Tea Bag Folding Techniques

      Teabag folding is a form of origami the development of which is credited to Tiny (pronounced Teeny) van der Plas, who as a practitioner of origami developed the technique in 1992 as a paper craft art for embellishing greeting cards. It uses small square pieces of paper bearing symmetrical designs that are folded in such a way that they interlock and produce a 3 Dimensional version of the underlying design.

      Origami (meaning literally "ori" folding "kami" paper) the Japanese art of paper folding dates back to antiquity. The name Teabag folding was coined after Mrs van der Plas first set about folding the greetings cards. The wrappers were essentially square and of equal size, the two main prerequisites for producing symmetrical and pleasing imagery.

      Like many crafts or art forms the expression continues to be developed. The basic kite fold is used to produce rosettes that are a 3 dimensional version of the 2D design. There are many other folds and designs in existence and they are only limited by the imagination of the artist. Typical designs show birds, butterflies, flowers and generally imitate some of the raw beauty found in nature.

      The basic rosette design requires eight matching squares to be folded into the 'kite' design. Maths teachers find the designs very useful as a practical way of demonstrating some of the basic properties of symmetry.

• British Origami Society The UK's main origami organization.
• Origami USA The biggest origami organization in the US.

Iris Folding

     Iris folding is a paper craft technique that involves folding strips of colored paper in such a way to form a design. The center of the design forms an iris — a shape reminiscent of the iris diaphragm of a camera lens.

      Iris folding originated in Holland, where early craft persons made their designs using patterned paper cut from the inside of envelopes. Today, crafters use any light weight paper, such as scrapbook paper, origami paper, wrapping paper, the inside of envelopes or pages of magazines. Ribbon is also used.

      Iris folding is done with a pattern. The crafter uses the finished product to decorate the front of a greeting card, as a scrapbook embellishment, to decorate an altered book or a mixed media collage, or in various other ways.

      Supplies for iris folding include a pattern, strips of colored paper, permanent transparent tape, cutting tools and a temporary tape such as painters tape. The temporary tape is used to hold the pattern in place while the craftperson creates the design.

      Iris folding patterns are available from booksellers or as downloadable files made available on Internet web sites. Other craft persons doing iris folding create their own patterns.

    Iris folding is an attractive paper craft technique used in card making,
 scrapbooking and other projects. The craft person folds a variety
 of colored papers to form a shape. This video demonstrates making
 a Halloween card with iris folding.

Quillwork on Handmade Cards

Traditional quilling shapes and correct
 terminology for each.

      Quilling or paper filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is rolled, looped, curled, twisted and otherwise manipulated to create shapes which make up designs to decorate greetings cards, pictures, boxes, eggs, and to make models, jewellery, mobiles etc. The most popular and versatile technique is that of rolling. The paper strip is rolled in fingers or using a tool. The coil is then released and then glued at the tip and then shaped. These shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns

      During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. The paper most commonly used was strips of paper trimmed from the gilded edges of books. These gilded paper strips were then rolled to create the quilled shapes. Quilling often imitated the original ironwork of the day.

      In the 18th century, quilling became popular in Europe where gentle ladies of quality ("ladies of leisure") practiced the art. It was one of the few things ladies could do that was thought not too taxing for their minds or gentle dispositions. Quilling also spread to the Americas and there are a few examples from Colonial times.

      Many quilled art works can be found on cabinets and stands, cribbage boards, ladies' purses, a wide range of both pictures and frames, work baskets, tea caddies, coats of arms and wine coasters. Storage boxes, larger than most jewelry boxes with drawers and/or tops that opened, quilled lock boxes, and much more. Some items were specially designed for quilling with recessed surfaces. Quilling was also combined or married with other techniques such as embroidery and painting.

      The craft has gone through many transformations and changes through the ages using new techniques, styles and materials. Dimensional quilling creates 3D items.

      Today, quilling is seeing a resurgence in popularity with quillers (people who practice the art of quilling) on every continent and in every walk of life. No longer confined to the "upper classes", this is a peoples art form and the beauty of the art is always expanding. The craft has become increasingly popular due to the low cost of the material. It is used to decorate wedding invitations, for Christmas, birth announcements, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, and boxes. Quilling can be found in art galleries in Europe and in the United States and is an art that is practiced around the world.

• North American Quilling Guild (NAQG) - Purpose of the guild is to "promote quilling"

Some Greeting Card Types

Greeting cards come in all types and themes: graduations, birthdays and holidays.

       A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards, usually packaged with an envelope, come in a variety of styles. There are both mass-produced as well as handmade versions that are distributed by hundreds of companies large and small. While typically inexpensive, more elaborate cards with die-cuts or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.

• Counter cards: Greeting cards that are sold individually. This contrasts with boxed cards.
• Standard Greeting Cards: A standard greeting card is printed on high-quality paper (such as card stock), and is rectangular and folded, with a picture or decorative motif on the front. Inside is a pre-printed message appropriate for the occasion, along with a blank space for the sender to add a signature or handwritten message. A matching envelope is sold with the card. Some cards and envelopes feature fancy materials, such as gold leaf, ribbons or glitter.
• Photo Greeting Cards: In recent years, photo greeting cards have gained widespread popularity and come in two main types. The first type are photo insert cards in which a hole has been cut in the center. Your photo slides in just like a frame. The second type are printed photo cards in which the photo is combined with artwork and printed, usually on a high-end digital press, directly onto the face of the card. Both types are most popular for sending holiday greetings such as Christmas, Hanukkah & for baby showers.
• Personalized Greeting Cards: Websites using special personalization technology allow consumers to personalize a card which is then printed and sent directly to the recipient.
• Reusable Greeting Cards: These are greeting cards for the budget conscious. There are two common formats for reusable cards. Firstly there are cards with slits in them positioned to hold pages. Secondly there notepad style cards where pages stick to the back of the cards. The pages that have been used for reusable cards can be removed after being received and fresh pages can be used to reuse the cards.
• Musical Greeting Cards: Recently greeting cards have been made that play music or sound when they are opened. They are commonly 3D handmade birthday cards which play traditional celebration songs such as Happy Birthday To You.
• Electronic Greeting Cards: (also called E-cards) Greeting cards can also be sent electronically. Flash-based cards can be sent by email, and many sites such as Facebook enable you to send greetings. More recently, services have launched which enable you to send greetings to a mobile phone by text message. Many of these electronic services offer open or anonymous chat, to enable further discussion.
• Pop-Up Cards: Pop-Up Cards are normally cards that, once opened, have a picture coming outward, giving the reader a surprise. Pictures and printed messages in greeting cards come in various styles, from fine art to humorous to profane. Non-specific cards, unrelated to any occasion, might feature a picture (or a pocket to paste in a personal photograph) but no pre-printed message.
• Telescoping Cards:  "Telescoping in mechanics describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object (such as a telescope or the lift arm of an aerial work platform) from its rest state. In modern equipment this is often done by hydraulics, but pulleys are used for simpler designs such as extendible ladders & amateur radio antennae. When making paper greeting cards you can achieve this action with pull tabs or by inserting brass brads."
•  Swing Cards: These are cards that are engineered to have a rocking motion once they are opened up.
• Pop-Up Rocking Cards: Three-dimensional cards that have the same features of pop-up books. The parts could be movable in a wide variety of ways using: flaps, pull-tabs, paper transformations etc...

Cute and Easy Pop-Up Easter Cards.

from Red Ted Artist, Maggy Woodley.

How to make a seed/bean abstract mosaic . . .

My teachers sample of an abstract bean mosaic.

       Seed and bean mosaics seem to go in and out of fashion. This simple craft can be used to teach young students about the qualities of texture and design at very little expense to the teacher, camp director, or an art department. 

Supply List: 

• A heavy duty piece of cardboard or inexpensive Masonite, or recycled sheet of pressed wood 
• either wood glue or white school glue
• pencil 
• Mod Podge 
• A wide assortment of seeds, beans, rice, nuts, and or dried items may be collected; I've listed specific varieties below. 
• Suggested dried beans, seeds and rice available at your local grocery store: Red beans, Black beans, Anasazi beans, Sunflower seeds, White rice, Brown rice, Pumpkin seeds, Melon seeds, Black eyed peas, Green split peas, Yellow split peas, Navy beans, Pinto beans, Wild rice, Indian corn, Lentils, Grass seed, 
• Suggested dried materials available at your local florist, hobby outlet, or even outside in your own backyard: Devils claw, Wheat stalks, Money plant, Sponge Mushroom, Pomegrante, Lotus Pods, Okra Pods, King Cobra Bark, Pod Oars, Pinecones, Acorns, Hazelnuts, Walnuts 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Draw a design on your cardboard or wood board 
2. Glue the dried materials down with either wood glue or white glue in designated areas or patterns.
3. After the glue has dried, completely cover the entire surface with Mod Podge in order to seal it properly.

Left,Photograph of my abstract, bean mosaic up close. 
Right, These dried beans were purchased at a local grocery store.

More Crafts Made With Seeds and Beans:

• Here is a listing of projects using seeds, pods, nuts and beans from my Christmas blog.