<B>Get ready to explore the exciting world of origami floral art like it's never been seen before!</B><BR><BR>The Japanese art of ikebana, or flower arranging, is an age-old practice that honors nature and creates beauty through harmony and balance. With <I>Origami Ikebana</I>, you can create beautiful ikebana-inspired paper flower arrangements at home at any time of the year.<BR><BR>Since discovering ikebana several years ago, origami artist and author Benjamin Coleman dreamed of developing techniques to allow him to create ikebana-style floral arrangements using folded paper. In this book, Coleman teaches craft enthusiasts the basic principles and techniques of ikebana, origami and <I>makigami</i> (paper rolling) to create beautiful and lifelike paper flower sculptures. You'll learn to construct stems from paper-mache-like <i>makigami</i> rolls and cap them with exquisite origami flowers and leaves, then to support the arrangements on stone-like bases made from paper.<BR><BR>Topics covered in <i>Origami Ikebana</i> include: <ul><li> Basic flower folding and assembly </li><li> Painting leaves and flowers to emphasize realism</li><li> Folding and finishing the flower and leaf forms </li><li> Incremental leaf sizes and depth enhancement </li><li> Creating "rock" bases for your sculptures from paper</li><li> Making simple stems from <i>makigami</i> paper rolls</li></ul><BR>The many flower models described in the book include: Black Eyed Susan, Primrose, Thistle, Phlox, Ipecac, Banana, Fleur de Lis, Buttercup, Pumpkin Flower, Morning Glory, Trillium, Clematis, Posey, Foxglove, Daisy, and over a dozen other unique designs.<BR><BR>The menu-driven DVD contains 1 hour 45 minutes of video origami lessons presented in the book. Don't spend a fortune on real flowers or plants that will wilt in a week—make your own lovely paper creations that will last forever!