Thursday, September 29, 2011

A little Stationery video-making recycled stationery

A Thank You card and Envelope set.

A visit with Polkaros

Yesterday was special day for me, I got to meet a fellow blogger friend Ros Lee from Polkaros. Ros was visiting New York for a couple of weeks but unfortunately our wires got crossed and we only got to hang out for day, but nonetheless, I had fun, and hope you did too Ros. We only had a couple of hours before shops closed and I had to run home to my dogs so we had lunch first at Rucola, which has delicious salads and sandwiches for lunch, and the venue is super cute with it's rustic feel. After lunch we meandered around Boerum Hill (where I live) and Cobble Hill and perused the shops. First store we went into was the Jonathan Adler shop with mind-blowing objet d'art for the home and lots of super adorable needle point pillows. We stopped in a quite a few vintage and antique stores which my neighborhood is brimming with. Ros struggled with bringing home a letterpress drawer but the practicality of bringing it on the airplane won out, I on the other will be making a trip back to my neighborhood antique person on Sunday to see if I find one for my bedroom. Another shop we went into on Court street had a little friend waiting for Ros to take home, a Gnome, he was grinning because he knew he was going to go live in Tokyo. Hope you make it in one piece Mr. Gnome. With the Gnome in her bag we needed to find her some bubble wrap to wrap the precious find which we did at the UPS store, where I think my new friend was totally ripped off when they charged her $4 for a yard of bubble wrap!!! But we had no choice the stores were closing soon and she needed to wrap her little garden friend up for a safe plane ride. Next and last stop Flight 001 on Smith street (there's one in Manhattan), a store dedicated just for your cute travel needs, where Ros bought a nice collapsible bag to store her breakables for her flight home. Then I walked her to the train station and said our goodbyes. Have an awesome flight home Ros!!!! See you soon I hope!

Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend
Day out with a new friend

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Cartes en Collage- Collage letters

This is one of the books I got the other day,
かわいい手紙コラージュの本, Collage of Cute Letter, it's super inspirational. It shows you how to make your own unique cards and letters with whimsy and romance! Some of them look like a kid made them and others are more sophisticated but all are wonderful. Here are a few pics, sorry for the poor light, lots of grey skies these days.

Japanese books
Japanese books
Japanese books
Japanese books
Japanese books

This collage of cute letter
ISBN: 978-4-416-81126-9
Author: edited by M. statement Shinko Hall
Release Date: 2011-03-15
Signature (and how): Letter cute collage book
Type size: A5
Number of pages: 144

かわいい手紙コラージュの本
ISBN: 978-4-416-81126-9
著者名:誠文堂新光社 編
発売日: 2011-03-15
書名(かな):カワイイテガミコラージュノホン
判型: A5
ページ数: 144

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A bunting we will go!

I made this little flag bunting for my bedroom, yesterday, out of sweet Japanese fabrics that have been screaming to find a place in my home decor.I thought that the flags went well with all the other triangles on my bed, like the comforter cover and the lion's mane on the lion pillow. The lighting is terrible the last few days with the cloudy skies and high humidity, so forgive the poor lighting.

flag bunting
flag bunting
flag bunting
flag bunting
Flag Bunting I made

oh Kinokuniya, you siren! Japanese & Korean goodness

Wednesday was a good day out for me. I went back to K-town to meet Debra for lunch at Worjip, a Korean deli/cafe. Worjip has a nice self-serve buffet bar, plus prepackaged lunch boxes and bentos. They also have a little specials area in the back where they will make the special to order and it's a set meal, usually comes with salad or pickles. Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed by the whole experience I didn't snap one shot, such a dingbat. After lunch I headed over to Paris Baguette, a Korean pastry shop, where again my mind was blow by the pastry extravaganza, but this time I got it together enough to snap a few shots for you lovely readers to take a peek at. I got a hot green tea latte and nothing else only because I made a royal pig out of myself at Worjip, but not to worry I had a treat there the last time I was in K-town and will again! What I loved about Paris Baguette aside from every delicious pastry was that it reminded me of all the wonderful pastry shops in Japan, like St. Honoré.

Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette
After my green tea latte, I headed further uptown on sixth avenue (avenue of the americas) to Toho, a great shop for those who like to make jewelry. Toho is a Japanese vendor who sells, findings & beads, I picked up a few little findings for some rings and necklaces I'm making, will post soon.
A few blocks away, my home away from home, Kinokuniya. I perused the aisles of crafting and came home with few books, I'm ashamed to say, only because I'm on a tight budget these days (but pleased as punch to have found these beauties). I will show you one today only because it will be an image overload and post the rest over the next couple of days. The book I'm showing you is a wonderful stamp book with the artwork of three well known stamp artists, Mizutama, Mogerin, and Yuki, Eraser stamp design can BOOK.

Kinokuniya
Kinokuniya
Kinokuniya
Kinokuniya
Japanese books
Japanese books
Japanese books
Japanese books
Japanese books


消しゴムはんこ図案BOOK
レディブティックシリーズ 3257 クラフト
mizutama/〔著〕 mogerin/〔著〕 yuki/〔著〕
出版社名 : ブティック社
出版年月 : 2011年8月
ISBNコード : 978-4-8347-3257-3

Eraser stamp design can BOOK
Craft Lady Boutique Series 3257
Author]] yuki / [Author] mogerin / [Author mizutama / [
Publisher Name: Butikku社
Publication Date: August 2011
ISBN: 978-4-8347-3257-3


OH! I found these ads in the windows of my once employer (yes I worked for them but I'm not allowed to say anything negative about them because they can do some serious damage to me and mine, so I will never use their name, but you know who they are).I was disappointed and nostalgic all at the same time. Disappointed because my wonderful, dear, sweet Nakameguro is being used like a cheap whore, but nostalgic because I truly miss my wonderful, dear, sweet Nakameguro, my once home in Tokyo.

IMG_9843

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Little Korea and a tricky pooch

This weekend started off with a trip to the InkPad in the West Village for some stampy goodness, and then headed up to midtown to K-town for some yummy Korean tofu stew at BCD Tofu House.
The InkPad was a bit overwhelming, so I'll definitely have to head back to take my time and really peruse, but I scored nonetheless, with these great stamps and a bag a paper goods from Just Enough Stuff, that contains lots of vintage tears from books and mags great for stationery making.

THE INKPAD
IMG_9777
IMG_0905
IMG_0906

Next up, BCD Tofu house was a delicious treat indeed. When you get seated, they bring you an assortment of pickles and a fried fish as a complimentary appetizer. You can get free refills too, to your already freebee. I had the Soondubuchigae, a spicy Korean tofu stew, but they'll adjust the level of spicy to your taste. They also offer a variety from plain to pork. I got the beef one. It comes with a raw egg that you crack open over your stew and it cooks in with the heat of the stew. A sticky rice is also served to everyone even if you got a rice bowl like Bibembop. Then at the end they come and pour water into the individual rice container and stir up water left to make a rice porridge for the end of your meal, waste not want not.

Tofu house
Tofu house
Tofu house
Tofu house

The next morning we headed to the Rockaways for a chilly day on the boardwalk for the honey festival. The festival was small but there were creatures a-plenty walking the boardwalk. Best of all there was Tilly, a Jack Russell, who used her naroticism (don't think that's a word, but whateves) for good, and made art! She basically barked and scratched the bejesus out of a scratch board and then her father peeled away the cover and there were Tilly's scratches.

Rockaways
Rockaways
Rockaways
Rockaways
Rockaways
Rockaways

getting there:

The Inkpad
37 7th Avenue (between 12th and 13th streets)
NYC 10011
212.463.9876
Take the 2 or 3 train to 14th street, walk south on 7th ave to 13th and 7th ave.

BCD Tofu House
17 W 32nd st (between 5th and 6th ave)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 967-1900
Take any of the following trains:
34 St - Herald Sq (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R)
33 St (6)

Little treats from Japan

Our neighbor, Alice, was away in Tokyo for 5 days and we were watching her cat, Max, (lil'hangry as I like to call her). Alice was nice enough to bring us some tasty treats, dango, and a beautiful piece a fabric. I did a search for dango online and came up with this awesome cooking video, "Cooking with dog!" Of course I'm keeping the gift wrap and recycling into another project :)

Treats from Jpan
Treats from Jpan
Treats from Jpan
Treats from Jpan
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