Goal!

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..........

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

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....

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..........

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...

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....

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

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.