pocket fairy
Dollybird 5 has a feature with the cutest little dolls in the world. They are frolicking in a classroom, enjoying kindergarten activities like napping and snacking. I want one!
I looked it up -- they're called pocket fairy (ポケットフェアリー), ball-jointed, 14cm tall, and they're made by the company Blue Fairy. Unfortunately, they're also ....
$350 each!!!
So, no pocket fairies for me. But if I did get one, I'd get Yoko (the one in the photo). You can admire their cuteness at these (Japanese) websites:
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~kumako/pf_top.htm
http://www2.odn.ne.jp/ubees_store/pf_dress_top_2004.html
photo yoinked from the Blue Fairy website which mind-bogglingly requires a login to view
silky
Stopped by Thai Silks (awesome little store with affordable silk) and Jo-anns for sewing class supplies this weekend. While I was at it, I grabbed a little something for doll clothes.
Got silk for a white deconstructed outfit from the book Doll Coordinate Recipe 1 (very nice book). The top is almost done, but I have to figure out the buttons -- their insane instructions for making 13 tiny loops of thread go around 13 2mm beads doesn't quite work. The skirt is finished ... but I used cotton and the stiffness makes it looks like a big ballgown. Because I am insane as well, I am going to redo it in silk. I'll put up more pictures when the outfit's complete.
Also got thin dark denim so momoko can have jeans. I tried washing it 15 times in very hot water and soap. The water was still blue. I gave up.
love story complete
Makes me crack up every time.
Animation: a love story
by me and Steve.
Go watch.
design festa
There were a lot of really interesting booths at the Design Festa (design/art fair with a small artist focus in Japan). Unfortunately, only some of them had business cards, and only some of those with business cards had websites. Here's the list.
- donguri - illustrator who drew the portrait above. cute dot-eye style, markers of lots of people.
- tm manila - cute clothes
- ４ 人 ご っ こ - watercolors of little girls (click on the names in the page)
- HITO - childish line drawings
- Satou Hiroko- fantastical paintings
- Mari Nishizono - fun whimsical paintings of animals and kids
- Q-ten - can't remember...
- romantica go go - (mamiko yamamoto) line art of fashionable ladies
- Kana - cute stuff (site seems to be a mostly text blog though)
- sata yoshie - vivid blue watercolors with graphic lines
- SIOUX - watercolors of beautiful women
- hachimaya (hanako) - cute bean stuffies
- okayasu noriko - the most adorable ever little piggie figurines (like piggie-filled steamed chinese buns)
- country-pop - robot drawings
- tokidoki - bubbly cartoon style of cute things and buxom japanese women (booth was manned by a white guy)
Looking back at the list, it seems like I went for all the illustrators with cute drawings :)
I also have a few more photos in flickr of the design festa
yukata brochure
In the trip to Japan, we wandered through Takashimaya, one of the big fancy department stores. On their kimono/yukata floor, they had a few brochures out for their summer yukata collection. It has models in funny poses and very pretty (but expensive) yukata.
There was also a flier on how to tie your yukata obi.
pseudo-animation
Steve and I are working on a little animated story starring our mamemomokos.
Shot all the photos with the nikon last night. Tonight, photoshopped & threw them all into flash. Later, tweak timing, record sound (maybe compose a little song?), and add titles/credits.