Papel de China: Making A Variety of Paper Flowers

My Traveling Tales by Michelle

   "The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web."
                                                                                                                  ~Pablo Picasso

My sister Juliette makes paper flowers in preparation to decorate
the community altar in celebration of El Día de los Muertos.

   A couple of weeks ago I headed to the tiny town of Bisbee, where my sister Juliette lives, to capture photographs of women in the community making crepe paper flowers over the course of an afternoon. I look forward to these types of gatherings, when people who don't necessarily know each other, and who are intuitively following their curiosity, come together with the cooperative intention to create, experiment, and above all, have fun.
   This time of year, during the month of October, many arts and crafts projects are steeped in Mexican tradition, that directly connect to remembering and celebrating our ancestors. We anticipate taking part in private and community revelry associated with November 1st, the Latin American holy day of El Día  los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). It is the day when we look at Death in the proverbial eye and laugh. We remember our loved ones that have passed, and we share our stories to keep them part of our conversations—to keep their memories alive.
   In past years, to celebrate and remember, my daughter Maddie made sugar skulls for a school project, and then we hosted a sugar skull decorating party at our house. Last year we made Calacas-shaped cookies. We've assembled altars to remember our friends and family that have passed. As George Eliot wrote, "Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them." Setting aside time every year to remember our departed loved ones, ensures that they will not be forgotten from one generation to the next.
   My sisters and I and our collective families take part in community celebrations in Tucson and Petaluma, including the annual All Souls Procession and Candlelight Procession. And, everywhere we go during this time of year, we will surely see profusions of colorful paper flowers decorating everything from up-do's ( à la Frido Kahlo), to decorative arrangements on dining room tables, to mechanical floats at the Processions, to personal and community altars.

   While I am an admirer of paper flowers, those bright profusion of blooms that please the eye, I had only learned to make tissue paper poppies once upon a time, and a very long time ago it was. I have always been an ardent devotee of the big free form crepe flowers that Juliette learned to make from a friend after moving to Bisbee nearly 25 years ago.
   While I was excited to see Juliette in action, Juliette in turn was enthused to learn how to make paper roses from Maria, the President of the Bisbee Woman's Club. Maria shared with me that paper flowers are not only for celebrating El Día de los Muertos, but for all celebrations of life that call for flowers, including quinceañeras, weddings and funerals.
   If the paper flowers will be displayed in the outdoors, Maria informed me that each flower can be dipped in melted parafin wax and hung upside down until dry, which will add a layer of protection against the elements. This is typically done if the flowers will be displayed at a grave or for an outdoor event.

Vanessa is a quick study and learns how to make florets on her first attempt.

A floret is surrounded by yellow petals to dramatic effect.

   When we gathered at Central School on that Sunday afternoon, the intention was for the group to produce flowers to decorate a community altar for Central School Project's El Día De Los Muertos Event commencing with an "Art and Alters" Juried Exhibition on November 1st. The show runs through November 14, 2014. For more information leading up to the event, join El Día de los Muertos, Bisbee on Facebook.
   As I photographed the process of making crepe flowers, I noticed how quickly the ladies learned from each other and riffed on each other's ideas. Once you have the basics down, which hardly takes any time at all, an endless variety of flowers can be made. The creation of the flowers is neither tedious or boring because each flower is open to interpretation whether it is made from a pattern or is a free form cut from layered crepe paper. As the volunteers made an abundance of flowers, chatter and laughter filled the air. Clearly everyone was enjoying herself as the hours melted away in a flowing stream of creativity.

A floret is surrounded by multiple layers of free form petals (no template required).

For multiple layers of petals, begin with the shorter petals and end with longer petals.

Unfurl the cut crepe paper and use a glue stick (as shown) before twirling
onto the floret and floral wire.

Secure the petals on the floral wire with the aid of green floral tape.

   Juliette started the event by asking Maria to teach us how to make a rose. As Maria's hands deftly worked through the process of creating the rose, she shared with us memories of making paper flowers as a young girl working side-by-side with her mother and grandmother. Maria's storytelling reminded me that I need to take a break from my harried professional life and schedule more artists' dates with my family and friends. We always remember the times when we come together to create something special, whether it is paper flowers for a community event or a birthday cake for a loved one.

Maria's captivating rose gives the newbies in the group something to aspire to.

Roses are made by using both a tear drop and heart shaped patterns.
Make several petals at once by tracing the pattern on to stacked layers of crepe paper.

The cut "petals" are curled along the top with the help of a pencil.
Then, using your fingers, pull gently to mold the crepe paper decoratively into a rounded shape.

Twist scrap pieces of crepe paper into an elongated shape, which will be the unfurled petals
in the middle of the rose. Secure with 18-gauge by 18-inch green floral wire.

Start shaping the roses by first adding the smaller tear-shaped petals,
and then followed by the larger heart-shaped petals.
Continue to use your fingers to shape the crepe paper as you add petals to the rose.
Twist the crepe paper onto the wire, as you work, to secure each petal.

To finish the rose, secure the crepe paper to the floral wire with green florest tape.
Maria prefers to thicken the stem by wrapping the wire first in green crepe paper and then securing with sticky green floral tape. Remember to keep all the scraps for making the center of the roses.

   While Maria continued to make gorgeous roses, and my sister Juliette created multi-colored chrysanthemum-inspired blooms, I saw Renata taking the basics of the free-form technique and pushing it into the land of exotica with tropical-inspired flower spikes.

Instead of using a floret, Renata shapes pipe brushes into stamen for a tropical-style flower.

Renata uses a glue stick on the petals to help hold the flower together and
then she finishes by using green floral tape for a professional look. 

The tropical flowers give a pleasing architectural dimension to the bouquet. 

   I will now take this opportunity for a "commercial break" to feature Renata's Dead Songbirds. She meticulously sews the birds by incorporating new and found objects, including fabrics, beads, metal and various embellishments. Through her meticulous handcraft, she is hoping to call attention to the high rates of death in the migratory bird populations. To learn more about the plight of birds, read this fact sheet issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Handmade dead birds with a heart by Renata González captured my fancy.

The birds will be available for purchase at El Día de los Muertos Art and 
Altarpiece Show Opening Celebration in Bisbee and at Pop-Cycle in Tucson.

   To add to the festive flair of the afternoon, my sister brought snacks for everyone to much on. Once you start eating locally-made spicy creamy goat cheese smeared on slices of wild yeast sourdough bread from Guadalupe Baking Company, it is hard to stop.

My sister Juliette keeps everything to make paper flowers stored neatly in an old suitcase.

   At the end of the day, when the fun is done, the clean-up begins. I agree with the observation of humorist Erma Bombeck, "My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance." On the happy side of chores, many hands make light work, and it didn't take long to do what we needed to do to put everything in order.
   Afterwards, Juliette and I had a quick and delicious dinner at High Desert Market before I headed back to Tucson. We ate on the quiet patio where we could feel the first touches of fall floating on the air. The on-going conversations that I have with my sisters keep me sane in a crazy world. On my way home, I felt refreshed and ready for a new work week ahead. Art and companionship do that for me. Add great food to the mix, and I'm about as happy as I can be.

It is critical to buy crepe paper and not tissue paper.

Tissue paper is flimsy, whereas crepe paper can be shaped, stretched and curled.

Papel de China: Making a Variety of Paper Flowers

List of Materials:
Crepe Paper in a variety of colors
18 Guage Wire
Pipe Cleaners in a variety of colors
Pinking Shears
Scissor(s)
wire cutter(s)
pencil(s)
Glue stick(s)
Green Florist Tape
parafin, optional - visit the Bittersweet link below for more information on waxing the flowers for extended life

Additional Information:
History of crepe flowers, plus step-by-step instructions, including patterns... at Bittersweet
Super easy flowers, made fan style with tissue paper and ribbon, at Spanglish Baby
No crepe paper? No tissue paper? No problem! You just need construction paper and a stapler... at Latinaish

                      "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Pablo Picasso

Sugar Skull Decorating Party

by Michelle

"When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico they encountered two-month celebrations honoring death, the fall harvest and the new year. For more than 500 years, the goddess Mictecacihuatl (Lady of the Dead) presided over Aztec harvest rituals using fires and incense, costumes of animal skins, images of their dead and offerings of ceramics, personal goods, flowers and foods, drink and flowers. While the church attempted to transform the joyous celebration to a suitably tragic image of death and a serious day of prayer focusing attention and reflection on the saints and martyrs. The people of Mexico did not fully adopt the early priests' ideas, and by keeping their familiar ceremonies, All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day evolved into the celebrations that today honor the dead with color, candles, joy."

                                           ~Judy King via MexConnect

  

   Since moving to the Southwest ten years ago, I have become increasingly devoted to celebrating All Soul's Day that falls annually on the first day of November. In particular, I am drawn to the Mexican traditions of joyously celebrating death, brushing aside the uncertainties of the ever after that can induce feelings of fear and dread, and instead replacing those emotions with gratitude and remembrance of loved ones and ancestors that have gone before us into the great unknown. 

Amelia  

   My interest in El Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), was sparked by my sister, Juliette, who made an artfully decorated shrine in honor of our sister, Maria, not long after she had passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm in 1992. The holiday becomes much more meaningful when you have someone to commemorate, and his or her loss tugs at your soul. The process of putting the shrine together was very cathartic for Juliette, and she kept it on display in her house for many years. Beginning in the late summer, Juliette makes intricately decorated sugar skulls, and bottled spirits and sells them in shops and galleries in Tucson and Bisbee. Juliette's pieces this year are on display and available for purchase through the main gallery at Tohono Chul Park.

Avalon

   If you happen to be in Tucson on the first Sunday in November, be sure take part in The All Souls Procession, a unique parade inspired by the traditions of El Dia de Los Muertos, and "...ends in the finalizing action of burning a large urn filled with the hopes, offerings and wishes of the public for those who have passed." The procession is immediately followed by a grand finale pyrotechnic performance by Flam Chen. The frivolities continue well in to the evening and the wee morning hours with the official after party, Dance of the Dead, at the Rialto Theatre featuring Tucson-based band, Calexico (love me some Joey and John and the boys, as Juliette would say).

Elyse

   One of the aspects that I appreciate most about El Dia de Los Muertos is that it is child-friendly. Death is discussed and represented in a way that is accessible for children. I find that more times than not, when working on a Day of the Dead project, I share stories with Maddie about her great-grandparents, or grandmother Joan, or about her cousin, Joshua, or her aunt Maria, and the reminiscing makes them spring to life once more, traveling over time and distance to sit at our table again, and to gently nudge their stories from my memory banks. I know our annual tradition is one that Maddie will reflect upon fondly later in her life, and perhaps she will feel compelled to carry the celebration forward with her children and friends. It makes me happy to think about.

Gabrielle

    A few years ago, my friend Michelle and I hosted an El Dia De Los Muertos themed Halloween Party. I dressed as a dead Flamingo dancer, Michelle as a skull faced Frida Kahlo, and Maddie as a cute as a button dead cheerleader. Several revelers dressed as calacas (skeletons). My favorite was a petite guest who wore a skeleton shirt (white bones painted on a black background), a beautiful Mexican skirt covered with lively sequins that caught the dim light and twinkled as she moved. She had transformed her face into a skull and a wreath of dried flowers adorned her head. Graceful in her movements, my eyes were drawn to her as she examined the offerings laid on the community altar, the candle light making her shimmer under the harvest moon. Sugar skulls decorated the tables and altar, and a friend made pan muerto, which is a fougasse type bread shaped as skulls.

Maddie

   In preparation for the Halloween party, Maddie and I had a marathon skull decorating session, and since that day, I have always wondered what it would be like to decorate skulls with friends. As a New Year resolution, my friend Stephanie and I both resolved to meet for artists' dates throughout the year. We finally made good on our promise last month. Our mutual friend Sara invited us to her house to make glass art, including pendants, earrings and ornaments. The skull decorating followed, and now Stephanie is waiting for the weather to cool off a bit more so we can go crazy outdoors with a spray paint project.

MiMi

  
   The challenge to having a bunch of friends over to decorate sugar skulls is making sure you have enough materials to divide among your guests. At the bottom of the post, I have suggestions for making your party a success. We used 17 decorating tips, which require 17 rings to attach the tips to the ready-to-use Wilton tubes. If you are tinting your own icing and using pastry bags, I recommend that you have an equal amount of couplers, which makes it incredibly easy to swap decorating tips among the bags filled with colored frosting.

Rhonda and Sasha

   Last week, we had ten ladies decorating skulls, but my Mom stopped decorating after awhile and my friend Rhonda, and her daughter had to leave early. Of the ladies gathered in my living room, only two, my daughter and my niece, had decorated skulls previously. I passed on decorating this time in favor of helping as needed, fetching forgotten items (such as Q-Tips, toothpicks, and tweezers, etc.), and taking nearly 600 photos (love, love, love digital cameras). If we had all been present, and decorating throughout the entire afternoon, I would have surely needed a second set of decorating tips, and probably another half dozen or so of the ready-to-use icings.

Sara

  I especially liked that Rhonda and Sara each chose to decorate skulls in honor of a friend. The simple act really represents what the decorating is tradionally about - remembering loved ones that are no longer physically with us, being able to explain who they are, what they meant to you, and why you are featuring them in a particular way. The sugar skulls are a lovely gesture to give as gifts. I displayed three sugar skulls as inspiration pieces that Juliette had gifted to me over the years.

Stephanie

   Everyone continued to decorate skulls with focused concentration until just before dark. When the light began to fail in the living room, it was time to cease the activity. Everyone joined in the clean-up; many hands make light work. Afterwards, two out of three husbands joined us for cocktails and dinner. Sara and Stephanie helped me assemble enchiladas. And, Stephanie's husband, Michael, provided an assist with the coleslaw. We all sat down to dinner right about seven-thirty (by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin). Everyone left around ten, bringing to a close, a productive and very fun day.

Sugar Skull Decorating Party