Origami Dolls

My daughter has made little Japanese dolls for me to slip into cards and letters, so I was delighted to find Christina's shop, Umeorigami on zibbet, where the traditional handcraft of folding origami dolls is flourishing. She has included some modern touches, and a magnet can be added to any doll. Using the finest papers directly from Japan, her little works of art come alive. What a lovely surprise finding one of treasures tucked in a card would be.

Taking paper folding beyond dolls, Christina enjoys exploring the possibilities of origami. She has designed a line of distinctive earrings and necklace pendants. When I first saw a pendant with beading, I thought it was a special Christmas ornament. Take a look at her very unique and interesting boxed accordion cards.

Christina folds the fancy paper in California, ships internationally, and is found on Facebook. A website will show off more of this artist's work, which includes photography. Be sure to see the creative Star Wars doll set.

She has a shop on etsy, and although it is not currently stocked, you can see past work being enjoyed by her patrons. This busy lady has a second shop, origraphix, on zibbet where you will find graphic designs. If you have a custom order, be sure to contact her.

Temari Balls

Temari is a Japanese symbol of perfection, and temari balls are given to celebrate special occasions. After looking at the intricate designs found at BagleyJones on Etsy, it is hard to believe that most of these are created using a single basic embroidery stitch. The Blood Red Chrysanthemum is simply stunning. Here is another traditional art form I must try some day.

This lady also loves to knit and you will discover a variety of lovely handknit hats and scarves in her shop. She designed some unique scarves with fun fur accents, and the purple grape toddler hat is absolutely adorable. She didn’t get the hang of knitting until she realized she was a left-handed knitter. I wonder if that could have been my roadblock.

She needles her treasures in Washington State and ships internationally. She began a tradition in her family and makes wedding temari balls in the bride’s wedding colors. What a glorious remembrance they must be. Placed proudly on display, these designs will marvel their recipients for years!

The Art of Kanzashi

The fine art of crafting flowers continues at Kanzashi-Hime, an Etsy shop, with dazzling hair ornaments ready to make you feel like a princess. Tsumami Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese craft dating back hundreds of years. This incredible art form was used to create the elaborate hair decorations that graced the traditional hairstyles of the geisha and their apprentices.

Jenny crafts these intricate flowers by folding a single square of fabric to form each petal. The petals are then hand sewn in place to create a beautiful and fashionable work of art. These eye-catching floral decorations are then attached to a wide variety of hair accessories to accommodate any hairstyle. The flowers can also be attached to a clip making a very versatile adornment.

Jenny meticulously fashions her unique flowers in Australia and ships internationally. If you see a design you like but have a different color in mind, contact her and she would be happy to work with you. She is also willing to make flowers out of your fabric, perfect to match any special event. A fall of wisteria would make an excellent bridesmaid’s thank you gift.