Tuesday, August 17, 2021

A STEM Project: A Hand That Moves

Using Vellum and chipboard paper, I created a hand whose fingers move.  Vellum is a flexible paper, I created a cut-out pattern which allows the fingers to move consistent with the way normal fingers move.  I inserted a string looped around a small brad (fastener) in each finger.  When all of the strings are pulled in unison, the finger curls upward.

A hand that moves when the strings are pulled.  

The strings in this paper hand act like tendons.  In the human hand, the tendons are connected to the bone. When they are contracted, this causes the normal movement of the human hand.

Video of the strings in the hand being pulled.


Here is the PDF. I used vellum and Silhouette brand chipboard.

Here is the .Studio file.  

Here is the SVG.


To make the hand, cut out and glue each finger into a tube.  Insert a brad into the tube in the hole at the top of the finger.  Loop a 14 inch string around the brad (in the interior of the tube). Bend the two corners of the finger tip inwards and then splay the brad around the string.  Repeat for all of the fingers.  Glue the fingers to the vellum palm.  Glue the vellum palm to the hand.

Back side of the hand

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

A STEM Project: Another Beautiful Flower Arrangement in a Small Slice Form Vase Using TurtleStitch(SNAP!) Coded Flowers


Turtlestitch Coded Flowers in a Small Slice Form Vase

 (I have included all of the cut files. No coding is necessary.  I would like the users of my blog to be inspired by the Turtlestitch coding.)

The flowers in this design were coded in Turtlestitch which is based on the SNAP! programming language. Turtlestitch is a program which can generate code for an embroidery machine. It can also create these same designs as a line drawing. Here is my code on the Turtlestitch website. https://www.turtlestitch.org/users/Elaine/projects/Coded%20Flowers%20to%20Import%20to%20Silhouette  Try opening the project and running my code.  It's fun to see the turtle moving across the screen and to see the lines being generated. Each flower was coded in a block and named Flower 1-7.  To view the Flower 1 block code, right click on the Flower 1 block.  If you would like, modify the number of steps.  Have fun with it.  If you make too many mistakes, just close the program and start over. When you have made a new design that you would like to cut, export the design as an SVG using the new page icon in the upper left of the Turtlestitch screen and open the design in your Silhouette program. While you are at the Turtlestitch website, check out the other interesting designs that users have made.


The Flower 1 code block pictured above created the flower below with five petals in Turtlestitch. The size is variable so that the design can be increased or decreased without rewriting the code.

Notice in the photo above that the center of the flower has solid lines.  The Silhouette Cameo needs to cut just the outer edge of the design.  This can be done in two ways. Either by using the Cut Edge feature in the Send menu or using the Offset feature. The trick to maintain the same shape when using the Offset feature is to use an offset of a small distance like .005 inch and then do an internal offset of the same .005 inch distance. This procedure negates the offset and the original design is maintained.

The vase is smaller than my previous posting. https://papercraftetc.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-stem-project-amazing-slice-form.html The slices of the vase have been reconstructed to accommodate the smaller size.  Slice forms can not be resized as a whole as the width of the slits are dependent upon the thickness of the paper.  The entire flower arrangement is six inches tall as compared to the previous model which was nine inches tall.

Here is the PDF. I used 110 lb. cardstock for the vase and 65lb. cardstock for the flowers.

Here is the .Studio file.  I used 110 lb. cardstock for the vase and 65lb. cardstock for the flowers.

Here is the SVG.

Make the Vase

Bend the tabs of the buds at a right angle. Glue two of the vase pieces together.

The slice will look like the above photo. Repeat to make six slices.

Slide the bud slices onto the circle slices. There are five circles with three being small ones.  The order of the circles, starting from the top, is small, large, large, small and small

Completed vase

Make the Flowers

Cut out the flower pieces and curl the petals upward. 

Assemble the flower by gluing one flower piece on top of another as shown above. Glue this flower onto the circular bud area on the stem of the vase. While making this flower arrangement, I suggest that you have fun with its design.  Mix and match the different pieces to create unique flowers.

Assemble the flowers in a pleasing pattern.  I made six flowers in three different styles. While arranging the flowers,  I decided that the light pink flower with the frilly center was a little too big for the top buds.  I decided to eliminate the outer pink petals.  I think the result looks fabulous.