FOLDED CURIOSITIES

Are you looking for ideas on what to use as inserts in books, on cards, or just for general art work? If so, then the April workshop of Folded Curiosities, taught by Sandy Vrem, is for you. These Curiosities will include: Impossible Objects, Flexagons, Quadragons, Wow Folds and a Woven Accordion Flexagon Book. We will make prototypes so you will have models that you can use to explore other possible structures and unique decorating ideas. Sandy says "be ready to measure accurately and be prepared to do some trimming!" Patterns will be sent to you with the link for Zooming when you RSVP (contact information in the newsletter). You will need to print the patterns on appropriate paper and cut them out so we can have time to put them together. 

Here is an assortment of the various structures.

These are the Impossible Objects

Materials for the impossible Objects: 

Print out the Three (3) patterns on cardstock with the same color on both sides.

Flexagon

Materials for Flexagons:

Print out the three (3) patterns on text weight paper (computer/printer paper)

Quadragon

Materials for Quadragons:

Cut out four (4) pieces of cardstock 2" x 4" and cut out two (2) cardstock circles that are 4" in diameter.

Wow Folds

Materials for Wow Folds:

Cut out three (3) text weight paper squares 6" x 6" and cut out four (4) text weight paper squares 4" x 4".

Woven Accordion Flexagon Book

Above book opened

Materials for Woven Accordion Flexagon Book:

Cut one (1) piece of cardstock to 10" x 8" for the accordion, and two (2) pieces of text weight paper 2 1/2" x 8" for the woven strips.

Tools and other materials:

Pencil, eraser, scissors, craft knife with sharp blade, ruler, cutting mat, scoring tool, bone folder, clear tape or masking tape, glue stick, double sided tape, colored pencils or crayons in four different contrasting colors. Have a few extra sheets of text weight paper handy in case we have time to make more.

WHEN:   Saturday April 10 at 10 a.m. PST

WHERE: On your computer, tablet, or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    YES! to Dolores Guffey by April 2 to receive password and instructions

Workshop questions: Sandy Vrem

Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information for everyone is in the newsletter.

*Exciting News*

Check back here on April 1 (No Fooling!) for information about an upcoming collaborative project opportunity.

MARCH TRIPLE WHAMMY

 Our member from England, Margaret Beech, delivered a real triple whammy of a workshop by sharing two versions of her "Triple Whammy" book/card AND a wonderful pocket envelope that can hold several different structures. Members from multiple states, Canada, and England joined the Zoom workshop. 

After the instructional part of the workshop Dolores shared this month's exchange books that were designed using the theme "Abecedarium". Once again it is a wonderful collection of beautiful books. A link to the photos will soon be available on our flickr site.

Here are some examples of the book/cards that were made.

Jill McInerney

Jill

Jill features a WOW foldout in her wrapper.

Jill's beautiful paper enhances this wrapper.

Edge Gerring

Another side of Edge's card

Michele Kamprath

Another Triple Whammy card by Michele

Molly Millman

Second side of Molly's card

Third side of Molly's Triple Whammy card

Stephanie Weigel

Side two of Stephanie's card

Side three of Stephanie's Happy Birthday card

Mary Elizabeth Nelson

A different Whammy card by Mary Elizabeth

A different side of Mary Elizabeth's first card

This photo of Mary Elizabeth's book/cards shows why
Margaret named the structure a Triple Whammy.

Sherrill Story

Second page of above card 

Sherrill's second card

Another page of the card above

Beth McIlraith

Beth used her own eco-dyed papers with birds
and flowers cut from old books.

Another page of Beth's book

Another view of Beth's book

Thank you to Margaret for another great workshop, and to everyone who attended and sent photos of their work.

TRIPLE WHAMMY FOLD

What is a Triple Whammy Fold? Is it a card, a book, or ???  Here is a preview of what our member from the UK, Margaret Beech, will be sharing with us.

We'll call this example a book because it has signatures sewn in.

Card or book?

Book or card?

Margaret said these are pretty quick to make, so we will also make a "Pocket Wrapper," a fold that can contain a signature or explosion fold as well as having pockets on the outside. The following Triple Whammy materials list will make one (or two if you wish, see note) card/book.

Materials for Triple Whammy:

• Three (3) 6" squares of colored or white construction or multi-media paper, colored one side or both. These are your pages. Please decorate them in advance of the workshop.
• Six (6) 3 3/4" x 1 3/4" strips of construction or multi-media paper. These are the decorative strips which will be added to your pages. Decorate them on one side, in advance of the workshop. To decorate, use lettering, rubber stamps, used postage stamps, punched shapes, collage, gift wrap, but nothing with any bulk. When you are decorating your pages think about what message you might like to send--you could turn it into a Random Act of Kindness. The world needs kindness more than ever.
• One (1) piece of text weight paper, 8 1/2" square for an envelope for your book/card. This book/card stands very well and would make a good greeting for a friend, hence the envelope.
• NOTE: To make a second Whammy with pamphlet stitched signatures, please have ready another three 6" squares and six 3 3/4" squares (both sides decorated to become the signatures).

Materials for Pocket Wrapper:

• Two (2) sheets letter size (8 1/2" x 11") good weight paper - decorated on both sides
• Two (2) sheets copy paper

NOTE: To see a photo of a Wrapper, go to beeches13.skyrock.com, scroll to bottom of page, and click on page 8. Scroll down to "Congratulations for Chloe").

Tools for both projects:

New glue stick, pencil, ruler, bone folder, scissors, needle and waxed thread

When:   Saturday, March 13 at 10 a.m. PST

Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    To Dolores Guffey by March 5 to receive password and instructions

Workshop questions: Margaret Beech

Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information for everyone will be in the newsletter.

BRIDGE AND TENT CARDS

The February card workshop taught by Diane Williams was a big hit with the 48 participants. Making the cards was easy and quick, which left plenty of time for the fun part of embellishing the cards. Our amazing members always come up with different ideas to personalize their work and this was no exception. Many thanks to Diane for sharing these structures with us. Here are some examples of the cards we made.

Bridge Cards

Rosie Arenas chose a Valentine theme.

Margaret Beech's card celebrates Puffins.

Margaret's cute houses are on display.

Betty Steckman also chose a Valentine theme
for her beautiful papers.

Stephanie Weigel added a whimsical graphic.

Bonnie Julien added a window to place a pressed flower.

Tent Cards

Mary Elizabeth Nelson created windows to display
pressed flowers in her tent card.

Tent card flat

Margaret Beech also made a Valentine tent card.

Stephanie Weigel made a collaged tent 
and added stitching.

Thank you to everyone who shared photographs of their cards.

LET'S MAKE CARDS

Traditionally, the February NORBAG workshop has been to make Valentine cards for people in care and rehabilitation homes. This has been a project led by Lorraine Miller-Wolf for many years, but due to Covid restrictions, those who wish to make and donate Valentine cards will need to do so independently and deliver them to Lorraine. Her contact information is in the newsletter.

Instead, NORBAG will host a card making workshop at our regular February Zoom meeting. Please join us as Diane Williams shows us how to create two 3D structures that are able to fold flat and fit into an A2 envelope. The first structure is a Bridge Card.

Bridge Card

A Bridge Card is much like a tunnel structure where you can layer elements on to the bridge to create depth. Since we will be making a prototype, we will keep with a simple Valentine theme.

The second 3D card is a Tent Card. This card easily stands alone for display and lends itself to being embellished on the outside with cut out shapes glued to its sides. Again, this card can be folded flat for easy mailing. Both cards are fun to create and easy to share by mail or in person.

Tent card shown flat and for display

Materials for the Bridge card:

• Card: 1 piece of cardstock 4 1/4" by 8" (grain short)
• 1 piece of cardstock 1/2" x 5 1/2" (this is the bridge piece)
• 1 piece of cardstock 1/2" x 3 1/2"
• 1 piece pattern paper 2 7/8" x 4 1/4"
• 2 pieces pattern paper 1 1/4" x 4 1/4"

Materials for the Tent card:

• 3 pieces colored cardstock 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"
• 1 piece of cardstock 1/2" x 1/2"

Tools and Supplies:

• Bone folder
• Paper cutter, or ruler and x-acto knife
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Glue or double stick tape (adhesive of your choice)
• Optional: score board for scoring folds
• Optional: pictures, cut shapes such as hearts, and pieces of patterned paper to embellish your cards

Here are more examples of the cards

Bridge card

Bridge card

Tent Card flat

Tent Card displayed

When:   Saturday, February 13 at 10 a.m. PST

Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    YES, to Dolores Guffey by Feb. 5 to receive password and instructions

Workshop questions: Diane Williams

Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes - contact information for everyone will be in the newsletter.