Torii Gates tissue holder

Keep the winter sniffles at bay with this cute little tissue holder made from a Torii gates fabric. Torii gates are the bright orange structures found at the entrance to shrines in Japan. They are stunning structures and make a great print idea. This fabric was bought in Japan and makes a great gift for a Japan lover.

The tissue holder made from 100% cotton and is machine washable. The lining is made from an orange and white polka dot fabric that comeplements the outer print perfectly.

The tissue holder is big enough to fit a travel size pack of tissues and is easy to find in your bag.

It makes a great birthday gift or get-well-soon gift for someone special.

 

I lived in Tokyo for four years (over ten years ago now) and have very fond memories of my time there. Japan still has a lasting effect on me and many of the products I sell in my Etsy shop are made using Japanese fabrics or are inspired by Japanese design. While I was living there, I managed to travel around Japan a bit and went to Kyoto several times. One time was with my parents, when they came to visit me from the UK. We spent a few days enjoying the city and seeing the sights.

One of the most impressive sights was the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine that has hundreds of stunning orange tori gates that form a tunnel up the 233 metre mountain.

The temple is dedicated to the rice god Inari and many local business pay to have a torii gate added to this stunning sight.

Visitors can write prayers, wishes or thanks on the back of these 'ema' which are wooden plaques in the shape of fox heads. They can also draw a face on the front of the plaque.

Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist shrine has stunning views of Kyoto.

It's great to go in blossom season when all the trees are in full bloom.

Geisha in the Gion district stroll the streets in brightly coloured kimonos with bold designs.

The Arashiyama forest consists of avenues of bamboo, that are very tall and tightly packed.

We came across these women in the forest, wearing stunning kimonos.

You can read more about my time in Toyo on my blog here.

Stork scarf

 I love making scarves for my Etsy shop and this one was especially fun to make. I love the dramatic stork design and loved combining it with the red border on either end of the scarf. Both fabrics come from vintage Japanese kimonos which I have pieced together to create something new and dramatic.

The main print of this scarf comes from a cotton kimono and it was used for the sleeves of the kimono. The storks are on a dramatic sage green colour background. The red fabric comes form a different kimono and has a soft geometric design.

For the back of the scarf I used a vintage black kimono fabric that adds drama to the bright colours.

Touches of orange leaves and berries contrast with the green of the background.

The scarf makes a great addition to any outfit and would make a great gift for a Japanophile. All items are gift wrapped in pink tissue paper and can be sent straight to their recipient with an option gift message included.

Kimono cutie

Here's another kimono cutie I've just added to my Etsy shop. It's a decorative kimono scarf made from vintage Japanese kimono fabrics that I've pieced together. I love using a variety of fabrics within one scarf and often like to add a decorative border to the ends of the scarf in a contrasting coloured fabric.

The main body of the scarf is made from a gorgeously soft silk fabric in shades of red, yellow and white on a deep blue background. There is a floral pattern that includes stylised chrysanthemums, maple leaves and blossom.

The scarf can be worn in many different ways. I like to drape it loosely around my neck.

The border design is made from a vibrant red and white geometric design, made up of circles and dots. It also includes floral elements.

This scarf can be worn in many different ways and is a great way of adding colour to an outfit.

All my scarves are wrapped in pink tissue paper and sent with a Cheeky Leopard postcard. They make a great gift for someone special and can be sent straight to their recipient with an optional gift message included.

 

Kimono artwork

 When I lived in Tokyo I grew to love the traditional kimonos that come in amazing colours and stunning designs. I even had a lesson on how to wear a kimono - which is very involved but an amazing experience! You can read about that experience on my other blog called Katie in Tokyo. I still have a massive appreciation for the kimono designs and fabrics and often use them in my creations. I now have a pretty kimono artwork to reflect that, available in my Etsy store.

I chose a pretty pink colour as the background and embellished it with flowers and bamboo leaves that are traditional motifs used on kimono designs.

This hand-drawn kimono design is digitally printed onto a lovely thick watercolour paper. It's packaged in a cellophane envelope and then gift wrapped in pink tissue paper. This would make a great gift for any Japan-lover. It can be sent straight to its recipient with an optional gift message included.

This kimono artwork would look fabulous in the bedroom or in a dressing room.

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Adventures in Japan

The latest Spoonflower design challenge is called Adventure Ditzy Prints and I decided to create a print based on my adventures in Japan. I've included all the things I love about the city including sushi, torri gates and blossom. Which is your favourite?! You can vote for my design here.

You can buy this Japanese fabric by-the-metre in my Spoonflower shop or as ready-made items.

You can also find this print in my Etsy shop on this cute cosmetic bag and matching tissue holder combo.

There's also the option to buy this design as a cute Japanese artwork for the home. It's printed onto a thick watercolour paper and comes gift wrapped - the perfect gift for a Japanophile.

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Wanderlust Wednesday

 Are you suffering from wanderlust? I definitely am! During normal times I would satisfy my lust for wander with a trip abroad. Sadly travel restrictions mean that’s not possible so I’ll have to make do with doodling my own version instead! It's been a long time since I went to Japan and I've created this little homage to that amazing country with an illustration of Mount Fuji, complete with red sun, orange torii gate and bamboo leaves.

This illustration has a matching Mount Fuji print on three different backgrounds which can all be found in my Spoonflower shop. You can buy it by the yard on a variety of fabric choices or have it made up into home accessories such as cushions, curtains and tableware.

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Japan House

Last week I ventured out to my first exhibition in months! Japan House, based on Kensington High Street was housing a capsule collection of kimonos created by Takahashi Hiroko. She is an artist and expert in traditional Japanese crafts, seen below using the 'Nioudachi' pose, a pose that two deities would use to protect the dharma and often seen at the entrance of temples.

In this exhibition she was using the traditional idea of handing kimonos down to the younger generation. where the parent's old kimonos would be re-dyed and re-tailored to fit children and grandchildren

She has taken old kimonos and unstitched them, de-colourized them and then re-dyed them with dots before reconstructing the kimonos.

There was only a small number of kimonos, each in a monochrome colour palette with a touch of gold.

Sometimes the gold element was just shown in the obijime - the 'belt' that goes over the obi.

I loved the use of bold geometrics where patterns clash but the colour palette holds them together.

Japan House also has a wonderful shop to browse around. I tend to home in on the bright colours, such as these wonderful washi wrapping papers.

Items are beautifully displayed and a simple wooden bento box becomes a work of art in itself.

Fans take on a modern feel in this geometric print.

Enamel spoons artfully placed on a simple wooden tray.

Tenegui fabrics in many shades, colours and prints.

Tenegui are thin lengths of cloth that are have a number of uses including hand towel, head band or wrapping fabric. They are usually hand printed and come in amazing prints and colours.

These stunning wooden pieces use a technique where the wood is carved by hand and fitted together without the use of nails. It would originally have been used as a window covering.

Hand printed stationery using bold design and vibrant colours.

The kimono exhibition finishes today but it's still worth a visit to the shop if you fancy a little taster into Japanese design.

Little and large

I recently created this matching pair of purses, made out of a fab tenegui fabric I found in Yanaka. 

Tenegui are Japanese printed fabrics that tend to be used as anything from dishcloths to napkins, as gift wrap, or just as a decorative item to hang on your wall. I have to say, I have a slight addiction to them and often find myself swiping them up when I spy a new design that I like. This is the most recent purchase and I love the combination of the bright tomato red and cream mixed with the retro styling of the bicycles. I have made a cosmetic size bag (which can also be used as a handbag organiser) as well as a coin purse size, which fits perfectly inside and is great for carrying ipod earbuds. You can find them on my Etsy store here. 

I also have the same design in black and cream, so watch this space for a new arrival.....