Use of Iris Folding for making Jewish Motifs
Iris Folding is a paper folding technique that involves using strips of colored or patterned paper arranged in a spiral pattern with a central focal point that resembles an iris or lens of a camera. This method originated in Holland and was employed as a means of using up scrap paper. Often the patterned inside flap of envelopes were utilized to make these designs. The technique is worked backwards by first cutting out an outline of your image and them applying the paper strips from the backside in a circular fashion until the cut out shape is completely filled up. Although the traditional application commonly uses strips of papers, more contemporary interpretations included the use of other materials such as Mizuhiki paper cords and ribbon.
I have found this technique to be very useful in creating motifs on cards and scrapbook pages that convey a Jewish theme, although the possibilities are endless.
Here is an example of a “star of David” design that I used in creating a scrapbook page for a custom Bat Mitzvah Album.
Here is another example of the image “Chamsa,” also called “Fatima’s Hand.” This is a motif that is a symbol of good luck and is common to many Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures.
Here is one of my favorite sites for step by step instructions on iris folding and a gallery of free patterns:
www.irisfolding.CircleOfCrafters.com
Hema Santhanam
Website: http://www.anjali-creations.com/
Online Store: http://www.anjalicreations.etsy.com/
Blog: www.anjali-creations.com/anjalisblog/
1. Tell us about you and your shop
2. How did you get started in your craft?
When I was growing up in Costa Rica, my sister and I absolutely LOVED to collect stationery. We had treasure boxes of the most beautiful things we could find and occasional pieces that I’d make. That never faded from my memory and once I had more time to dedicate to my own passions, I started to create my own designs.
3. What tool can you not live without?
My Wacom Tablet!!! I feel completely lost without it. I absolutely love the ability to work with a pen in the computer and draw exactly what I want to see on the screen. It has been especially useful because I particularly enjoy working on ornate patterns and imagery and it is wonderful for that.
4. What inspires you?
I think a lot of my inspiration comes from my sister and our relationship and how much we enjoyed collecting stationery. I think of things that we would enjoy to see and I try to create them. I find a lot of inspiration in nature and pretty much in any cool little pattern, color or image I come across. I try to make things that are a little different but that remain classic at their core.
5. Name one favorite item from your store.
One is so hard to pick, but if I have to, I’d say my favorite is the special occasion accordion book. Because it is a small book you can create personalize it with a poem or anything you’d like and is such a nice way of making a regular greeting that much more special.
1. Tell us about you and your shop
I am a high school reading teacher by day and boy do I have to be creative to reel in my students. They have thus far been very unsuccessful at reading and I aim to convince them that learning is worth the effort. I love creative expression of any kind.
My shop is the Paper Pansy. I picked the name because my last name is Flowers. In my shop I have cards, scrapbook pages and a couple of small albums.
I am working on Christmas pieces and hope to have them up soon. I don’t get to spend as much time crafting as I would like especially now that school is on again.
2. How did you get started in your craft?
I initially began making cards and taking classes at a small local craft shop. Hurricane Ivan wiped her out, as it did many businesses in my area, but I began to experiment and play on my own and I really enjoyed it.
I began scrap booking a few years ago. I wasn’t very good at it but the idea of creating beautiful pages was exciting. I became a scrap book consultant with a popular company and fell in love. Since then I have been hooked on creating with paper and use products from everywhere.
There are so many fabulous techniques to use to make beautiful paper art. I love learning new ones. I guess you could say I am a technique junkie.
3. What tool can you not live without?
Thinking about this one is hard. I guess the tool I use the most is my paper trimmer. I have several but my favorite is the good old Fiskars cheapy. A brand new blade is heaven. My Cuttle Bug runs a close second. I love those embossing folders.
4. What inspires you?
I love nature. I am inspired by flowers, and trees, and butterflies. I find pictures in magazines that catch my eye because of color combinations. Maybe a pretty piece of jewelry. Lots of beautiful things inspire me.
5. Name one favorite item from your store
My favorite item in my store sold a couple of weeks ago. It was a two page layout made with black and white and tan papers. The sentiment was Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After.
A current item I love is this two page layout titled Joy and Happiness
Why would you want to send and receive a postcard from a complete stranger, you ask? Like me there are lots of people who enjoy receiving real mail. Bills are pretty much the only items that arrive in my mailbox these days so I thought it would be a nice surprise to receive a postcard from a random place in the world every once in awhile.
How does it work? First you must register on the Postcrossing website and request an address and postcard I.D. It is totally FREE. Then you mail the postcard (note: it costs $0.98 to send a postcard to Europe and Asia, a fact I did not know until I went to the post office to send my postcards) and wait to receive a postcard from someone else. When you receive a postcard you register it on the website and begin the process all over again.
I decided to try Postcrossing a couple weeks ago. I sent 5 postcards to 4 different European countries and one to Oregon. The woman in Oregon already received my card and registered it on the site. She even sent me a nice thank you message through the site and offered to send me a postcard also. So fun!
The Etsy Greetings Team challenge this month is to create postcards, so you'll have plenty of great designs to choose from if you decide to give Postcrossing a try. Stay tuned for the challenge reveal and give away!
1. Tell us about you and your shop.
I originally tried to sell my cards on my own website. I remember the excitement (and naivety) the night before I went live. I thought I would have hundreds of orders flooding my website. LOL! Needless to say, I never got one order! So then I ventured onto eBay. But found that site too expensive and time consuming. Then in June 2008, I discovered Etsy on Martha Stewart. So I opened my shop (Happy Elephant Designs) and have slowly learned the ins and outs of owning a shop on Etsy.
2. How did you get started in your craft?
I have always enjoyed making cards for my family and friends’ birthday’s, baby showers, weddings, etc… But I would have to say I really started making cards seriously in 2005 after making my Christmas cards. Everyone was floored by them and strongly encouraged me to try and make a go at selling them.
3. What tool can you not live without?
My little Fiskars cutting board and my new 3M 700 adhesive gun!
4. What inspires you?
Everyday things that I see or come across inspire me. TV ads, magazine ads, colors… I usually start a card by sitting at my desk and seeing which colors and papers I’m drawn to that day.
This may sound silly, but my subconscious helps me out too…right before I fall asleep is when I get my best ideas. That’s why I have a little notebook next to my bed so I can jot down or sketch the idea so that I can fall asleep!
5. Name one favorite item from your store
Right now I think my favorite item is a Thank You card.
Shannon's crafty nook is pictured below:
