Book Logs

The phrases: ‘Book Folding’ and ‘Folded Books’ are right up there in the top 10 search keywords that bring people to the Freshly Found blog.

We have done a fair bit of book work over the years at Freshly Found.
With life being rather chilly here in the Southern Hemisphere, I thought it may be a good idea to warm up the view of the fireplace with some ‘logs’!

[Please don’t actually set them alight in your fireplace, unless you want a quick short blaze]
These Book Logs are made from Basic Barrel Roll Fold.  You may like to pop over to the Freshly Found Tutorial for that.  Happy folding!!

Mixed Bunch of Proteas

A new option in the online store – a bright mixed bunch of Proteas!

The flowers are made up from a variety of coloured and painted recycled papers.
Each bunch consists of 7 proteas, 4 origami lilies and 5 feather leaves.

Freshly Found was delighted to donate 1 of these bunches to the Durban etsy craft party last week.

The bunch of proteas is long lasting and is great for home decor or for commercial reception areas.

The blooms have a very high recycled content and local crafters are involved in hand making them, so they have an appeal to those who are environmentally and community conscious.

Visit the Freshly Found Online Store to find out more

White Washed Proteas

A new batch of proteas with a slightly different finish

Whitewashed book paper and paper twist stems.

Ready just in time for the Freshly Found Exhibition of recycled products at the the Kloof SPCA’s Golden Paw Society Launch today.

Red and Ready

More thrifty trinkets for The Sale on Saturday – Vintage Red – some more vintage than others!
A bow tie, Diesel size 8 heels and some Freshly Found sari necklaces. 

Also some W Daly soda bottles, The Natal Mainline Story, Paris B&W photographs and a whole bunch of mini vases. 

 

Gentian Roses

Gentian for gentlemen at an upcoming function. 

 

Loved making this order up in this beautiful colour 🙂

Did you know? Interesting Gentian info from the Gentian Research Network a free, not-for-profit, web-based forum for worldwide research on the natural history and evolution of the flowering plant family Gentianaceae (gentians).

• Gentian violet is a water soluble dye used primarily in medicine to stain bacteria, but also in other histological procedures.  It is not derived from gentians, but got its name since it is pink-violet like some gentians in the genera of Centaurium, Gentiana, and Gentianella.
• The gentian family contains 87 genera and over 1600 species in the newest classification. It is closely related to other plant families that include coffee, periwinkle, milkweed, madder, and dogbanes
• Gentians have been used by humans since ancient times as herbal remedies, and taste very bitter. 
•  Their flowers are often colorful (blue, pink, red, yellow), and the true blue gentians (Gentiana) are often grown in rock gardens.

Paper Earrings

Freshly Found Heart Shaped Earrings made from recycled book spines

 And recycled packaging materials…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Creative Process from My Perspective

“Go through the process” has become a life long personal and family mantra.  When we  don’t know what the outcome of a situation is going to be, we resign ourselves to the comfort of knowing – All we can do for now is – Go through the process.

In my experience, the design and development of a new product is a process that always takes longer than I think it will. From the rush of the initial idea to the end product is often a long way.

Its not always possible to foresee  problems, and I often start out optimistic for a quick outcome.

No true creative wants to copy anyone. Even though I want to be original and stretch my mind, there is a need for some research.  Basic skills can be learnt. I don’t want to waste time reinventing the wheel, but I also like to have a fresh approach without pre-conceived ideas.  So successful creative endeavors need a little bit of expertise and a little bit of out the box thinking.

Prototyping is an essential and valuable part of the making process for me.  I am often amazed at what comes up in this exercise. The encouraging hints of what’s to come and the glaring glitches that raise their head too.

As a result I land up with a pile of process art pieces.  The not quite perfect steps to the end product, significant, sentimental and appealing in their own way.  I usually hang on to them for a while.  But for what? I have to honour them as a vital part of the process and then be ruthless and chuck them out.   

Here are some of the steps I worked through in a recent origami project:

I have learnt to value the process of thinking.  When I hit a design problem, I stop makingand deliberately concentrate on thinkingthrough options. Often taking a complete break, and coming back again later brings fresh insight

The more I make something, the better I get at it.  There is always a growth in skill as time goes by.  Sometimes when I see the progress I’ve made, I relegate early production pieces into the prototype category.  

And so these are my companions on most design process journeys: 

Inspiration, anticipation, frustration, desperation, doubt, solution, testing, practice,  production, repetition, therapy, boredom, completion, satisfaction, pride, joy. A creative roller coaster ride!   

 My creative process is quite slow. 

I hear melodies in my head while I’m washing the dishes and I allow my subconscious to do the work.

Sinéad O’Connor

 The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.

  Julia Cameron

Book Bunting

Freshly Found cut-out and ink-coloured hearts on book paper bunting at the
Amazing Alternate Wedding Fair in Durban this weeknd.  

Visit the Fair between 9 and 3 on Sunday at Upstairs, 202A Florida Road, Durban. A string of these will be in each goodie bag for special guests on Saturday night!

Gen Motley has curated an incredible line up of local talent

Freshly Found paper products will be there too.

Some More Indigenous Flowers♥

 Book vases with indigenous sprigs…

 My paper versions of the cheerful Vygie, the healing Cancer bush [Sutherlandia frutescens] and Peace Lily [Spathiphyllum] all of them in various book vases

Marquee Maximus – Interpret Durban 4

Interpret Durban 4 or ID4 was big news here this last weekend.  Over the past few weeks, artitists have been working on photogaphy, video and T-shirt design submissions.   It was big news for me personally, as I submitted a work for the art exhibition and was chuffed to be awarded 3rd prize in the Open Art section.

The theme was Durban – Concrete Circus and the artwork had to be executed on one side of a cardboard box! 

I chose to work in one of my favourite mediums – book paper, and created a collage. [my rationale at the end of the article].  There were many amazing entries.

The event took place in the beautiful Durban Cityhall

Well done to the guys at Streetscene for hosting this significant event!

If you are up to it, here is the explanation of the work I submitted:

Marquee Maximus – The Moses Mabhida Stadium

The alliteration of the letter M in the title is a reference to the letter M in the name of the stadium it represents.

Marquee is another word for circus tent. 

Maximus is a reference to

• ·         the large size of the stadium,
• ·         the size and the heart of the city and
• ·         the first Circus in the city of Rome,  known as Circus Maximus

The shape of the significant and iconic concrete Moses Mabhida stadium was used to represent Durban and create a giant circus tent.

This artwork was made from recycled and found papers.  Representing the history of Durban – not jaded and old, but re-invented and fresh.

The techniques used were – Cut paper work, chalk pastel colouring, string art, line drawing, stencilling.

The bunting along the top has hand written words overlaid, blending in to the print.  Words that may be heard in the hub bub of life in the Concrete Circus of Durban.

The suspended shapes signify some of the facets of performance life in Durban.  The shapes are circular representing a Juggler’s balls and they are suspended from string ‘swings’ representing circus acrobats.   

(Strelitzia leaf – tropical climate; Sun – weather and hot spicy Indian culture; Soccer Ball; Bicycle Wheel – Cycling culture; Beach Ball; Ship’s wheel – Maritime; Shield – Zulu Culture)

Stencilled footprints of lion and elephant represent animals that used to roam Durban and, sadly, are often found in circuses

The repetition of shapes and lines throughout the piece signifies the comforting rhythm of the city life.  A rhythm that draws you to join in.

The blue, natural and green layers on the bottom represent the sea, the sand and the sub-tropical vegetation that form a foundation for life in Durbs.