September 2007: Carla v.d.M.

September 2007 – Carla van der M.
“Origami Tato”

carlavandermei@gmail.com
The Netherlands

How long have you been stamping?
I don’t know how long but for several years now in Oriental-Style. Before that I loved bear stamps – panda’s are favorite – (still do).

What is your favorite technique?
I guess just the ordinary plain stamping with black ink and then color it in with aquarelle pencils and a drop of water.

Favorite stamp company?
There are so many companies which have stamps that I like. I like our elite vendors – have some stamps of most of them.

Favorite Asian stamps?
I like most of the oriental stamps like Geisha, panda, zodiac, kimono, crane, Buddha, tori-gate, Kokeshidolls etceteraetceteraetcetera

Favorite stamping accessory?
Acrylic block for my UMs, ruler and craft knife, origami & washi papers, peel offs, punches as a few to name :o)

Favorite colors?
My fave is blue in all shades, but I like other colors too, but no neon’s.

Your favorite embellishment to finish a card?
Must be the peel-offs/stickers, punches or background papers

What is the one tool you couldn’t live without?
Not just one, sorry… a few like my ruler, craft knife and bone folder

Any helpful tips for the group?
Just go with the oriental flow, do not think too long about the layout of a card or what stamp to use. Mostly the 1st choice is the nicest and best one.

As a member of OSA, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
Well must be that little part of Indonesian in me that makes me like oriental things :o).

Is there any one place or city you’d like to visit to find rubber stamps, supplies, or Asian art elements?
Yes Japan for origami books and paper and the USA for the all the craft items we do not have here in the Netherlands.

What other stamping lists or local clubs do you belong to?
None, I must sadly say. In my surroundings there are no local clubs. OSA is the only stamping group I belong to. Once I was a member of a Dutch one. But several times a year I go to craft or rubberstamp conventions/meetings were you can do workshops at the vendors’ booth and buy stamps and other craft items.

What favorite Stamping magazines would you recommend?
I like the Craft Stamper from the UK and Somerset Studio and Take Ten. And I like the Design original books. We don’t have stamping magazines that come out regularly here in the Netherlands. There is a new one this year, but still just 1 number :o(

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
Oh golly, yes, but I have to think hard….Expressions, Craftstamper..mmm..must be one more but me old brain cannot think of it!!!

Any other hobbies, talents or craft interests?
Yes, Origami –since 1987- and teabagfolding, mostly used for making cards. I always like to try out something new (nowadays old things from about 25/30 years ago are ‘new’ again). And I like photography. Science Fiction, cruising on the internet etc.

What inspires you to be creative?
It’s relaxing for me, puts my mind to ease/rest after the work in our restaurant. Sometimes it can be the challenge to make a card or fold a medallion.

Any art background ?
Mmmm..…my grandfather loved drawing and painting in his free time, so does my mother. She mostly likes aquarelle-painting, so there must be a little bitty of art- background in me too!. I always had a huge interest in crafting, in all kinds of ways. At nursery school we did folding and did lots with paper and at elementary school we had once a week a craft lesson and even drawing lessons. I always loved those lessons :o)

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping that wasn’t necessarily meant for stamping?
What’s unusual, I think all the items we use are..lol.. or it must be a real twig, dried flower, leaf or wrapping paper or or etc.

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
Our OSA-website . There is still lots to see that I have not seen yet. I do not have a favorite one. I like to google… put any name or subject in and lots of information, inspiration and examples pop up.

Do you have a day job when you’re not stamping?
Yes, we have a grandcafé-restaurant of our own in a former Major house from 1905 in the middle of the town. I used to help out with serving lunch and dinner to our guests, but through one of the 200 different kinds of rheumatism in hand and feet (Artrose) since a few years I’m doing bookkeeping, sending invoices :o), making the menu on the pc and lots of other stuff on the pc for the restaurant), and all the work that comes through/lands over and under my desk….lol
And the biggest job is of course being a Mum and doing ‘jobs” in and around the house.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
I was born over half a century ago in a town called Hilversum, now-a-days known as Media-city where all the TV-stuff in the Netherlands comes from.

Married for over 30 years to Hans, we have two sons Friso (26) and Erwin (23) and we live in Drachten, a town in the Northern part, called Friesland of the Netherlands also better known all over the world as HOLLAND with the wooden shoes, tulips and windmills.
Our sons are working in our business too and are planning to take over in the near future, so we can take a step back and join the good things of life and live a bit better.

So in the future more time I hope for stamping, crafting and so on!!!
Stamping hugs from Holland…..see you later on OSA

Origami Tato
By Carla van der M.
carlavandermei@gmail.com

A tato is a traditional kind of folded paper purse in which a Japanese lady keeps small items such as needles, ends of thread, buttons and so on. A tato can be flat and practical or fancy for gift-giving. The most common tato looks kind of geometrically-floral and used for giving small gifts. This origami model can be to use on a card or when made larger use as gift envelope. I don’t know whose model this is. I received it also once on a card.

Step 1:

The coloured side of the square piece of paper up:

Step 2:

Fold into 4 squares with valley folds. After folding turn over the paper.

Step 3:

Fold SHARP the side to the middle and back with valley folds. Do all sides this way.

Fold should be/look like this:

Now you have 16 squares in the paper. Turn over the paper.

Step 4:

Bring 1 corner to the this point, do NOT fold it yet!!!! See next picture!!!!

Just fold VERY SHARP only this small part of the paper. Fold all corners this way.

These are the folding-lines after doing this. Sharpfold the mountain folds again.

After sharping it, the model should look like this in 3d.

Step 5:

Now take the left part and use your other fingers for the other side (right), and bring it to the middle. If you have folded it sharply it will almost fold into place by pushing it.

This shows how it should fold into:

The model completed. See the cards I made for what you can do with it.

At the link you can see how to fold a traditional Tato. The site is in German but the photos show you very clearly how to do it.

http://www.creadoo.com/Content4296

If you need a translation of something you do not understand let me know through the group.

Have fun folding!!!
I hope you enjoyed it.

Hugs

Carla van der M. – The Netherlands – September 2007