Crafty Champloo

Goal!

2007-03-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I accomplished my one weekend goal - to set up this and this!! It's been in the works for a while now. My new blog and etsy shoppe using my real name and everything. I don't know why I've had such an aversion to using my name. I guess I've always liked anonymity and I've been a hider since I was a kid. When the doorbell rings....hide. When I see someone at the mall I know...hide.

Anyways, Phil has been urging me to use my name as my label for a long time. He did the awesome design for me and I am so excited to unveil it. I've also been selling all my stuff at EPS with this new label for a while.

I guess now that I am ending this blog, I should finally explain the origin of it's name. Crafty is self explanitory, but Champloo is taken from one of my favorite anime series,

Samurai Champloo. Champloo (or chanpuruu) is an Okinawan word meaning a mix of things or like a gumbo of sorts. The anime series has all the classic Samurai elements mixed with modern, urban, hip-hop themes. I always felt like my interests were so varied and all over the place when it came to crafting. So there you have it - Crafty Champloo.

Anyways, I thank you in advance for following me here!

I'll make my own rainy day..........

2007-03-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

Today was 86 degrees, sunny, and hot. My least favorite type of weather. So, I was inspired to make myself a Rainy Day Manga Tote. I appliqued a fabric umbrella and a twill tape handle. Then I sewed on some glass "raindrops".
I think this twill tape might be a little wide though. I'll keep experimenting. Yay - now I can carry a rainy day with me everywhere I go!

Naru-tote

2007-03-06T00:59:00.000-08:00

I started working on these manga totes a while back - little totes just big enough for your manga, comics, and or graphic novels.

(L-R Vagabond, Naruto)

This is the other side of the tote. The pink floral panel in the middle is actually 2 pockets.

Brake time....

2007-03-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

A cluster of my fabric bowls.......... Phil and I waiting outside our mechanic's place - squeaky brakes.
A lot of sewing being done this weekend - some new shapes of things and whatnot. Can't wait to get working again this morning - but first off to Marukai to see if they have any Spam Musubi left!!

This during a Colbert Report commercial break..........

2007-02-27T23:29:00.000-08:00

Some recent finds.............. a pill case shaped like a teru teru bouzu ...a soft zippered lunchbox with a hedgehog print!
My Mom, Mari, and I went shopping this Sunday. We hit the Santa Monica Airport Antique Market. It was gloomy and freezing, but we found this Japanese laquer jewelry box.
We found the red beans on a center island "park" in Brentwood....
Not much I can show right now in terms of "making things" since a lot of it is for the upcoming baby shower. I also have a big personal project "to do" list that I have yet to tackle. Ah well, hopefully I can work on something this week!

Jet Lagged...

2007-02-25T23:12:00.000-08:00

Back from New York.......where it was 12 degrees - 3 degrees with the windchill! We just missed the snow luckily, but here it is on the balcony of my hotel - it never even melted.
I was in New York for work, but I got to visit my good friend Juan. He just got a cute new apartment.

The Chrysler Building from my hotel window.

Well, I'm still settling in a catching up believe it or not. I'm just so glad to be back in LA. I have lots of projects and finds to share, but this is all I could muster tonight.

Be well all!!!!

Stumped....

2007-02-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well, off to New York (business) for a week - but I could'nt leave without posting about the cutest candy I found. Candy posting here will not be a regular thing as I am a huge fan of this blog and eagerly await her "Japanese Candy Fridays".

Anyways - they're a chocolate/biscuit combo shaped like little tree stumps!! Sooo oishii!!

Here are the baby shower invites I've been working on for my bro and sis-in-law. Pink and chocolate brown! I had so much fun looking for fonts and the one I finally chose is called Johnny Quest from here. I will post the finished versions later.

Hope everyone had a lovely Valentines Day!

Dogtown to J-Town

2007-02-12T00:29:00.000-08:00

These are some more bowls I made a while back for EPS. I was experimenting with doing some patchwork on the inside. This is a giant bowl - about 4 times the size of my smallest ones.....
A 20" round mat - also for EPS.........
Saturday night, we went to a opening party at Elizabeth's gallery. It was actually the opening of her own photography exhibit called Odelay Anzo Borrego Desierto. The photos were great (the subject was Tony Alva) and we had a good time. We ended the night with a late dinner in J-Town, and tea and people watching at Starbucks.

That's Hot...

2007-02-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

I just had to show this bag I picked up at Target today. It's a big ol' carry-all, very chic I think, and for $17! And seeing as how it was 86 degrees today (that one week Winter we had was nice), it's just perfect.

Super Bowl Sunday!!

2007-02-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

Another busy week - but I managed to finish some more mats for EPS.
And, today is Super Bowl Sunday so know what that means - my Mom and I go shopping all day. It's tra-dish. I got a couple pairs of flats and a cool zip hoodie for Phil. God bless H+M, Zara, and Mango.
Gotta go finish my piece for the Free People Swap now!!

A Crewel Weekend

2007-01-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

This is my progress so far - I spent Saturday at Phil's office with him and made some good headway on my Chrysanthemum crewel piece. My mom had given me this awhile back - it 's at least 30 years old. She had started some of the yellow and did the green leaves. When it's finished, it will be like we worked on it together - the Chrysanthemum is also our birth flower!! (nov.) She gave me these 2 pieces the other day that she's had forever. She thinks maybe my Aunt did them.

This is my cactus in a can that I'm trying to grow. I have'nt had much luck with other plants up here in our loft - not even an avocado seed! Well, I will keep you posted.
Phil went in to work again today - yes, a seven day work week for him. Who ever said cartoons were child's play. I stayed home and worked on some more mats and runners for EPS, listened to Robin Thicke, and I won this!! Phil and I did get to have dinner together at our favorite restaurant Ebisu down the street.

They have been filming that movie "Invasion" I guess it is, with Nicole Kidman down here for the past week - the one where they accidentally crashed that car the other day. Anyways, it's getting really annoying having to prove to the 90 year old cop that they have guarding our alley entrance that we live here. Happy Monday to all!

A Purse-onal Post

2007-01-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

A couple of small totes I finished the other day. They're very small, like for your comic books or something.

Off to hanging out with Phil at his office for the day! I have my chrysanthemum crewel project, my new issues of Martha and Vogue, my Nintendo DS, and my sketchbook..... See ya!

Happy Anniversary!

2007-01-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

My parents were married on this day in 1965 - today is their 42nd wedding anniversary!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE BEST-EST PARENTS IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!

I love this photo of them - dressed to the nines. It's from a locket of my mom's that I have. Phil appropriately calls this photo - "POMPADORABLE"

Teru Teru Bouzu!!

2007-01-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through a Japanese baby magazine with Mari the other day and came across an image of a Teru Teru Bouzu. I remember them from my childhood but never knew what they were called or what their purpose was. Mari said that in Japan they used to make these to wish for good weather. Normally just made from a tissue and a rubberband. I researched more and found that if you hang them upside-down, it means you want it to rain. So I'm going to hang this guy upside-down and see what happens! He is lying on a quilted bookcover I made last night. This was a smock my Mom bought me a couple of weeks ago for $1.50!! She just knew I would love the fabric and could cut it up to make something.
I loved the white patterned enamel snaps so much, that I decided to make an apron out if it - keeping the snaps in tact. The fabric is so perfectly Valentine-y too! I still have the whole back left to make something else.
Well, we're having a lovely lazy Sunday so far - I've just been reading this and getting so inspired. Must get to work now!

(*****I just learned that it's called a Fure Fure Bouzu if you hang it upside-down!)

Heart-Felt

2007-01-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

I got this book at Kinokuniya the other day (ISBN 4-309-28073-0) . It's all about felting and it has such beautiful photographs! This felted mushroom box is so cute!
Here's my first attempt at some felt beads. I think they might be a little fuzzy and not as compacted as I would like....but at least they're round-ish.

Weekend Warrior

2007-01-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been a while since I've had that long of a blogging break. Unintentional I might add. It's just been a busy week and I've been knocked out by 10p or 11p everynight. That might not seem early to some, but it is for me. Anyways, I'm just starting to feel the Valentine frenzy. I'm really into the Vintage Valentine thing this year and I just love these from here. We're going to be making heart shaped Valentine wreath's next Wednesday at my parent's house. I also bought this. Not the most inexpensive thing in the world (I'm sure my Dad is cringing right now) but I could'nt resist!
We also had a lovely cold and rainy day this past Wednesday. The sky was beautiful and the air felt clean ( a nice change here in L.A.). It did'nt last as long as I had hoped though. Happy weekend everyone - I am planning to just play in my studio all weekend and work on excecuting some of the ideas I have scribbled on all the post-its that are stuck on the frame of my computer screen! phew!!

Happy Sunday..........

2007-01-15T01:23:00.000-08:00

The sun setting as we made our way to Golden Apple comics on Melrose......................... The famous 2nd Street tunnel on our way home...........................
Some wall art in our alley entrance.............................
We were enjoying the cold weather today and went on a little drive. Got some exciting work done which I will unveil later!! Happy Monday!!!!!!!!!!

Kung Fu and Doughnuts

2007-01-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a smattering of new fabric that just arrived the other day - (from equilter)all washed and ready to go! I am working on a new "hair accessory" of sorts that I am very excited about.After work yesterday, I went to hang out with Phil at the studio while he finished up his work. I started a scarf on this Knifty Knitter thing but I think it's going to end up being too dense. I'll probably just turn it into a little bag or something.
And lastly, the prettiest doughnut box ever from here. Tiffany blue with chocolate brown script - I think I'll use it as a purse! .....or at least a knitting box.
Well, it finally got cold here -I mean like 52 degrees! Last week it was 85 degrees in the valley and I thought our "Winter" was over. Well, off to watching Enter the Dragon, drinking some peppermint tea, and working on some top secret projects for a little one arriving soon!!!!

Sweet Dreams...............

2007-01-11T01:29:00.000-08:00

Yipee!!! I just bought this! From here of course - good night all......................

Ansel Adams at Manzanar

2007-01-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

Today Phil and I went to the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum. They were having musical performances and free admission, and we've really been wanting to go have a look. It was a beautifully curated show. Ansel Adams was one of the few photographers allowed into the Manzanar Internment camp in the 40's. His photos were very moving, as was the whole exhibit................they displayed all kinds of artifacts and other photos from inside the camps. This was a great exhibit of all the suitcases (you were allowed only one) belonging to those being relocated.
I highly recommend this exhibit if you live in LA.

Owl Post

2007-01-07T01:43:00.000-08:00

This is just a cute owl letter holder I got in J-Town a while back. It even has it's own branch attached! I've been thinking more about my New Year's resolutions I made the other day - I've been doing pretty good. Not spending too much money - I mean, I had already ordered this and this before New Years - and they're really awesome books too. We've been eating healthier, and we've been doing our Rosetta Stone Japanese program. But I want to add that I will be more consciously thankful everyday for what I do have.

-I have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in - even though it's not this bed :)

-I live in a wonderful city with plenty of inspiration around me.

-I have the best boyfriend ever.

-I have the best family ever - no matter how crazy!

-I am also thankful for the new ideas that keep coming, just when I think I will never have another one again!!

Sure, there are still lots of things I want and goals that I want to achieve, but I just don't want to miss the journey.

Well it's 2am and I can't think of anything else to say - except that the Winter light in LA has really changed and our loft faces North and now we hardly get any sunlight at all - so basically, photos are going to be a bit crap for a minute. Oh well, maybe it's time for some location shoots. Goodnight all!

We're Watching The Aviator Again

2007-01-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I finished my 30 coasters last night! Back to work today, but it was'nt so bad. I'm just so glad to be home with Phil and relaxing the night away. We also had a lovely dinner tonight courtesy of my parents. I stopped by their place after the gym and they had some leftover food from the New Year's dinner last night. Now, I'm sure most people's parents pack some lasagne or mac and cheese in a tupperware and off they go. Not mine. They sent me off with two uncooked filet mignon's, a container of cracked peppercorns(for pressing onto both sides of the filets), garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms - and for the sauce - cognac and heavy cream, and a box of long matches to ignite the sauce with! Talk about thorough!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

Phil and I had a mellow New Year's Eve and just stayed in last night. This afternoon, we went to the New Year's Day Festival in Little Tokyo. They had a stage with dancing, booths with all kinds of food, and the Koyasan Buddhist Temple (above) was open fof the Fire Ritual. We just walked around a bit and actually ran into several friends along the way. This is a prototype I made last night. It was actually Phil's idea - it's a little sketchbook pouch.....
..with a pocket for your pens and pencils in the back. I used this thick, double sided wool that my mom gave me a long time ago - and she had had it for at least 20 years. The navy side and the checked sides are stuck together, so you could make a reversible coat or something.
These are some pencil cases which are much narrower and just have a plain back.
So, like most people, Phil and I wrote down all of our New Year's Resolutions today and some of them are:

-Learn to speak Japanese

-Save more money

-Eat healthy

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Wax Marsupials et al..............

2006-12-31T02:36:00.000-08:00

This is a table mat I made for my parents house last night. Phil and I also bought them this awesome clay owl bell for them to hang on their deck. Next to the owl are the two wax figurines we got at the Los Angeles Zoo today! I was so excited that they still had those machines - I have not been to the zoo in at least 15 years. Anyways, Phil and I bought year passes - that way I can gradually collect all 12 wax animals - and look at the real ones too. In the background are 30 more coasters for EPS waiting to be quilted. I did a bit of reorganizing at my worktable - thank goodness for that Ikea sale!
This is my favorite pic of the day - as people started to gather around, and as I scrambled to get my camera out - the lounging rhino promptly got up and disappeared into the back area. I caught this a split second before he was gone for good.
These are the four guys walking to an exhibit (L-R) Sam, Phil, Eisaku, my Bro Jason. Eisaku was the reason we planned this zoo trip. He is a 10 year old, well-mannered, brilliant artist and he is still on his Winter break. A while back, we told him that we would all take him to the zoo and sketch the animals - but it was a little to crowded to sketch - so we all kinda just had fun goofing off and searching for those wax animal machines! We plan to go back soon since many of the exhibits were under major construction. After the zoo, my bro had to take Eisaku back home and Sam, Phil, and I chilled out at Starbucks near our place for a while.

I got a second wind later that night and wound up sewing away for several hours. Now it's time to work on my list of New Year's resolutions....................

A Day at my Pear-ents

2006-12-29T00:17:00.000-08:00

A recent pic of Zero in my parents backyard, she looks so pretty.......................
Harry and David Pears at my parents house - soooo oishii! The enchanted party favor tree that my Mom had ready for all the guests at Christmas dinner - all the little animal head key chains have quarters in them!
A gift that Phil and I made for my parents. It's his Kambei Shimada drawing printed on canvas. I sewed it on to some vintage kimono fabric (the fabric already comes in that width) to turn it into a Japanese style wall hanging.

Short Week and Superheroes

2006-12-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

These were some runner mats I had made for EPS a while back - just thought I'd post them now. Or maybe I did post them already and I just don't remember - oh well, I am so glad for this short week! And this is one of our coolest presents ever! Given to us by my bro and sis-in-law. It's a statue of "Invincible" aka Mark Grayson. He's a superhero from a comic book called Invincible and I love it! Phil got me reading it a couple of years ago and it's awesome. Anyways, this statue is not even supposed to be out until March, but my bro always seems to have the hook-ups when it comes to toys!

Christmas in Downtown....

2006-12-26T01:53:00.000-08:00

Just a few of my beautiful Christmas gifts from last night, I will post some others soon........... Some of the cutest things I've ever seen on the AranziAronzo site. Some appliquees for the kodomo (children)
.......a tissue box cover
.....and some totes. Alot of their designs feature the kuma (bear) or usagi (rabbit) . Anyways, i have'nt fully browsed through ther entire site yet - it was giving me heart palpitations so I thought I better stop.
Phil and I had a lot of fun last night at both of our families Christmas celebrations. Today we took it easy. Woke up late, cleaned up a bit, and then went for a nice little walk. We spontaneously ended up at the Bonaventure and had an early dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top of the hotel. We got a 360 degree view of LA 35 stories up. It was a lovely way to spend Christmas Day!

Recycled Gift Tags

2006-12-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

As I'm starting to pack away all my Christmas wrapping things, I just thought I'd show some of the tags I made this year. For some reason, I save all the cardbord that the bias tape comes wrappped around and I have a big stack of them. I just put a grommet on the end of it for the tie and some rubber stamps to decorate it.

Merry Cretaceous!

2006-12-24T02:58:00.000-08:00

Well, the past couple of days have been hectic with the usual Christmas frenzy - last minute gift wrapping, making, buying, giving and receiving, feeling guilty about receiving gifts without having anything to give in return, debating whether or not to try and scramble up some gifts, ultimately deciding to give a "New Years" gift instead and making up something about it being a Japanese tradition to give them their Christmas present on January 1st. And all the while trying not to lose the actual spirit and meaning of the holiday season. Today Phil and I thought he had a dentist appointment at 3pm and when we showed up, we were told it was that morning at 10am - even though I was and still am certain it was at 3pm - we ended up taking a spontaneous trip to the Museum of Natural History. Above is the beautiful rose garden where I spent a lot of my childhood.
This is one of the giant diorama-like scenes in the Hall of African Animals. Though the scenes are somewhat creepy and sad, it's all so nostalgic for me nonetheless. Phil's parents also took him here a lot when he was little, so we had a fun trip down memory lane.
Here's the tyranosaurus and stegosaurus in the center of the great hall. I just like the snowflake projections on the wall - even the dinos get to have Christmas.

We have a busy Christmas Eve tomorrow or today I should say. Phil's family dinner first and then off to mine! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Watashi no Wagashi

2006-12-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Another wacky J-Town find - a set of ceramic woodgrain tea cups with matching saucers - sitting on wagashi (Japanese sweets) printed fabric A smattering of gingko leaves from a tree that towers above our favorite store in Little Tokyo- Jungle Anime!
I have not been posting any pics of projects lately, mainly because they are Christmas gifts for my family and friends who read this blog. More soon............

Get Your Fresh Matcha Cakes!

2006-12-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

So I made some matcha cakes last night and they came out pretty good. I had gotten some of these cute bakery style baking cups from the Marukai 99 cent store yesterday, they come about 5 or 6 in a pack. I don't think I'll ever use regular cupcake liners again! This is a cherry blossom stencil I was playing with last night, trying to figure out what to use it on.
And these are the fabrics my mom gave me - does she know how to pick em or what!
Some Japanese stationary and a business card holder from Kinokuniya..............
a little lined notebook from Kinokuniya also - I love the brown craftpaper look of it, I can never resist a new notebook

I Need a Reinkoto (raincoat)

2006-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

Today we had a very lovely, gloomy, rainy Saturday! Phil and I got a lot of Christmas shopping done in J-Town. My mom also brought me some awesome fabric - which is good because I am gonna have to be in a bowl making frenzy tomorrow. EPS wants more for her shop! We got home when it was dark so I will photograph our finds in the morning with the better light. This is our reflection in the window outside Kinokuniya.
We had a great time last night at Phil's company Christmas party. I managed to finish my dress in time and Phil looked quite dashing on his outfit. Notice the Venti Chai Latte in Phil's hand, we did'nt get to sleep til about 4am.

Well, off to work on some more Christmas presents and baking that Matcha Cake (Trader Joes' Box Mix)!

Some Random Things

2006-12-14T23:57:00.000-08:00

While shopping for some Christmas presents at Sanrio yesterday, I just could'nt resist getting this wooden Hello Kitty memo holder And this Tenorikuma bento box for my lunch.
This is my to do list - some are long term projects, others need to be done sooner than later - but it mostly only makes sense to me.....

Mat-tacular!!

2006-12-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

I've been working on another big order for E.P.S. Several table mats - not really placemats - just mats for your desk or an entryway table to put a grouping of ceramics on, you know, that sort of thing. Anyways, these here are about 15"x15" square and now I just have to make a few of the smaller 10"x10" ones.
This is what I have been occupied with for the past couple of days. It just seems like there is never enough time after one gets home from work.Anyhoo, I time to get to work. I'm going to try to wrap some presents, work on my dress, paint my nails, and get at least 5 hours of sleep tonight.

Mele Kalikimaka

2006-12-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

Yet another busy week is behind me - and a full one ahead of me. But I dare not complain when my family and friends are all safe and healthy. I was so sad about James Kim this week - I cannot even imagine what his family is going through. It's so great what Lisa and her family are doing. I totally missed the boat on participating in the auction, but there are still other ways to help out. These are just a few of my favorite Christmas cards from my vintage (60's-70's) collection. They were all my Mom's actually - one's that she has given and received. I love these Hawaiian ones. They were sent to her by her relatives after she moved here from Hawaii.

Today, I'm actually going to start working on some Christmas gifts that I've been meaning to make. I already dropped off all my goods to The Kids Are Alright and Elizabeth Paige Smith last week, so now I feel really freed up to just jam away on presents!!

We went to a Christmas party last night in the pouring rain - but we had fun. We have another one coming up this Friday which I am hoping to make a dress for - but we'll see how that goes. Well, off to sewing and watching the new Pirate's of the Caribbean!

More Updates

2006-12-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

This was my original idea for the ornament swap - it's filled with lavender also - but I just wasn't happy with it. So for now, it remains the only house on the block..... A stocking for my beagle Zero.............
A tree-o of soft trees for my mom..............I need to work on my circular sewing!
Another Tie-the-Knot purse
Let's see, there's been a lot that's happened the past couple of weeks that I have'nt really posted about. The most exciting thing is that I'm going to be an Aunty! My bro and his wife just found out it's going to be a girl!

What else..... I finally splurged and got myself a nice, heavy-duty, but very quiet Husqvarna. Phil and I have decided to learn Japanese - my Rosetta Stone kit just arrived today actually. The weather has finally cooled down a bit and it even rained one day!! I quietly turned a year older and have been addicted to one of my gifts - a Nintendo DS - it came in very handy at the dentist office this past weekend!

Happy Monday!

Updates all Around

2006-11-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

This is my new 2007 purse calender. I got it at Kinokuniya of course and it is adorable! And I am finally finished with my ornaments for the swap! I decided to do an "ornament" that can be used long after the holidays are over. My theme leaned more toward the holiday shopping aspect. It's a little tote bag sachet filled with lavender. It's about 3"x3" with little twill tape handles and a turquoise glass flower button.
And off they go....phew!
I'm finally feeling a little better. It must be the Turkey A La King I've been gorging myself on. My parents made it this year after Thanksgiving using the extra turkey they cooked. It's sort of like a thicker chicken soup but with turkey.

Well, I've got a lot to keep working on. More things for Elizabeth Paige Smith Atelier - there is a late night shopping night on Abbot-Kinney Dec. 8th. All the shops and galleries stay open really late and everyone comes out and shops and it just feels Christmassy. Then, the next day

The Kids Are Alright are also doing the late night shopping thing with all the shops in Sunset Junction. So I'm getting some stuff ready for them too! I'm excited, but feel a little frantic and hurried. I need to slow down, relax, and just do what I can do....and try to have some fun in the process!

Max and Sock Puppies

2006-11-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

A scene from my sewing table............. A new find from Kinokuniya. It teaches you to make all these little stuffed animals using either one sock or one glove! The ISBN # is 4-579-11061-7. Hopefully I'll get around to it when I am feeling better.

Blogger Population - A Billion.....and One

2006-11-25T02:18:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit under the weather today. A lot of sleeping, Zicam, Alka Seltzer, watching the Rob and Big marathon, and more sleeping. However, my Philip did start a blog today. I'm so excited! See it here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post one of my favorite pics of Zero - it's from Thanksgiving a couple of years ago - before I was a blogger. Don't worry, she did'nt get the pie...

Night Owls

2006-11-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

Last night, Phil and I were so tired when we came home from work. So, we decide to go to bed at 9:45pm. And we slept alllll the way til.............11:15pm. It was so weird - be both just could'nt sleep anymore. So we got up totally refreshed and I ended up having a very productive night. I made a large placemat type thing for our little eating table. It's coated with that clear iron on vinyl.I also made this tote bag which I am very excited about. This past weekend was my first experiment with Bubble Jet! It was so much easier than I thought it would be. I printed one of Phil's drawings onto some army green ripstop. This is one of my FAVORITE drawings he has ever done - it's one of the characters from Seven Samurai named Kambei Shimada. See the original here. I really like that it looks vintage and faded. We're going to work on some more stuff over this long weekend. He's really excited about it too!
I also tried experimenting with a new shape for my fabric dishes. A rectangular , sunglass holder type size and shape. I also practiced using my machine embroidery on some natural colored 1 1/4" twill tape, to wrap presents with or something.
Yeah, so we ended up going to sleep at around 3am. But today was kind of a short day for everyone, so I had a bit of a nap.
Anyways, I gotta finish up my ornaments for the swap this weekend among other things. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Night That Almost W A S N 'T..........

2006-11-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a fun weekend. My bro and I hit the Tenacious D concert last night. For the FULL eventful story (and the explanation to the title of this post) go here. I like to focus on the positive side of things. A.) The show was awesome and B.) My Green Tea Pocky did'nt get confiscated at the gate even though they searched my purse. It was definitely a memorable night of good times with my bro!

I am very late posting about all this. I woke up at 1pm today! I felt like I had been asleep for centuries. Phil and I headed to J-Town to get some presents and then I spent the rest of the night jumping between projects and cleaning up. I got a lot done, but it still feels like I have'nt put a dent in my "list". Well, I'm sure looking forward to this short week coming up - lots to do!

the visitors....

2006-11-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the best momma in the whole world! This is one of my favorite pics of my mom, my bro, and me - probably from about 1979 - taken by my dad. My mom always made us matching mumu/nightgowns which I loved. I lived in those little dresses and I've been meaning to recreate one for myself, they were so comfy! This is what Phil and I gave her today for her birthday. It's a piece called "The Visitors". Phil drew this group of "beings" and I embroidered over some of them with my sewing machine, and appliqued some dot print fabric. It represents the slew of guests that always seem to be coming through my parents house. Their house has sort of become a headquarters, meeting place, base camp, haven/home for wayward friends if you will. This picture also represents how any and all creatures/beings/people are always welcome in their home. And being that both my parents come from restaurant families, they always have at least two pork roasts at the ready!
Happy Birthday Mom!!

2006-11-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

Oh where is my Fall weather? It seems to be blustery, rainy, gloomy, and grey, in every other part of the country. I know it might be hard for some people to understand, but that is my favorite type of weather. Being born and raised in sunny L.A. and having parents from Hawaii, everything in my DNA says that I should love the sun, surf, and sand - but I just don't. I mean, I do in small doses, and I love going to Hawaii. But my ideal everyday environment would be 55 degrees, grey and cloudy, with some drizzles and rain here and there. Until then, here are some of my favorite Fall colors................ and this beautiful candle we've been burning. It's a warm, musky rose that makes it feel all wintry and cozy inside our loft .

Super Bowl Sunday!

2006-11-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

...well Rose Bowl actually. I went with my mom and my cousin and we had a great time. This is a panel from a white linen 50's style dress I got for $7! It's just about a half size too big so I'll have to get it altered a bit. These are some fabric finds - a cool blue Dutch print, a retro 50's graphic pattern, and an awesome polka dot. I'm so in love with this dot print. It's hard to see in the photo, but the way the dots repeat are so unusual, and it's on the most beautiful shade of mermaid green!

Also found some wooden letters from an old letterpress - I was super excited to get these.
We also scored a few wagashi (Japanese sweets) molds. Very hard to find. This one is a traditional Japanese motif - the moon rising over pine trees.......
...and this one is a kiku (chrysanthemum) which is our (my mom and I) birth flower.
What a fun day, very tiring, but fun. I slept like a rock. Now I can't wait to get sewing!

More dishes and coasters....

2006-11-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

These are some large fabric dishes I was working on all last week. They all went to Elizabeth Paige Smith's Atelier.

They can fit 10 stacked coasters...........

or nest with smaller bowls...................

I am so excited to be working with Elizabeth. She contacted me last week after buying one of my pencil pouches from The Kids Are Alright. She is an amazing furniture designer and is responsible for inventing the Kitty Pod! We went to her party this past Tuesday at her gallery. It was also sponsored by Paper magazine, and Hearts Challenger was there! Very cool event. Anyways, you should definitely check out her gorgeous gallery/shop if you're ever on Abbot-Kinney. I was honored to have my bowls and coasters on her tables! :)

Silhouette

2006-11-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

I 've had a very busy, exciting week. But I'm way too tired to post about it all right now. I just wanna chill and watch Wolf's Rain (a purchase from Kinokuniya tonight) with Phil. He did this silhouette of me the other day. I like that he chose not to use the traditional black and white. Hopefully I'll be up for a longer post tomorrow! :)

Tree Rings....

2006-11-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

These are some Tree Ring Brooches I was working on this past weekend. My bro had cut these "cookies" for me a while ago. Anyways, I just did some simple drawings with Phil's micron pens and markers, sealed it with a matte, water-based varnish, and glued a pin back to them. Then I mounted them on some felt rectangles. They're about 1 3/4" in diameter and vary between 1/4" - 3/8" thick. I just thought they would be a grwat Fall accessory, pinned to a purse or a scarf!

Today's WIP

2006-10-29T22:57:00.000-08:00

Before going to Seattle, I had ordered some candle molds and they arrived right before we were going to leave. So my mom, who is an expert candle maker, started making them while we were gone and they came out gorgeous. I mean, what could be better than a pink pirate ship!!!!

........and pink and aqua peace doves...............

......and this pirate ship - she made brown wax and poured it really hot. It's hard to see all the detail in the photo, but it looks like distressed wood!!! Very Black Pearl.

This is my Pocket Protector tote that I made today - awaiting its handles. I'm constantly digging for pens in my purse, so I decided to make them easily accessible.

I have a lot more to show but the photo download is really slow today. Happy Daylight Savings!!

A slow week..

2006-10-26T23:32:00.001-07:00

Not slow in the sense of nothing going on - just slow in the crafty, productivity department. Plenty of ideas mind you, but unfortunately, just waiting for Saturday so that I can actually work on some of them. I did manage to get some pumpkin carving and seed roasting in yesterday. Anyways, in the meantime, here's some more pics from our trip to Port Angeles. Above is a shot of Lake Crescent. There is actually an otter in the water just under the trees but he's hard to see. This is a chipmunk I befriended at Hurricane Ridge. I did sign up for this this week, and here's a great article about about a project that Phil is a part of, it's coming out soon!

Ballet and Tea

2006-10-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we did a major clean out and rearrangement of our place. It went by easier/faster with all these movies playing in the background: Swingers, National Treasure, Batman Begins, Finding Neverland, and a couple others I can't remember.

Anyways, this morning I dropped off a bunch of stuff to our local goodwill. Of course I can never resist the "dishes" section and picked up these 2 teacups (from Japan 1961) for a dollar each! The ballet flats are new from American Eagle. I was so happy to find a neutral colored flat with fairly matte sequins. Now, back to purging and organizing!

Sit on it......

2006-10-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Todays progress.... a chair cushion for my sewing chair. I used that new floral cotton my mom got me. I machine quilted a piece of sweatshirt fleece to the back for a little more interest.

Friday Finds

2006-10-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Todays finds from my local fabric store. A couple colors of Japanese slipper print, a faded ginkgo print, tiny dot flowers, and a retro pink and white repeating pattern. Also, a couple colors of some wool felting yarn. Hopefully, some of these projects willl materialize (no pun intended) this weekend!

Arigato Amelie

2006-10-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

My Japanese version of the Amelie poster arrived today (from here)! The minute I saw her marigold silk, diamond-tufted comforter in the movie, I was obsessed with it. I was so thrilled to find that this shot was captured on a poster. Now I just need to find the perfect frame for it. I was thinking of something vintage - maybe something red and gold, but with chips and nicks in it.

And other great finds today - I finally got a new cutting mat - and it's pink!! The underside is a bright neon yellow with the same pink print. Even better, it was 40 % off at Joann Fabrics - they don't sell this item online for some reason. And more great fabric from my mom! I always seem to have good luck with the fabric she gives me, it always inspires me to create new projects! We also made plans tonight to hit the Rose Bowl next month and check out whats going on with Felt Club - they're both in the same weekend.

Fall Decor

2006-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The extent of my Fall decoration so far. I picked up the owl trio this weekend in J-Town.

Room For Squares

2006-10-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

A square fabric dish made from this awesome paisley my mom just gave me.

An array of coasters

More fabric dishes

Fabric dish lined with a piece of vintage cloth rice bag

Fabric dish lined with a piece of vintage silk hankie

I had a very productive evening last night. I worked on a bunch of fabric dishes - I normally see these made from hard leather - but I tried a fabric version. I used heavy duty fusing to give them the structure they needed. I also made a bunch of fabric coasters from all my scraps. They have a bit of heavy sweatshirt fleece between the layers. All these squares meant I spent most of the night turning out the corners (ugh) but actually, it was'nt as bad as I thought it would be. Sometimes it's nice to get a whole lot of little things done, rather than working on one big thing for a long time. I'm hoping to get more done tonight

Pink Elephants

2006-10-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

What could be better than two, hot pink, India-inspired candles, on sale from Target. Also, to celebrate the looming Fall weather, I got these, yipee!!

Phil and I slept in today and now we're off to the gym. Hoping to get in some sewing and cleaning up tonight.

TGIF

2006-10-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

Going back to work after you've been off for a week sure is hard. It was a big "catch-up" day today, but I stilll had the energy to update my Etsy shop!

oh, and it RAINED today! Very hard in some areas. Phil and I were so happy! There were some amazing and eerie clouds and lightning all over - and two giant rainbows. Very weird weather but I'm loving it.

We're Back

2006-10-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

Phil looking down onto Hurricane Ridge

Written in the frost on a park bench in Olympic National Forest

Me gathering rocks on a beach off Puget Sound

Well, we have returned from our little trip up to Port Angeles/Seattle. It was so beautiful up there. We got some nice walks in, the weather was nippy, and the air was clean. Although, Phil and I did end up feeling a little restless towards the end of our stay on Port Angeles and wished we could have spent more time in Seattle. Ah well. Believe it or not, we are actually so glad to be back home in our little loft in Downtown L.A. Just the comforts of home I guess.

This trip did get us excited about traveling more though and thinking more about other places we would really like to go. Well, lots to do. We were both itching to get back to our sewing machine (me) and drawing table (him). Hopefully an Etsy shop update will be in the works soon!

Thursday 3:54pm

2006-10-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

A newly organized work space

A fleece button scarf I made for our trip to a chilly Port Angeles! Heathered aqua sweatshirt fleece with a large tomato-red button.

I made a mini noren for the weird space above our kitchen sink. Traditionally seen hanging in the entrance ways of Japanese restaurants and shops.

It felt so great to finally organize my work space - it's still a work in progress but at least I have a free work table now - instead of sharing it with my two machines.

I have a lovely day off today before Phil and I head up to Port Angeles tomorrow morning. We're just hanging out watching "Growing Up Giraffe", and starting to pack.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Wrap-up

2006-09-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

An amazing Kimono Pattern my mom just gave me - from the year I was born!!

I've been collecting all the selvages from every fabric I use - I'd like to think of a cool project to use them for.

A vintage wooden pear belt buckle!

Well, this weekend sure flew by.

-Phil and I had a lovely Friday night at our favorite Curry House, then relaxing back at the loft.

-Saturday, we went to Olvera Street to do some research for a project Phil is working on.

-I found out that The Kids Are Alright sold about 10 more of my pieces - various purses and pencil pouches!

-Today I REALLY cleaned up my workspace - made a lot more space and made it a lot more efficient.

-We're gearing up for our trip to Port Angeles this week. We're actually flying up to Seattle and then taking the puddle jumper to Port Angeles. I booked our puddle jumper tix tonight and found out you can only have 24lbs of luggage per person - so that's like, only one pair of shoes? Yikes!!

-I made some more soy birdie candles.

-Today I also went way overboard in the Japanese candy department at Nijiya. They make Caramel Pocky now!!

-Anxiously awaiting Fall to REALLY arrive here in Los Angeles. It"s been a little gloomy and cloudy, but still very muggy - no need for a sweater yet. I just want one real blustery, chilly, grey day!

I'm looking forward to my short but busy week ahead! More soon.........

Lets See, Today I....................

2006-09-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

-Painted my toenails

-Untangled a necklace that's been sitting here for months

gosh, my productivity as of late leaves a little to be desired.

I also made some more soy birdie candles. I really like the way they've been coming out - they're about the size of a real sparrow! I'm experimenting with more colors and I'm waiting for a few more molds to come in the mail - very exciting.

I'm also getting over the Benadryl Allergy I took this Saturday (those lovely Santa Anas) it felt like my head weighed 50 lbs., it was so weird. Anyways, it stayed in my system for like two days. I think that had something to do with my lack of "doing stuff".

Other news, Phil and I are finally going on a little vacation in a couple of weeks! We're going up to Seattle to stay with his Aunt and Uncle in Port Angeles. We've never been up to the Pacific Northwest and are very excited! More soon...

AHHHH...........

2006-09-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Chelsea Piers at Sunset

Wow. It's good to be home. I got back Wed. nite but needed a couple of days to recoup.

New York was hectic work-wise, but I got to hang out with a good friend who I only see about twice a year. The fashion industry is both exhausting and exciting at the same time. So many ideas and so much inspiriation, but sometimes, I question whether I have the strength to keep up.

Anyways, I hate being away from home. I realize that I have a very specific comfort zone and I don't really like to be taken out of it. I was never one who wanted to backpack thru Europe or go camping in the woods alone.

Well, I am having a very lovely Sunday watching The Royal Tenenbaums and making soy candles. Getting myself ready for the work week ahead...............

Start Spreadin' the News...

2006-09-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

What a busy/tiring couple of weeks. Lets see if I can sum up :

- Extremely busy with my day job (designing for a clothing company) trying to get samples ready for the New York D & A Show. We leave this Friday for 5 days.

-Trying to figure out which path to take with my personal work - my mind has been swirling with many scattered, disorganized ideas. Hopefully they will come into focus soon.

-Trying to deal with the fact that on the weekdays, I'm just too drained from work to do much of my own thing. It's a frustrating thing to try to come to terms with.

-Trying to pack and prepare for NY - I hate packing and preparing. There just are'nt enough
hours in the day.

-Finally really using my IPOD. I know it sounds dumb, but I've been downloading TV shows, photos, videos - it's awesome. I downloaded Season 1 of Weeds to watch on the plane.

-Looking at some more lofts and other options to buy in our area. Very exciting and daunting at the same time.

-Cleaning up and out - getting rid of a lot of junk.

-Trying to eat a lot healthier than we have in the past - no more burritos - lots of grilled chicken, salmon, and salads. But I might have to try those Reeses Peanut Butter Cups with the Marshmallow in it!!

-Hanging out with our 10 yr old family friend Eisaku. My bro brought him to Phil's studio so he could meet all the artists who draw his favorite cartoon!! Eisaku is a boy genius - he painted that still life of the pears - each pear is supposed to be from a different season, brilliant!!

-Trying to get some sleep - it's hard being tired when your mind is still racing with the things you want and need to do.

I'll be on a bit of a blogging break till I get back - hopefully life will resume to a somewhat normal pace after this NY show is over. Take care veryone!

Updates All Around

2006-09-07T00:42:00.000-07:00

Whenever I don't have any pics to post, I like to show a fabric that I am dying for. And this one is my latest obsession. It's a bit pricey from here, a Japanese import of course. If I can think of a perfect project for it, then I would get it, otherwise, no dice.

Let's see, what else is going on:

- I'm continuing my Christmas gift giving list. Now that my Mom and I have found a good dog biscuit recipe, there are some dogs on the list too! I'll post the recipe in the next week or so.

-I finally purchased some paperclay because of this great post - but have yet to touch it for fear of failure and frustration. Actually, I just have'nt had time to think of a cool project for it, and I need to study her awesome tutorial again.

-Phil has been going crazy on his Cintiq - having a ball and, periodically, laughing like a madman.

-Trying to finish some more Birdie Totes and give my Etsy shop a good updating. I'm not linking to it because, as Ali G would say, right now, "It's a bit crap."

-Gearing up for Fall. I'm finally going to buy a pair of rubber rainboots this year! I cannot wait for gloomy, grey, and COLD. I can't take this heat any longer, 106 in the valley today!

-Phil and I are looking into maybe buying a loft soon!

Very exciting changes ahead! I realized today, my Mom and I have such great ideas and we're really gonna try to get something going soon. I know that once we start, it'll really push us to keep going.

Happy short week everyone!

More Than Meets the Eye!!

2006-09-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

My first shrinky dinks pins. Thanks to Hillary for a great tutorial!

4th and Spring - filming Transformers the Movie. My guess is, a mighty Autobot and Decepticon battle took place here - probably tachyon.

Fake car wreck and all the concrete and pavement was fake styrofoam

Styrofoam gothic statue.

So, here's a list of the "going's on" this holiday weekend:

-Tried my hand at some shrinky dink pins - quails abounded

-Really bummed about Steve Irwin

-Got to see the Transformers movie set a block away from our building and had an

Optimus Prime sighting, but did'nt have my camera for that.

-Nicely folded all my fabric into neat stacks.

-Did'nt want to disturb the neatly folded stacks, therefor I have no sewing projects to show

for myself.

-Started my Christmas gift giving list!!! It's never too early.

-Lots of "thinking about" and "writing down" ideas, but not really doing much. But Phil was

very inspired this weekend and got lots of amazing personal work done with his new Cintiq!

-Watched the end of one of our favorite Anime series "Full Metal Alchemist". So beautiful and

sad.

-Went to Jungle Anime 4 days in a row.

Hope eveyone had a lovely weekend!

Van-tastic

2006-09-03T03:57:00.000-07:00

So I bought these Vans a while ago, and Phil took them to work to have all the guys in the studio draw on them. Here's the progress so far. I went to visit him at work the other day and I had completely forgotten that they were even there - they are so cool. Phil has yet to do his piece on them. I don't know if I'll want to wear them when they're done, for fear of messing them up - maybe I'll just have to keep them as an art piece.

Equivalent Exchange

2006-09-01T23:35:00.000-07:00

Another busy week with lots of cleaning - but it feels great! We also made these healthy dog biscuits for Zero on Wednesday. She loved them.

This week was filled with lots of Full Metal Alchemist watching - and it's Phil's birthday today!! We both got home early today and had dinner at Curry House, and went to Jungle Anime to get what else - more Full Metal DVD's That was Phil's present.

So glad it's a long weekend. I want to try to get some sewing in and possibly an embroidery project I've been thinking about. Happy Back to School shopping everyone!

Notebook Personality and Other Revelations.

2006-08-28T23:54:00.000-07:00

I was going thru all my notebooks today and realized, out of all the dozens of cute Japanese ones, Urban Outfitters ones, Pearl Art Store ones, home made ones, my all time fave ( the one I've been using steadily for at least a month) is the one from my Dad's office that my Mom gave me! It's purse size, but not too small, spiral bound, durable plastic cover and back, and has graph paper pages! Pure perfection! I've realized that graph paper is perfectly suited for writing notes and drawing sketches. Anyways, that was todays revelation. That and that Fiskars makes a PINK cutting mat!!!

Farewell Sweet Weekend...

2006-08-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's 11:59 pm and Phil and I are desperately trying to hold on to the weekend. We go thru this pretty much every Sunday at this time. That feeling of not wanting Monday to come, not wanting our creative energy that comes on the weekend to go away... Well, I managed to work on a Birdie Tote that I've been thinking about for a long time. It's two sided and has a magnetic snap inside. Also, I am planning to work on this flower pillow pattern that my mom gave me - it's from 1968!

Sabado Gigante Part 5 or something..

2006-08-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

My purchases from the Reform School - the pic won't load right for some reason

A Hearts Challenger sighting finally!!!!

My twenty-five cent yard sale find - resin bouqet!

For some reason, Phil and I woke up this morning with that strange and wonderful Christmas morning feeling. Like we had nothing to do but watch cartoons and eat breakfast and stay in our PJ's all day. Maybe it's because we've been so busy lately with work and other things - we are gonna just do nothing today!!

Sunset Junction was pretty fun yesterday. We got there around 1:30pm and parked way up in one of the surrounding neighborhoods. It was cool because a lot of the locals were having yard sales, knowing there would be major foot traffic in their neighborhood. We got a little resin bouquet and a vintage Star Wars pillow case - both were twenty five cents each, but Phil insisted on giving the guy $1 for each. Still a great deal.

The actual street fair was cool, I got to see the Hearts Challenger ice cream truck! My mom and dad came down too which was cool - they wanted to see my stuff! There were tons of street vendors - incense, buddha and ganesh statues, tie dye tees, etc. - and carnival style rides, 3 music stages.

My items were being sold at The Reform School. It's a really cool space - I bought a couple of pocket mirrors, one for me, one for a gift. I was excited to see my purses and pencil pouches hanging there next to Jill Bliss totes, and Lisa Congdon's beautiful artwork and fabric cuffs!

We stopped in the Giant Robot store and got Phil a hat. Also got to see the great Jen Corace exhibit in Junc Gallery. Then we all headed to J-Town for lunch at Curry House. A fun Saturday - but I took a two hour nap when we got home. :)

I'm Sew Tired...........

2006-08-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

3-Ring Binder Pencil Pouches

Tie the Knot Purses

Belted Pencil Pouches

This is just a smattering of what I made for the Sunset Junction event this weekend. In total, I made 48 pieces - I had some late nights this week! But Phil stayed up with me watching Wolf's Rain and drawing this new Magneto. Hopefully it won't be too hot on the Boulevard tomorrow.

My bro and his wife are going to the Battlestar Galactica Convention Sat. and Sun. My mom and I finished a big chunk of their outfits last night and she's putting the final touches on them tonight. I'm sure he'll be sending me some funny picture messages all day!

Oh, I just dream of a weekend that I can spend leisurely starting/finishing a crewel project, finally begin work on my Wee Wonderfuls put-together book project (I'm gonna do the Bunny), make some owl candles, experiment with some glass etching cream, organize and back-up all my digital photo files, watch my 4 disc Pippi Longstocking (orig. Inger Nilsson version)box set that arrived a while back, proceed to copy all the aprons she wears in the movies, and lastly, make myself a tanktop/shorts sleep set out of this. Maybe next weekend......

busy bee..

2006-08-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

vintage paisley fabric (cut off the bottom of a smock dress i got a couple weeks ago)

wow. what a busy weekend and busy start to a busy week. we had a great luau this saturday - the tissue holder party favors went over well! i will post pics of all that once i sort thru them all. there's other news about the luau that i'll post later...

i've been sewing up a storm getting ready for Sunset Junction. i have to have everything ready ready by Wednesday or Thursday. i was doing pretty good with just my totes and stuff, but then came up with this pencil holder. each one has its own little "belt" with these vintage belt buckles i found the ther day. anyways, the pattern took me a couple of tries to finally get it right, and now i wanna make like 10 of them for the street fair. i work best under pressure....

To sleep, perchance to dream...

2006-08-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

I can never resist star-shaped beads! I'm thinking of sewing them all over a tote - maybe a landscape with stars in the night sky. There are some cool flower ones in there too. I got them at The Bead Factory in the Trim District a couple blocks away.

A pinky/coral colored Anthurium

Some cool vintage cameos I found at my favorite haunt - Berger Beads. I've been going there as long as I can remember (at least 20 years) and those ladies still have not warmed up to me. Ah well, no skin off my nose.

Well it has been a busy week! I got another purse off to The Kids Are Alright, we've been preparing for the luau, and just trying to fit some sleep in in between. I actually fell asleep at 9:30pm last night!

Today Phil and I got up early (9am) to go to the LA Flower Mart. We got several bunches of orchids, a few bunches of haleconia and greens, and a couple of anthuriums - all for the luau tonight. As we were parking in front of the Mart, we had a very funny interaction with a homeless man we now know is named Andre. More about him another time......

Tissue Tuesday

2006-08-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a fun Sunday down at Nisei Week again. This time, we waited til evening to go out there and have dinner. There was an Anime Costume Contest during the day in the Village Square, so there were a lot of people walking around in these crazy costumes. It was pretty funny.

I just finished 40 tissure holders tonight. There's a big end of Summer Luau at my parents house this Saturday and these willl be the party favors. My mom is making some also and we're gonna display them in a big basket by the door. There are some Star Trek fabric ones in there for the boys! They each have a little hanging loop sewn into them too. We're going to put a little "Mahalo" tag on each one.

Now, back to brainstorming for the costumes I'm making my bro and his wife - they're going to a Battlestar Galactica Convention at the end of the month - yes, as Starbuck and Apollo of course.

Nisei Week Part 1

2006-08-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

One of the many performers for Nisei Week!

Some finds from my favorite J-Town store Bunkado. A vintage animal stamp set - the stamp pad is in a tin case! And a couple of Japanese iron-on patches.

A Taiko drumming perfomance at the Tofu Festival.

The entrance of the Tofu Festival

Our reflection in the bank window as we were standing in the ATM line.

It was a fun and full day today as Nisei Week kicked off! It was cool to see 10 times as many people than we would normally see on a Saturday in J-Town. First, Phil and I went to get some lunch at Nijiya market. We stood in the Village Square for a moment and watched what can only be described as the Japanese Beach Boys perform. Then off to our usual Anime shops, gift shops, and cruising around the various booths at the Tofu Festival.

More tomorrow....

Tetsujin Morimoto!!!!!

2006-08-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

More buttons from my mom! I love the two at the bottom with the tri-leaf designs in them.

So glad it's Friday!! Phil and I had a nice dinner at Oomasa tonight. Just a little cleaning up and relaxing. Tomorrow, we're spending the day in J-Town again - the Nisei Week events begin! Music, shopping, food, Karate/Kendo demonstrations, etc. The Tofu Festival is part of that too which will be fun. And, Iron Chef Morimoto will be there , woo hoo! There will also be an Anime Festival and a theatre will be showing old black and white Samurai flicks!

Happy Weekend everyone :)

Buttons, Bugs, Bundts

2006-08-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Apple bundt cake my mom made tonight.

This insane caterpillar my mom found on her tomato plant. So of course we put it in a jar and looked at him all night with a magnifying glass. That thorn-like thing is on his back end. My little cousin Fernando named him "Senor Nibbles".

My finds from looking through my mom's buttons. This is the shank button group. My favorite is the heart shaped pearl one can you spot it? I got a whole bunch of others too, lots of vintage Japanese ones which I'll photograph later.

A Fun Monday

2006-08-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Mochi from Kinokuni

Monday, Phil and I went to my parents house around 9pm to wash his car in their driveway. It sounds weird but we have no other time during the week or weekend. My bro and Mari came came over too and it ended up being a really fun night. Above is my parents new dining room table. Phil is drawing and my brother is looking at his new Battlestar Galactica game.

My dad made the best shave ice ever. It was rootbeer float style with vanilla ice cream in the middle! We all ate shave ice and talked and laughed and played with Zero. It was a fun change to have a weekday gathering and not feel stressed - like I have to get home and work or clean up my stuff, etc.

But today however, I had an unexpectedly long workday which sucked. Luckily, Phil was already home when I got here and we took a short nap, had dinner, and watched An Evening With Kevin Smith borrowed from my bro. Awesome!

Trees, Tea's, and WIP's

2006-08-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

Work in Progress: more pencil pouches for Sunset Junction

A vintage store find in J-Town last night: faded paisley smock dress!!

Black tea with lemon

A tote idea I've been kicking around in my head for a while: a button tree. I don't love it, but I've been wanting to do my family tree so maybe I'll embroider names or initials next to them and just turn it into a wall hanging. I think it's the color of the tree. After I cut it out, realized it looked like a piece of coral. I normally like coral, but that was'nt the idea I was going for so it kinda just took me out of it. But I've decided to FINISH every project I start no matter what. I just don't want to have a bunch of half finished things lying around. That's my goal anyway.

Boy, after that last post, I realized how crummy my penmanship can be. Well, at least it's legible I hope :)

Petit 1 Pilot Pen

2006-08-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Wednesday contd...

2006-08-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

A new stash of fabric from Reprodepot arrived today. The tiny giraffe and apple prints are jersey! I have such a hard time finding printed jersey with patterns that I actually like. Very exciting!

I better make some tops with them quick. It was a lovely and cool 75 degrees here in Los Angeles today, very gloomy and grey, and it even drizzled a little! Fall is only a month away.

Some awesome buttons from my mom!! :)

Another rad thing from my mom - an owl candle she made from a mold that she's had since at least the 70's. The mold has started to crack so we're going to re-cast it. There are many owl candles out there, but we have never seen one that looks exactly like this. It's got a very cute, stockier shape to it. We used to make so many of these when I was little, and we're gonna start again - maybe sell some on Etsy.

Wednesday Dinner

2006-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Zero and Me = BFF

Battle Beast!!

2006-08-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

I just had to show you all the lovely work of my Philip. He just finished this Battle Beast character this weekend, even with a pinched nerve in his drawing hand!

Battle Beast is a character from a comic book called Invincible which I have mentioned before. This piece will be published in the Invincible Handbook within the next year or so. I'm so proud of him. It was one of those projects that had been hanging over his head for a while and he was not only relieved to have finally finished it, but he was very happy with his own work :)

The Best Brother Ever

2006-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Look what my bro surprised me with last night. It's a custom portrait of me by the black apple. I could'nt believe it. It was something I had always wanted to do but never told anyone about. He just knew I would like it!! It turns out that he had been in contact with Emily for the last 3 months!! Sending her pics of me and emails back and forth. What a sneaky guy :) Anyways, I am still in shock and I gotta find a place to hang it. Thanks again bro!!!

Weekend Works

2006-07-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

A Work in Progress of a Peter Pan Collar style tote

New purse on Etsy

New Purse

2006-07-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally bought this today. Actually, I thought I bought it several days ago but, like a doofus, I did'nt hit the "PAY" button. Sorry Emily! Anyways, I'm clearing a spot for her already :)

This is a new tote I made for myself today. It has all the details of a skirt with a waistband, pintucks, pockets, and buttoned tabs.
It's my first run through, probably make it a teeny bit smaller for Etsy. It's sort of school bag size right now rather than purse size.

There are giant clouds over Downtown right now. It's very gloomy and overcast - I love it. I simply cannot wait til Fall - I've actually forgotten what it feels like to have sleeves on my arms. Happy cool-down everyone!

Pagoda Rugs Make Me Happy

2006-07-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

I got this rug yesterday at Urban Outfitters, and today, the notebook with the same motif is on the Print and Pattern blog!

I am soo happy it's Friday - I could really use a three day weekend in here soon. I hope to get some sewing done this weekend, have some new ideas swirling around.

My bro said he has a surprise or something for me tomorrow so I have to meet him at our parents in the evening. I wonder what it is? He's ridonkulous sometimes :)

Purse, Pangea, Pacifica.....

2006-07-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

A Peace Dove purse I made this weekend.

Today's finds from Whole Foods. The Pangea shower gel smells awesome - it's Pine and Sage. I think some people feel that pine is too medicinal or masculine, but I love it. It reminds me of this Avon bubble bath my mom used to get me when I was little. It's perfectly refreshing for this hot weather. The Pacifica candle smells beautiful too - and look at the box! I also got one for my mom.

It was just too hot in the valley today. Is there any relief in sight? I have so much I want to do. I have been itching to work on my WeeWonderfuls Put Together project, a glass etching cream thingamajig, a large quilt for a friend, etc. Even though we have AC, being out in the heat all day kind of zaps your energy and all I want to do is lay about and watch Animal Planet. Did you see Growing Up Seal, the one with the Ring Seals? Oh my gosh, I've never seen anything cuter in my life!!

Well off to fix us some ice cream cones!

Hot Pockets

2006-07-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

More 3-Ring Binder Pencil Pouches waiting for their eyelets.

Zipper pull detail

More pencil pouches

I had a very productive weekend in that I was held hostage in our loft by this insane heat. Phil and I dared not emerge from the comfort of our AC'd abode until after 10pm every night. Even though it was still 90 degrees at midnight!

But, I did get a lot of sewing done - pencil pouches and purses galore. We did'nt go down to Comi-con this year, but my Bro and his wife went with their video cam. He always comes back with some hilarious footage and a Cliffs-notes version of all the good stuff - new toys, comics, anime, movies, etc, coming out.

It's strange for Phil, being a comic book guy, to not be able to go to Comi-con because he had so much work to do - on a comic-oriented project. He finished drawing his piece for the Invincible Handbook, and it's beautiful. Maybe he'll let me post it when it's all colored. But you can check out his Deviant Art Page for other stuff he's done! :)

Hello Pretty

2006-07-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't a beauty blog, but my mom gave me the cutest thing the other day. It's "Hello Pretty" body lotion from Mark. How lovely is this bottle?! And it's got a lychee, watermelon, white pepper scent. Very light and perfect for this Summer heatwave. Thanks Momma!

Have'nt been sewing much this past week - but The Kids Are Alright called today and asked for some more purses! They already sold two of the three they bought last week. So I went back to the store this evening with another armload of stuff. They took three more purses, two pencil pouches, and the 3-ring binder pencil pouch! I was also asked to participate in the Sunset Junction event that happens at the end of August! I'll keep you posted. I plan to do a lot of sewing this weekend and try to stay cool......

Wednesday Dinner

2006-07-20T00:34:00.000-07:00

Zero and my feet

Zero, kissing my cousin Fernando, as my brother Jason looks on.

The three musketeers

My mom made an awesome carrot cake in honor of Zero's Birthday!!

Random Things

2006-07-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

Inari sushi that my mom and sister-in-law made on Sunday

Another on-sale quarter flat

Two Built by Wendy for Simplicity patterns! I can't wait to try the little capelet-ish coat, and the short sleeved blouse with waist belt.

Happy Birthday!

2006-07-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

ZERO!!!!

Happy Birthday my little Zeroni Boloney! She is 3 years old today and the best dog ever. She came to live with us when she was only 3 months old.

Zero is so smart, intuitive, funny, and just a plain old *jama jama. She can practically walk on her two hind legs if you're carrying the right food in your hands. We're taking her to Petsmart on Wednesday so that she can pick a toy. Yay!!

*Japanese word for trouble maker

On Sunset at sunset

2006-07-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

On our way to my parents tonight for Sunday dinner. We took Sunset Blvd. and stopped at Meltdown Comics on the way. Traffic was pretty much bumper to bumper for some reason at 7pm, and it was about 86 degrees. The sun was on it's way down. Sunset Blvd. actually looked kinda nice for once. Weird.

Your Trapper Keeper's New Friend..

2006-07-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

A new idea I kinda had in my dream this morning. I mean I was in and out of sleep and this was all I could think of - a stylish pencil pouch for your 3-ring binder! No more clear plastic and primary colors for me. I could'nt wait to wake up and make it. Anyways, it's up on Etsy :)

Chibi Kitty

2006-07-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to My Little Mochi for this great Chibi Kitty and Chibi Rabbit download. It's a great pattern and a very clearly written tutorial.

This is my kitty - I tried to camouflage the wonkiness of her ears by giving her a little flower. I think next time I'll use a little less slippery fabric for her body, linen tends to slide around a lot. But I do like her skirt. On my next kitty or bunny, I would like to try using more trims - perhaps some lace, ric rac, velvet ribbon etc. Or I'll try giving her an apron with pockets, a necklace, a belt, or put some dried lavender in her and turn her into a hanging sachet. I know my Bachan (grandma) would like one!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

2006-07-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

The back of the handmade card

Back of the postcard

Gorgeous hand-made card!!

Nymms' Postcard

Wow, I've been low on blog entries lately. But there have been lots of exciting things swirling around. First off, I received the amazing card(s) from Friederike! The work on the handmade piece is so gorgeous - I'm keeping that forever as a piece of art. And an unexpected surprise in the package, an amazing deckle-edged postcard with Nymms printed on it (as if by magic) and his story/quote on the back! So unbelievably beautiful - thank you Friederike and Sandra!!

Secondly, I sold my Spirograph Pencil Pouch to someone in lovely Georgia - the soon to be home state of my dear friend Nate!

Thirdly, three of my Craftychamploo purses are now officially sold at The Kids Are Alright!

It has been so ridiculously hot here in L.A., it got up to 106 degrees in the valleys, where I work, and not live fortunately. That said, it looks like I'll be staying indoors this weekend and sewing during the day and going for our walks at night. Stay cool everyone!

Pencil Pouches

2006-07-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my mom yesterday and told her to check my blog so she could see the new pencil pouches I was making - but I suddenly realized never posted them - I just thought I did. Man, I need a vacation.

I used that cool iron-on clear vinyl stuff so that the pouches are a little more durable. I was happy to find a use for the Spirograph fabric! I'm thinking about making some matching sketchbooks to go with and sell them as a set. But for now, these two are on Etsy.

Koge, Kitty, and Keroppi

2006-07-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Some sale items at the fabric store. I'm obsessed with Spirograph lately, so I was excited to find these quarter flats!

My mom always gets me the coolest things! All these Japanese cell phone bell charms - I gotta get a new phone so I can use them. I love them all but the Koge-Pan is my fave. He's the brown one with the giant head. His name means burned bread in Japanese, and he's always bummed cuz he's... a burned bread. Also the beautiful dish towel in the background - olive green with violets and fans - I love it! Thanks Mama!