felt cafe

a new year and a move

2011-01-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

the lovely eco-friendly moving announcement is from spotted sparrow.

happy new year! i hope you are excited to start 2011. i know i am. and...i'm moving! actually, i'm just moving my blog, over to feltcafejapan.com where it will be here: http://www.feltcafejapan.com/blog/. i will keep blogging over there, as well as hopefully make some progress on my other other little plans and dreams for that site. i'll leave this blog here as an archive.

but i feel a little sad to be moving on from blogger. it's like that final step in the moving process where your friends have alreay helped you carry all your boxes, and you are left in an echo-y empty apartment with just a broom to clean up the last dust bunnies.

thank you so much for reading what i've written here, and your comments. and i really do hope that you will come join me over in my new blogging home, stop by anytime!

sayonara 2010

2010-12-30T21:10:00.002-08:00

new years in japan is a big deal. it's a family holiday, where traditionally everyone returns to their hometown, and gathers with their extended family for 3 days to eat, relax, visit the shrine. there are many customs and traditions, including especially food, but also new years cards, a big house cleaning, and these days bargain sales after new years. it's also 3 days of quiet, although also 3 days where every shrine is crowded! japanese new years is not a part of my own culture, although i am drawn to the idea of starting the new year fresh, which i feel is the basis for much of the japanese traditions. for example, you should clean your entire house from top to bottom to welcome the new year. i started a big cleaning, but am realizing that it's unlikely that i will be able to finish it.

so i am cutting myself some slack. i am not going to feel guilty about things that i can't quite finish when i wanted to. and, i am going to think about the month of january as a whole month of beginnings, for getting organized, accomplishing projects. for example my new years cards, which are also not ready in time for new years day! ahhh, honesty.

in 2010, i made some resolutions that i followed through on: joining a yoga class, a pottery class, and a hiking circle. these are all great, and i want to keep up with them somehow in 2011. and there are lots and lots of other things i want to do! about a million, perhaps. and i want to focus on being positive, and compassionate, and remembering to breath deeply. but as far as resolutions go, i want to start with getting a good night's rest every night. i think that, plus a little yoga, will make a huge impact on 2011.

both the photos in this post are from an amazing little cafe/bar that is part of a new design in a traditional sake brewery on shodoshima island, unfortunatly i can't remember the name!

what about you? any resolutions? or anti-resolutions?

happy new year's eve from snowy kyoto!

magical dutch windmill on shodoshima

2010-12-30T07:38:00.001-08:00

ok, the magical part was how we found it finally, after wandering through olive trees on a mountain overlooking the sea, and it snowed fat snowflakes, and we were pretty sure it would be closed or at least pancake service would be over...and there it was! the handmade windmill of dutch pancake camping on shodoshima. and we had pancakes inside, in a restaurant a hobbit (and me!) would love.

louise bourgeios fabric exhibit

2010-12-28T05:58:00.000-08:00

this month there was an exhibit of louise bourgeios at hauser and wirth in london, called 'the fabric works.' i heard about it on CRAFT, via the wonderful magazine about textiles, selvedge.
from the show's description:

Fabric played an important role in Bourgeois’s life. She grew up surrounded by the textiles of her parents’ tapestry restoration workshop, and from the age of twelve helped the business by drawing in the sections of the missing parts that were to be repaired. A life-long hoarder of clothes and household items such as tablecloths, napkins and bed linen, from the mid-nineties Bourgeois cut up and re-stitched these, transforming her lived materials into art. Through sewing she attempted to effect psychological repair: ‘I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole’.

love it.

merry (portable) christmas

2010-12-25T00:38:00.000-08:00

here's our little portable christmas set-up. it was a lovely day on a beautiful island, seeing new art in old houses, eating yummy healthy food. peaceful and slow. I hope your christmas day was lovely as well!

handmade socks

2010-12-23T15:21:00.001-08:00

my mom knit me these socks! love them. thanks mom!

amigurumi santas and snowmen

2010-12-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

from mochimochi land, the pattern for these are free with purchase until jan 2!

moomin gingerbread house

2010-12-23T06:37:00.000-08:00

by axis of aevil, including a construction guide, via whip up.

happy christmas eve eve!

make your own cornstarch ornaments

2010-12-21T08:54:00.001-08:00

make cornstarch ornaments, originally uploaded by jek in the box.

when i saw these in the flickr stream of jek in the box, they jumped out at me for their clear design and simple message.
after a few days looking at the pretty intense aftermath of a volcano (part of my research at the university), i was feeling ready for something just simple and sweet.
and the bonus is that these are actually made of cornstarch, and you can make your own with the recipe in the link!

satay ayam

2010-12-20T08:07:00.001-08:00

well, it seems like my plan to post everyday has fallen apart. my excuse is that i have been in indonesia for a few days, and especially at first didn't have an internet connection. also have been sleeping not very much and getting up very early for the last few days. i'm actually here on a research trip, but it's aways great to be in jogja. and the food is fantastic. this is grilled chicken on skewers with peanut sauce, and rice steamed (?) in a banana leaf. super yummy.

seoul

2010-12-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

oh, i am quite behind on posting photos from so many different things...if my life had a little more free time in it, i would so much like to properly post photos right after each event! but for now i have given up on anything like a timely chronicle...and i will just share here somewhat randomly. these are a few pictures from last month's trip to seoul, korea, with my seminar at the university. the colors of the textiles are all so lovely, bright and distinctively korean in the color combinations, gorgeous silks, including these worn ones.
and the food, super yummy! this is actually just all the little side dishes that accompany the main course, in this case yakiniku in japanese, (grilled meat) not sure what the korean name for it is. but i love the way the table is just covered with white dishes--and this was just one section of a long table.

3D snowflakes

2010-12-16T08:41:00.001-08:00

there's a tutorial for how to make these great 3D paper snowflakes here, on the blog of weaver girl guz. it's actually the same process as the felt ogee ornaments from betz white that i posted yesterday-just make 6 of them and glue them together!
i made these during my english chatting class tonight, i didn't have time to properly prepare english instructions, but i had a great time making them, and i want to make more!

felt ornaments

2010-12-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

felt mistletoe cluster from ohdedoe,
and a few felt ornaments from the whip up roundup: stars from the purl bee,
and the felt ogee from betz white.

and i'm so flattered that my felt candy cane tutorial was also included! thanks, whip up.

creative wrapping

2010-12-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

here's a handmade and reusable cloth wrapping project from arounna of bookhou on poppyalk (including a printing how-to).
and hello sandwich has a new zine all about wrapping!

a little shrine and a green roof

2010-12-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

no matter how many I've seen, I still love it whenever I find plants growing on a roof! this is a little shrine in kibune, outside of kyoto. yesterday I went on a hike, the last part which was between kibune and kurama, ending at the rotenburo (outdoor onsen) in kurama. it's one of my favorite onsens because of the outdoor bath and the wonderful natural setting. and a loooong soak made every step up and down the mountain worth it! (although my legs are a little tired today...)

winter tea towel by claudia pearson

2010-12-12T06:08:00.001-08:00

i'm a huge fan of the work of claudia pearson--maybe in part because it all looks so darn good on tea towels, which i also happen to love.

this one is in honor of winter and its vegetables.

lately i've been too busy to cook properly as much as i'd like, but i am scheming about how to cook more veggies for bento lunches i'd like to make for myself. we'll see.

pick your own jewelry

2010-12-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

these pieces are from the clever line pick a jewel, by fift. you can choose any found object from nature (or anywhere, really) and put it in the little clamps attached to earrings or necklace, and have a really one of a kind wearable piece. so simple and so lovely. via spoon and tamago.

stocking-coffee vines

2010-12-10T07:42:00.001-08:00

stocking-coffee vines, originally uploaded by mayalu.

this perfect christmas stocking was made by mayamade from a coffee sack. and there are also instructions for how to make your own!

ginko

2010-12-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

this is the project ginko leaf card, from architette on etsy.
just yesterday i was saying how it's not really that cold yet, although it's december. suddenly that has changed, and it feels like winter has arrived. i spent a bit of today under the heated kotatsu table, and that helped. for the last few weeks, the yellow ginko leaves have been blowing off the trees, and piling up on the sidewalks here and there. i love the shape and color of them so much.

max and moop bag giveaway on oh joy

2010-12-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

i like birds flying, although i don't think at the moment i own a single thing with birds on it. not one. anyway, there's a giveaway for this bag, from max waxger and moop going over at oh joy.
maybe i like the birds because they seem so light and free.

new lego and paper sets from muji

2010-12-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

new lego sets from muji are here! the 3 brand new designs are: animals, sea, and circus, plus the christmas set returns!

animals
which use lego and paper punch technology to make pivoting kangaroo and pelicans parts.

the sea set, complete with diver, submarine, giant squid, and an anchor on a string.

the circus set has a whole handful of characters.

and the christmas set is back!

joining the original set

and the bright colors set

the special lego punch

and even special color cardstock that's perfect with the lego projects.
they are all in my shop, felt cafe japan on etsy.

i saw butoh in yokohama!

2010-12-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

the title says it all. in honor of kazuo ohno, one of the founders of japanese butoh, who passed away this year at the age of 103, the kazuo ohno studio put on a dance festival in yokohama, including a live butoh performance last night.

butoh is an intense, dark, and amazing performace, and i am so glad i got a chance to see it.

felt ball ornaments

2010-12-03T20:37:00.001-08:00

these are some felt ball ornaments that i made a few years ago. they were very easy to make, and turned out pretty much exactly the way i imagined them (which does not always happen!).
they are solid wool balls, made by hand with the finishing step of throwing them in the dryer, which makes them firm up and become very dense with a uniform surface. sadly, i have no dryer here in japan, so i haven't made these for the last few years. after the wool ball is made (and you can use any wool for the core, a cheaper wool or a color you want to get rid of), i used needle felting to apply the motif. which is super super easy--using a felting needle to needlefelt onto a solid felt ball is a very straightforward technique!
i don't have a tutoral for these, but there is a good basic video tutorial that i referred to when i first tried making large felt balls is here, from the crunchy parent on youtube.

felt ornaments with tutorials

2010-12-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

here are a few of my handmade felt ornaments from years back, stockings...
and candy canes! the candy canes are an especially easy project for your very first time making felt. they are wrapped around a pipe cleaner and then felted by hand. super fast, great for kids.

tutorials for both of these project are in the archives, stockings here and candy canes here, and they are also linked to over there on the right in the tutorial list!

rubber stamps at the japanese post office

2010-12-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

every year in december, i love seeing the stamps (rubber stamps for stamping, of course the postage stamps are cute too!) at the post office.

they are put out for people to use to make their own new years cards (in japan, sending new years cards is a very big deal, christmas cards are not). new years cards are postcards, usually featuring a design that incorporates some version of the coming year's zodiac animal (2011 is the year of the rabbit, or usagi in japanese), and some phrase celebrating the new year.

the stamps in the box in this photo include lots of bunnies and also 'happy new year' phrases. what I love is how the post office provides this public (and free) crafting activity! there are black and red stamp pads, rubber mats (dark orange in the photo), tissues and scrap paper for trying out your designs.

christmas trees at ikea

2010-12-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

last month I made a trip to ikea to get all the cookware and other things to make thanksgiving dinner.

it's the first year I've seen them selling christmas trees, little live ones that 'flat pack' (are tied up so that they are basically just 1 stick). and, if you bring your tree back after christmas, they will give you a voucher for the cost of it.

there are a few wacky japanese 'christmas' 'traditions'; it's nice to see trees. I don't think I'm going to get one, but I'm sure this option makes many foreigners in japan happy. good job, ikea.

train leaving the station

2010-12-01T00:56:00.000-08:00

how is it already december? anyway, here we go! this is the train i took after work today.

i haven't tried to blog daily for quite a while now, but i was just thinking i'd like to do that again, and also show more photos from my daily life here in japan. and then i saw that nablopomo's theme for december is zeitgeist, which is perfect!

of course, i'll keep posting about crafty artsy and japanese goodies of all kinds. what about you? what kinds of posts would you like to see more of here? i'd love to hear from you in the comments.

momiji

2010-11-30T04:57:00.000-08:00

kyoto is the fall is one of the top destinations in all of japan. this is because of the brilliant fall foliage of the momiji, or japanese maple. people go 'momiji gari' which basically means 'leaf hunting.' last night i visited Hogon-in Temple, which is a sub-temple of Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama, which was lit up for the occasion. there were also many yummy wintery street snacks that were enjoyed!

thanksgiving

2010-11-28T07:09:00.001-08:00

although I am in japan, somehow I managed to have 2 thanksgivings, which was great. full of new experiences, like cooking duck, and trying fried okra, and lemon sponge pie. I still have some leftover cranberry sauce.

sourdough

2010-11-20T16:48:00.001-08:00

last month i brought some of my friend's sourdough starter back to japan, and since then, i've been obsessed with baking sourdough bread.

i am still learning for sure, and each loaf comes out very different. but this one from yesterday is the most pretty so far.

japanese cross stitch embroidery kits

2010-11-14T06:26:00.001-08:00

i am super excited to let you know about these cross stitch zakka kits from clover that are in the shop!
they are beautiful kits with high quality and perfectly selected materials.
flickr set here

apples

2010-11-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

here's some new apple fabrics that I've had my eye on for a while, and are finally in the shop!
I love the cute print of apples and polka dots (and even a few ladybugs and friendly worms!) on a lonely Japanese linen/cotton blend. but I think I may love the large pears and apple cotton print from kokka (trefle line) even more. maybe because the pattern is so big, or the green is my favorite color. but mainly because I'm a sucker for the section view (thank you architecture school).

I'm off to Korea for a class trip for the next few days. I may not have internet, but I'll keep my eyes open for Korean crafty goodness.

sneak peek: new lego and paper sets from muji

2010-11-11T07:00:00.001-08:00

here's just a glimpse of the fabulous new designs added to muji's lego and paper sets this year. this is the ocean set,
the circus set,
and the zoo animals set.

i'll post a complete round up in the next week or so, but here's just a peek, and there's a flickr set here.

setouchi art festival part II

2010-11-07T19:56:00.001-08:00

here are a few of my favorites from the setouchi art festival. the first 2 are from the island of ogijima. this one is about water, and one of several scattered site installations.

i really enjoyed this approach; wondering around the small pathways and coming across separate parts of the same work was a great experience. this is one part of the work 'rainly lane' by kyoko taniyama
this is a photo from the above website; i didn't actually see it when it was 'raining'.
the main part of the work is here, where at certain times, water is released from the pipes above, through the assortment of vessels, and only these tiles that are on the ground.
the tiles have statements of the islands' residents comments about water printed on them (in japanese and english).

the onba factory was my other favorite work from ogijima. 'onba' is a local word for stroller/baby carraige, and the elderly residents of this hilly island use small carts to carry things around. the onba factory is a cooperative activity of 5 regional artists, and includes a workspace (they take turns using it) and a cafe with an amazing veiw of the ocean. i may have forgotten to take a photo of the view since i was enjoying some really superb coffee.
it's a little hard to see in the photo, but these are photos of the local residents--with their onbas remade by the onba factory!
each one is totally unique.
i also loved these new wooden onbas for kids-ladybug (wings lift for copious storage) and fly.
these caterpiller mechanisms work when pushed, so it's like a huge bike chain making an inchworm motion.
check out the buggy logo.
seirensho is a stunning site on inushima. a former copper refinery has become an architectural installion and exhibit space. it joins the other museums on naoshima (and now teshima) islands as part of the benesse art site.

it's a beautiful use and modification of an old industrial space, with very thoughful additions of a new building, which incorporates passive heating and cooling in a completely elegant way. it remains open as a museum even after the end of the festival.

finally 'les archives du coeur' by christian boltanski, the official description is here. this is one project that i definitely wanted not to miss! this also will remain as a long term installation. this building is like a small musuem, with exterial walls of charred cedar, a tradition esthetic in the area.
the project is an archive of heartbeats; the main intallation space is a dark room, with mirrors on the walls, and one bare lightbulb. the sounds of one heartbeat (which changes) is played at a greatly amplified volumn, and the light bulb flickers along with the heartbeat.

it's very cleanly curated, with the idea of this being an archive carried throughout, including the white lab coats of all the staff. including the uniform raincoat of this woman who was in charge of organizing the outdoor waiting line. the archive part of the installation is that there are 2 sound recording studios where you can record the sound of your own heartbeat and purchase it on CD; your heartbeat is thereby added to the archive.

there's also a listening station, where you can hear heartbeats from the archive, in this little room with the window (above).
this is the view from the listing room. it's a lovely site, intentionally remote.

setouchi art festival part I

2010-11-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

here are just a few of the installations from the setouchi art festival.i liked these fish scuptures--they move!

cute felt wool zakka book

2010-11-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

this wonderful new book is full of teeny tiny needle felted adorableness. not only are the projects super cute, they are also unique--for example: jam jars, a watering can, iron, sewing machine and dressmaker's dummy.
these projects are super small and perfect for beginning needlefelters.
full flickr set here, and the book is in the shop!

setouchi preview

2010-11-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

last weekend i went to the setouchi art festival, in the seto inland sea of japan. the islands were wonderful.
i have started flickr set, and will be adding more photos of the artwork this week.
the water was beautiful.

paint your own puzzle

2010-10-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

new in the shop: a blank puzzle. you can draw or paint directly on the pre-cut puzzle pieces. another brilliant idea from muji.

farmland carpet

2010-10-15T15:11:00.001-07:00

earlier this month i returned from an all too quick trip back to the states. to be honest, i have had a hard time catching up since i've been back, but i am working on it, and slowly making progress.

these custom carpets were featured on CRAFT a while back now, and are actually made in a variety of custom designs: netherlands, africa, usa, and this one, which is called europe. but to me, and this may just be the midwestern holstien cows, it looks more like the colors of the american midwest. i always find it mesmerizing to look out of the airplane window and see the squares of fields, cut into a grid by county roads perhaps, usually a little house and outbuildings, surrounded by trees, and then fields filling up the rest of the square.

fall kirigami from zakka life

2010-10-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

jessica at zakka life posted a tutorial for how to make these lovely fall cut paper kirigami decorations. via CRAFT via SisterDiane.

feed bags for trick or treating

2010-10-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

this year, your trick or treating can also help feed children who are hungry. this bag from FEED supports unicef and helps provide nutrition for a child for a year.
the FEED project has a number of bags that benefit hungry kids throught the world food program.

forest I--basket waving meets automobile

2010-10-10T08:29:00.001-07:00

check out this amazing woven car. via poppy talk. It's actually salvaged bark woven on top of the car, by basket weaver annie ross.

paper chain acorns by mayamade

2010-10-05T07:55:00.001-07:00

acorns and chain, originally uploaded by mayalu.

fall may be the best time for crafting-- as the change to brisk weather makes us remember the joy of gathering inside, slowing down, and making something with our hands.

the imagery of fall is the best too--firey red leaves in all shapes and sizes, and harvest bounty. this paper acorn chain from maya*made reminds me of paper leaf collages and rubbings done as a kid. so simple and so nice. she has several great watercolor newsprint paper chains on her blog, so be sure to check them out.

dreaming

2010-08-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

photo by syko on flickr.

i wish i was sewing. but my super busy schedule is set to continue for another month. so if it gets a little more quiet around here, you can be assured i will be popping in and out, if sporadically for a bit.

daimonji

2010-08-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

in the last 7 days, i have seen so many interesting buildings and places, heard many stories, met many people who speak many different languages, and been inspired and left with lots to think about.

the first part of the week i took part in a summer school in kyoto. i saw the traditional daimonji (giant fires that are lit in the shape of symbols or characters) for the first time. this photo is the main fire in the shape of the character that means 'large.'

new pottery

2010-08-15T05:19:00.001-07:00

a few months ago i started taking a pottery class, which i love. the teacher is great, and she has a tiny studio/shop/classroom which happens to be on my block! today i threw a few pots on the wheel for the first time in years, and although i am very much out of practice, it was wonderful.
and, i got my first finished piece back, this plate.

july 4th sunday kamigamo shrine market

2010-08-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

here's a few photos from last month's 4th sunday market at kamigamo shrine. these sweet litte cases are for holding a hanko (japanese name stamp-which is used instead of official signatures).

original characters in festival (right) or swimming (left) garb.

one of my favorite things about this market is the setting--kamigamo shrine is next to some lovely natural surroundings, and the craft market winds around through the trees and near the stream. i've added this photos to my kamigamo market flickr set.

strawberry seersucker

2010-08-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

i love this fabric--it has such a vintage feeling, and a wonderful texture, of big seersucker puckers for cool cotton summer clothes. i think it would make a perfect sundress for a little girl. or maybe a cute top for a grown-up. like me, perhaps. i love both the lime green and the bright blues. after eying it for months, it's finally been added to the shop.

felt lanterns from papaververt

2010-08-04T05:52:00.001-07:00

these gorgeous lanterns were made by papaververt, who makes a lovely array of modern felt vessels that you may have seen before. via poppytalk.

new toys, and felt ipad sleeve

2010-08-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

last month, i got an ipad. it's wonderful and i love it. here's the case i made in about 15 minutes from a large piece of thick craft felt (3mm thick, polyester).
and....here's my sewing machine! i was going to show off this new toy with my first completed sewing project....which isn't finished yet. so here it is with the ipad sleeve. coincidentally they are the same color. i also love this machine, and desperately wish i had more free time to use it.
here's how i made the sleeve. cut a piece of felt just a little bit wider than the ipad. and long enough that it wraps around 2.5 times. pin the edges. sew 2 seams on the edges.
here's what it looks like finished.
with the left over felt, i made the extra double pocket pouch. very quick, i and i think i will make an improved version once i have all vital accessories.

happy swiss independance day

2010-08-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

august 1st is swiss independence day. this photo is from flickr user syko and i love it because we had these same wooden cows growing up. we have wonderful swiss family friends, and i am very sure that visiting their house as a child inspired my love of architecture and design. in honor of swiss independence day, here are a few swiss-themed goodies from etsy.

photo from dewberry777

map and zurich airport code inspired art from apfelstrudel

switzerland earrings from love4rocks

keyrings from joosweetie

swiss stamp earrings from ergane

swiss postage stamp necklace by juanitas

gion matsuri floats part 2

2010-07-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

after my last post about the gion matsuri parade, i realized i completely forgot to mention the textile aspects of the floats!
i'm not sure how that happened! but here are a few more photos showing more close up views.
in my opinion, the most interesting thing about the tapestries on the floats is that they were collected from far away exotic places several hundred years ago. for example, china, persia, or europe. so the floats are actually like moving museums. and, it's like these collections that the wealthy kimono merchants of the edo period (1600s-1800s) were then preserved over time, because they are still used for the floats today.
so it's a traditional japanese festival, but even traditionally, it includes textiles and tapestries (and other treasures) from other far away countries that were exotic to the japanese of the edo period.

gion matsuri

2010-07-24T07:07:00.001-07:00

last weekend was the biggest event of the huge kyoto summer festival, gion matsuri, the big parade called yamaboko junko.
there are 2 kinds of floats, the tall ones called hoko with the long pole, and the shorter ones called yama. this photo shows one of each.
this float had an amazing moving praying mantis on top!
and this one was exceptionally boat-like.
i watched towards the end of the parade, at one of the larger intersections where they turn the corner with the floats.
the men riding inside are playing flutes and other instruments to make the traditional gion matsuri music.
the floats are huge, heavy, and pulled by ropes. and the reason the that these big intersections where they turn the corner are popular places to watch the parade is because of the way they turn them.
the wheels don't turn. so when they get to the intersection, they put wet bamboo strips under the wheels, which are held immobile. and then all the people pulling the roles go the the side, and pull the wheels SIDEWAYS to make the float turn. it takes several times.
and the whole time there is music and coordinated shouts. these 4 men on the front gesture with their fans turning the actual turn. it was really fascinating to watch. and really hot.

i made a flickr set with more photos here.

make your own pick up sticks

2010-07-21T07:34:00.001-07:00

last week i was telling my students about pick up sticks. my students are all japanese adults who take english conversation class, and once a week we have a chatting hour. i don't remember how we got onto the topic of games, but after comparing hide and seek, and different kinds of tag, which are pretty similar across cultures, they wanted to know about games that i used to play as a kid, the kind with toys. oh, and jump rope is international too, although what we called chinese jump rope is called something else (i forget) in japanese. the 2 games that involve things that i thought of were jacks and pick up sticks. i loved jacks as a kid. and apparently it doesn't exist in japan. although according to youtube (very helpful for chatting hour) it's an 'ancient' and international game. we found a set of pick up sticks at the school, and enjoyed a game (also the first time for my students). although they were the plastic kind, not the nice wooden ones.

and, if you fancy making your set of pickup sticks, here's a tutorial from chez beeper bebe, via whip up.

what were you favorite games as a child? i also loved hopscotch and foursquare.

crochet covered stones

2010-07-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

beautiful pattern from margaret oomen for sea urchin crochet covered sea stones on the purl bee.

a lovely rest

2010-07-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

i actually love my very busy life. i am so very grateful that all the things that are making me feel busy are the opportunities i am so fortunate to have, and i really enjoy them. but recently, i have been especially enjoying some 'lazy' time when i can find it.

just looking at this cushion couch by christiane hoegner (via bloesem) makes me grin, and feel a little rejuvenated. i was always a blanket nest-builder as a kid, and i've always loved pillows. i can just imagine a wonderful nap on that couch.
christiane also made these lovely paper sugar packets, which look like they are just sewed around the edges and then you tear the top off to use them. i love sewing and paper.

i hope you are having a restful weekend, whether you are taking a nap or having a leisurely cuppa.

new nani iro fuccra double gauze

2010-07-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

nani iro fuccra double gauze, in blue, and eggplant.
ok, this fabric was released earlier this year, from the wonderful nani iro line from kokka. but i just got around to finally putting it in the shop. it's the cotton double gauze we have come to expect, with whimsical, abtract, pretty patterns. every time i see it, i am consumed with thoughts of what i would like to sew with it. for myself!
a similar thing happens every time i visit the inspiring simply iro flickr group, where i saw this great project from filminthefridge (lovely blog by the way!).

actually, i am the very excited and proud owner of a new sewing machine! and my first project that i started is a shirt using this fuwari fuwari nani iro double gauze. it's a little girly compared to what i usually wear, but i've been in japan for a while now, and that sure brings out the cute and girly in anyone. it is not, however, the first project that i have finished; in fact, it's gone a bit astray...for sure because i thought i would just wing it. so that project is on hold until i redo the collar.

but as a new sewing machine owner, i picked up a couple books for inspriration, inlcuding this one, also for nani iro (or other) double gauze. the title is "made of soft gauze." isbn 978-4141878872.

here are a few clothing patterns, but it has more household objects/gifts.
and of course this nani iro book is still one of my favorites to leaf through and be inspired.

castle peeps summer camp

2010-07-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

have you heard of castle peeps summer camp? it's a brilliant idea from lizzy house, with craft projects using her new castle peeps fabric line.
this is the 2nd project, a memory game made from fabric that is laminated. i love this idea! it's so simple, but so brilliant! also, i have a used laminator that i haven't tried yet...
here's a photo from the 1st project-finger puppets! more castle peeps summer camp projects are coming every thursday for 8 weeks this summer, check them out.

tuulikki titine and poppytalk 'oil spill response market'

2010-07-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

i love textile jewelry like this piece from tuulikki titine. this is one of the many many wonderful things in the poppytalk handmade market, which is currently the "oil spill response market," with each participant donating one item's proceeds to benefit the gulf coast. check it out and support these folks!

happy 4th

2010-07-04T05:36:00.001-07:00

Sparklers on the dock, originally uploaded by Emily ♥ Follow The White Rabbit.

for those of you celebrating the 4th of july in the united states, i hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend and some tasty potato salad.

for me, the 4th has always been a pretty mellow holiday, and being in japan i don't miss it so much. in grad school, when i was part of a international summer studio posse, it seemed like we would always wind up in asia for the 4th, taipei or china, and go to pizza hut to 'celebrate.' (sorry, i know pizza hut is gross and corporate, but until you've been a cheese-lover in asia, don't knock it!)

when i lived in seattle, we could see the fireworks from our front yard, which made for a nice yearly bbq party (ohh, i do miss bbq, or 'grilling out' as we say where i'm from).

in college in portland, mostly i think we watched fireworks from roofs of warehouses, or later the roofs of people's apartment buildings.

when i was a kid, we usually stayed home for the 4th, with some small fireworks in the backyard. i always was fascinated by the smoke snakes (cobras? is that what they were called?). and of course we had sparklers, and tried to write our names with the light before they burned out.

i love this photo from emily follow the white rabbit on flickr. when i was a kid, we didn't have time lapse photography, and the image only lasted as a memory of your eye.

but the key is, when someone hands you a sparkler, you have to move! wave it around, make circles, run around barefoot in the grass with the fireflies and crickets in the backround.

qiang embroidery

2010-06-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

starting in a few hours from now (since it's after midnight, with a full moon, and i will have to get up well before the sun rises) i will be heading off to china for a week.

it's a research trip for school and we will be visiting the area of sichuan that suffered badly from the earthquake 2 years ago. it's an area that is home to the qiang people, an ethinic minority in china, who have an extremely rich tradition of embroidery. i'm not sure how much i will be able to blog, but you can bet that i will keep my eyes open for crafts.

the photo above is from sandyahyu on flickr.

another lovely kogin embroidery book

2010-06-23T08:47:00.001-07:00

this new kogin book was just published this year. it's in the shop, and the full flickr set is here.

happy summer solstice

2010-06-22T02:56:00.001-07:00

in my family, we didn't put a lot of emphasis on mother's or father's day, especially because my dad's birthday is june 21st, which is always close to father's day, and summer solstice to boot.

most years we had cake with strawberries for my dad's birthday, since strawberries were always in season. the strawberries in my kyoto veranda garden aren't doing that great (i'm learning a lot about how do be better next time!), so here's a link for the adorable knit strawberries above from kathryn ivy.

my dad has always supported anything i wanted to do, and is probably responsible for my wanderlust and my love of travel. he's a teacher, and a translator, and while i was growing up, he had a hobby business binding books by hand. now that i think of it, the different activities that i'm doing in my life right now (graduate school, research, studying a foreign language, running a small business on the side) are not that different from what he has done. yesterday he put up with the technology that is skype (he's not a technophobe, but a little bit of a techno-impatient) and we chatted. happy birthday papa!

i hope all the dads out there had a nice father's day, and everyone had a happy solstice.

antique market at toji temple

2010-06-14T08:03:00.001-07:00

toji temple in kyoto (not far from the kyoto train station) is the site of a huge market once a month, and also a smaller antique market on the 1st sunday of the month. in june, i made it to the 1st sunday market for the 1st time. as expected, it was quite a bit smaller than the main market, actually very peaceful. flickr set here.
the lotus pond at toji.

much love, illy giveaway

2010-06-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

just look at those flowers--felt, orange, poppies--3 of my favorites combined in one! this is one of the items made by much love, illy who is sponsoring a shopping spree givaway via paper n stitch: more info here.

beautiful sashiko collection from sri threads

2010-06-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

this is just one image from the sashiko abundance shared on the sri threads blog.
if you love old japanese textiles, you can often find a beautiful visual feast there!

around the world with needle felting, a new book

2010-06-07T07:17:00.001-07:00

i've seen a lot of japanese needle felting books, and i really believe this one deserves to be shared. it's called 'small world trip-encircled by felted wool,' and beside the wonderful idea of a world encircled in felt, i love this idea of organizing a series of projects based on the cultures of different countries. this leads to a nice mixture of animals, scenes, and other small motifs.

here are the projects from holland: a girl, wooden shows, and a little windmill scene.
koalas from australia,
and pandas from china.

there a full flickr set here, and the book is in my shop too.

goodbye louise bourgeois

2010-05-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am not what I am, I am what I do with my hands.

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois died today, at the age of 98. 'Amazing artist' doesn't really do justice to the work and the life of this woman, who did so much, and created so much, and had a larger than life role for a whole generation (or more) of women artists. If you are not familiar with her work, you may know her from her giant spider sculptures. But she did so much more--installations, works in many media at different scales. Printmaking and bookmaking and casting and sewing. In different styles and feelings, but together a massive body of work. I discovered her work in a museum in Madrid traveling by myself in the summer of 1998, and was amazed, had to just stop for a moment. She didn't have an easy life, and had perhaps more that her share of pain. She was terrible and difficult to work for. And her work often makes one feel uncomfortable. It is not pretty. She continued working even when very old, in recent years creating more soft sculpture and fabric pieces. She was a true artist, and a great woman. And she left us a lot to think about for a long time.

the guggenheim has an online retrospective here.

from a performance piece at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in philadelphia in 2006.

this piece is a mixed media work from 2007, entitled A Stretch of Time. via art news

keibunsha, a kyoto destination

2010-05-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

today was rainy and grey, and after a nice yoga class this morning, i had a cozy restful day inside. but last weekend, i finally made it here, to the mecca that is keibunsha. keibunsha is an art and design bookstore, in a building with a lovely dark sprawling interier, with several rooms of zakka, stationery, accessories, clothing, and a small gallery space.
i'd read about keibunsha before, and its' wonderful reputation is completely deserved. i'll definitely be adding it to the kyoto shopping section of felt cafe japan, but since i've had to put that project on the back burner temporarily, i wanted to share it here.
the shop is a little out of the way and quite far north from the center of kyoto, a few blocks east of ichioji station.

their website is all in japanese, but here's the zakka page, from where you can click around (on the photos, or on the main menu on the left side of the site) to see some beautiful things.

cute stamps, animals and letters

2010-05-19T07:11:00.001-07:00

i was inspired by the stamps my friends got excited about (see the earlier post) to finally add alphabet and number stamps to my shop! can't believe it took me so long.
i love love love these cursive stamps.
and new baby animals

and new totoros!

may handmade market

2010-05-18T05:55:00.001-07:00

more photos from the may handmade market at chionji temple here.

goodies that my friends bought

2010-05-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

last weekend when i was showing my friends around kyoto, we managed to fit in some shopping, (easy to do in japan). here's the haul. good thing they love tenugui towels, muji, stamps and masking tape almost as much as i do!

what kitka brought back from japan

2010-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

very pretty finds by kitka while they were in japan. via bloesem.

including a few of my favorite design goodies, and a few new beauties.

tabi patterns from sri threads

2010-05-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

this images is a collection of tabi patterns from the beautiful sri threads blog.

i've had a few friends visiting from the states during the last few days, and all these pattern for shoes seem like a good representation of everywhere we've walked! i'm having a great time showing off my favorite places, and discovering some new ones. and of course adding to the list of things i want to share here--sights/shopping/crafts--when i can find the time!

happy mother's day, and tiger babies

2010-05-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

my mom is for sure a big reason why i love crafts. when my brother and i were little she always made sure that there were art supplies available to us all the time, and made us homemade playdoh and potato stamps. i learned many crafts from her directly, like sewing and knitting. my mom is the kind of crafter (and compulsive teacher) who is interested in almost any craft activity and wants to try it herself. from her, i picked up the idea i could replicate (almost any) crafty project i see, and that of course handmade gifts are best!
so when several of my friends became mothers for the 1st time this spring, of course i wanted to make handmade presents for their babies. i used japanese kimono tops (so soft, and so practical and easy to tie), and did a little handmade stamping. since these babies were all both in the year of the tiger (2010) i reused my tiger cub stamp from my new years cards, and added some bamboo.
the bamboo stamp was really fun to do, making different combinations of the leaves and stalks. of course i used the wonderful stamp carving material available here in japan, which i also have in my shop.
here's what the stamps looked like.

come to think of it, my mom was also a champion card maker with lino prints from back in the day. i bet she would enjoy rubber stamp carving.

what about you? what crafts did you learn from your mom or enjoy together?

happy mothers day!

a new kogin embroidery book

2010-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

i just added a new lovely kogin embroidery book to the shop. i've posted about kogin before, and i am still interested in exploring this craft more.
i like this book because the projects are simple and useful, and showcase the beautiful kogin patterns.
a full set is of photos of this book is on flickr.

children's day and koi nobori

2010-05-04T19:57:00.001-07:00

in japan, the 1st week of may is called golden week, because of all the holidays a row. school and business close, and it's a popular time for vacations. may 5th is children's day, and families fly these koi nobori or carp flags. cities also fly them in larger numbers, like the photo above.
and, if you want to make your own tiny koi nobori, craftershock shows you how.

elephant bib project in process

2010-05-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

i've been doing some crafting for friends with new babies recently, and this project is something i've been thinking about for a long time--i love these tiny elephants and especially how they look together with multiple colors. also, i now have elephant fat quarter sets in the shop, which is something else i've been planning to offer for a while.

i made a simple paper pattern for the bib, using a 5 cm grid. unfortunately, all the babies i know are far away, and i just made up the pattern based on what looked reasonable to me. i tried one with pieced blocks of fabric,
and one with more strips of elephants in rows.
the bibs will be reverseable, and i'm thinking about using this cute mouse fabric for the other side, or using larger peices of the same elephant fabric. what you do think? which would be better?

wake robin, and the power of paper textiles

2010-05-02T00:46:00.000-07:00

velma bolyard is textile artist and bookbinder. she spins paper, along side many other wonderful and creative projects.
i saw her work via an article in handeye magazine, which is in itself an amazing publication, dedicated to the empowering role of craft and the handmade as well as design as development.

in the article, velma explains how one of her works, a handmade book, is being used by a therapist, and how people connect with the book. it's an incredibly touching story about the power of a handmade object. also it makes me cry everytime i read it. velma's paper mill is called wake robin, which is also the name of her blog. good stuff.

eat your local veggies

2010-04-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

i just discovered the amazing work of illustrator claudia pearson via design sponge.
claudia has an etsy shop full of wonderful goodies, including this buy local design above, and a coloring book version.
she also has done more food and veggie inspired work, like this print. i recommend you visit her website and shop and blog, it's all great.

these are part of a lovely series of bowls molded on vegetables by mischer'traxler, via craft.
the matching color is an great added touch!

and, if you are growing your own vegetables, susan at west coast crafty is giving away a copy of the sunset western garden book of edibles, and a copy of
growing vegetables west of the cascades. (this book is one of my absolute favorites, and a must have for any gardener in the pacific northwest, in my humble opinion). susan also did a review of these books for craft.

organic fabric givaway

2010-04-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

here is another fantastic givaway in honor of earth day--organic fabric from 12 different designers.
details on whipup, or on daisyjanie.

happy earth day

2010-04-22T08:16:00.001-07:00

in honor of earth day, mayamade is giving away a few lovely items. go leave a comment for a change to win!

abundance by mizu designs

2010-04-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

i've been a fan of mizu designs for a while, and i am loving her new mixed media work with sumi ink drawings and japanese washi paper.
here's a detail of the same piece, entitled abundance. the theme definitely resonates with how i've been feeling recently, like my life is so very full there's no time for even blogging!

but mainly i love the materials. i've been playing with some washi paper i bought last week, designing some light fixtures. and also i've been learning a little tiny bit of japanese calligraphy, using sumi ink.
you can get a peek into kylie's studio on her blog. and her mixed media work as well as other prints are for sale at http://mizudesigns.etsy.com.

sakura

2010-04-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

springtime in japan means cherry blossoms!
i haven't had time to post about all the crafty things i would like to recently, so for now here's a cherry tree in bloom. and i promise i will be back soon; i have lots more to share with you!

happy easter

2010-04-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

i love traditions. as i get older, i realize this more and more. maybe part of the reason is a deep down longing for things to be in order, to progress according to plan (for all my apparent cavalier wandering here and there, i am a tiny bit neurotic). i especially love holiday traditions, the idea of doing a certain thing on a certain day, and of course there should be a craft project involved! in my family, we always dyed eggs using the ukrainian wax resist method, pysanky. the photo above is this traditional style from learn pysanky, where you can also, you guessed it, learn how to make your own.

last month, design sponge featured this technique too with simple directions from the bbb craft sisters.

i am not sure where my mom picked up this craft (perhaps her two crafty aunts who featured prominently in many crafting tales? some local european?) but it was our tradition as long as i can remember, along with hanging the eggs on a pussy willow 'egg tree', and hunting for boiled eggs dyed with paas. and making and wearing bunny ears headbands/crowns.

here is a brilliant project of felted eggs on stitch/craft via whip up. holly's clever idea was to make felted eggs by wrapping wool roving around a plastic egg, which leaves the inside hollow. smart. probably many feltmakers have tried making felt eggs; last year i made them, and tried dying them along with regular eggs. the dye worked fine, but it took forever for them to dry, since they were solid felt balls! holly used roving which was already dyed, but someday i want to try this with white wool, but put a little weight inside the plastic eggs, and then dye the felt eggs.

last year i also created this woven felt basket, with was designed for a flower girl basket but would be perfect for easter. i really enjoyed that project, and not just because it was for my friend's wedding, and an adorable flower girl, but also because it's so fun to work with craft felt.
but these easter baskets are the best ever! sweet things grew her own easter grass right in the baskets. wonderful.

this morning, after sleeping in and waking up late to a beautiful sunny warm sunday, i sat for a moment in the doorway to my balcony. i missed one of my most favorite traditions--lazy sunday mornings, friends gathering for breakfast, sitting on the porch in the sun, sharing sections of the sunday paper, and drinking lots of coffee.

i hope you enjoy the day, whatever big or little traditions you have, or just a lovely sunday.

lego and paper sets are back

2010-03-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

after a few months, the wonderful lego and paper sets from muji are back in my shop. shown here: the lego punch; the fairy tale set (little red riding hood); the original set (dragon); and the bright colors set. i've posted before about the bright colors set; the lego paper punch; and the orginal and christmas sets.

and for lego enthusiasts, i've also stocked this fun lego theme fabric.

bright and green

2010-03-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

i've been drawn to this fabric every time i see it, and now it's finally in the shop! i love the feeling of the print, somehow it reminds me of scandinavian textiles, and i love how the animals are abstracted. i think another reason why i like it so much is also the bright colors, especially all the green.
it's hard to be patient when it seems like spring is just around the corner...but hiding. and this year i'm so excited about my little garden which makes it that much harder to wait. but remember the mini sunflower kit i bought? they came up! actually now the leaves are fully open, but this picture is from last week. and it still kind of feels like magic, that moment when the first green appears from the ground.
since my strategy for my first garden in kyoto is simply to buy the starts when they are for sale, it's a surprise every time i go to the garden store. last weekend was eggplants and tomatoes already. the good thing is that everywhere here delivers, including big bags of potting soil and planters. the bad news is that i have to wait until friday...i hope these little guys can hang on for a few more days in their tiny pots. and today it even snowed while i left them outside on the balcony!
this strawberry (and the honey in the jar) came from the handmade market at kamigamo jinja on sunday.

ok spring, you can come out now!

far far away

2010-03-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

i've added this wonderful fabric to the shop. it's from the far far away line designed by heather ross for kokka. the fabric is a cotton double gauze, which is super soft, and the images are so lovely. (i have a thing for fairy tales). thankfully, athough i may not always get quite as much sleep as i would like, unlike this princess, there is nothing under my futon that keeps me awake.
there are unicorns too! who doesn't like unicorns?
and frog(princes). cotton double gauze is great for summer, and i've also been thinking about using a little bit of this fabric for baby bib...maybe the frogs?

higashiyama in kyoto

2010-03-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

earlier this week i walked around the back streets of higashiyama. plum trees were blooming.
the area between gion and higashiyama is one areas where you can see maiko in traditional clothes and makeup.

march handmade market at chionji

2010-03-16T07:56:00.001-07:00

these little guys are made of felt, and are sooo cute!
the same artist needle felted these animals on to fabric items.
they actually sell their works in a combination zakka/cafe/bonsai shop, it sounds awesome, i think i need to check it out.
and i love these pins made from reusing fabric with japanese traditional family crests, or komon.

little envelopes

2010-03-15T08:20:00.001-07:00

last weekend i made these little envelopes using origami paper, and this mini envelope template from muji, which i've also listed in my shop.
it was so gratifying just to make something, a quick project using my hands.
i still love brown kraft paper too, especially for using with cute japanese washi masking tape.
also, i tried printing with white ink on some brown waxed paper envelopes i picked up last week,
which i also really love combined with masking tape. they are not in the shop yet, but may make it there soon...

gardens and caterpillers

2010-03-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

i have plants on my balcony! parsly and oregano,

lettuce,
and rosemary! this weekend was warm and sunny, and the perfect time to start my balcony garden, which i've been day dreaming about for the last week or so.
i found this adorable mini-sunflower growing kit at a 100 yen shop last week,
and i love the look of these veggie growing containers from muji, just burlap covered plastic.

and here are the caterpillers! the very hungry caterpiller, that is. available on blue, in my shop.if you want to start your own plants from seed, there was feature by ashley on design sponge last week. having grown up in the country, with a whole room in our house that was full of seed starting trays for several months every spring, i've never been that careful with calculating or planning. and once i moved away to college, and started several new gardens at several new houses, i also learned to appreciate the easiness of working from starts. but now that i am starting a new container gargen in kyoto, i realize that i don't know the growning season here, or the microclimate on my south facing balcony. my strategy is pretty basic: 1) i'm going to quiz everyone i know who gardens, and 2) i'm going to just buy plants when the starts are sold, which is a pretty good indication that it's the right time to set them out. there is also a lot of container gardening here, and i'm excited to try out some local varieties and see what happens!

new washi masking tape patterns

2010-03-12T08:34:00.001-08:00

new washi paper masking patterns, just added to my shop.
i don't know which one is my favorite...although i am leaning towards the argyle.

february kamigamo jinja handmade market-part 2 felt and textiles

2010-03-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

the work of very talented feltmaker, from scarves to tiny leave sprouts.
and a different feltmaker who specialized in life-sized cats!! not really my style, but i have to her points for dedication to an idea. also, i saw someone carrying one of these cats when i was waiting for the bus, so...maybe it's successful?woven, sewn, spun and dyed. yay for multiple fiber arts!
cute bags with detail appliques; so japanese.
steel furniture upholstered with upcycled textiles, nice.

by the way, all my market photos are on flickr.

february kamigamo jinja handmade market-part 1 tiny things

2010-03-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

the 4th sunday handmade market at kamigamo jinja is my favorite handmade market in kyoto. and it's getting bigger, as you can see by the increase in signs, and their location right by the main gate.
when i was looking through my photos, i noticed a theme of tiny things emerging, including these miniatures,
rubber stamps on little wooden handles
little ceramics

and more little ceramics
little beeswax candles (the apple came home with me, i couldn't resist!)

and a tiny version of the royal couple from japanese hina matsuri girls day holiday--depicted in cookie form!

weekend crafting: kogin

2010-03-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

this weekend i finally got around to a project i've been planning to do for months: kogin embroidery! i used some cotton towels with a loose weave, and some sashiko thread i had on hand. technically kogin thread is a bit coarser. basically kogin is a type of counted thread embroidery.
i was inspired by this book, which is in the shop, and here is a complete flickr set.
i used one of the most simple designs, but there are so many more i would love to try.kogin is kind of traditional embroidery from the northern part of japan. originally used as a form of darning or reinforcing work clothes, the patterns became and beautiful and intricate decoration. like the related embroidery sashiko, kogin is most commonly done with white thread on a indigo blue background.
but i love this book also and especially because of the way it shows how to use the kogin techique on contemporary objects. another example of the perfect blending of traditional and modern in japanese craft.

a little something new

2010-03-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

i've added something new to my etsy shop, fabric from old kimonos! i love this fabric so much, it's so very japanese. it's a little bit of a new direction for the felt cafe japan shop, so i'm very interested to hear how folks like it. of course every piece will be different, and that's part of the charm. these two are from the toji market last month.

children's books illustrators

2010-03-01T03:06:00.000-08:00

last weekend i saw this exhibit of the swiss illustrator hans fischer at the itami city art museum. i loved his books when i was little, the story of pitchi the curious kitten, and the birthday cake surprise planned by the animals. i don't know if most people have read these books, or if we just had them because of our swiss family friends.

recently i've seen some very cute pitchi stationary products here in japan, and this exhibit had all the books, including original drawings.

another all time favorite, the very hungry caterpillar has been made into a fabric print! just in time for the new japanese school year that starts in april. there are actually 2 variations of the print, this one with the dots and large images is my favorite, and it's available on a light yellow or blue background. it's sold out in my shop right now, but i will be restocking it later this week.
it's also available in the wonderful quilted fabric, which is used to make a whole slew of products required for japanese kindergartens.
i used it to make a laptop sleeve, which has has the intended effect of making me more happy to schlep around my laptop and crave a new ipad less. well, a little less maybe!

a spring day at the toji market

2010-02-23T04:29:00.001-08:00

i visited the kobo-san market at toji temple last weekend, it was perfect weather for a spring time market!
these little guys were all smiles.
these are paper maché versions of the royal couple that is part of the display leading up to girls day on march 3rd.
these movable puppets were amazing.
and these are old fashioned traditional miniatures.

print gocco B6 hand stamp kit

2010-02-18T09:26:00.001-08:00

what's that, you say?
it's a rare find: the hand stamp kit for print gocco! they've been discontinued for several years now, but i found a couple in a dusty corner of a local craft store. in the shop, while (very limited!) supplies last.