Origami

Recently I went with a couple of Mum friends to a big Origami store. I LOVE origami anyway but this place was great - so many types of handmade Japanese Washi paper, books and origami papers. There was a demonstration and the man doing the origami did not even look at his hands while he was making flowers, fish, frogs, you name it. I picked up a couple of books to buy - the lady said I could have them signed as the guy doing the origami had written them - WOW!

Whilst there we signed up to come back the next week to learn how to make these paper ball things - they look cool like they might go on your Christmas tree but still no idea what they are called. Well, we arrived, we expected it all to be in Japanese - but the average age of the 30 or so women there had to be about 70 and they all had "kit" with them. We had to go buy all the stuff we needed, spot the clueless foreigners in the corner.

It was VERY Japanese - painfully detailed description of each step, follwed by a question from everyone in the class it seemed (all in Japanese). Three hours later the ball was complete - a lot of effort but worth it - it has pride of place on the top of the cupboard in the dining room!

Still to come - making Washi Paper Boxes and the Art of Kirigami!