Cha Cha Wang: Papercraft

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We stopped by Joanne Rossman (Purveyor of the Unnecessary & the Irresistible) last Friday night. Joann was having a trunk show for Ms. Cha Cha Wang, the creator of the wonderful folded paper ornaments we saw a in the store a few weeks prior and we wanted to meet her.

Paper folding and folded paper ornaments is a topic which has some fascination for many of us here at RainyDayMagazine, so when the opportunity arose to discuss the topic with someone who is both technically proficient at folding and artistically creative with the craft, we knew we would not pass it up. We had a very interesting chat with Ms. Wang about her creations, paper folding in general, and tessellations in particular. Yes…irregular polygons were mentioned. It was a huge treat and not just because of the cookies (more on that later).

Ms. Wang challenges herself not just with the technical aspects of creating the various shapes, but also with the paper used in their creation. Some ornaments were created using old maps, others from the pages of a Shakespeare play. Working with different stock can be tricky as not all of them are amenable to sharp creases and tight folds.

We picked up a few of the smaller ones for the tree. BTW, we snagged the ornament made using the Shakespeare play, but the bigger version (created using multiple plays) is still available and may be had…if you hurry. Below are some examples of Ms Wong’s work, currently on display and available for sale at Joanne Rossman in Roslindale. Click on any of the images for a larger version.

Besides geometric solids, Ms. Wong also likes organically-inspired shapes. Mixed-media work such as these flowering branches is one such examples.

A few of us also sampled at least one of each of the delicious cookies Joanne had put out for visitors. We stopped eating them only because “someone” said they would ruin our dinners. The cookies didn’t and we wanted to go back for more after dinner, but unfortunately the store had already closed for the night.

If you want to check out Ms. Wang’s folded paper ornaments, head on over to Joanne Rossman in Roslindale. The store is open most days between 11AM and 6PM. If you are lucky, there may even be cookies. Just be warned, there is nothing in the store you need, just a whole lot of things you will want!!!