Getting Started with the Feldspar Idea
Alright, so I had this idea kicking around in my head – origami birds, but not just any paper. I wanted something that looked like radiant feldspar. You know, that mineral look, kinda shimmery, mostly pale colors. Took me a bit to find the right stuff.
I eventually dug up some paper I’d bought ages ago. It had this pearlescent finish, mostly white and cream with hints of pale pink and grey swirled in. Perfect! It felt a bit thicker than standard origami paper, which I knew might be a little tricky, but it had that exact ‘radiant feldspar’ vibe I was going for.
The Folding Process
So, I grabbed a square sheet to start. Cleared off my table, made sure I had a nice flat surface. I decided to stick with a classic crane design, nothing too complex because I wanted the paper itself to be the main focus.
First Folds: Started with the basic diagonal and horizontal creases. Making sure those initial folds were super sharp was important, especially with this heavier paper. Really ran my fingernail along the edges.
Making the Base: Then came collapsing it into the preliminary base, that square shape you get. That went okay. Then folded it into the bird base. This paper, being thicker, needed a bit more coaxing, a bit more pressure on the folds to get them to lie flat.
Neck and Tail: Pulling up the neck and tail sections – that inverse fold – was the fiddly bit. Had to be gentle but firm. Didn’t want to tear the paper, especially where the folds all converged. Took my time with that part on the first bird.
- Made the first crease for the neck.
- Did the reverse fold carefully.
- Repeated for the tail section.
- Shaped the head with another small reverse fold.
Once I got the hang of it with the first one, the next few went quicker. Just assembly-line style: fold base, fold bird base, pull neck, pull tail, shape head. Over and over.
The Final Flock
After a while, I had a small collection sitting there on the table. Maybe five or six of them. Holding them up to the light was pretty satisfying.
They really did catch the light because of that pearlescent sheen. The swirls in the paper made each one slightly unique, like little polished stones shaped into birds. They definitely looked ‘radiant’ and had that subtle mineral quality I was aiming for. Felt good to take an idea and just… make it happen. Simple shapes, but the paper made them special.
