Here we are over a month later. Lots of things have happend: my computer has been fixed, I went to Thailand with my son for two weeks (too cool of a trip - we will be going back in June or July to show it to my husband)....

I am finally caught up with my work - so I went stumbling and found this cool site:
This site describes in detail how to dye yarn with Kool Aid. I always thought that "stuff", the Kool Aid was poison - the taste, the smell and the really bright colors. This site makes it clear to me : There is a use for Kool Aid and it is dying yarn - bright colors are great for yarn!!!!
Check-out the site at :
http://www.snowangels.com/sketchbook/?page_id=418

I will be trying to get some of the Thailand pictures up in a few days..... ( I took 3 memory sticks for the camera and got them almost full......).

Cool idea for Origami paper....

I found this on another blog - Craft Avenue.
Using seed packages to decoupage on a flower pot. The idea made me think and why not use some Japanese origami paper to create an Asian flower pot.... Put a hibiscuss flower in it and it will become that Asian gift for a friend or a hostess......

I have added a link on the left below my etsy store link - so go and check it out!

Have not done much crafting this week!

My computer just took a dump: I have no internet, but my husband is workin just fine. I have tried everything I can think off, but nothing... So now, I will pay someone to look at it!
We went to the Local Azaela Festival on the north end of the island. It was stunning and we took over 200 pictures : everything from a butterfly resting on a piece of railing in a jungle, some really funky trees against the sun and of course the blooms..... Since I can not access them right here to add a picture please check out my husbands site. The link is on top of the page to the left!

I have however been shopping and I found stamps, stamps and more stamps. Some rather usual and some a bit unusual.... I will be listing them on etsy this week and next week. We are going to Thailand for spring break the beginning of April (we moved here to see Asia and now is as good as a chance as ever...) and will be gone from 4/2 until 4/11.

My newest craft - japanese Washi

Since we live in Japan it is time to indulge a little into the local culture and to me that means the local crafts. I have a friend, Reika, who is half Okinawan and half Philippine. She taught some of us the traditional are of folding that beautiful origami paper into a Kimono design.

We added the little shoes (with string to make them the traditional shoes) and the fan. The wire behind the fan was taken from a typical Japanese greeting card (I have a few in my etsy store)... All the items were attached to a special almost square pretty decorated cardboard as a picture. From what I learned during the class this is a pretty traditional craft. I am still debating on how to frame the 3-D picture and who to give it as a gift to.

All together this was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to my next "cultural" craft class. I just signed up for 2 free classes on Camp Kinser for the end of the month. One is for decorating an egg with washi (Japanese paper) and the other one is for Japanese gift wrapping (that involves cloth, paper, string etc and looks always pretty elaborate to me). The egg decorating class made me think of beads (well, I can not hide it I am a beader at heart) and the idea of decorating some wooden beads with the washi is floating around in my brain. I will know more after the class....

New cotton cloth tape !!!

It has taken me a while, but I just have to write about it : cloth tape. I had never seen something like that before. It is a 100 % cotton fabric with adhesive on the back. The tape is backed on the spool by peel-off paper. How neat - no sticky residue.... And it is pretty cool looking too. The majority off it has a very Japanese feel to it, but there are also a few spools with typical Aimee/Kawaii Figures on it. I have been using some off it to deck out some old picture frames and am giving them a new Asian look. Each spool is 5cm wide and 100 cm long (approx. 2x40")... My son was using it for his homework assignment in Japanese class - he cut some off the fans and balls out and combined them with origami paper for a collage..... So it seems the possibilities are amazing .....