In Memoriam

Marianne Dolores Sanchez
9/13/62-5/24/01

She was my best friend.  She only lived 38 years.  She would have turned 45 this year.  I planned to finish this memorial crane mobile as a birthday present, but things didn’t work out that way.  I don’t guess she’d be upset over a one-month belated birthday present.   

The mobile is done, it’s hanging beside my bed.  There are 38 cranes, one for each birthday.  Each has a quote of some sort in it.  If you’re curious about them, you can find them here.  I also made 4 wishing stars for the mobile.  Because they’re paper, and wishing stars, after all, I wrote a little something in each of those.  They reflect what was on the iPod at the time more than anything else. I intend for the Memorial Crane page to eventually tell the mobile’s story, but I’m not up for that now.  Heh.  Don’t hold your breath.  If you want to read more, the story can be found in my “grief” category.

Here she is.  A little bit late, a little bit lopsided, but no less a labor of love.

 Mrs. Wonderful suggested this be tagged “wonderfulness.”  With a name like Mrs. Wonderful, I believe she would know. 

That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

I don’t know what you can tell from this picture, but this is what I wanted all along.  Maybe you can tell that the Circle’s circumference is wider than the metal ring’s?  I glued wire to the Circle’s underside. I’m relieved.  This may work out the way I want, after all.

I’m amazed at the strength of the paper.  These cranes have been through the wringer.  They’ve suffered such abuse.  They’ve held up very well. 

Lucky me.

Mobile construction begins

After the cranes were folded, I fiddled around with the beads I wanted to include in the mobile.  Some of the beads I used were from the first mobile I attempted to put together.  Some are new.  I could have continued to fiddle and browse at bead and craft stores forever.  At some point you have to say, “No more,” and decide.  Every time I had a new inspiration for the beads, I’d head to the store.  Well, I’m sure you know you can get lost browsing beads.  I came home more than once with a few beads that I thought would be fantastic, only to discover I was wrong.  *sigh*

The final decisions.  I used the Murano glass hearts on the bottom combinations in the first mobile.  Unfortunately, when it broke, some of the original beads were lost, including the smaller heart.  I searched for a replacement high and low.  I found a tolerable replacement, but I really wasn’t happy with it.  I don’t know why I didn’t look online.  Then, last week, after visiting the Rocking Horse for no particular reason, I went to a bead store in Farmington, and Eureka!  It was my lucky day.

Most of the beads were chosen b/c I liked them.  Some of them have particular significance, though.  For instance, the surfer in the bottom center.  M loved the beach so very much.  The stone star above it was b/c she loved stones.  Tiger Eye was among her favorites, but I didn’t think it would work here.  Turqoise stones always remind me of her.  The star and rectangular cube aren’t turqoise stones, but they serve my purposes.  I loves stars.

Bead combination for the Circle of Eight.  The shells are for M’s love of the beach and ocean, and the ladybugs are b/c when she died, she had often mentioned her daughter’s love of ladybugs.  I wish I’d used a darker blue bead on the top instead of the light blue crystal.  I decided it was time to put the thing together and stop going out looking for more. 

 

I staggered the 24 single cranes underneath the Circle of Eight.  I was going to fill the empty space below the low-hanging strands with beads, but decided on wishing star ‘beads’ instead.  I’ve written something in each of them, b/c it seemed wrong to leave them blank.  The comments are a reflection of what was on my iPod when I wrote inside them.

The final combination for the single 24.

The center cranes strung together.

The single 24 after the Circle of Eight’s beads were strung. 

The Circle of Eight.

I think I’m going to use an acrylic sealant for the mobile.  I’ll be experimenting with Krylon’s Matte Finish.  If I like it, I’m using it.  After all that fretting about the Nori Paste!  Oh, well.  That’s what happens when you make up something as you go along.

Saotome and Kakitsubata

Saotome begins:

Or, Girl Planting Rice.  I call it M supports T supports M.  It represents the times she supported me, and the times I supported her.  There are two identical models.  Sometimes you can’t really tell who’s supporting who.  Or whom.  Whomever.  Whoever.  Whatever.

The paper I used.

Midway in folding. The smaller crane is two squares folded together.

The first model completed.

The second, and first, models.

Kakitsubata begins:

Or, the Iris Flower.  I call it Marianne holds Teddi (her daughter).

The paper.  Pretty butterflies!

A close-up of the mama crane holding the baby crane by the back.

Kakitsubata complete.

These six cranes will form the center of the crane.  They will be surrounded by Yatsuhashi and 24 other cranes–32 in a circle.

Yatsuhashi paper and paper for the single cranes.  Eight designs, three of each.  I don’t know why the thumbnail is fuzzy.  The 425-pixel picture is not.  Click for non-fuzziness if you please. 

Folding complete.  Now the hard part begins.

Yatsuhashi, or Eight Bridges

On M’s birthday, I gave you a sneak peek of her memorial.  It’s still not finished, though I have made good progress.  I haven’t been stitching at all, just focusing all my creative energy and time on this project.  The sneak peek was the beginning and anchor of a crane mobile I’m making.  When finished, there will be 38 cranes, as that was M’s age when she died.   I got the directions for this “anchor” of eight cranes from Origami: Rokoan Style: The Art of Connecting Cranes.  Fascinating and beautiful stuff in there.  There are two volumes, both of which I own.  The first volume is my favorite.  In November, they’re due to be published in a single, paperback volume.  Groovy.

The paper selection.  Isn’t great?  I think it really captures M’s exuberance. 

The sneak peak, showing the other side of the paper after it had been scored (pre-folded) and had its notations.

Scored folds fully folded and waiting to be transformed.

I clipped each crane together to make it neater to finish the cranes.  I was terrified of having the circle rip.  Again.

A close-up of two cranes’ wings.  I ended up reinforcing all the connected wings with Nori paste.  Useless info: that link goes to the Nori paste page of Hollander’s, a paper shop in Ann Arbor, MI, where I bought the paste and the paper you see on this page.  If you like paper, it’s heavenly.  Excuse the digression.  Using the paste is so NOT an origami purist’s way of doing things.  And yet.  I’ve already had this project destroyed once.  I have a deep need for it to be stronger than it is.  Surely you understand?  This Nori paste is good stuff, Maynard.  For my needs.  )  Besides, I’m not a purist. 

Yatsuhashi, or Eight Bridges, complete.  Nine squares, eight cranes, one circle.  One of the cranes is made of two squares (upper right and lower left, to be exact), which is how the circle is formed.

The next part…