14 days of craft tutorials: Origami heart bookmark

Welcome to day 1 of Creative Cat's new project 14 days of craft tutorials! Today we're going to be doing a lovely origami heart bookmark that slots snuggly onto the corner of your book page. It's very easy to make and I'm going to be teaching you through photographs :) Enjoy!! xx

You will need a 4"x4" piece of origami or printer paper.                  Step 1: Fold the paper diagonally from
Mine is relatively bigger but you'll want it small.                              each corner.                                             

Step 2: When you have an X shape creased                      Step 3: Open it out and grab the edges like this.
through your paper, fold it once horizontally.                                 

Step 4: Fold down the top flap to make this shape                         Step 5: It should now look (something)
and press down, forming a triangle.                                                  like this.                             

Step 6: Fold the left corner of the top triangle                            Step 7: Do the same with the right corner
up to the top corner.                                                                         so it looks like a diamond.

Step 8: Fold the top corner to the bottom.                                     Step 9: Open the top corner out and
                                                                                                            open the triangle like this, making a cave.

Step 10: Fold down the edges of the cave.                                      Step 11: Crease the top edges down.             

Step 12: Fold the rectangle part                                                       Step 13: Fold the rectangle part up half  

down.                                                                                                   way. 

                                                                                             
                              

Step 14: Fold it back so it looks like step 12.                  Step 15: It should now look like this, with the

Open it up in a cave-like way again and flatten                  triangles you just made pointing outwards either

the triangles down.                                                               side.

                             

                                                                                                                               

Step 16: Bring the two flaps up at the                                            Step 17: Lift up the top half and....

bottom to create two mini triangles.                             

                                                                                              

A lovely origami bookmark. Slip this onto the corner of your book for a stylish take on making your own bookmarks. Leave feedback in the comments folks!

Helen xxx

Getting involved with guerilla art #3

Moss painting

Here's a step by step guide to creating street art with moss:

You will need: 12oz buttermilk

                      Several clumps garden moss (look under wet shady places to find moss)

                      Plastic container with lid

                      Blender or food processer

                      Paintbrush

1. Gatherthe moss and pop into the blender, crumbling them slightly
2. Add buttermilk and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into plastic container.
3. Find a damp shady wall in which you can paint on your moss mixture. Paint on design using stencil or freehand.
4.  Return to the area you applied the moss mixture to ensure the mixture is kept moist.

Results: The bits of blended moss will have grown into a rooted plant before colonizing the whole area. What's not to love? (Apart from moss mush everywhere)

Some examples:

Helen xx

Getting involved with guerilla art #2

Making your mark with quotes

I decided to take a leaf out of my Guerilla Art Kit and try using quotes for making inspirational street art around my neighbourhood. I've used the following quotes and turned them into kind of a piece of art.

This one says "start your own revolution, infiltrate the masses" which is from a random quote off google that I liked. I might stick it on a mailbox or a wall again so people can have a good look at it.

This quote is from Ghandi and says "you must be the change you wish to see in the world". It's quite thought provoking and Banksy has done similar pieces involving the theme of world change. Some ideas for you to try could include chalking quotes on pavements; brick and concrete walls and anywhere else where you can chalk on. You could even try doing moss painting quotes (see post 3 which I'll be putting up soon) using stencils.
What have you been up to this week? Got any street art ideas you'd like to share with us? Leave a comment and have fun!
Helen xx

Getting involved with guerilla art #1

Bringing objects to life

I'm using a moustache, glasses and a speech bubble saying, "Dream." to start off with. I'll probably stick them onto something like a wall.  

Some ideas for you to do could be eye stickers on mailboxes or on desks and lockers at your work or school. Perhaps you could even make little figurines and dot them around your neighbourhood. Make a map and hang those round your street so people can find your unique creations. I'll post Keri Smith's version of the map later.
So what are you doing around your street? Leave your stories in the comments below and have fun!

Helen xx

Finally finished my tiger drawing!

I'm dead chuffed with how my tiger drawing has come together. It took about a week to do and as I was browsing images for a good cat picture to draw from I ended up drawing this lovely looking tiger here instead. I only used three pencils - F, B and 2H. Compared to how it was starting off it wasn't going too well until I started blending a little more. Leave your comments or reviews on it below and thanks again!
Helen xx

I Could Pee On This... Book Review

I Could Pee on this.. and other poems by cats by Francesco Marciuliano is a fun way of looking at a domestic cat's point of view. After reading, you'll probably be holding your cat's paws and saying, "I finally understand you." It contains some hilarious poems including "I lick your nose" which is my personal favourite. It goes as follows:
I lick your nose, I lick your nose again
I drag my claws down your eyelids
Oh you're up? Feed me

Anyone would love reading this and I'm certain you'll have a good laugh at it. It's £8.99 from Waterstones (in the UK) or you can get it from Amazon. It's $12.95 in the US and I can assure you it's worth every penny! All in all, it's a great book for all the family and is worth reading with a hot chocolate under a blanket with your cat.
So if you've read it, what did you think? Leave comments below!
Helen xx