Cryptopaper

Aaron Lee aka MyCryptonauts best known for his designer plushies has released a simple new paper monster series based on Cryptonauts called Cryptopaper. You can download designed and blank templates at the myCryptonauts blog here. There is also a diy contest were the best design wins an original hand sewn Cryptonaut.

Will You Accept My Rose?

In case you'd be interested in trying it, I've adapted Tatyana Stolyarova's fantastically easy and effective lotus flower pop up into a rose birthday card for my ballet teacher the other day. The petal strips were shaped differently and an additional row added to make the flower more full. The center pieces were shortened and shaped like hearts.

The pieces were made out of thick watercolor paper, painted with strong red watercolor, edged with magenta pastel chalk. The leaves were cut from two colors of watercolored coffee filter paper glued down to a card base.

What's nice about these cards is the surprise of a 3D flower bursting suddenly from a folding card. And of course, something being handmade (and from paper) means more than anything in these busy times. Paul tells me a lotus card I (badly) made two years ago still sits open on the recipient's desk where he works.

Here is a link to the pdf!  CLICK HERE

GREAT article on Pop-up Books

If you have ANY interest in how pop-up books are made, you MUST check out this article in the SCBWI Southern California Region's newsletter, Kite Tales. Download the pdf and turn to page 10 where the article starts. Illustrator Wilson Swain and Paper Engineer and Author Ray Marshall give and excellent glimpse into the makings of a pop-up book!

If you are not familiar with the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and have an interest in illustrating or writing for children, you may want to go to their website 

and check it out!

GIZMOS!

A new book and kit is coming from Rob Ives! Gizmos will be out this month, and includes punch-out pieces to build 6 models as separate sheets. Another great thing about the book is that all of the model pieces are also included in the book. One of my "type A" issues is that I'm generally compelled to order two books or kits of models to build one and keep one flat. Problem solved here. Order this kit soon, or go to Rob's website (which I'm sure you all know about by now) to see some other new kits and projects that he's posted since the last time I wrote about him.

Lemi The Space Wanderer Paper Model

Eric Wiryanata's Lemi is a space wanderer looking for his way home,
the template and a blank DIY is available at the Thunder Panda Blog here.

My Little Robot papertoys by Jon Schiller

Introducing My Little Robots from the creator of 'Little 9 and Friends", Jon Schiller.
You can collect all 6 of these cool little paper robots for $1.99 a piece from Jon's site here.
And as an extra bonus for Paper Forest readers Jon has givin me a free sample bot to share with you guys. I've uploaded it to file dropper and you can download here!
Thanks Jon!

Dog Gone Good!

I found this on SwissMiss, who cited SuperColossal who cites ffffound and none of us knows who designed this* but... Will you look at this dog?! This looks absolutely fantastic 3D model. What I love about it are the curves. The finished standing model almost looks real. I cannot wait to make one! Do it and make a best friend!

(Update: I Googled to see if I could locate the ingenious dog designer and think I located the source of this and other FREE realistic animal paper models. If you haven't found these already, perhaps you'll enjoy making a 3D model that looks like your own friend?)

Mystery Solved: For any who missed the paper action in the comments: paper incredamaven Matt Hawkins found the Golden Retriever model source with dozens and dozens of sensational paper models (for a $30US membership via Paypal) and also added, the Raspera site offers three free samples models to make, a colorful Chameleon, the famous Golden Retriever (*attributed to Keiji Kawaguchi), and a Blue Footed Booby--not kidding!

Further, their brother site Peramodel has simplified, stylized versions of many more animal and other critters for a $20 via Paypal membership. I like the Ant and some really super masks (scroll to near bottom)! They would make the absolute best bases for embellished Halloween costume masks.

I smell a September post on that!

Drukk by mck

Here is a fun simple little piece of paper automata by Grumm creator Matthijs C. Kamstra, Drukk.
All four of his first "Selfish Series" are available for download from his mck site here.
There is also a "Pusher Series" you can diy your own blank Drukk.

Singing Papers

"

Ok, this is one for the books! One of the most surprising things I've ever seen.

Artist JooYoun Paek has created paper that sings. And it sings with healing and harmonizing tones! It's made with Taoist principles in mind which I am not familiar with but the sounds are strangely pleasing. The video shows several configurations, some sections where multiple pages become a beautiful chorus. My mind, like yours I'm sure, goes immediately to a book or a pop-up with this technology. Can you imagine!?

From the project page: (found via Swiss Miss)

"Fold Loud is a (de)constructing musical play interface that uses origami paper-folding techniques and ritualistic Taoist principles to give users a sense of slow, soothing relaxation.

Fold Loud interconnects ancient traditions and modern technology by combining origami, vocal sound and interactive techniques. Unlike mainstream technology intended for fast-paced life, Fold Loud is healing, recovering and balancing.

Playing Fold Loud involves folding origami shapes to create soothing harmonic vocal sounds. Each fold is assigned to a different human vocal sound so that combinations of folds create harmonies. Users can fold multiple Fold Loud sheets together to produce a chorus of voices. Opened circuits made out of conductive fabric are visibly stitched onto the sheets of paper which creates a meta-technological aesthetic. When the sheets are folded along crease lines, a circuit is closed like a switch. Thus, the interface guides participants to use repetitive delicate hand gestures such as flipping, pushing and creasing. Fold Loud invites users to slow down and reflect on different physical senses by crafting paper into both geometric origami objects and harmonic music.