Well I've started the Spring giveaway, so go see my facebook page for details! Otherwise I've been hard at work getting together the spring looks for the upcoming photoshoot, as well as taxes, and other business things that are not so fun! (but they're finally done just in time, whew!)
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| Set of Actual Hanafuda Cards |
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Compared to the new print, Hanafuda!
Three Coloraways Ayame, Botan, and Sakura |
For the Spring season I was greatly inspired by Japan and also by memories from my childhood. One day when I was in high school I noticed a stack of brightly colored beautiful cards with all kinds of animals and plants in lovely bold colors that are from a game called hanafuda. My grandmother who was always a very strict person (but also very sweet!) who you would never think would ever do anything naughty or even against the law taught me how to play hanafuda a popular gambling game (which was illegal in Hawaii where she learned to play lol...) and through this game I learned a little more about her. Apparently her first job was washing dishes for a gambling ring in Hawaii. The men would play hanafuda while drinking and eating food and my innocent justice loving grandmother was supported by their illegal business.. LOL. Ohwell, I think it was all in good fun, I also learned later on that she used to smoke, who knew! Now I have nothing against smoking or people who smoke but if you knew my grandmother you'd be really surprised that she used to smoke >.>
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Whimsical Chirimen
Three Colorways Momoiro, Murasaki, and Kuro |
Whimsical Chirimen is a print based off of traditional chirimen fabric; the kind of fabric used to make kimonos. Of course real chirimen fabric is not printed on cotton but I was really only going for the look and not authenticity here. When I was five years old I was a rather dexterous child for my age and I was always painting and getting into things I shouldn't do, but if you gave me something to occupy my hands with I could sit still for hours! Which is when my aunty taught me how to do origami. The paper crane was the first origami pattern I ever learned and I've never forgotten it since! I used to amaze my classmates by making little cranes that flapped their wings and leaping frogs and talking fox faces. In my family every time someone gets married we fold them 1000 cranes in silver foil paper... which is by far the most annoying paper to fold. So I told my family when I get married please only fold me one large crane in whatever paper you want >.< The rest of the print features many popular Japanese motifs and a temari (something my family uses to decorate our Christmas tree, although that's not what it's really for lol).
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Bunnies & Bowls Print
Four Colorways Sesame, Sorbet, Cupcake, and Tarte |
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| Bunnies & Bowls Coordinating Border print |
The bunnies and bowls print was the final print I finished with a separate coordinating border print as well. I've always loved bunnies, they're my favorite animal, next to sheepies (so mymelody and her sheepy friend mysweetpiano are my most favorite sanrio characters ever!) I have a dwarf bun that I adopted from a friend because she couldn't take care of her anymore, here she is:
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| She's blurry because she won't sit still! :X |
Compared to the bunny in the bowl here, which was inspired by my own bun. However my bunny even being a dwarf would not fit in a regular bowl like this lol. The print also includes an apple bunny, a snow bunny, and a tasty mochi bunny! On top of stripes with cluny heart lace and a panel from one of the coordinating colorways of Whimsical Chirimen.
All of the prints feature the Sakura, the pinnacle of Spring flowers (in my opinion), as well as Botan (peonies)!
I hope you are looking forward to the new spring looks, what look is your favorite? You can see the new designs on my facebook page!
