Step Forty Nine: Raw chocolate Christmas bonbons

Dearest Sylwi,

Happy New Year!!!! I hope 2011 is full of love and light and dreams coming true... and lots of time for creative adventures, too!

As mentioned in my last post, I had initially hoped to cook some Christmas cookies for a Step at the end of last year. However, food guilt set in over Christmas :-))) and I made a promise to myself, that instead of a holiday completely filled with refined sugars and dairy, I would teach myself to make one raw food treat.

This recipe came from a book that I was given as a Christmas present, called 'Naked Chocolate' by Shazzie and David Wolfe. It's a recipe for fudge squares, made from nuts, dates, coconut and cacao nibs. 

To make the fudge look a little more treat-like, I rolled each square into a ball and then covered it in either shredded coconut, or raw cacao powder.

They tasted very good... not "excellent", but pretty darn good for my first adventure with raw treats. I'm looking forward to improving on the recipe a little. 

My ultimate goal is to invent raw treats that will taste soooo good, that everyone will like them... even friends who don't really understand the whole raw food concept and think it's all a bit crazy! :-) I shall certainly know I've achieved that, when my husband likes them! 

Today's Step was really two creative adventures in one. Not only did I make the treats, I also persuaded a photographer friend to show me how to light my pictures. I styled these pics, with the Christmas tree behind and an old, wooden, chopping board that belonged to my Grannie... and then I ran out of props! (and began dreaming of trips to Paris, to browse flea markets for pretty ceramic plates and saucers!) 

In the end, I just made a quick origami gift box, using these instructions. In hindsight, I should probably have left it out of the shot, but I hadn't really planned the shot, it just kind of fell together... so, well, that's why there's a weird paper box in there! heeee! :-) 

I learned so much about lighting today. We played around with lighting the bonbons from the front, then the side and then from slightly behind. The pics I liked most, were lit from slightly behind. It seemed to give the bonbons much more shape.

I'm exhausted from all of the work. This was supposed to take a couple of hours and ended up taking far longer! Especially when you're trying to take the pic and a curious and hungry puppy sneaks into the background of the shot...

... so, you shoo them out of the shot, run back to the camera and take another pic, only to discover ANOTHER curious and hungry puppy, attracted by all of the noise... and then the chocolately smell wafting down off the counter, has sneaked in to the vacant space...

:-))))

Lots and lots and lots of love to you! Happy, Happy, Happy New Year, sweetpea! 

Fi

xx

Step Forty Seven: Origami Christmas Tree

Dearest Sylwi

This week, I began with one idea and ended up with a completely different version of it!

For a while now, I've been fascinated by Fair Isle knitting patterns. I wanted to paint my snowflake the other week with this pattern. In fact, I wanted to paint several snowflakes with different patterns and hang them in a garland, but papier-mâché didn't turn out to be my strongest skill (ha!) and time ran out!

So, this week, I thought I'd do a simple origami Christmas tree, but use paper that I'd painted with various Fair Isle patterns to fold the tree with. Again, time ran out! Grrr! So, with no time to paint, instead, I decided to keep it simple and just make a quick origami card.

First, I folded the tree, following this origami Christmas tree tutorial that I found on "Ish" blog. It's a wonder that I got around to anything else today, once I started scrolling through Carole's beautiful blog. It's fairly addictive, browsing through all of her inspiration and ideas!

For the tree topper, I then followed this great star tutorial on the 'Extreme Cards and Papercrafting' website (where I got very distracted by a whole host of other brilliant tutorials that I'd also like to try!)

As the pentagon for the star needs to be cut out perfectly, in order to not mess up the paper folding later, I found one on Google here and traced it, just to be certain that my edges were all straight.

A bit of glue and some sparkly hearts later and ta-dahhh!

Nothing like the pretty picture I had in my head when I began, but at least I created something. And I'm FINALLY back up to date with my posts. Yahoo! :-)

I know you're busy this week, but hope you're still managing to have some fun in the run up to Christmas.
Lots and lots and lots of love to you.

Fi
xx

Step Thirty Nine: Celebrating origami with paper fireworks!

Dearest Sylwi

No words this week, just pictures! :-)

I could write an entire post on how tired, empty and 'oversubscribed' to everything I'm feeling at the mo... but I won't! heee! ;-) Instead, here's a pretty, distracting, little origami project for this week's Step.

Inspiration came from this amazing tutorial video from jonakashima on YouTube. Beautifully clear instructions and ...with a little patience, (not my strong point, grrr!) ;-) surprisingly simple to put together!

Origami Firework (by Yami Yamauchi)

Yipee!

Lots of love,
Fi
xx

Step Thirty: Freshly laundered {origami} money!

Dearest Sylwi,

Only a quick post today, as I've just got back from a few days away in London and have a pile of things to do.

It was my husband's birthday this weekend, so I took him to London clothes shopping. I was fairly reluctant to come back, I could have stayed in the City for much longer! I found so many cool new places to shop, eat and drink... yet, I still had a list of about 2 pages long that I didn't get around to visiting. I can't wait to go back again!

I squeezed in many old favourites, like Liberty's (where I could quite happily buy one of everything!) and found new favourites, like the exquisite oasis that is Postcard Teas and the fabulous Saf.

After two solid days of walking the streets and shopping (my husband struggled to find clothes that he liked), I have menswear indelibly stamped on my brain. :-) I think next time, I'll just give him the money for the clothes in a birthday card and tell him to go on his own! hee hee! (not really, but it is tempting!) ;-)

It set me to thinking how I could add money to a card creatively (if it was a present for a nephew or niece, for example), rather than just slipping the money inside... and this is what I came up with.

The shirt is folded using this shirt origami technique using a one dollar bill. If I was giving this as a birthday present, I'd obviously fold something a little larger than a dollar! heh heh! I'm not that miserly! ;-)

I added the coat hanger (twisted from bead wire) and stuck the washing line (made from fishing line) onto the inside of the card. The card is one of those 3 panel ones, with an oval shape cut out of the centre panel. 

I guess, you could alternatively make a cute, little origami dress, if it was for a girl. :-)

Hope you had a fantastic weekend. Looking forward to catching up soon.

Lots of love

Fi

xx

Step Five: Love Letters

Morning Sweet Sylwi... or should I say, Afternoon?! I'm posting so late, it probably already is afternoon with you!

I've been sort of dreading today because I'm only just getting over being sick, so I was wondering how on earth I would find any inspiration or energy to create anything... apart from maybe a cup of tea! ;-)

So, I decided to keep it simple this week with a super sweet, useful and quick way to fold paper.

I think this style of folding originated back in Victorian times, as a sort of love letter called a 'puzzle purse' (although, I've also come across it called a 'thread container' in Japan) so who knows where it originated! :-) 

It was called a puzzle purse because the recipient would have to open the folded paper in a certain order. Written inside all of the folds and on the very inside would be a love letter or poem. Some were also beautifully decorated with drawings. The puzzle was then to close the purse in the correct order. 

You can see some photos of beautiful, original examples on Nancy Rosin's Victorian Treasury site. You can also find instructions on how to fold the purses there. Or, there are also some good instructions here.

Rather than write a poem in one (or paint one), I decided to use this method of folding as an envelope for a Valentine's ATC. I chose a piece of gorgeous, double-sided paper from Whimsy Press and cut a square large enough to fit my card in, once it was all folded up (about 11.25" x 11.25"). 

You'll see from the instructions that you have to fold the paper into thirds. Which was actually quite hard. I ended up measuring it with a ruler. You have to do that twice [sigh!] :-) but once that part's done, the rest takes about 10 minutes (you do a bit more folding and then close it up). 

Okay, it took about 20 minutes the first time I tried! I couldn't work out how on earth to close the darn thing - clearly, that's why it's called a 'puzzle' purse! ha! :-) 

Basically, you pinch the paper together on opposite sides like this...

... and then twist your wrists in opposite directions at the same time as you move one hand slightly away from you and one hand slightly towards you.

Sound kinda complicated? Well, it was! This was the bit that took me a while to figure out! ;-) 

After you've done it once though, it becomes so easy and fun. Then, you simply tuck the ends in under each other...

... and you end up with a sweet, little puzzle purse that can be used for all sorts of different things.

I've used this technique for envelopes and CD covers, just by varying the size of the square you begin with. There must be loads of other ways to use it!

Hope you're having a lovely Tuesday! What are you up to this week? I can't wait to see what you make! :-)

Lots and lots of love

Fi

xx

Step One: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. {Goethe}

ood morning, sweet Sylwi! :-) Surprise! I actually did something on the blog! This first post was harder than I thought! I have so many ideas in my head of things I'd like to create, that choosing one and actually just sitting down and doing it proved to be quite a challenge!

There's something very exciting and yet, strangely intimidating about a blank piece of paper... and a blank blog too! :-) It feels like there's so much potential and so much possibility! This blank page could be turned into anything, it could be the best thing I've ever created! All that's needed is a great idea... and then, of course, great execution of the idea...

My mind then wandered on to imagining myself sitting down to create something with my paper and I began to realise, it could also turn out to be a disaster, a complete failure... a waste of time! I wondered if maybe it's better to wait, to sit and think of a better idea - get a really clear plan in my head first and then begin?

Subsequently, the ideas got bigger (overwhelmingly so) and the list of tools for the job got longer and before I knew it, a whole week had passed and I'd done nothing but bore myself silly with all of my thinking!

It was at that point that I came across this quote, "you have everything you need to begin!" It was so simple and yet so perfectly true. So, I took my blank piece of A4 paper and a black ink pen and began to draw some patterns of flowers.

The inspiration for these initially came from Indonesian batik patterns. I developed a complete obsession with tjaps whilst searching the internet. I'd love to buy some just as decorations for the house! Anyway, in researching them, I accidentally came across Persian carpet patterns and then... I uncovered a whole host of beautiful, inspirational books that I never even knew existed! You'll see what I mean if you search for 'motifs and designs for artists' at your favourite bookstore. So, I used a combination of various sources and styles as a first stab at drawing pattern. I thought if these patterns were developed, they could make such beautiful wallpaper or textile designs, all coloured up... but that's a whole other project for another week, year, or maybe never, but you know what I mean! ha! :-)

Once I had finished inking the paper, I folded this origami paper crane. The art of origami (an ancient Japanese art of folding paper) simply fascinates me. I'm looking forward to exploring it more this year.

Cranes are a symbol of loyalty, honour and peace and I really enjoyed creating this one. So much so, that I even wondered if I should do 52 weeks of differently designed cranes, but I'm still undecided about that comittment! ;-) 


Anyway, you can find instructions here if you'd like to learn how to fold your own. 

As a side note, my dog ate my crane during the night! ha! :-) What a monster?! I found my poor little crane first thing this morning, all gnarled and soggy in the bottom of Sophie's basket. It was a gruesome discovery! She had bitten its head clean off! ha! :-)

I can't be cross with her as she gave me the guiltiest looks and made beautifully wide 'forgive me!' eyes when I started squealing at what she'd done. I'm such a sucker, she totally worked me!

I guess the one thing I did learn from this whole experience, along with  never adopting a dog from the shelter again... er, not leaving precious belongings on the table at night, ;-) was that this blog, which I began as a weekly commitment to being creative, might just be about to teach me so much more about myself.

As I gathered up all the pieces of my bird, I did, initially, feel a slight sense of emptiness. All of my hard work and effort had been destroyed. But then I thought, no! Creating the crane was the most liberating and fun thing I've done for ages. It was the angst of creating something 'perfect' and my own procrastination that had made it 'hard work'!

I guess this week has been about 'letting go' for me! Letting go of expectations, perfection, control and worries of what other people might think. Just creating for the sake of having some fun, with no pressure on what the end result must be. Enjoying playing just for the sake of it again. Somewhere along the way, I think I forgot how to do that!

Another lesson I've learnt this week is that all of my dreams, all of my imaginings - none of them felt as wonderful as it felt to just begin!

(I got the drop cap from the wonderful Jessica Hische's site - so much fun!)

Lots of love
Fi

xx