Blue Ridge Origami, peace cranes for Zambia, and a giveaway too!

Last year, I met an origami artist who was looking for marbled paper to use for her origami cranes. The paper that I normally marble is meant for bookbinding, and would be too thick. So I marbled a special batch of lighter-weight papers for Jeanne, of Blue Ridge Origami. Jeanne started making origami cranes as an inexpensive giveaway for a trade show event, but afterwards took the extra cranes to the hospice where she works. There, the cranes were given to patients and families where they became very popular and much appreciated. Jeanne also told me that several years ago, her hospice "adopted" the country of Zambia. She said, "we have been working hard since then, fundraising, educating, etc. The first trip to Zambia was made by my boss, our Chief Medical Officer, and our VP of Clinical Ops, an RN. With them went over 50 cranes, which flatten nicely and don't take up much room or weight in a suitcase. Today many of those cranes hang in a children's play room at the main hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Many made out of Rhonda's beautiful marbled paper." She has also refined her skills to make tiny cranes, as small as 1 inch! These tiny cranes are perfect for earrings and she's also started making other tiny origami figures like stars and flutes. Now she makes origami earrings to sell at craft fairs and on Etsy, donating some of the proceeds to the Zambia fund raising efforts. I am really impressed with these tiny origami figures she's making. I've done some folding, but I know my fingers cannot manipulate paper so small! Also, learning about her efforts to support medical assistance in Zambia makes her peace cranes even more special. I'm glad I was able to contribute a few unique sheets of marbled paper for her to use.

A Giveaway!

When I asked Jeanne if I could feature her origami work on my blog, she graciously agreed, and generously offered to giveaway two pairs of earrings to my blog readers! There will be two winners, selected randomly. The first winner can pick a pair of earrings from Jeanne's shop (up to $18 value). The second winner can pick a pair of earrings from her shop (up to $15 value). Shipping will be free to USA and Canada. There are two ways to get your name into the draw. If you do both, your name will go into the draw twice. First, you can visit her Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/BlueRidgeOrigami) and decide which pair of earrings you would pick if you win. Come back here and leave a comment, including a link to the earrings you like. Second, you can visit Jeanne on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BlueRidgeOrigami). "Like" her page, then have a look at her wall posts where she shows some of her earrings, and "like" your favorite. Then come back here to my blog and leave me a comment to tell me about it. When you leave your comment(s) here on my blog, be sure there is a way for me to contact you if you win. Enter before March 24th (midnight) to get your name in the draw. Winners will be posted here on Sunday, March 25th.