First of all, I love the new look.  Seeing the wallpapers change every 30 seconds has definitely cured my I-am-so-bored-with-my-wallpaper-all-the-time-itis.  The sample themes that Windows provided were also great; it really emphasized the vibrant screen.  I bet by the end of the week (or less) I’d be looking for a new wallpaper again.  At least now they can all be in slideshow mode. 

I’m no computer whiz, I’m just a computer… appreciator? You know… the type that has the computer on all day, plurking, checking out Facebook, chatting, that sort of thing.  I would have been completely satisfied with just the themes.  But hey, even if I got my Windows 7 discounted, I wanted to make sure I got my money’s worth.  So I checked out a few more features to see what else Windows 7 was all about.

Speed is another key improvement of Windows 7.  Booting is faster, and resuming from sleep mode is rapid.  I felt like my 1 year old laptop got a facial and a spa treatment.  I saw that Paint and Word Pad were revamped too, as they now look like how the latest Office programs looked.  I don’t know if I should still mention the new look of the calculator.. Oh wait, I just did. 

I also had to install Windows Live Essentials which I had to get online for free.  It’s basically, Windows Live messenger, Movie Maker, and other stuff.  I’m more of a Yahoo Messenger! person, so I knew that Live messenger was not gonna be a big thing for me.  Movie Maker is something I knew I would be able to use for projects in the future.  Right now, I am playing around with Windows Live Writer.  I’m using it to write this blog at this very moment.  I find it a lot easier to blog from here, oddly enough.  If all goes well, I might use Live Writer to blog more often.  

Right now it is safe to say that I do not regret my purchase.  It may be too early to tell, though.  I will continue to use Chrome as my browser and YM as my messenger and iTunes as my music player.  I’m not for or against any one company.  I just use what’s comfortable for me.   

___

I’m gonna say it: I have found THE hobby.  I’ve done almost everything: cross-stitching, drawing, cooking, the list goes on and on.  I tried becoming awesome at drawing anime-style, but I could never make them look right.  My cousin is great at that though.  How do I know I’m really into it?  I have 3 books about it already, and I see myself starting a book collection about it.  I have [almost] all of the tools for it, and I find myself spending hours on the net looking at other people’s works.  Maybe you’d like to buy me a bone folder?  And I’ve blogged about it.  A LOT.  You guessed it: origami.  If it were just a phase, my blog would have something else in it by now.  But here I am, updating y’all about it.

It all started with me following Sara Adams’ instructional videos in Youtube (and looking at her work in Happy Folding.com)  Then I started looking at links from her site.  Then I bought the book Fabulous Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse.  Then I bought a book that she recommended: Eric Gjerde’s Origami Tessellations: Awe-Inspiring Geometric Designs.  My December and January was filled with nights of exploring this book.  I finally finished all beginner and intermediate projects!  I made sure I didn’t jump into the advanced models too soon… Because triangle grid making in preparation for making tessellations take a lot of time and patience, and if I use it for an advanced project and realize that I can’t do it, I might end up tossing it.  Right now I do feel like I am ready to take on the advanced projects.  All I need is the right size of paper.  I know that at my level my 8×8 inch papers aren’t gonna be enough.  I think I’ll be comfortable with 24 x 24 in paper for these projects (Donations anybody?)

If you’ve been following my work in Plurk, you have probably seen the things I am about to show you now.  But if not, here they are.  If you wanna see my projects and my initial detailed commentary about them, you can add me as a contact on Flickr, my official, picture database for my photos.

Five and Four

This was the first project on the book.  It uses a square grid and 90 degree pleat intersections (I just wanna note that I can’t and won’t give instructions here on my blog because, hey, I want you to buy the book!)  I love the symmetry that this piece has.  This is my only successful 64×64 square grid project on 8×8 in transparent paper.

Spread Hexagons

You may recognize this project from my first attempt.  Before I got my transparent paper, I used to make tessellations on paper that weren’t backlight friendly.  When I saw the many works in flickr using light to accentuate their tessellations, I began to use light as well.  This photo was taken during the time when I used a transparent folder to hold the paper and then place it against the light on the ceiling.  With one hand I would hold the folder, with the other I would hold my heavy DSLR.  Yes, a noob I was.

Tiled Hexagons

Here I am, still using the same method.  By the time I made tiled hexagons, I was already used to making triangle twists.  This was a particularly easy project to fold.  Not counting making the 32 triangle grid, I finished this one in less than an hour.

3.6.3.6

During Christmas, my sister surprised me by giving me a shadowbox.  I was so touched, because she gave me something that actually had something to do with a craft that I am very passionate about.  She didn’t give me a generic t-shirt or something like that.  She actually listened to my constant blabbering about my weird hobby and bought something that helped me A LOT.  So I said goodbye to that beaten up tranparent folder and said hello to my new shadow box.  A shadow box is essentially a clear frame that consists of two glass bound by wood that can be adjusted to fit a flat model or a 3d model.  Right now it sits on my windowsill.  Every morning I look at it and see the natural light coming from the sun shining on my tessellation.  An instant smile is planted on my face.  Thank you again sissy!

Pinwheel

As I sift through the book I discover the so many more designs, like this one: Pinwheel.  Eric Gjerde says that this is one of his favorite works, and I couldn’t agree more.  It almost feels like the pinwheels are moving.

Open-Back Hexagon Twist

This is currently my Ipod’s Wallpaper.  Don’t you just love it?  I am really satisfied with the brown paper I used, the light that shines through it, and the pleats that radiate from it.  It’s easier than it looks, which makes it even more amazing.  I can see myself making a larger extended version of this in the near future.

Basket Weave

Most tessellations are usually beautiful from both sides.  The basket weave isn’t one of them.  The front side which shows the pattern that looks like the paper is actually made of many strips that are weaved into each other is actually hiding a lot of activity that goes on in the back.  It’s kind of mysterious when you think about it.

Square Weave

This is a design that I regret backlighting.  It looks ok, but you don’t really see the foldings weaving in and out of each other.  It is still a nice design to look at when backlit, but it doesn’t really explain the title well from this view.  One day I’ll repeat this pattern and use paper that isn’t transparent.

Chateau-Chinon

The design looked so simple but the preparation was grueling and the collapsing took a lot of effort. It is like trying to make a little baby go to sleep and placing it down without making it cry (I’ve been doing a lot of babysitting lately haha).. I found myself holding my breath a lot while reinforcing the creases. The result was amazing though.

Rhombus Weave

I made this in preparation for the advanced projects that utilize that rhombus twist.  It kind of reminds me of the ocean.  What do you see?

Star Twist

I have to admit that I did this project early on during the times when I haven’t completed the beginner level projects.  And I failed on my first try.  I just hated doing 60 degree pleat intesections! This is my second attempt.  I did it after doing many other projects.  It still could use a lot of practice, I see a lot of imperfections on it.  But right now, as it is on my shadowbox, it still makes me happy.  The sun hides all of the imperfections that I see.

Roman Church Floor Tiling

I made a bad choice by going with this color.  A lot of my friends associated it with germs! ^_^  Too bad, I enjoyed figuring out how to make those triangle twists on double pleats.

Daisy Chains

This was the last project I did, and it is also a 2nd attempt.  My first attempt was done on pink transparent paper with a 64x triangle grid.  Result: a failure.  I just couldn’t do the 120 deg inverted pleat intersections at that time especially on such a small workspace.  With this design, I used my very first 48 grid, on thick bond paper this time.  I love that antique-ish glow that emanates from it.

Double Triangle Sawtooth

This particular project took me 4 days to finish. I thought I would be able to work on it fairly quick because I knew how to do hexagon twists and triangle twists from former projects. I just didn’t realize that 120 degree inverted pleat intersections were hard to maneuver, especially in a 32 grid. After 2 days (when I say 2 days it just means the 4-5 hour period at night when I’m done with chores), I decided to draw on my tattered paper. I just needed to see the CP on it just so I knew that I was going the right way. When I finally figured it out, I folded on another sheet of paper, and used my first slightly torn paper as reference. Even then, it was still difficult.

Once I figured out how to do the center hexagon and the surrounding double triangle twists, I was again stumped on how to tessellate. According to the book, it said to move along the radiating set of pleats and fold the double triangle twist. But when I do this, I have a hard time making the corresponding hexagon. In the end, what I did was, to make one double triangle twist, then unfold, then work on the 120 deg inverted pleat intersection that will make up the sides of the hexagon. Maybe you guys can tell me an easier way to do this. To think that I only worked on a 32 grid… what if I made a 48-64?

And so, here it is… I am just glad I finished it. I’m pretty sure the pattern would look better if the surrounding sawtooth units were full instead of half. But I’m not gonna work on that anytime soon.

Stacked Triangles, front, backlit

I was initially planning to take a picture of this project without backlight because I wanted to show the embossed characteristic of the stacked triangles.  That was the reason why I used normal bond paper, so that the paper won’t be shiny when I took a picture of it.  To my delight, backlighting this project proved to be much more satisfying.

Stacked Triangles, back, backlit

Here is the same project viewed from the back.  I think you know why I found it so important to show you both sides.  They looked different from each other, and both sides were worthy of being shown.

Bird base

The title of this design doesn’t refer to the flying animal that we all know.  It actually has something to do with a popular base fold that origamists are familiar with.  It is a very interesting design to learn, and is pretty simple compared to the many other projects that Christiane Bettens is known for.

Propellerheads

I will end this compilation with this design.  There are a lot of tessellations out there that are actually three dimensional.  This is one of them.  I didn’t do wetfolding on it as advised by the book; maybe in the future I’ll do an extended version of it.

See what happens when you don’t blog for a long time?  All the projects pile up.  I am very proud of all of them, so I couldn’t leave any of them out.  I’ll be sure to share the advanced projects to all of you when I have made them.  I wish I can get my hands on some elephant hide paper.  I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.  Glassine would also be nice to have.

I hope you all enjoy my projects.  When we meet, I’d be happy to share my book with you and teach you a few tricks that I learned.

Thank you so much to Mr. Eric Gjerde for this very valuable book.  One day, I hope to have it signed by you.  Thank you as well to my new friends in flickr.  I am so glad I became active there.  I didn’t know that all of my fellow origamists are just there.  ^_^

So you guys wanna give origami a try?

Tessellations — a word not often used, but found everywhere.  You see it more often than you think.  You’re not alone, I just learned the word this year.  Have you noticed the continuing pattern of squares or rectangles on a cobblestone pathway?  How about the intersecting lines that make shapes on a plaid skirt?  What about the weave on a bamboo mat?  Those are all tessellations - an arrangement of shapes that cover a plain.  There is probably a better definition out there for it, but I don’t want to get to mathematical.  Once you see my pictures, you’ll know what I mean.

I discovered tessellations from the instructional videos of Sara Adams, the creator of the origami website, Happy Folding.  Through her delicately executed way of teaching, she opened up a new side of origami for me.  She introduced designs by many origami artists and taught a lot of basic techniques through her videos.  Being new to tessellations, I haven’t made my own patterns and I admit that I have not made a lot.  Let me show you some of my current work.

Andrea's Rose by J.C. Nolan

This was the first tessellation that I attempted to do.  To be honest, I messed up a few times before I understood it.  I always ended up tearing something, which made me toss it and charge it to experience.  I had to do a lot of paper wrestling back then.  Now I can safely say that I can do this model with 8 tiers on 6 by 6 inch paper with ease.  Practice, practice, practice

clover folding by Shuzo Fujimoto

Clover folding, like all tessellations, require accuracy and precision.  Most of the time a preliminary grid is made so that collapsing the model is easy, and to do so, precreasing must be done.  It is essential that you know what folds must be mountain folds and what must be valley folds.  Precreasing is probably the most discouraging part of making tessellations for me.  If you don’t like precreasing, you won’t like tessellations.  But like any work or project, preparation is key.

clover folding by shuzo fujimoto

Once you have practiced doing so in a small piece of paper with a large grid, you can challenge yourself and work on a larger piece of paper.  That’s when tessellations really come to life.

hydrangea

Tessellations are really everywhere.  You don’t just find them in manmade structures.  You can find them in nature as well.  Hydrangea flowers are known for their many petals and like in this model, they are seen neatly stacked and positioned.

waterbomb tessellation by eric gjerde

Recently, Ms. Sara Adams gave her many subscribers a chance to pick a model for her next instructional video by holding a contest.  Fortunately, I won!  I couldn’t believe it myself.  Anyway, this is the model that I chose — Waterbomb tessellation by Eric Gjerde.  You can find the video here.  It turned out to be easier than I thought.  The hardest part about making this project is folding the diagonal creases.  Instead of the usual fold that goes straight from one edge to the other, I had to make diagonals on just 2 squares and then skip.  If I cheat and just place diagonals all over, I knew that it was going to be a pain to fold and it won’t look as neat.

waterbomb --smaller grid

When I got the hang of making the model, I decided to make a smaller grid so that more squares would come out.  I decided to use yellow and orange paper because Sara mentioned that the model looks like exploded cheese ^_^ Using this color, I can now see what she means

waterbomb challenge

And for my final challenge, I used large thick paper (12×12 inch).  It was extremely difficult for me to fold the center part of the model, and the collapsing part was a challenge as well.  I actually did this model while watching TV and while listening to lectures.  The end result was amazing.

If you like what you see in the front, you’ll love the pattern in the back as well.

If you want to get a feel of what the world of origami tessellations is like, you can find a lot of pictures in Flickr.  You’ll soon realize that my projects are NOTHING compared to what’s out there.  I am a really a beginner.  But hey, we all start small don’t we?

Origami is not a popular artform, at least not in the United States or in the Philippines, but it’s a traditional artform that has withstood the test of time.  The popular design of the crane is an old creation meant to symbolize longevity; almost all paper folders know how to make a crane.  But I’m not here to talk about the crane today.  Today is all about boxes.  Search YouTube for an “origami box” video, and you are bound to get lots of results.  It is basic; very easy to learn.  The best thing about the box is its utility.  Isn’t it amazing that a once flat piece of paper can become a three dimensional object that can contain a small trinket or two (or more)?

In the community of paper folders, when you say origami box, you instantly here the name TOMOKO FUSE.  She invented and published so many variations of the box that you never thought existed.  Upon learning a few Tomoko Fuse boxes through videos, I was determined to get my hands on a copy of her book.  With great respect to the author, paper folders in the world wide web would never release an instructional video about all of her boxes, it’s just not right.  So I placed her book, “Fabulous Origami Boxes”, on my wishlist.  Today was my lucky day.  As I was looking at the arts and crafts shelf at Borders Bookstore, there I found the book.  I actually found two of her books there; one was about the boxes, and the other about modular origami.  I wanted to buy both of them, but in the end I bought only one because I didn’t really have a lot of money.  I convinced myself that one day I will complete the Tomoko Fuse collection.

the book that I've been looking for is here!

Of course as soon as I got home, I flipped through the pages, not knowing where I should begin.  I finally settled for the “Lamp Shaped Bowl” with a Lid (with Knob).  I chose it because It was relatively simple, It had a nice three dimensional shape, and because I’ve never seen a box like this being taught in the web (for good reasons).  I am not going to teach you guys how to do it through my blog because I don’t have the permission from Tomoko-sensei.  But of course, if you do meet me in person, I’d be happy to have a folding session with you.  This project required 8 pieces of paper — 4 for the box itself, and 4 for the lid.  The instructions were very easy to understand because she uses the universal symbols being used by most if not all paper folders.

box with lid

I used 6×6 inch size paper and chose to use a paper with a floral pattern and paper with the same color but with no pattern so that the box’s shape is more emphasized.  As you can see, it has a nice knob on top that makes the lid easy to open.  The box is not the usual cube shape; it is meant to imitate Japanese lamp.

lamp box without the lid

Here I rotated the box a bit so that you can see the violet paper on one side and the floral pattern on the other.

bottom view

This is what the bottom of the box looks like.  As you can see, if you’d rather not have a lid with a knob, you can just make a box lid that looks like this.

There are more than 30 projects in this book.  A lot of them have similar patterns with variations that make them look different from each other.  I will make it a point to try all of them so that I can show you the beauty of Tomoko Fuse’s designs.

Most of the time, we sacrifice functionality for beauty — like the 5 inch stiletto heels that make your silhoutte beautiful but are a pain to wear.  Tomoko Fuse boxes are a perfect blend of style and function.  Forget about the usual square box and plain old gift wrapped presents.  Your friend or special someone will appreciate their gift more coming from a box that was personally made by you.

I’ve mentioned Tomoko Fuse a few times already in my previous entries.  Tomoko-san is still my favorite origami creator.  I’m still saving up to buy this master’s book.  Most of the boxes have a similar pattern as far as assembly is concern.  My favorite one right now is this hexagonal box with a nice star like pattern on the lid.

Hexagon box with star patterned lid

I learned to make this beautiful box with the help of a video made by barbabellaatje in Youtube.  A lot of her instructional videos are really easy to follow.  In fact, I already subscribed to her so that I get to try her videos as soon as they come out.  Another thing I love about Tomoko Fuse boxes is that the inside of the box is as intricate as the outside as shown in this picture below:

hexagon box -- inside

Besides getting my designs from the internet, I am also trying to take part in actual workshops here in the US.  I’ve only been to one workshop though, and that was when I went to the Anime Expo 2009 at the Staples Center in Downtown, Los Angeles.  Don’t ask me how long the workshop was, I was having too much fun!  A lot of the people in the workshop were mostly beginners like me, but our instructor, Kazue-sensei was very patient.

Kazue-sensei and I

Those boxes that Kazue-sensei and I were holding were my favorites in the entire workshop.  It’s a model made with 6 pieces of paper connected together to make a closed box (meaning it’s not something you can easily open and close).  Besides that, she taught us how to make a simple flower and a spinner.

6 pc modular box

Another model that I am proud to have accomplished is the Modular Cherry Blossom Ball, a model made by… you guessed it: Tomoko Fuse!  Again I used a video made by barbabellaatje.  You are a genius.  I say this because I know that there’s a big difference between a person who can just do something and a person who can teach something.  And you my friend can teach.

Cherry Blossom Ball

I remember attempting to do this about 4 months ago and FAILING.  I made the pieces and I just couldn’t put them together.  I ended up throwing all of the pieces away.  And how many pieces were used in this project? 30.  Yes you read it correctly.  Three-zero, Thirty.  Back then I didn’t even have premade square pieces of paper.  So, my apologies to nature.  After having made several projects this big, I decided to make it again and voila!  It taught me that if you really want something, you just have to try and try until you get it.  If you fail the first, the second, and a third time, it just means that maybe you’re not meant to make it then.  There’s always a next time.

Who loves money??? I’ve seen a few money folding websites around so I decided to get my dollar bill out of my wallet.  I don’t know how waiters like receiving bills folded in pretty shapes.  Money is money right? ^_^ I got my designs from this website.

bow

Here’s a simple yet pretty way to leave your tip on the table.  I love the way the face on the bill pops out.  The designer made sure that this is the way it’s going to look in the end.

boots

This is a nice pair of boots made with 2 1 dollar bills.  They are really cute aren’t they?

t-shirt

Here’s another origami made of a dollar bill.  It unravels very easily, and the instructions for it are easy to follow.

pentagon box

I’m pushing myself to learn a new way of making boxes all the time.  This one is made of regular size yellow paper.  I had to cut it in half to make the box and the cover which is also a pentagon shape. It’s a nice box to place little presents in.

Crowing Butterflies

After all the warm up origami, I dove into my complicated origami for today.  This design is called “Crowding Butterflies” by Shuzo Fujimoto.  I used the tutorial made by Sara Adams which can be found in her website.  I plan to learn a lot more designs from her videos.  I love the way she emphasizes which creases should be mountain folds and which should be valley folds.  If I was able to follow her tutorial, I’m sure you will too.  This was made with 6×6 in square origami paper.  I have no idea what to use it for, but it’s just really pretty. ^_^

starbox

This piece is a starbox.  It’s simple to make, and uses just one piece of square paper.  You can place many trinkets inside like paperclips or candy, or you can use it as a different way of giving out party favors.  Boxes are my favorite things to make because they are very useful.  Tomoke Fuse is well known for box origami.  If anyone out there would like to donate his book to me that would be AWESOME.

starbox / candle holder

Here’s a more complicated version of the star box.  The guide I am using (Origami: Home Decor Kit) actually recommended it to be used as a candle holder or a potpourri container (do people still use potpourri?).  I love it’s complex looking shape.  I used 4 pieces of 6×6 in paper for this design.

tulip

The next best origami project that is simple yet very elegant is flower origami.  This one is a tulip, made with 2 6 x 6 inch paper, 1 for the tulip bud and one for the base/stem.  You can use this as an accent to your boring cubicle in the office, a nice little present for your loved one, or as a final touch for the dinner table.  I am planning to make a complicated version of the rose… that will probably be in my next project.

catamaran flower

Here’s my origami catamaran flower.  On its own, it’s a simple design that can be placed on as a replacement for the usual ribbon that we usually place on gifts.  Another suggestion is making red and green pieces of this flower and making a wreath for Christmas.

coaster

Here’s a pretty coaster ^_^ Of course this is a temporary coaster because it’s going to get soaked by the moisture on the glass.  Nevertheless, I think this little accent on your coffee table will spark some interesting and new conversation everytime.  No need to buy fancy coasters, you can just make new designs based on the color that you feel like using!

bee

If you’re really into gardening like my parents, You will like this piece.  I used a 3×3 inch square piece of yellow origami paper and then attached it to bendable wire.  You can stick it into the soil of your potted plant as a decoration or even use it as a label for your flowers and herbs (just write down the name on the wings and there you have it!)

8 point star

This design uses 8 pieces of 2×2 inch origami paper.  I am planning to use this as a photoframe.  I’m just going to stick a photo behind it and then place a magnet at the back so that I can stick it on my refrigerator.  Isn’t that cute?

And for my finale, I present my biggest project to date, my origami fireworks or hanabi ^_^ Follow the link to my youtube video, because the great thing about this design is that it’s not static.  You can actually move it and make it look like fireworks changing shapes in the sky.  This design was made by Yami Yamauchi.  This is my favorite design so far.  I want to make more complicated designs like this in the future.  I promise to show it to all of you when I succeed.

Origami Fireworks

I hope you loved my designs.  Maybe I even inspired you to pick up that old magazine that you want to throw out.  Hey those are the best kinds of paper to use.  They are colorful and in the end you help by recycling and making trash into a new treasure.

Hide Sushi

I just wanna say that of all the restaurants I have reviewed, this is one restaurant that I fully endorse and promote with all my heart.  Most people living in the west LA area probably know about this little place already.  For those of you who are planning to drop by LA, please make it a point to eat at Hide Sushi.

Hide -- small but magical

Hide Sushi is a little hole in the wall restaurant in Sawtelle.  The sign for the restaurant is so small and the place looks so plain on the outside that I wouldn’t be surprised if you just passed by and ignored the place altogether.  When you enter the small sushi place, you will notice that the place is packed.  If you don’t go there early you will probably end up waiting for a while to get seated.  They don’t take reservations so you can’t plan ahead either.  So while waiting for a table, go ahead and plan the things that you are going to have.

miso soup

Have some authentic miso soup to start your meal.  I promise you it’s not the kind the comes in a packet.  It’s the real deal.  Have some green tea while you’re at it.

sushi

For sushi, I suggest you try the Yellowtail and the Toro (Fatty Tuna) for that melts in your mouth feeling.  Each bite will just send your tastebuds into hyperdrive.  Being a salmon sushi fan, I had this as well.  Don’t forget the unagi (eel)!

scallops sushi

We also tried the Scallop sushi and the Sea urchin sushi. This is my first time to try these types of sushi.  They are very rich in flavor.

uni -- sea urchin

The Spicy tuna roll and the California roll are so delicious and filling (avocado + kani + japanese mayo + cucumber = heaven).

california roll and spicy tuna roll

If you wanna try something different, I suggest you try the Dynamite!

scallops dynamite

You can choose between the scallops dynamite or the giant clam dynamite or a combination.  We didn’t have the giant clam though because it wasn’t in season.  It’s basically scallops baked in cream, mayonnaise, and mushrooms.  Best shared

a spoonful of dynamite

I have only been to Hide Sushi twice in my life.  As much as I wanna eat there everyday, I kind of like the idea of going there on really really really special occasions.  It’s a place that me and my cousin Aileen hold very dear to our heart.  Thanks Ate Aileen for bringing me there again.  Thanks to Tita Fely for joining us too (and for being the original person to discover Hide LOL)