on liberally. And then I brush it off with a towel. The results are this really interesting swirling pattern on one side and a solid soft color on the other ( treated side) My first attempt was with a frog. A new design that is a little challenging in that the folding patters are not exactly mapped out. I think it turned out pretty good for a first attempt. And the color adds that something extra that I may have been looking for. At least it takes a picture better than the plain white. Cheryl still likes the "artistic modern look" of the pure white paper. But there are a lot of colors out there that need to be explored. On a different level, I folded a dollar bill fish. I'm getting pretty good at this one now. It is, perhaps, one of my favorite dollar bill designs. They are great for tip jars.

Origami Weekend, Yoda, Unicorn, and others...

A quick post to catalog my latest creations from last weekend. Keeping with the star wars theme, I folded a couple of Yoda's and a new X Wing and A wing fighter. There were also a couple of smaller projects that I have been wanting to do for the longest time and finally found the time and inspiration. A pig design that excited me as well as the women in a dress. I guess she could have been little red riding hood, or an Amish woman. The folks at Civco thought she was Amish most likely because of the location where we live. ( Kalona is Amish country) As for the unicorn, It is the same pattern as the last one I folded, with a few changes made my me to give it hooves and a mane. I am rather fond of this one as it looks much more alive. I know there are cooler patterns out there, but until I find them, I'll have to mess with this one a bit more to see how far I can push the paper. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Making Changes

When we first came to Iowa, it was a big change. We were not certain what we were going to find here, but we had goals that we were striving for. And, after one year, those objectives have been met. But now there are new goals and missions that are on the table, and it would seem that those missions do not take place in Iowa. So, Cheryl and I are now hammering out a new plan that will change our current situation. The details are sketchy at the moment, but one point sticks out: we can not stay here forever! So, it is with eager anticipation that I am excited to post our progress as it goes along. We shall see. Message to self: You are water. Nothing can contain or stop you. You move around barriers. Over them. Under them. Even through them!

The latest in Iowa Fashion Trends

As I sit here in the Barnes and Nobles coffee shop sipping a coffee, I can't help but notice that there is this trend here, ( I'm sure it is not unique to Iowa) where young girls are writing messages on their butts! Now what is this? Seriously? Is this fashion? Or is it advertising targeted for men of a certain age? ( Am I being Targeted?) No I will have to admit that even I catch myself checking out a girls butt, ( I am a guy after all....) But I usually do not dwell on the object much longer than the pre-programed genetic response requires. That being said, I am human as well. And humans are a curious species. If there is a word tattooed to the rear end of a pair of sweatpants or shorts, I find myself ( unconsciously) reading it! I can't help it! WHY? It was a common theme that we used to laugh about back in the day when I used to watch the door of the Holiday Inn Bar. The guys would always check out the women, and you could see just what they were looking at by looking at their eyes. So, I guess some advertising entrepreneur figured this out at has designed clothing that will put their logos in front of the right demographic. The hard part, I imagine, would be to find women that are brave enough to wear the things! It is often difficult for me to get into the female mind, but I guess there are those women out there who do not mind being ogled! In fact, judging by the way they dress outside of having words taped to their butts, It would appear that they actually enjoy it! So who knows? Is this tasteless fashion, or wise advertising? I'm not sure other than there are people who know humans better than I do and have figured out a way to put it to use. As for me, I will continue to despise flip flops, ripped Daisy Duke jeans, and now....the Butt print advertising. Call me old fashioned! I guess I am.

Origami X-Wing, B-Wing, and Tie Fighter

I was quite happy with the way the Star Wars Origami Turned out....I didn't have time to complete the Yoda or the A-Wing or Y-Wing fighters, but there is still this weekend. The X-Wing was a big hit and got snagged right away...so I had to make another one for the lady who requested it. I have a few more requests this week and a purchased a couple of new books that I can play around with in the future. I should really blog more so I can get more traffic. It appears that I have been losing followers lately because I do not post everyday like before. Well, with the 4th right around the corner, I'm not sure what Cheryl and I will be doing. The 4th of July will mark the one year anniversary of moving to Iowa. I can't believe it has been a full year already! I'll have to add to that thought when I have more time. Hope everyone has a great weekend grilling dogs and watching the parades!

Origami Dinosaurs! Rarrrg!

A request from a coworker has led me to fold a few dinosaurs. If you glance down, I folded a t rex and a tri tops before, but they were snapped up by someone before the person who wanted them could even see them. This time I went with a could different designs. I personally like the way the tri tops and the T rex turned out this time. I think their designs are a little better. I also folded a couple of stegosauruses and a ankylosaurus. ( Not sure about the spelling...the "Turtle Looking" one) I think that one could be messed around with a little to give it a little more shape and character.....we'll see. As for last week, I finished up the Rhino and the Unicorn. The Unicorn was a little simple and a bit disappointing. It had no mane or hoof hair to play with. I did like the way the tail and horn came out though. There was not much paper left over to play with so I could create my own version. But I might give it another go later. ( or look for a better design!) I was very proud of the Rhino. IT had a Good three dimensional look and was a solid design. Some of the collapse folds were tricky, but not that difficult if you have a little experience folding. Hope everyone has a great weekend. And next week.....I'll be exploring Star Wars Origami!

Origami Weekwend, Cat, New Eagle, Frog, and Giraffe.

My latest projects! I have a few requests from some people at work, so tonight I will have to make a few "repeats". I'm kind of liking this latest eagle. He has a better pose than the last one. And the cat I think I can make better. I've been working on a Rhino and he is coming along nicely. He's almost to the point where I can use my "artistic magic" on him to give his a little more expression. I also found the limits to Tyvek as a material. IT is rather durable, which is good! But that means that it is also rather thick. Making extreme designs a challenge, such as this frog and many insects that I have been doing. Regardless, I did do a butterfly that turned out pretty good last week. Bummer I didn't get a picture of it before taking it to work. Hope everyone has a great week!

Walking through Barbed Wire In Iowa!

Honestly, what is it with Iowa? Everywhere I look whenever we go out to Iowa City, I see people who look like they have walked through barbed wire! Their jeans are all ripped to shreds and no one seems to notice! It's like they are part of some Marine Training Exercise! I guess it is the cost of being a farmer and having to surround yourself and your farm with sharp fencing. Then again, it might be fashionable here in farmer ville to wear your work clothes whenever you go out. ( Nothing like attending a wedding in your BIBS!....AS THE GROOM!) I guess you could say that Iowa is the hub of fashion lately...because all of Cheryl's fashion magazines are following the trend. Take a look at these stars! Another trend here is the broken legs. While walking around the mall I see people with casts on their legs and I think" must have been caught in a combine!" I'm not sure if that is true, but there sure seem to be more leg injuries here than back in Michigan. I also base this guess on the thought that many farmers have lots of children ( in case one gets run over by a tractor) and they also have lots of dangerous equipment that they have to use to harvest the corn. And I have seen children using this equipment out in the field! So...If you want to wear ripped clothes and legs casts with your outfits, Come to Iowa!