Yuzen Dyeing Card

"Yuzen dyeing is one of the traditional extreme art forms in Japan from the 17th century. Yuzen dyeing is named after Miyazaki Yuzensai who was famous for his beautiful fan creations in Kyoto. By the end of the 19th century, a vast range of colorful chemical dyes came into use, and a method of stencil dyeing was developed." This blurb is from the brochure for Kyo-yuzen Workshop Marumasu Nishimuraya in Kyoto. The set up of the studio is very similar to the paint your own pottery places in the U.S. 

During our trip to Japan this summer we spent one very hot afternoon in Kyoto in this delightfully cool (both literally and figuratively) studio trying our hand at this Japanese art form. The afternoon was a testimony to the power of art to bridge cultural and language barriers as the master craftsman, Yoshio Nishimura, and his assistants oversaw our projects. 

Okay, yes, there were cheat sheets in English, but the art on the walls and the demonstration by the artist who worked with us motivated each of us to create a unique and personal souvenir. Actually it might have been the Japanese onomatopoeia our assistant used for a circular brush motion that started our creative juices flowing. 

 Homage to our time in Kyoto. I embossed the fan with a brass stencil and colored it with ink using a small dauber in a circular motion (burraburraburraburra).

A Card of Strength

Asking for help as an adult ought to come naturally, because we must depend on people for so long when we are young. But somewhere in the growing up process we decide that being independent trumps receiving any sort of assistance. The paradox in that thinking is how eager we are to come to the aide of someone else. We find joy in lightening a load, preparing a meal, or driving a friend. We are happy when we help other people; so why is it so hard to ask for help in return? I don't have a good answer to that question, but we should ponder it and consider sharing the love and the load.  

Don't think of it as asking for help, but rather you are giving someone the opportunity to spread their joy. And you might give her a idea for a blog post, too. 

Stamp Credits: 

Background stamps by Impression Obsession; Silhouette Women by Hero Arts; Sentiment by Stampabilities

An Inspired Card

Sometimes you need a break, and then, sometimes, that leads to needing inspiration. I can thank my daughters for both in this case. Summer is such a wonderful time to let go of requirements and deadlines. Those come upon us soon enough when school starts, which it did four weeks ago. It's been during these four weeks, that my one dear daughter has been wondering when I'm going to blog again. She's threatened to unfollow me if I don't do it soon. I just love her for that.  

Summer heat and humidity also make me put off yard work. The yard has needed weeding, and I was waiting for rain to soften the ground so I could pull up a dead bush. Thankfully this happened last week, before my in-laws visited. (Yay!) My other dear daughter doesn't read the blog at all, but she did go to Home Depot with me and picked out flowers. I just love her for that.

So, with the yard work complete, and memories of family time tucked in my heart, I have plenty of inspiration for the season ahead. Thank you, girls. I love you for that. 

Birthday Card and Dinner

When someone asks me about our trip to Japan the first thing that comes to mind is the food.  Everything was delicious and fresh. We looked forward to our meals as much as any other part of our sight seeing day. That is very indicative of our family's nature. We like to cook; we like to eat; and we like to discover local fare wherever we travel. Several of our meals were served "family style" or were simply designed to be shared. We loved eating this way, because it's an added bonus to being with Uncle Mike and Aunt Robin who don't live near us.  

Okana-minyaki dinner. A specialty in Hiroshima. We called it "the fried pancake" dinner. It was so much better than that sounds, because the only thing that makes it a pancake is the shape. Think stir fry cooked in one piece on a hibachi grill. We shared three: veggie, seafood, and pork. Though it is prepared in the kitchen, it is served off a hot grill table. This small restaurant on a side street was recommended in the Lonely Planet travel guide. We might have passed it by otherwise. (Yes, we left our name and date on the wall, too.)

Our Shabu Shabu dinner in Tokyo. It is similar to fondue.  Two broths are served over a flame. Plates of thinly sliced beef and pork are brought to the table, and we helped ourselves to the salad bar to bring our choice of vegetables to cook at the table, too. What makes this different from a fondue restaurant in the U.S.? You select the amount of time you plan to eat, either 90 minutes or two hours, and they keep bringing the food. (Great shot of the girls with Uncle Mike, Aunt Robin, and the food.)

Happy Birthday, Uncle Mike.  We wish we could take you out for Shabu Shabu. 

"Domo Arigato" Card

"He looks just like Grandpa!", said the girls practically in unison. As we ate lunch with Uncle Hal and his daughter Naomi, the girls picked up on his mannerisms that reminded them of their Grandfather. Still, at the age of 91, there is no denying that Uncle Hal and my father-in-law Bob (fifteen years his junior) are brothers. Their smiles capture your heart quickly, and you can't help but marvel at their good health. 

Uncle Hal and his seven siblings were born in America. He served in the U.S. military during WWII in spite of his family being forced to live in an internment camp in Arkansas. Upon release from the camp, Uncle Hal was stationed first in Europe. When I researched American soldiers of Japanese ancestry, I discovered his regiment is recognized as the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of American warfare. (That statement deserves to be pondered.) He was later sent to Japan as part of the occupying forces, and the fact he spoke Japanese was an asset. It was in serving the local people devastated by the effects of the atomic bombs that he met his wife. He served our country in two more wars, and then settled with Aunt Fumi near Tokyo. His daughter Naomi is an English teacher, who is proud of exacting proper pronunciation from her students, especially those tricky "r"s. To say I am happy our girls met their Uncle Hal and Cousin Naomi in Japan is an understatement, but this blog post will end up way too sentimental if I attempt to include words like: heritage, significant, proud, and once in a life time.

The card says "Domo Arigato" (Thank You) and so does my heart. 

Souvenirs That Will Be Cards

It's Friday, and I am almost on a regular schedule. On Monday our family returned from a vacation in Japan. Everything about the trip was fascinating and unique. The girls and I met family for the first time (Uncle Hal and Cousin Naomi); tasted new foods (ate every bit actually, because there wasn't a food we didn't like); traveled by Shinkansen (the bullet train); visited temples and shrines; hiked up and down mountains; petted bunnies and deer; marveled at the even flow of commuters traveling on foot, by bike, in a car, on a bus, metro, or train. It did take us three days, however, to remember to walk on the left side of the sidewalk!

I enjoyed everything about Japan - in the city and the country. The mountains reached out of the ground with curves and crevices not seen in the U.S. Seeing women and men in kimonos and yukatas never got old, neither did eating with chopsticks. This summer I will share a few stories here along with cards inspired by the trip. 

Yes, the Land of the Rising Sun is also the original home of Washi paper and tape, and that's a stamp of "happiness" on top. Literally! 

Farewell and Fare Well Card

Nothing like a good romp through the Thesaurus to get you thinking. Do I want to say "Farewell!" or "Fare well!"? Synonyms for the latter are prosper, succeed, prevail, and flourish. I looked up "farewell" (noun and verb) and read these words: leave taking; parting; adieu; send off; go one's way; get under way; and sally forth. That last one is fun, but we are saying good bye to Sara Beth not Sally. 

Saying good bye to a friend who is moving is never fun, but sending her off is usually a blast! We shopped for just the right gift with a Georgia flair, so Sara Beth will remember us in her new state. We gathered to eat and talk and laugh, so she is full both body and soul. We sat her down and prayed over her, so she knows she is covered in God's love and ours.

And, we signed a card, so she has our words to take with her. 

Farewell and fare well, Sara Beth!

Card Details:  I embossed the image (The Artful Stamper) on watercolor paper with watermark ink and clear embossing powder; painted with water color paints; embossed the tree again with green ink and clear powder; colored the tree top with water color pencils and used a blender pen; cut out the tree top and adhered to the first tree with mounting tape; added blue pearls to flower centers; printed verse and used the labels die cuts from Stampin' Up.