Perfectly Mindful Origami - Origami Zodiac East and West

Excellent book of origami with step-by-step instructions and interesting designs. The elephant is my favorite!

As an origami veteran, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Origami model complexity range from Easy (one star) to More Challenging (three star). I'm not sure I agreed with these ratings. In my opinion, these would not be easy for your average folder. I would be more inclined to have rated them 'Intermediate', 'High Intermediate' and 'more challenging' or 'complex', but perhaps this is just my personal view. As the title of the book suggests, models include the 12 Western zodiac symbols, i.e the ram for Aries, bull for Taurus etc., plus also the Eastern zodiac symbols, i.e. the rat, the ox etc. for the corresponding year they represent. Each model is shown in clear step-by-step images, with magnified interim steps where necessary. I would have liked to have seen more of the magnified steps in some models. There is a photograph of each completed model.

This is the first book that I've seen by this author, but I would be extremely delighted to add it to my collection as I'm sure would any other origamist.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

This was such a brilliant book with easy to follow instructions. Had not issues completing the few items I attempted and look forward to trying out a few more.

#PerfectlyMindfulOrigami-OrigamiZodiacEastAndWest #Origami #FamilyTime

A large collection of step by step tutorials to reproduce the animals of zodiac. This is a fun and interesting activity to do during the weekend or vacations alone or with the family.

A compact collection of advanced origami with step-by-step instructions laid out in simple illustrations. Mark Bolitho is evidently skilled in his work. This book includes two types of zodiac signs: Astrological and Chinese. For anyone who knows their zodiac, most of the creations found here are of animal shapes. Separated into 3 levels of difficulty, 1 to 3 stars, with most of them labeled 2 stars, I found them to be a bit more complex than expected as an intermediate origami hobbyist myself. I recommend this book to advanced crafters who like an extra challenge, I'd well advise beginners to look elsewhere as there were many instances where I wish it had a video tutorial.

Tip: Be relaxed and take a small break when you hit a roadblock. I was able to overcome some difficulties once I took a breather and tried again.

List of origami in this book:
---Western---
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces
---Eastern---
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig

You will want to buy some fancy origami paper and make every single one of the adorable creatures in this little book. Each set of instructions includes a helpful difficulty rating, so novices and paper-folding experts alike can find just the right project.

You just might have to be an origami expert to do these designs correctly, but it sure is fun to try. The instructions are well laid out, and I really like how they included both zodiacs. For those who don’t know what that means, Cancer, Sagittarius, and Leo would be the western Zodiac, and the eastern zodiac would be a horse, a rat and a dragon. Speaking of dragon, I am going to master the dragon in this book, it may just take me awhile.

As someone who is a complete beginner in Origami, this book made it easy to start learning. With clear instructions and illustrations and different difficulty levels, it was a joy to read and practice out. Though it was a bit hard to follow in the beginning but it got easier with more practice.

Origami is a fun hobby that I usually indulge in time to time. This book had some really fun designs that I had no trouble finishing.

If you love a challenge and carefully follow the instructions in this book, you will be rewarded by the transformation of a two-dimensional piece of paper into a beautiful three-dimensional zodiac creature. Mark Bolitho has designed a terrific collection of Eastern and Western zodiac signs. The title "Perfectly Mindful Origami" really captures what origami is all about. When I fold origami paper into three-dimensional objects, I forget everything around me and I totally immerse myself into the process. The illustrated basic instructions at the beginning of the book and the patience to apply the step-by-step, fully illustrated instructions are all I need to tackle the different projects. Some items are quite elaborate, like Cancer, the crab, which requires 78 folding steps to finish. This should not deter you from buying this book. I love exactly this kind of challenge and am not afraid to have to start the project over in case I make a mistake. In the end the time spent folding and figuring out difficult folds has been worth it and I get an enormous satisfaction of completing a challenging object. I will be folding the zodiac to gift to family and friends and I am sure some will find a way into my glass showcase in the living room.