New Origami Models!

Been working on some kusudamas, compass stars and other models lately.

Witch balls! These are from a diagram created by Tomoko Fuse, they are constructed by being sewn together in the traditional way.

On this one I overdyed the black paper with a pink glitter wash.

This one includes the heavy, gold-accented paper from India I overdyed the other day with shades of purple and blue.

A closer look...I love this paper.  The almost fabric-like quality of it takes up the color really well.  The black & white paper has been overdyed with a gold glitter wash.

This one includes some beautiful vintage wrapping paper with shades of rich creme and several blues.

Another kusudama model, this one in a compass star pattern.

More vintage wrapping paper, paired with the gold-washed black & white paper.

 The compass star again, made with a very fragile pink and gold vintage wrapping paper from the 1950's.

The blue paper is made in Florence, Italy by Rossi and has heavy gold accents, the color is brilliant and saturated. The design dates from The Renaissance.

A four-pointed star folded from a doily, with a second layer of gold.

More of the overdyed with gold, black & white paper for the smaller star.

A variant of the compass star model, this one folded with some gorgeous paper that my sister gifted to me.

This paper is overpainted with pink, white and purple glitter accents, the pictures truly don't do it justice.

And lastly another star folded from the same pattern, this one made from a heavy gold-accented paper from India, it also has a fabric-like quality to it and deep, rich colors that are dyed into it and painted on.

I like to mix my papers up in unexpected ways, it's surprising how well something like wrapping paper and specialty paper work together!

Now to get to folding with those 1970's waterproof fishing maps I found at the church rummage sale a couple of months ago...

...nothing is too weird to use!

If You Place A Huge Food Block, They Will Come

And boy, did they ever this afternoon!  A few minutes ago the snow had started, which prompted a sudden quail influx.  I looked up from my desk and saw this:

They stuck around even after I started taking pictures, the snow must have triggered a mass 'OMG EAT' reaction in the quail. I will say that at this moment it's snowing pretty hard, so they were right.

There was lots of pushing, shoving and burbling amongst themselves, there were about 25-30 quail in the yard.

Queen of the food block:

Little man standing on his tippy-toes on the left to reach the best seeds, hen on the right in the back pulling a great 'herp-derp' face.

They hung around for a good 10-15 minutes chowing down before a car going by startled them and off they flew.

Origami Paper Overdye!

Today I cleared off my lovely big kitchen kitchen counter and had at overdying some of my Cost Plus paper from India.  The paper is soft and almost fabric-like, and is a lovely light turquoisy-teal color with gold accents.  It takes cobalt blue and purple watercolor overdying really well.

Wetting the paper allows the colors to run and blend together very prettily.

Once it's dry a couple of hours later, the colors soften a bit.

Now it's ready to cut!

Meanwhile outside, the clouds were doing their weird pancake thing again, this time with cool artsy whispy bottoms, though.

I thought it looked very much like a jellyfish.

First Snow Of The Season!

Not that the chickens were *exactly* overjoyed.  Especially this year's youngsters.

It's always fun the first time the youngsters experience their first real snowfall--we had a dusting a few days ago, but it was so light it didn't really count.

This time it had been super foggy overnight, then started snowing pretty hard beginning around 4AM (I know this because hey, let's hear it for Chronic Pain and his sidekick, No Sleep For You!) and continuing well into mid-morning.  So the snow stuck to everything really well.  The chickens stayed humorlessly in the run and refused to walk around in the cold alien white stuff.

 Keeping our fingers crossed that the new landscaping makes it through it's first winter.

Not even when I went out armed with leftover spaghetti, did the youngsters come out.  As far as Rambo was concerned that was just dandy, all the more for her and she enthusiastically wrestled spaghetti noodles.

Pele, of all people, came out...

I pleaded with her to return to the coop, but she was focused on the spaghetti.

Although to be fair it was more of a 'OHGODOHGODNeed FOODMustGrowFeathersNOW!' manner of eating...

I ended up carrying Cluckadorkle out and setting her in the 1 1/2 inches of snow...she didn't trust the footing (It crunches when I walk! It shifts and MOVES with every step, wwaahhhh!) and didn't want to walk around in it. There was much staring and complaining.

 Criminy, she stood in one spot like she was rooted there.

Finally she *carefully* walked with those big ol' snowshoe feet...

 ...right back into the coop.  Oh, well.

The sun had come out at this point and I could tell the snow was going to be gone in a couple of hours.  But I managed to get lucky and get out there with the camera while the melt started and the delicate, lacelike icy snow coating was sliding off the leaves, it was very pretty!

One of the dogwoods...

The plum tree...

The red twig dogwood living up to it's name.

The Curly Willow...

The Autumn Magic viburnum...

The Burning Bush...

In the front yard, my Gingersnap rose was exercising very poor judgement and blooming.

Poor thing.

With the rosebuds pushing up through the snow and the buds coated in ice, it looked like one of those motivational posters for 'Perseverance' or some such nonsense.

The snow had stuck to everything.

OK, maybe this little miniature rose wins the 'Perseverance' title.

Especially a little while later when the melt had begun.

Most of the snow had melted well before the kid got home from school (naturally!) which produced a pretty darned grumpy kid...but we reminded her that there will be other snowstorms.

Molt Update!

Just to prove that the chickens are safe and warm, and really DID grow new feathers, here they are.

Rambo

Pie, still working on her tail but lookin' cute and sporting her fluffy butt supreme...

Alice

Pumpkin in her favorite, 'It's snowing and I ain't goin' out there' perch

Of course, some of the chickens thought it best to just get extra fluffy and skip the whole 'molt' thing. Cam and Burger demonstrate.

And Yoya the Fluff Queen also lookin' cute.

But...but what about Pele, I hear you ask...?

I was afraid you'd ask.
*Sigh...*
OK, here she is.

She's trying, I swear she is.  Pele just seems really content to remain in The Polar Bear Club For Chickens, but she'll get there...