Zooguu Paper Octopus

Zooguu, a small business that focuses on handmade plush toys (and they are very cute) also happens to have a few paper toy downloads on their site.

Check them out, as well as Zooguu.com for their stuffed variety. 

Shin Tanaka Exhibit CONTEST!!!

DIRECTIONS
1. Download the blank template.
2. Customize the template with your own designs -- draw, paint, use photoshop -- be creative!
3. Scan or color copy your customized template and save it to upload later.
4. Construct your figure and take a photo of the completed piece.
5. By March 6, upload your scanned template and image of the completed figure using the link below.
6. Upload.
7. Winners will be announced on the site by March 11th.

GRAND PRIZE
# $500 cash
# Airfare and accommodations to attend the Interactive Paper Art show at the Scion Space in Los Angeles on April 11.
# Inclusion of the winning entry in the art show, as well as distribution of the template to all attendees.
# Giant Robot prize package including a magazine subscription, T-shirt, sticker packet, and $50 gift certificate to the Giant Robot stores.

For more info on the ongoing collaboration between Giant Robot, Shin Tanaka and Scion:
http://elemental-consulting.com/projects/scion-shin-tanaka-and-giant-robot-engage-readers-with-unique-templates/

For the contest website go to: http://giantrobotshin.com

3-Eyed Bear

3 Eyed Bear, Maarten Janssen's website of paper models, has a nice selection of free and original paper toy downloads. There are also some blanks to choose from if you are into creating your own!

Mykonos by Grandchildren

Take art paper, cut into abstract and geometric shapes, film a nearly representational visual story set to popular music, film each small movement of the paper frame by frame, add four weeks of that by a merry band of animators and you get...

this exceptional cut paper animation by Sean Pecknold (bygrandchildren.com), Jesse Brown (papervspencil.com), Toby Liebowitz (inbruno.com), and Chris Ando (myspace.com/talbottagora)


Mykonos from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

I like the way the action and gesture match the haunting music perfectly in mood as well as timing. It's mesmerizing and can grow on you...

There is a making of video here as well: vimeo.com/3090846

Credits:

Music - Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Director/Animator - Sean Pecknold
Artist/Illustrator - Jesse Brown (papervspencil.com)
Animation Assistant - Toby Liebowitz (inbruno.com)
Animation Assistant - Chris Ando (myspace.com/talbottagora)
Art Director - Sean Pecknold
Produced by Grandchildren