The Bookcase Tour Giveaway - 20s Kimonos

I haven't been terribly consistent in my Bookcase Tour Tuesday posts.  I'd like to change that, and am asking for your help.  I'd love to know what you'd like to see, but more about that in a moment... first, some book eye candy... the book I'm giving away...

20's Kimono: 100 Royalty Free JPEG Files  

"The patterns used on kimono in the Taisho era (1912-1926) were composed, generous, bright and vivid.... when the tides of change were at work altering many aspects of Japanese society, the Taisho experienced an intermingling of the old and the new.  A brilliant popular culture blossomed in the resulting creative chaos." (from the book's introduction)

I  love the fabric designs that came out of Japan during this era.  There is a heavy Art Deco and Art Nouveau influence and you can almost feel the excitement of a culture opening its doors to the world outside.

There is a real sense of fun and humour to the bold patterns of this time.

Funnily enough, I have a pair of pajama bottoms that have this red print on them.

This period is filled with vibrant and colourful designs.

This book comes with a CD (PC and Mac compatible) with 100 magnificent designs from this era. 

Now lean in very closely while I whisper... I don't want the Man to hear... I'm giving away a copy of this book because... I loved it so much I accidentally bought two copies!


The giveaway is open all, I'll post it anywhere.  I'll draw and announce the winner on Tuesday October 12th (my time) in that day's Bookcase Tour post.  To enter, please take a few moments to answer my survey (link below) to help me decide what books to show you from my rather loaded bookcase.


Click here to take survey

Bookcase Tour Tuesday (on a Wednesday) - Child Kimono and the Colors of Japan

"Spring is when the trees and grasses start to wake, even before the snow melts. The light green of fresh, downy young leaves, as well as the soft colors of the flowers that bloom before the leaves bud, are the typical tones of early spring. The yellow, red and purple hues of the flowers then thicken, as the leaves turn to a glossy green. The colors of spring convey all the abundant energy of life."

I had trouble photographing this book for the blog. Trouble because I love each and every page and wanted to take a shot of the whole publication. I bought it for as much of a reference book as for the eye candy. Each kimono pictured is from a single person's collection. Ahhh... how I covet that collection...

Child Kimono and the Colors of Japan is written in both Japanese and English and is part of a series. As with so much in Japanese life, it's broken into the four seasons. For each season the colours worn during those times are pictured, and their origin (often the plant/flower that produces the dye) and significance explained. It also tells of the main children's festivals of the year, the different types of kimono and common motifs.

It's so beautifully laid out and I could happily sit and just flick through its pages for hours.

And for next week, dust off your shelves... I'm giving away a book from my collection - a Japanese paper cuts pattern book. To enter, just join in Bookcase Tour Tuesday next week, and extra entries for those who have already contributed this week and last.

If you'd like to join in, please do at any time (any day as well). Add your link to your actual BTT post for that week (wait until you've posted it) on Mister Linky below. I have a button made, if you'd like to add it to your blog, drop me a line and I'll send the code to you.

Bookcase Tour Tuesday - Organizing Your Craft Space

Before I begin, I should be honest, this book doesn't actually belong on my bookcase. It doesn't actually belong to me. It was very kindly lent to me a while back by the ever-so-generous TinnieGirl. It's high time that I return it.

While this book has quite a bit of text, I must say I didn't read much of it. For me, I enjoyed the book for the visuals, the peeks inside other people's creative spaces and how they keep it all ordered.

The book is arranged in chapters of types of crafting and suggests how to arrange your space best for each. Included are; Stained Glass and Mosaics, Rubber Stamping and Stenciling, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafts, Beading, Yarn Crafts and Needlework and Quilting.

Unfortunately, it didn't have a chapter on what I need most, a person who suffers from a serious case of crafting schizophrenia and needs to organise supplies and areas to make bags, jewellery, cards, do some digital design work, as well as arranging stock for two online stores and markets with preferably an area for a playpen for the little one as well. When someone publishes that book - I'll be first in line to buy it!

Other than that, I have really enjoyed the book, revisiting its pages many times to pick out some of the little ideas. While not necessarily original, I love the look of magnetic tins on a metal plate, jars filled with colourful notions and a ladder to display some of my favourite magazines. Mmmm.. now if I can just finish organising my space, maybe I'll get some crafting done...

1. A Good Reminder, 2. Yummy Jars and Buttons, 3. Another Good Reminder, 4. Love the Collage with the Stamp on the Jar, 5. More Yummy Button-Filled Jars, 6. Closet Organizers, 7. I've Been Meaning to Do Some Tins Like This, 8. Things to Consider, 9. I Want a Magazine Ladder!

For more peeks into other people's spaces, Etsy Open Studios is a good start.

If you'd like to join in, please do at any time. Add your link to your actual BTT post on Mister Linky below. I have a button made, if you'd like to add it to your blog, drop me a line and I'll send the code to you.

Bookcase Tour Tuesdayish - 2011 Japanese Nengajo Book

The day late but just arrived version of Bookcase Tour Tuesday.

A couple of months ago, I showed a Japanese Nengajo Sourcebook - a book that comes with a CD-ROM filled with designs to create New Year's postcards.  The lovely Melanie from Crafty Japan (with a name like Melanie, how could she not be lovely) was kind enough to pick me up a copy for 2011.

She did a great job at choosing one for me with a good mixture of traditional and cute.  One quick flip through the publication and you'll soon realise that 2011 must be the Year of the Rabbit.  There are so many cute bunnies adorning these pages.

I was really drawn to the gorgeous colours in some of the designs.

This phoenix is just spectacular!

With most of the main designs, it appears that you're given three options, one with just the picture, one with the basic greeting and one with a full greeting.

I'm tempted to just print this teapot and cup image and frame it.  It's stunning.

There are a number of papercut designs in this one too.

And the part of the book that I've always found really useful - the Japanese script.  My Japanese writing is awful, so even though every year I'd create my own design (usually a photo), I'd use the book to for the Japanese greeting.

You can read a little more about nengajo and Japanese New Year traditions here (though be prepared for the red background on the site).

ISBN:978-4-04-868873-4

Now I haven't checked with Mel yet, but if you'd like a copy, maybe if you ask her really nicely, she might be able to pick you up one on a special order...

The New Week and the Winner

Isn't it great that we get so many chances to symbolically make a fresh start, to put yucky-ness behind us. We don't even have to wait for a new year, the beginning of a fresh new week is enough. There is much of last week that I'd like to erase from my memory and am so glad that now I can say that it's all in the past, it was all so last week.

In the midst of the week of bugs, both of the sickness and the technical kind, there were a few lovely moments I do want to hold on to. Nothing huge, just those simple little pleasures, a lovely mummy and daughter play date in the park and watching the little one develop new skills. This week it was learning how to use a spoon.

Practicing her spoon skills, originally uploaded by melanie gray augustin.

And then, onto the exciting bit, time to belatedly announce the winner of the Bookcase Tour giveaway. When I set up the survey, I was a little remiss in asking for a user name to announce with, so I'll be using part of the person's email address and will email the winner for their snail mail address....

With 71 entries, the Random Number Generator picked.... number 55! That makes it "Galleria..."! I'll be in touch. And thank you so much to everyone who took the time to enter and for all the lovely words. I've enjoyed each and every one of them! And will be back with the Bookcase Tour with a gusto!

Now, to get onto my new week. I wonder what it will bring... Does your new week have anything exciting to reveal?

Bookcase Tour Tuesday - Fruits

Do you have a book that you've owned for years, have paged through countless times and each and every time you do, you find something new that you hadn't noticed before?  Fruits is one of those books for me.

This book is jammed packed with funky Tokyo street fashion portraits by photographer Shoichi Aoki.  All the models are people he has found on the street, and photographed in their chosen outfits for the day, especially in areas like Harajuku.  On the weekend, the streets of Harajuku are rich with colour and I've been know to snap a fashion photo or two of my own there.

I've had this copy for years, and have recently pulled it out for inspiration for my next jewellery range.  I'm feeling the need for something fun, colourful and quirky in my life.

On the bottom of each page it gives the name and age of the person as well as the source of the clothes.  While there are numerous designers listed, there are also many handmade and second hand clothes that were photographed.

The photographer has also asked the model two questions; "Point of fashion" and "Current Obsession".  

Some of my favourite responses to "Point of fashion?" are; "fluffy alien", "explosively cheap", "being selfish", "harmony and unity", "space hunter", "jingling socks", "image of a milkman", "a weird nurse", "the monkey on my back", "flaming pink" .... oh who am I kidding, that's only answers from the first part of the book!

"Current obsessions" listed include; "eating nikuman dumplings until I fall over", "chocolate banana and dyeing fabric", "hemming by hand" and many people said "making clothes".

The book is actually a compilation of images from the Japanese fanzines of the same name.  I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few second hand copies when I was in Tokyo last.

There has also been a sequel of this book published, Fresh Fruits.  That one's on my wish list!

Fruits: ISBN 0714840831

There is one more week left to enter my Bookcase Tour giveaway.  Thanks so much for the responses so far!  I've really enjoyed reading them and getting a little direction on the direction of these posts.

Bookcase Tour Tuesday - Kokoro no Te

Another library version of Bookcase Tour today.

Kokoro no Te by Kumiko Sudo.

This is a book that I've wanted to browse through for quite a while now, so snapped it up when I saw it at the library. It's filled with lots of little projects, lots of pretty little brooches, purses and pouches. All is handsewn, there's not a machine in sight.

If you look at even just the cover, there's probably no guessing why I'm so drawn to this publication - the fabric! The photos for each project are just scrumptious!

I probably wouldn't actually make that many projects from this book, but I'd use it more for inspiration, as an eye candy piece.

The three pieces I am tempted to try are the windmills...

The thimbles (which would look just adorable as rings as well)...

... and the juggling balls, not that I can juggle mind you, but they would just look pretty scattered around.

I'll be stalking my library now to see if I can get my hands on Kumiko Sudo's Omiyage book.

Bookcase Tour Tuesday - Handmade Melbourne

A library borrowed version of Bookcase Tour today.

With it now less than three weeks until I go to Melbourne, this book, Handmade Melbourne, has been getting a great workout.

The book features, as the cover page will tell you, "Beautiful things from 80 creative people". The range of what these people make range is from footwear, clothing, jewellery to bags and artwork. It's filled with lots of inspiring eye candy.

But, what I loved most about this book, especially at this point in time, was that it had each artisan list a few of their favourite inspiring Melbourne haunts. I have been madly jotting many of them down for places to visit while I'm there.

Mind you, I'll only have a couple of free days either side of working so that list is going to need some serious culling.

Are you a Melbourite or a well-versant when it comes to Melbourne? Any places you'd recommend this Brisbane girl to add to her must-see list?

And.... I don't believe I've divulged why I'm south-bound soon... well... if you're heading to the Life Instyle show, please drop by and say hello. My wares and I will be at booth 222a!