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. 

Cards for Kiev II

My husband left for Ukraine this afternoon with Global Leadership http://globalleadership.us. Earlier this week he asked me to make him a card he could give to Alex with a note of encouragement, and I also made a set of cards for Alex to use personally.  Here's why – taken from the latest GL newsletter. 

 "Alex is a newly appointed Federal Director representing President Poroshenko in a particular district. He has 135 government people he oversees, among whom are 26 mayors. His task is putting together systems to dislodge corruption and make being corrupt more difficult. He says he wants to teach them "servant leadership". His task is to behave so differently they will begin to catch what it means to lead honestly. Historically they expect the status quo, but Alex is breaking with tradition the moment he's sworn in.  His second day on the job Alex had all 135 come to work wearing their "dirty clothes". He joined them and they walked the streets all day picking up trash and cleaning up the debris. Later in a meeting he told them they will continue to clean up the debris of corruption and get rid of it. A very creative way to make a point. Alex said the best way to teach servant leadership is to be a servant leader."  

I am very excited for the Global Leadership team this week as they have the opportunity to  interact with Alex and his 135 civil servants. I pray someday they all come to embrace that title. The message on the card is Psalm 106:3. 

"Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right."

Ninja Card

Okay, so it's not a card with a black hooded ninja wielding a sword to slice a birthday cake, but after a week of spring break with my husband's family (and my sister) it seems appropriate to present a card with the Hattori family crest. I had the stamp made by Paper Angel Rubber Stamps  http://www.paperangel.com/store/home.html; I ordered one of their gift kits and sent a black line print of the crest for them to make my stamp. I use it often as a hallmark on the back of my cards. Now here's what I've learned from my brother & sister-in-law. 

The Hattori name goes back to early Japanese history and culture. Hattori Hanzo became a famous samurai and ninja elevating the Hattori name to great prestige after reportedly saving the life of the Tokugawa Ieyasu then helping him become the ruler of Japan. More recently, the name was associated with the commercial success of the Hattori Seiko company; also the running shoe and apparel company Saucony named a minimalist shoe Hattori. The most name recognition here in the U.S. is from the Kill Bill movies and Hattori Hanzo the sword maker. I have not seen the movies, but people tell me he was a memorable character, and there's actually a real Hattori knife maker who makes very expensive and collected knives today. 

Hattori is also a very common Japanese name which could be from two words meaning "cut" and "cloth". My father-in-law likes to joke that the crest was just the sign hanging over the laundromat or tailor's shop. Common or honorable the simplicity of the crest can infiltrate any card - like a ninja. 

Card Details: Completed size 5"x 5" square; heat embossed crest with gold detail powder; frame die by Cheery Lynn Designs; origami paper in background. 

Cards Blossom

Today is the twenty-eighth day of The 30 Day Color Challenge by The Daily Marker thedailymarker.com and I have participated every day on Instagram. I've used watercolor paints, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, chalks, pastels and markers. I am better at some techniques than I am at others; somedays I completed detailed cards, and other days I colored something quite small but felt the same sense of accomplishment.  

I want to thank Kathy Racoosin of The Daily Marker, the creative force behind this challenge, because not only did she daily offer me an art piece to learn from, she made the time to recognize everyone's posts. Even though my girls teased me by saying, "Mom, she did that for everyone.", I know Kathy's remarks made my day a little cheerier. (She even wrote two different comments for the same little hedgehog, when I accidentally posted it twice. That's nice!) During this challenge I have discovered quite the assortment of crafters and bloggers to follow. I have been encouraged by their compliments and inspired by their talent. It's been a lot of fun! 

With only three days left I am trying to go out with a bang, or at least a bloom. 

Card Details: A2 size card;  Flower stamp and sentiment are by Stamping' Up.  I first colored the flower with markers and then added colored pencils for details and depth. Leaves and yellow border punches are from Martha Stewart.