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:

EXCLUSIVE Video!

Here is the behind-the-scenes look at how the Bubble is made, hand-crafted from start to finish! Doesn't it look like I am playing some sort of musical instrument?

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.

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! 

HOW TO: Get on the Etsy Front Page

Presenting a pseudo-scientific color guide for Etsy sellers aka image processing fun in MATLAB...

If you own an Etsy shop, chances are you have wondered (and most likely Googled), "Just how does one get on the Etsy Front Page?!" You know what I am talking about - that amazing, magical hour, during which your item is featured brings the kind of traffic you can only dream about. Ever elusive, how Etsy picks the winning treasury list is also kind of a mystery. The hilarious Regretsy likens this selection process to "throwing corn on a keyboard, and going with whatever the chicken pecks out".

Yup, it does feel that way. But is it? It surely hasn't stopped people from trying to figure it out. And I love that. However, it's not a total black box. Many people have noticed that the rule-of-thumb seems to involve photos with white/light backgrounds that create "a muted selection of desaturated creaminess". So in this post, I am going to try to verify this observation and explore other trends. 

Data is Everything

First, I downloaded 366 Front Page screenshots from Craft Cult - what a wonderful site for data lovers! Each image is taken at around 9 PM everyday in 2012. Like this one with a Fiber Lab Mint Bubble contributing to a collection of romantic spring hues. 

Hey, mint Bubble! You fit right in.

Now, why did I pick 9 PM? Tim Layton attempted to analyze the best time to list on Etsy, and it turns out to be around 9:30 AM and PM. (And I've been doing it all wrong. Oh well.) So, being on the Front Page during that time is the ultimate jackpot, right? 

Pixels Organized Neatly

Then I used MATLAB, a numerical computing software, to sort each pixel into color circles. Each ring shows a main color in the treasury list. The ring size is proportional to the amount of pixels in that color group.

Woah, hypnotic. 

This looks really cool and pretty, but not entirely useful at revealing any color trends. After trying out several ways to represent these color data, I decided to plotted each ring as circles on a color wheel.

The colors don't always match the color wheel due to variations in saturation. Front Page worthy pixels are usually less saturated. 

The straight line across the middle indicates the most dominant color pair, in this case, peach and mint. Repeating this method for every treasury that I have collected. The following are the monthly results. 

Jan / Feb

Mar / Apr

May / Jun

Jul / Aug

Sept / Oct

Nov / Dec

Do You See It?

So, I think it's safe to say that the observations are spot-on. You have the best chance if you go with whites with warm and earthy undertones. Sometimes pairing them with the complementary blue hues works. And honestly, don't even try to be creative and bother with the purples and bright greens. Apparently nobody likes them. There is little variation in what is popular throughout the year. Somewhat disappointing, as I was really hoping to see brighter colors in the summer and duller ones in the winter. Wouldn't that be a really cool trend?

Learning is Fun
Is there a point to this? Probably not a whole lot, but I learned a few tricks while playing in MATLAB. That is the important thing, and I am totally enjoying these pretty circles. If you want to know more about how these are generated, please let me know. Thanks for reading!

HOW TO: add a pop of color

A red Bubble will do the trick! PS I purchased this stock photo.

HOW TO: Get on the big screens at Times Square

Thanks to Google, now you can do that in just two simples steps! 

1) Go to For Everyone and submit the photo of your choice.

 2) Ta-Dah, indeed! And Google will send you a snapshot of it as proof.

Image straight from the 43rd Street on Nov. 24, 2012 between 3-4 pm. Try it out!

TRY TO: Make Bubbles Float

My first ever craft fair is coming up, and busy preparation is underway. When I am not wondering about what it will be like and feeling slightly nervous, I am scheming about how to display the Bubbles in the 8' x 5' space provided at the event. There will be nothing to hang from or hook to in the ceiling, so I'd have to bring my own free-standing structure to showcase my products. 

I am playing with the following ideas.

Simple and elegant coat rack by Vytautas Gecas. Just brilliant.

Another one by Weekday Carnival. Love the pop of color!

Or, just trust the design sense of IKEA

It might be fun to have a cute A Beautiful Mess tent.

Decisions, decisions.

HOW TO: Build a Flower

I am in love with these images by Macoto Murayama, an architecture-student-turned-artist. According to TheScientist, he applies computer graphics techniques to illustrate the anatomy of flowers, in meticulous detail. The flower is carefully dissected, sketched, photographed, and finally modeled and perfected in the virtual world. His muse is the Commelina Communis, commonly known as the Asiatic dayflower.

Now, will someone please build a large scaled version of this?