Birthday Sale

Yay!  It's my birthday this weekend!  I thought I might have a little (rare) sale to celebrate.  For the next couple of days there is 20% off (not including postage) in both my stores (here and here) by using the coupon code "HappyBDay14".

And one lucky buyer will could win an extra 20% off by regramming on instagram / sharing on facebook / or forwarding this email.  Please let me know in the message on your purchase which one you have done and I'll refund the extra 20% to the winner on Tuesday.  Feel free to do all three to get three chances!

As well as my new Kanzashi Kits, I've just uploaded some of my new origami brooches for pre-order.  They won't get to me for a couple of weeks but there're in the Etsy store now so that they can join in the sale fun.

In the meantime, I'm off for a weekend of eating birthday cake!

Make Your Own Kanzashi Kits and a Birthday Sale

Over the last few days I've been very busy ironing, measuring and cutting lots of gorgeous little pieces of kimono fabric....

After many requests I've finally fulfilled my promise to put together little kits to make your own kimono kanzashi.  The tutorial has been available on my blog for a while, but the kits give you access to the little hard-to-get-your-hands-on pieces such as the kimono fabrics and special brooch backs.  You can find them over here.

My other little piece of news is that it's my birthday this weekend!  To celebrate, I'll be having a sale with 20% off everything in both my stores, here and here from Saturday until Monday AND a chance to win an additional 20% off.  I'll put the sale details and exclusive coupon code up mid-tomorrow morning, after a birthday weekend sleep-in first of course.

Happy New Shed (and a quick sale to celebrate)

Down in my back yard is a magical place.  It's a place I've dreamed of for years, a little place that I can call my very own, a quiet place to create.  

Since being in here, with my tools spread out and feeling like I have space to breathe, I've been inspired and have been working on my next collection named "Down the Garden Path".

I feel like it's a fusion between the greenery I see out my window everyday and my memories  of the Japanese temple gardens I used to go to when I didn't have a garden of my own.

This little piece in the front will be filled with an orangey-red resin representing the glittering scales of koi in garden ponds.  I would sit and watch them for hours as they would glide through the water.  

Near my apartment in Japan, there used to be a large glorious Gingko tree.  The leaves would flutter onto the footpath and would make me smile as I walked over their carpet.  My gingko leaf will be done both in a green and an autumn yellow.

The koi will also be turned upside down and filled with a beautiful sky blue resin reminding me of fluffy autumn clouds.

A Zen garden without stones just wouldn't feel complete, as they represent longevity and happiness.  I've taken a slightly different approach to my "Zen Stones", each one is hand carved out of jeweller's wax, cast in silver and filled with resin.  Each and every one is completely unique just as the stones in a garden would be.

I love when I carve them, they get surrounded by filings, reminding me of sand.  Maybe I should start raking it every now and then as I work.

Once filled with resin, just a single facet on each side shows colour.

Without rain those gardens would never grow, so added to the collection are little raindrops, coming down from the sky to kiss the flowers as I tell my little one.

To celebrate my magical new space (and just before I need to put some prices up), I'm having a quick sale that will end on July 1st.  Using the code "HappyNewShed" will get you 20% off either my webstore or my Etsy shop.  There is only one of the raindrops available in the sale (in the Etsy shop) and limited amounts of any of the sterling silver pieces. 

This is what my creative space has been looking like lately, to see more or add your own, head over here.

Massive Kimono Fabric Sale This Weekend

With the big moving date getting much closer, the BrisStyle Eco Market couldn't have come at a better time.  This Saturday, I'll be having a big sale on lots of gorgeous kimonos, kimono fabrics, Japanese cottons, Japanese papers, magazines and clearance jewellery stock that I can't take with me to the new studio.  I'll even have a large box of free fabric that needs a good home.

For the last hour of the market, from 1 to 2pm, all of the destash stock (jewellery not included) will be reduced to half price of the already on-sale prices.  

A sneak peek of some of the fabric that needs a good, loving home....

Hope to see you there!

Psst...

My holidays are almost upon me and I'm really excited.  I was telling the little one tonight how after four more sleeps we'd be on a plane to go and visit Granny and Grandad.  And bless her little 17month old soul, while not understanding the concept, she understood the tone and got all excited too.

It looks like life will still be crazily busy right until that moment we leave for the airport, but once I'm on that plane, I get to stop.  Stop for a whole ten days.  To do nothing much other than enjoy my family and see the gorgeous sights in New Zealand, oh and hopefully to read, to read the first novel since the little one was born.  It's going to be blissful.

But before then there are exciting things going on.  Tomorrow night is my final market for the year and it's going to be huge!  It's the BrisStyle Indie "Christmas" Twilight Market".  The best place to do your Christmas shopping!  

And with wholesale orders and Christmas markets, my poor little Etsy store has been left quite neglected.  I'm going to close up shop on Sunday, so am having a special 20% off sale for my Facebook "likers" and blog readers.  You just need to use the coupon code "XMAS10".  If you're in Australia, I'll pop your goodies into an express post packet for you too!

And, if you haven't already... you've still got until tomorrow morning to enter my Facebook giveaway.

I'm off now, more gluing to do, stock to pack and hopefully some sleep to get as well!

Kimono and Fabric Sale

A few weeks to go, but I'm getting very excited about the upcoming brisStyle Eco market!

I'll have a few of my usual pieces there, some vintage fabric kanzashi, some fabric cranes, but at this market, I get a chance to let some other people play with the gorgeous vintage kimono textiles I use. I'll be having a large sale of some of my kimono and obi collection as well as many, many fabrics from them.

Over the next few weeks, I'll pop up some photos of some of the pieces that will be there. Well I'd best get back to my unpicker now!

Another Half Off

So much to blog about, but sadly, much more to pack. We're in a packing frenzy here with the movers arriving in less that a week and me discovering that packing up a house while pregnant is a bit harder that I expected. Honestly, I thought it would be easier, not having to lift anything heavy, but it seems this pregnant body doesn't like all the getting up and down.

I'm going to finally close my stores on Monday night or Tuesday morning-ish. So, if you'd like anything before then, as one of my wonderful blog readers, take another 50% off the marked price (not the postage though sorry, but my usual postage discounts do apply). Let me know either on the Etsy sale or via eBay messages that you've read this post. If you're buying through the Etsy store or a bit from both Etsy and my eBay store, let me know your Paypal email address and I can send you a new invoice through there.

I still have fabrics that I never got to list, so some will be going into my personal stash and I'll send a bunch to Re-stash a Crafter that I found out through Handmaiden.

See you! I'm back to packing!

A Late Winner Announcement after a Busy Week

I'm so sorry that I was late drawing the winner of my giveaway! It was quite a week, a good one, but a busy one.

Let's see, there was a prenatal checkup (all is going well), a sick husband who moved out of the bedroom to try to avoid passing on any germs to me, a farewell party for me thrown by the school Camera Club, presents and a talk about my "Photographic journey" to prepare for that party, bookings every lunch break and after school for students to practice an interview for an extra curricular English exam, tests to write and a birthday party also thrown for me, all on top of the usual. Pre-pregnancy I would have taken it all in my stride, but lately, I'm amazed at how quickly that I not only run out of energy, but gladly give in to the tiredness.

DH was feeling better by Friday night, after having a cold all week, so we thought that we'd try to go out for dinner and a movie. We managed dinner, but I quickly crashed after that and was in bed, asleep by the 8.05 movie start time. So much for the second trimester energy boost!

My bump is getting bigger, one day I will get over my camera shyness and show you a picture. I had my first complete stranger ask me if I was pregnant the other day and some of the girls at school have asked if they can touch my belly. My friend Mel, whose place we had the birthday lunch at yesterday, had told her adorable little one all about the "bubbie" in my tummy. When leaving, I got a big hug and a kiss from him, and the bubbie got a kiss too. So sweet.

I have been slowly listing stock in my Etsy store, but I have to confess I still have a lot more to do. I hope to get some more up (including new pendants) in tonight and will be extending the sale and closing of the store until around March 8th-ish.

But that's enough rambling from me, I'm sure you want to know who the winner was... well there were 32 comments, but one of those was a double, and one person who told me in the comments that they had mentioned the giveaway on their blog (I know at least two other people mentioned it as well, but without the comment and my airhead of a pregnant brain, I've forgotten who that was, please let me know, I'd like to give you a little something), so that made 32 entries.

And the winner was.... number 17, which was Edward and Lilly. Rebecca is such a generous, inspiring woman. Not only has she been busy making the cutest little Bushfire Bunnies to help out those who have lost so much in the Victorian fires, but she's also donating the proceeds from her sales in her Etsy store to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. I'd say this win was really good karma.

The Move, the Sale and the Giveaway

The fact that I have only six and a half weeks left until I leave Japan is becoming more and more real. Our packing boxes from the shipping company arrived on the weekend, so stand as a reminder every time I go into the living room. As the living room is in the centre of the small apartment, that is a lot of the time.

For months now, I've been reflecting on where I want to take my business. I've had a few great years playing with ideas, exploring different product ranges and working out where my heart really lies. I've found that I've been spending too much time buying, sorting and photographing fabric supplies, that it has left little time for my real love, creating. As a result, once I move back to Australia, I'm going to be focusing on creating more jewellery, more bags and other things that for now remain in my sketchbook. I'll continue to sell kimono fabric, partly as an excuse to play with the gorgeous textiles.

As a result, I'm hoping to clear as much of the gorgeous Japanese cotton fabrics that I have in store and in stock waiting to list. Soooo... that means, it's time for a sale! A moving, leaving Japan, sale!

For the month of February, there is, and will be of all the new stock I list, 25 to 50% off everything. I hope to list new things every few days.

Mmmm... so that's the move, and the sale. How about the giveaway? I always love a good giveaway.

I'm giving away a US$30 voucher for my store. I'll draw the winner on February 18th, but need to ask that you use the voucher by February 28th. After that, our apartment is in serious, need-to-pack-everything-in-sight mode.

To win? Please visit my Etsy store, then comment on this blog which item is your favourite and if it's a fabric, what you think you might create with it. If you'd like two entries, mention the giveaway on your own blog and tell me in the comments also.

Good luck! I'm back to my packing now.

The 1500 Feedback Sale

This week, my eBay feedback went past the 1500 mark, so I thought I'd have a sale to celebrate. A sale in both my stores, for just my blog and mailing list readers.

The sale runs from today until 30th September 2008. Using the code "1500 Feedback" you'll get 15% off anything from either That Japanese Feeling or Kimono Reincarnate, including auctions that end during that time, or 20% off if you purchase more than one item. Sorry, but the discount doesn't include postage, though my usual combined postage discounts do apply.

The nitty gritty stuff....

When you purchase through either of my stores, please send me a message through the store with the "1500 Feedback" code so that I can apply the discount.

I can combine postage on both stores. If buying from both stores, please let me know both of your user names (if they differ).

I will be updating both stores during the sales period. If you'd like me to hold onto purchases to see what else I list before the sale ends, I'm more than happy to do that, please just let me know. I have so much more to list, including papers.

Sometimes I have trouble applying the full discount on eBay invoices and can't change the amounts on the Etsy invoices, so I can either give you my Paypal address to send the correct total to, or refund the discount through your Paypal payment.

Hope to see you there!

Wrapped, Packed and Away!

I'm so excited! I woke up this morning to find that I'd made my first Etsy sale! And then later in the day, my second! What a good day!

Sale! Three days only!

For three days, Café Press are having a $20 off sale for any orders of $75 or more, which includes anything bought from my store. To get the discount just put in the following code when you go through the checkout;

HOLIDAYVIP

The sale ends on 8th November, 2007 at 11.59pm (PST). The sale does exclude a few things, including taxes and shipping.

I've just put a few new designs in the store and of course, there are always my older popular designs to choose from as well. They are printed onto a variety of products; bags, shirts, cards and blank journal.

I'm starting to work on a range of designs taken from or influenced by vintage kimono fabric, as you can see by the kimono blossoms tote bag (the design is also available on different products) and the kimono fabric journal.

Sample Packs

Wow, it has been such a busy week!

For me, the week started off rather scary... I had someone get into my Paypal account. Thankfully, Paypal was on top of it and stopped all outgoing activity. It does mean though, that I'm still in the process of getting it unfrozen so I can access money myself.

I then had my parents arrive for a visit. My dad was teaching in Tokyo for a few days, so then he and my mum, came to where I live for a few days after that. While it's always great to see visitors, it does make life especially busy.

My mum is a quilter so she was in fabric heaven over here. She went crazy at my local craft shop, buying lots of gorgeous cotton fabrics for herself and her friends. She also had a hard time choosing from the large collection of quilting books that I showed her at the local bookshop. In the end, she found one that was exactly what she wanted, a creative use of the Japanese indigo-dyed fabrics, which while written in Japanese, had very clear instructions and templates.

I was a little concerned leaving her alone in my apartment with our collection of fabrics, but she was quite restrained. Knowing that she wanted to stock up on kimono fabrics, I prepared a number of sample packs for her arrival. She had a very hard time choosing and it was only my dad's reminders of luggage weight restrictions that stopped her from taking them all. So, after a long absence, our range of kimono fabric sample packs are back up in the store.

Mummy Mel is now fully back on board in the business which is great. She has become very talented at answering emails and sending out invoices with one hand, and the other holding little Ryder. She is now busy buying new stock which will include our first uchikake, the wedding kimono coat. Deciding on which one has been very difficult, but hope we can show you the final decision soon.