Iteration 1

The first iteration was more of an interesting process than a complete success in finishing the figurine.Now, I already owned a few origami supplies myself (first picture, left). I wanted to see other selections of patterns and styles so going to Daiso was an ideal place to find all this (second picture, left). I grabbed what I thought was appropriate at the time since I was still unsure of what figurine to create.

It wasn't until I did more research (e.g. youtube tutorials, personal blogs, etc.) that I decided on my first iteration's figurine: the kusudama. What is the kusudama? The actual word means "medicine ball" in the Japanese language (Lukasheva 7). They were possibly used as incense in Japan since they were made from herbs (Lukasheva 7). In the origami culture, there appears to be various versions or variations of the kusudama as you can see here. The model I chose to create is called Estrella Flor which was created by Erny. Here is the tutorial I used.

I specifically chose to mix different styles of paper. For this model, I decided on traditional patterns with paper that reflected bright colors (as seen on the right). I thought it would be an interesting contrast, especially with the glittering orange accompanied by the other paper's hues of purple, pink, and yellow. The flowers from the patterns seem to add more to the aesthetic appeal. It wasn't until midway of the process that I realized there wasn't enough paper to use. Hence, the additional colors that was added later on. Hopefully the combination of all these different papers doesn't seem too random. As for the folding process, it wasn't as difficult as I had expected it to be. It was quite repetitive and by the third folded model, I had already memorized the steps from the video. Patience was definitely a large factor in creating the whole structure. I originally thought the required thirty sheets of paper wasn't too laborious. Five hours later I changed my mind.

 
It wasn't until I reached the assembling step that I experienced a problem... or problems. I noticed an extra triangle in the main point of my model. I had 6 points while the video showed 5 points. That's when I realized I might have accidentally made more structures than necessary. Even so, I think assembling it all should still be doable. I tried various combinations and ways but sadly, I couldn't accomplish it. My figurine kept shifting the whole time. I noticed the video's kusudama didn't shift the slightest.

That's when I realized several possibilities for the cause:
1) My inaccurate folding during the process.
2) The cutting of the origami papers into two equal sized strips might have been uneven.
3) The different thickness of the papers.

Towards the end, I experienced some difficulties and realized several mistakes. I wasn't able to complete the figurine but I am somewhat content with the result below. Hopefully I can complete the second iteration with more success. Until then, I'll enjoy the attempted kusudama I've accomplished.

Sources:
Lukasheva, Ekaterina. "Preface." Kusudama Origami. : , . . Print.