Kanzashi

I love Etsy! They just had a new article I found today about the art of Japanese Kanzashi making.You can read the article Here.  These elaborate fabric ornaments are carefully handmade traditionally from silk and are worn with kimono and traditional dress. Earlier this year I found an amazing kanzashi artist named Yonuko. Her Kanzashi are just exquisite! I wish I could find where to buy her wares. You can read an awesome article  in Ping magazine's archive about her and the making process here. I find constant inspiration from looking at these gorgeous hair ornaments.

This is my Favorite of Yonuko's.

Inspiration

Just wanted to share a quick insight into my process tonight! As everyone knows, I'm obsessed with asian aesthetic, not just in jewelry, but in just about anything : architecture, food, clothing, even utensils. I got these beautiful chopsticks at my bridal shower and I've been using them with just about every meal.  I adore them. I adored them so much that I started thinking, how can I translate this into a wearable piece? So here is my finished product of that thought. I simply love the way the wood and the blues pop against each other. 

I'm constantly thinking of jewelry and when I come across something I like, my initial reaction is: how can I use this in my design? What can I learn from this and translate it into my work? How can I wear that?   :) 

Oh and p.s We bought our tickets to Japan last night. I'm so ready to buy more chopsticks! (and much, much more)

My Dad and I

This weekend my Father and I shared a table at the Fight like a Girl Craft show in support of breast cancer.  It was so much fun to work together! My Father is an astronomer for Johns Hopkins and spends much of his time gazing at the heavens. However, when he's not looking upwards, he's pointing his camera at the wonders here on the ground.  I love his photography and how he can capture the often forgotten beauty of nature close at home.  Since we were sharing a table, it was of course natural that we do a collaboration. So here are some photos of that collaboration. I think they came out wonderfully! I hope to work together with his photography again in the future  :)

Bel Air Fine Arts Recap

I think perhaps the world is coming to an end! My proof : yesterday's show was perfect. I kid you not, there was not a single problem (which is a jaw dropping first)

Weather : sunny and gorgeous, no wind to knock the tent over
location : so easy to unload and our space on a LEVEL piece of ground
organization : Smooth without a kink
Crowd : Kindest people in the world!

Which brings me to my conclusion that something must be wrong.... however I will kindly take this as a gift from the Craft Show Gods as a an apology for all the craziness we've endured in the past ( and if you're an artist you  know what I mean). But really, Bel Air was  such a great show and we had a complete blast! Thanks to all the wonderful people who stopped by to say hello. It was also a great surprise to see many faces from past shows. To top it all off, we got to watch people drink out of the great lion head fountain all day!

Goal!

Hooray! I'm celebrating a reached goal  today: I have now posted more entries this year than I have in any other years of keeping with my little blog! Looking back at the past years worth of entries it's really amusing to see how my business has grown and changed. It's also very amusing to see how I lapse into a posting pattern which basically goes like this : post about new work, post about shows, forget to post for extended period of time, post about my lack of updates using photos. Around and Around it goes ! So, seeing as my first goal has been reached, I am choosing a new goal of adding more personal insights and diversified content to my posting style. It's not promise, but I said it. So hooray for reaching goals and here's to being brave and creating new ones!

がんばって！

( Good luck/ do your best!)

Pictures Speak Louder

I don't have much time to blog today so here are some photos instead of words.

Come visit me at the Bel Air Festival of the Arts on the 19th of September! 

Also, for some reason the giveaway packages got returned to me so I've resent them today for those it concerns.

Have  a cheery rest of the day!

-Amy