Japan Team Featured Item

This week sees the launch of my 'Japan Team Featured Item'. I will try to feature at least one item from a Japan Team Etsy shop each week. Please take some time to have a look at their work. Hope you like my choices.

To kick us off I have chosen this cute bag from Mee a Bee, all that's cute from Japan. The colour of the apples gave me a bit of lift on such a wild and windy winter day in Tokyo. Makes me feel that Spring is just around the corner:)

Monks passing

Just as I was out on the terrace this afternoon photographing some items for my shop, I heard a distant drumming sound. And then closer...and closer still, until I could hear the distinct sound of taiko drums coming up the hill. Just then, a straw hat popped up from behind the neighbour's tree and two monks came into view chanting their prayers as they passed our house.
Hubby and I like to have at least one 'Japan Moment' everyday, which can be quite a challenge in such a cosmopolitan city as Tokyo. And today, we didn't even have to leave the house to find it.

Going to work

Not sure why I took my camera with me this morning, but I found myself snapping as I walked to the station. Not everyone knows what the 'normal' parts of Tokyo look like. Everyone assumes that the city is built up with sky scrapers and flashing neon everywhere. Well, not where we live! Folks, that would be Shinjuku, Shibuya or even Roppongi and surprise, surprise...Tokyo can be quiet and even serene in places.
If I go to the top of street I can see Mount Fuji in its majestic glory during the winter and the chirruping birds wake me up every morning in our tiny stone garden. The sun streams across our terrace every morning and the sound of the rustling trees from our neighbour's garden can be heard in the kitchen. The biggest city in the world? A bustling metropolis? Sometimes I just feel like I live in a tiny village.

Japanese flower arrangement

After a very stressful weekend while hubby was in the hospital, I felt the need for a bit of creativity on my return home.

As I'm in the process of studying ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) and our house is covered in flowers at the moment, I thought I'd make some new floral arrangements to brighten the place up for hubby's return.

Above is a photo of my kitchen before I started to sort out the flowers.


And here is the first arrangement (arranged in a recycled tin can!).

And the second arrangement...

I'm sure Hubby will enjoy being surrounded by flowers when he gets home tomorrow. Hope it helps him get better soon:-).

Wildly outrageous dress ring

I don't know what has come over me? Is it the feeling that a new year brings? Is it the sunny (yet freezing) Tokyo weather? Or could it be the effects of drinking too much sake?!





I designed this fun ring after seeing a baseless sake cup; the idea being that the cup is always in your hand.... and you have to keep drinking! Much easier if the cup is attached to your finger (I thought), just remember not to gesticulate when you talk:-)

Not for the faint of heart, you need to be prepared for everyone you come across to comment on your choice of fingerwear.

Yipppeee! I'm Timothy Adam's Featured Artist this week!

Wow! What a week. First a Lemonade Award and now this!

I applied to be Timothy Adam's featured artist last Saturday in the hopes of getting a few more views from being active on the Etsy forum. Never in a million years did I expect him to choose my work to be featured on his fantastic blog. If you have no idea who Timothy is, check out his blog here. He is helping emerging artists such as myself to gain exposure and improve their online businesses.

Thanks so much for choosing me Timothy.

You can check out the Saturday Super Shop featured artist post here on Timothy's blog: timothyadam.

Lemonade Award YAY!

Thank you to Duni at lovelypurses who presented me with my first Lemonade Award today. I'm so happy to have received this so early...I've been blogging for only about 10 days!

Please check out her blog as well as her gorgeous esty store.

I now have the difficult task of nominating up to 10 blogs I think show great attitude/ gratitude to receive this award. There are so many wonderful blogs out there so it was really tricky whittling it down to just 10.

I would like to present this award to the following informative, creative, helpful, humourous and visually arresting blogs (in no particular order):

1. daisy the curly cat
2. Steam Punk Rings
   
3. Tialey Vintage
4. Color Addiction
5. Tofu (thelion)
6. Artistic Flair by Deb Disalvo
7. Always Amy
8. Contrariwise Ramblings
9. loopsdesigns
10. Kiss my Style
    

Well done to the recipients! Now it's your turn to nominate 10 blogs and link to them. Be sure to mention from whom you've received this award!

Victoria

A perfect day for a crafter

I am not joking when I say this...it has been sunny in Tokyo for at least three weeks. It has been cold, sure, but the sky has been blue and the sunsets stunningly red. As I type, the sun is just setting and leaving a beautiful orange glow in the room. Ahhhhhh.
So, because the weather was warm and sunny today (a litter milder than usual) hubby and I headed off to meet a friend for a craft store rendezvous. Not everyone's idea of exciting, but we three crafting musketeers hit the store with gusto.
4 rubber stamps, some fancy paper and a sakura shaped punch later and we were ready for our brunch. (Minestrone soup followed by eggs benedict. MMMmm)
A perfect Sunday for a craft enthusiast such as myself. I am now going to complete my day with some photo editing and listings on esty. Does it GET any better than this?!

Last night we had a fabulous meal at home of sashimi, sushi and fresh crab. Yum!

Wishing everyone a happy new year from Tokyo.

Victoria

Some tips for bloggers

Hi there,

Sorry I forgot to send you all a Christmas card and present but here it is!

I used this site to update my blog this afternoon and went from 2 columns to three in just a few minutes. Hope you find it useful for your blog overhaul for 2009 :-)

www.bloggerbuster.com

Victoria