Pour Easy

Hi there! I hope you guys are doing wonderful. I'm not sure if I've told you before, I'm a sucker for pretty packaging. Case in point:

This handsome bottle of cold brew coffee. Now Stumptown, in my opinion, creates some of the best caffeinated beverages. I love how the brand presents itself in its products and cafe branches -- cool, confident, uncomplicated, well thought of.  

These would be the same words I would use to describe this bottle.

I've kept this empty bottle. It's too good-looking to throw away.

After a thorough cleaning, I added a pouring spout.

I now use it everyday as an olive oil decanter, turning it from blah to TADA!

Japanese Young Artists' Books Fair, Part 2

Thanks for stopping by today!

I chanced upon an inspiring book show called the Japanese Young Artists' Book Fair in Manhattan's Kinokuniya Bookstore.

A small section of the store had all these books on display. They can be flipped through and even purchased. These are the work of Japanese contemporary artists.

Here is a write-up about the exhibit:

With the development of digital technology and machinery, bookmaking has become unthinkably easy compared to the past. The genre of artists' books, primarily made by young artists, is spreading globally. This project focuses on artists who are taking the book, a conventionally public medium, and turning into a private one. Today, the book form is an important communication medium for artists and it is possible for artists to produce multiple books of interest in small editions. This shift signifies the possible transformation of bookmaking from the realm of publicity, which privileged circulation figures to a private medium that emphasizes personal expression.

Hooray, books are here to stay! Don't you agree that self-publishing and self-expression are TADA!?

Here are my favorites:

The "Hakoneko" series by Yohiyuki Maeda. "Hako" means box and "Neko" means cat.

This particular one is interactive, allowing you to make a family of cats!

This "Cooler Hakoneko" tells the story of a cooler {the covers are made from Styrofoam} and its life in the fish market.

This "Carton Hakoneko" is about the life of a shipping box. Notice that the cover is made of cardboard with mailing labels like "fragile" on it.

This one's cover is made of aluminum, just like the "Savings Hakoneko", a piggy bank.

This book by Chihiro Tanaka, made of felt, is just right for little kids. I'm now thinking of turning scraps of felt from blah to TADA! this way. 

Suzumi Arimura's "Sign Book" Series is a collection of sketches on cardboard, laminated, and bound together. It doesn't have words in it, perhaps encouraging the reader to interpret it in their own way. 

Here is one of the pages, where blah objects like a soda can tab and a silica gel package are elevated to some importance. That or it could remind you of evidence from a crime scene {yikes!}.

This is Fumiha Tanaka's "Little Drawer".

Inside are colorful square-shaped cards that teach the alphabet.

Yuriko Katori keeps it old school with handwritten notes on folded paper.  I have certainly made one of these in the past.

How's that for book ideas? Whether you're making a travel journal, a collection of your kids' artwork, or a memoir, may the book you author be the next TADA!

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Japanese Young Artists' Books Fair, Part 1

How are you dear friends? Where I live, we're back to Daylight Savings Time and spring officially begins on the 20th. I'm hoping the weather will quickly warm up for us winter-weary folk.

Anyway, today let me tell you about an artist/book fair I went to.

It's called the Japanese Young Artists' Books Fair, on-going until tomorrow at the Kinokuniya Bookstore, Printed Matter and Book Court.

This is an annual book fair highlighting the works of Japanese contemporary artists curated by a Tokyo-based gallery called Pepper's Project.

On display {and also for sale} are these handmade books in limited quantities.

They showcase photography...

Colorful drawings...

Fun artwork...

Poetry...

Illustration...

Sketches...

Collage and assemblage.

I really enjoyed the mythical drawings from this book.

I also liked "Taberu" which, when translated, means "to eat". I love how a small fork is enclosed with the book!

Tomorrow, I'll share my other favorite books from the fair. Have a beautiful day!

Knit and Bead

I hope you're having a good day today!

When I travel, I carry things to keep me entertained during all the hours of waiting. I usually bring a book or a magazine. Sometimes, I take along a craft project like this knitting doll stashed in a project pouch that I made and updated.

Here is the strand I created from my knitting doll. I've decided to turn it into a necklace.

I found these purple beauties in my bead box.

I strung them together using a needle and thread.

Then I attached the beads to my knitted strand.

I kept to a monochromatic theme. Later on I can add beads in a different hue to change the look.

This is what the necklace looks like. TADA!

I can't wait to see what other things I can make using the knitting doll. If you have suggestions, please send them my way.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

My Project Pouch Revisited

Hello friends! I hope you all had a relaxing weekend.

Remember this linen pouch? It was a plain, blah pouch that I decorated with iron-on patches. The "K" is for the special nickname my family has for me, and it's also the initial of my niece's name who was born around the time I was making this. The coat of arms has no meaning. I liked it just because -- how often do you find one in pastel colors? The flower, well, I just happen to adore flowers!

The back of the pouch remained blank for a while.

Until I found a few more patches: the flower {I told you I love 'em!} reminds me of tropical destinations in Asia. The par avion patch is a nod to the thrills of snail mail. And the cocktail is a little reminder to have "happy hour" every day, however you define "happy hour" {mine would be "crafty hour"!}.

Here are the patches, now on the pouch. TADA!

In case you're curious, here is an easy guide to attach patches like these:
Step 1: Preheat iron to "cotton" setting.
Step 2: Pretest your fabric for heat tolerance at this setting {ex. fabric doesn't curl-up or discolor}
Step 3: Position the patch on the surface of the garment. Cover the patch with a cotton cloth. Iron for 10 to 15 seconds {put pressure on the patch and move the iron around}.
Step 4: Turn the garment inside-out. Iron this area for 20-25 seconds with some pressure.
Step 5: Allow garment to cool and it can be used. 

I use the pouch to store materials for crafty projects like this for French knitting. 

Here's the result of my first attempt. TADA!

Please come by on Wednesday. I'll show you what I used this knitted strand for. Meanwhile, have a beautiful day!

Party in a Tube

Hey, hey, happy Friday!

Today, I'm turning this empty paper towel roll from blah to TADA!

First I dressed it up with some snazzy paper.

Then I covered the bottom with a paper circle.

I manufactured a good amount of confetti with a craft punch and colored paper.

I filled the paper tube with the confetti...all the way to the top.

Then I covered this opening with another paper circle.

The paper wrapping on the tube and circles on both ends are easily attached with glue.

And look what we have -- a confetti stick! TADA! 

A fun idea: make a bunch of these for a surprise party or for a wedding.

Instruct guests to rip off one end of the tube.

Then, at the count of three, with a flick of the wrist overhead, an explosion confetti!

For more confetti inspiration, check this out.

Have a wonderful weekend!