Wave Machine Ver. 2 - the Carousel / a Moveable Feast

And I keep plugging away at this Wave Machine thing. With its new look modelled after the Eiffel Tower Carousel, it now generates two kinds of waves when you move the top ring and flag pole individually. More interestingly, combining the two motions adds the two waves together and allows you to observe a physics phenomenon called wave interference. Observe what happens when two different waves propagate through each other.

The resulting wave becomes amplified or cancelled depending on how the original two interact with each other. The plan is to continually develop this "toy" and hopefully it will engage more girls in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields in the future. 

I've also been having a lot of fun learning Adobe After Effects from Youtube channels like ECAbrams and Mt. Mograph. Thank you, Evan and Matt, for making learning tutorials totally binge-watching worthy. 

FUN at Home Depot: Copper Pipe Chair

Believe it or not, I get a lot of my arts/craft inspiration and materials from home improvement stores like Home Depot and Rona. So, one weekend + 5-6 trips to Home Depot + asking their plumbing department staff seemingly random questions later, I am proud to present a chair that I made using only copper pipe, ropes, and epoxy. (Note that I am Team Blue, but it's a bit farther away.) Although, without proper jointing techniques, this chair is probably only rated for children, small pets, or an extremely short person like myself. Nevertheless, it thoroughly satisfied my recent obsession with copper. 

Also, I just love my fig plant from IKEA.

copper + twine weave

PVC Prototype: I am your father! dum dum dum

I used the much cheaper PVC alternative for prototyping to get a sense of dimension and scale, and to figure out what works and what doesn't (i.e. those fancy 45-degree hind legs). So, don't be afraid to experiment with new material. Let's get weird at Home Depot!

Possibly the BEST thing about Making Videos

I received an email over my birthday weekend, from a mother in North Carolina, that reads: "My son Bennett, who is 7 years old, has been smitten by all of your videos and projects. He gathered all of the materials by himself to make the heart yarn and followed your directions by pausing the YouTube video every few seconds. I have a picture of his work that I'd love to email to you, just to say thank you for inspiring him and fueling his love of art, handcraft and math!"

Aww! It was seriously one of the best birthday gifts I ever got. I am so glad that my video assisted little Bennett's self-directed education in some way. And a few weeks ago, a teacher told me that she "put it together late last night and took it in to school today. Everyone oohed and aahed over. Happy Valentine's Day!"

This is becoming my favourite thing about making videos: bringing people together for a bit of fun and learning. If you created anything from watching my videos, please please please send them to me at justina@fiberlab.ca! I'd love to see them! 

A Geometric "Love" Story - How to draw hearts with circles

Yep, I am going to be one of THOSE people who start celebrating Valentine's Day in January. Here is a special V-Day production I made for both art and math lovers! Aristotle once said, "There is nothing strange in the circle being the origin of any and every marvel." So naturally, the magic of circles inspired the creation of 3 different hearts, the synonym of love.

In Act One, the method is called "curve stitching". Each tangent line segment moves around the circle and eventually envelops the shape of a heart. Act Two draws what I call a chubby, smiley heart, the cardioid. It is formed by evolving circles centring on and passing through the same point on another circle. And lastly, each heart is formed by the partial outline of 4 circles. Simple and sweet! All you have to do is shift your perspective to see it. This post also shows many, many other ways to draw a heart using mathematical concepts. Check it out and maybe you will find some cool ideas!

I also manage to sneak in three other quotes that I thought went really well with the scenes!

To make the knitted heart shown in Act One, you will only need a cork board, 72 pins, and some pretty yarn or string. 

First, follow the method shown in video and use below template as a guide to evenly place 72 pins in a circle. A longer string will make a bigger circle, and vice versa. Remember to pull the string taut over each dot.  

Next, follow the process shown in video and wrap the string around the pins (nodes) according to the following 10 templates. "Set 1: Start Nodes 0-15 (every +1), End Nodes 15-30 (every +1)" means: 

1. You start from Node 0 and bring your string over to (end at) Node 15. 
2. Wrap around Node 15 and bring string back to Node 0.
3. You move starting node by one (15+1=16) and ending node by one (0+1=1) 
4. Repeat Step 1-3 for Node 1 and Node 16.
5. Repeat until you finish Node 15 to Node 30, then continue onto the next set. 

Set 1: Start Nodes 0-15 (every +1), End Nodes 15-30 (every +1)

Set 2: Start Nodes 16-20 (every +1), End Nodes 32-40 (every +2)

Set 3: Start Nodes 21-26 (every +1), End Nodes 43-58 (every +3)

Set 4: Start Nodes 27-29 (every +1), End Nodes 60-64 (every +2)

Set 5: Start Nodes 30-36 (every +1), End Nodes 66-72 (every +1)

Set 6: Start Nodes 72-57 (every -1), End Nodes 57-42 (every -1)

Set 7: Start Nodes 56-52 (every -1), End Nodes 40-32 (every -2)

Set 8: Start Nodes 51-46 (every -1), End Nodes 29-14 (every -3)

Set 9: Start Nodes 45-43 (every -1), End Nodes 12-8 (every -2)

Set 10: Start Nodes 42-36 (every -1), End Nodes 6-0 (every -1)

Happy Valentine's Day!

HOW TO: Make a geometric mobile

This modern, geometric mobile takes the form of a dodecahedron, one of the most interesting (and pretty) objects. Jammed pack with symmetries and the Golden Ratio, it has even been used to describe the shape of the universe! Admittedly, I am not exactly sure what that means, but it sure sounds cool. This dodecahedron, however, simply consists of 12 pentagonal pyramids; each with a mesmerizing spiral interior. So, pick your own color combination and create an inspired sky with these hanging decorations! 

Scale it up and make a big one!

And don't need to worry about getting the shape right. I've created a printable template to help you fold the perfect pentagonal pyramids.  Download it HERE!

Follow along with the DIY video tutorial:

Make a card for my very dear friend

Can you guess what we are celebrating here?! 

My FIRST attempt at making videos

OK, I am just going to admit this. Ever since moving back to Vancouver, I have been increasingly obsessed with Youtube. In the beginning, it was just some random video clips here and there, to satisfy my need for some images that move (no cable TV in this house!) But like Alice in Wonderland, I followed one adorable puppy to the next laughing baby down that rabbit hole. Now, not only do I have an endless subscription list, I found myself also making assembly videos for my products... 

Assembly Guide for Bubble (no bottom opening) UPDATED

Assembly Guide for Bubble Lamp Shade (with bottom opening)

And I had a blast learning to shoot and edit these videos - that iMovie sure came in handy. I definitely plan to make DIY tutorial videos for the paper bracelet and bowtie. Please let me know if you have other ideas and stay tuned!

PS. Currently, I am watching: Vsauce, Sonia's Travels, Daily Grace, Wong Fu Productions, Andrew Jenks, and it goes on and on.

Hold Taiwan in Your Hands

For the entire month of July, I have the pleasure of displaying some of my work at the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society. My mother helped me set up the exhibit a few days ago, and today we celebrated the official opening by inviting people to enjoy this wonderful space with us. By the way, my father won the "Most Dedicated" award by travelling all the way from Taiwan to show support!

 Somethings new, somethings old. And do gallery spotlights make everything look better? Yes, definitely.

As do nice little white frames.

We also held a workshop to show people how to make a mini and simple version of the Taiwan map. 

So pleasantly surprised by everyone's eager and diligent participation.

These boys were very proud of what they made!

 I love this photo.

 This tiny one opted to match the red heart (partially covered by her little fingers) to her outfit - totally adorable and a future fashionista.

From my little desk...

Happy July + Canada Day! This is a heart that is made with one single cut to a strategically folded sheet of paper. For more information on this cool paper trick, please check out this post!

HOW TO: Look sharp for the summer

Have you noticed that when it comes to paper folding, we mean serious business? See below. Yes, that is a bowtie made entirely out of paper! Also, just because summer is coming, it doesn't mean that you can't look totally dapper.

 Origami Paper Bowtie: sophistication with a twist!

Check out how it's made!

Want to try it out yourself? Download the PDF version here! Please download the file and print from your computer, and NOT straight from the browser to avoid weird formatting. And please make sure your PDF viewer is up-to-date. If you've tried everything and it still doesn't look right, you can always just print out the image above. 

I can't promise that this DIY is super easy. If you don't have a lot of experience with folding tessellations, I'd strongly suggest that you try this bracelet DIY first. It will help you get a sense of how these folds work. Good luck!

PS I'd love to see photos of your paper bowtie! Check out bowties by Ayako Uyemura, Jessica Nevina, All Things Paper, and la Fiancee du Panda.

Great Canadian Craft - my Afterthoughts

The Spring Fling 2013 Edition of the Great Canadian Craft was going to be my largest craft fair ever. (Okay, though it may not speak volumes, as I have only participated in one event beforehand, my expectation was high! Read on...) The venue at the Vancouver Convention Center alone conjured images of clustering shoppers in slick, bright exhibition halls. Also, there were two cruise ships entering and departing the nearby port over the weekend. Excitedly, I opted for the biggest space available (a 10' by 10), and even splurged on the option to have a corner booth. Fancy, right? But alas, it did not have the huge turn-out to match my perhaps unrealistic expectations. 

Nevertheless, I was really pleased with how our booth looked! Visualizing a design in your head doesn't always translate well in real life, but this (and chatting with cool people like Lisa Cinar of Draw Me a Lion, and Brittany van Dyck of type B) definitely made the weekend worthwhile. One lady even awarded me "Best Booth Design" unofficially, of course, as she walked by. Wee!

The Fiber Lab Family Photo

Looking forward, here are a few things that I will definitely investigate when deciding which craft fairs to sign up for:

1. Corner Booth Option:  Some craft fairs will give you an option for a corner booth for an extra fee. Whether it's worth it really depends on the layout of the entire space. For example, in a space with clearly defined aisles that force people traffic in specific directions, a corner booth definitely has its advantages. Shoppers are also more likely to visit each and every booth. 

Splurge for Corner? Go for it!

However, in a grid style layout, people tend to wander around aimlessly, with crowds gathering in the center. In this case, corner booths do not stand out at all. Exterior corner booths can even feel somewhat deserted. 

Splurge for Corner? Nope.

2. Electricity / Wireless Internet: If you need these, always check with the organizer or the venue for availability and fee. It can really add up.

3. Entry Fee: A cheap and affordable entry fee for shoppers helps ensuring a large crowd. 

Oh, another thing I learned is that I really love designing booths! I can spend months daydreaming about them. Please feel free to comment, or send me a message if you ever need display ideas or consultation! 

Chipboard Origami

Over the weekend, I made some display stands for a craft fair that I am participating in - the Great Canadian Craft is taking place on May 11 & 12, 2013 in Vancouver. Here are photos of one of the smaller ones. I think I want to name them "Cakes".

FACT: chipboard origami is an excellent finger strength training exercise.

Spring-ness.

Come check out the rest of the Cake gang at the show! 

Something Sweet

It's almost that time of year again. Yup, you feel it everywhere you go:  chocolates in pink, heart-shaped boxes and red roses are out in full force. And everyone is Googling to find the most memorable and creative gifts. We'd like to help! How about making a mini cake for your favorite crafty/artistic person? Tip: you can hide small presents underneath for extra surprise!

Fiber Lab mini cake / gift box DIY

Ingredients: 

1 used packaging tape core (recycle!)

1 small sheet of cardboard / chipboard

1 scissor

1 pencil

1 white glue

1 double-sided tape

1 leftover tissue paper 

Serving: one special someone

Directions:

(1) Put used packaging tape core on cardboard and trace the outer diameter with pencil. Cut out the cardboard circle. Create a "lid" by gluing the cardboard circle on top of the packaging tape core. Wait until the glue dries. (2) Cut out tissue paper strips. It's easier if you cut along the short end while the tissue paper is still folded. (3) Use double-sided tape to attach the strips while creating a ruffled effect. Cover the entire surface. You can decorate your mini cake however you like! I've created a mini cake stand by putting a larger piece of circle on top of an inverted Anthropologie bowl. 

Now, go ahead and create something sweet!

Are you feeling crafty?

How about making your own Fiber Lab bracelets? I think they would also be cute as Christmas tree ornaments, gift tags, and napkin holders. Or make it bigger and wear it like a crown? The possibilities are endless! Explore and see where your creativity brings you! What will you do? 

It's easy and fun, I promise!

You can also follow the step-by-step version below.

1. Print out the template and instruction on letter size cardstock with no scaling. Here is the template without instruction, if you've got this.

 2. Follow the grey line and cut out the bracelet strip.

 3. Score all creases with the dull side of the blade. This makes it much easier to fold.

 4. Fold the strip in half along the long axis.

 5. Starting at the end marked by (grey dot), bend the ends up like this, creating the first set of "valley" folds.

 6. Make the next set of "mountain" folds. In this photo, I am pushing down and squeezing the grey-dot end with my right hand, and squeezing the rest of the strip to maintain the V shape with my left hand.

 7. Make the next set of "valley" folds. I find it easier to flip the strip over and push down the centerline with the index finger, while squeezing the strip with the thumb and middle finger.

 8. Flip the strip over again, and make the next set of "mountain" folds with the same technique.

 9. Repeat until all the folds are made. The strip should begin to curve as you go along.

10. Almost there!

 11. Now you just need to glue the ends together. See instruction for detail.

 12. While the glue dries, admire how immensely useful these tiny clips are. And adorable. Or just use your trusty fingers to press down.

13. A little crown. PS it also folds flat, try pushing it down with your palm.