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The Blooming Gift Bag

Added on February 24, 2014 by the ikebana shop.

So there you are collecting tiny goodies to make into one fabulous gift...or maybe you are preparing a goody bag for your daughter's birthday party...or maybe you bought this pair of origami earrings and are wondering how best to present it. Look no further. Here is the blooming gift bag! :-)

It comes flat as a pancake but you can put quite a bit inside because it has a 7cm (2.8") bottom gusset.

Dimensions: L=16cm (6.3"); H=13.75cm (5.4") with a 7cm (2.8") bottom gusset.

Here we put 10 pcs of our favourite chocolate truffles.

Fill it up. Then, just pull the drawstrings...and watch the flower "bloom"! :-) Tie the strings neatly in a bow.

The drawstrings are on either side of the flower.

Et voila! A super presentable gift!

Available in 4 different colours. Material: non-woven, texture polypropylene. Re-usable. Click here to purchase online.

Valentine Gift Idea: Crane Choco Boxes

Added on February 7, 2014 by the ikebana shop.

Here is a unique idea for a Valentine's Day gift: crane boxes with chocolate truffles inside!

We know they are unique because the boxes are hand-made by us in-house! :-) The box is covered with colourful Japanese fabric.

The lid comes off like this...and inside is a yummy assortment of 12 chocolate truffles.

The chocolate truffles are made by our good friends at Brockmann's Chocolate in Delta, B.C.

And of course, after the chocolates are gone, you re-can use the box for other things!

Available at the shop. 12.50 each plus HST. We don't have a lot so get yours while we still have them!

Our Little Sticky-Note Book

Added on January 28, 2014 by the ikebana shop.

We've got new books. Tiny ones! :-)

We used scrap Japanese fabric to make the cover.

The pages are actually sticky notes.

Bring it with you everywhere. Now you'll look more elegant when making notes! ;-)

Hand-made in-house right here in Nova Scotia, Canada. Available for purchase at the shop or online.

Gohonte: The Pale Pink Spots

Added on December 11, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Have you noticed in some tea bowls pale pink spots showing up at random?

These spots are called "gohonte" (御本手).

They appear on the pottery due to the natural reactions from the iron found in the clay when being fired in the kiln.

The origin of the term "gohonte" dates back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period (late 1500's). Tea masters ordered tea bowls to be made in Korea. Together with their order, they sent samples or diagrams of what they would like made. These orders were called "gohon" or "gohonte". When the ordered pottery were delivered, most of them came with the pale pink spots due to the clay used. Soon, this type of pattern came to be called "gohonte."

Originally thought of as imperfections of the glaze, gohonte came to be appreciated by tea masters. They recognized the implicit beauty in the randomness, unevenness, and naturalness of the patterns. Thus, the "flaw" was turned into another attractive aspect of the pottery!

Sometimes, we have some gohonte tea bowls available at the shop. Please come and take a look! Or see available tea bowls online here.

All photos by the ikebana shop. Al rights reserved.

Daruma Dolls

Added on December 6, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Why does this doll have no eyes?

Because it is waiting for you to fill it! That's right, the daruma doll's eyes are left blank on purpose.

When you have set a goal for yourself, you paint one eye. You are allowed to paint in the other eye only when you have achieved your goal. This old tradition from Japan is a wonderful motivational tool!

The daruma doll is made of papier-mâché and is in the image of Bodhidarma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. The dolls are designed not to tip over...a symbol of the never-give-up spirit. "Nana korobi ya oki" is a Japanese proverb that says, "Fall down 7 times, get up 8 times." That is how the roly-poly daruma inspires us not to give up on our goals and dreams.

In Japan, daruma dolls are commonly sold outside shrine grounds in the New Year. People go to the shrine to pray for a good year and if they set certain goals for the year, they will pick up a daruma doll. It could be for a politician running for election; a businessman with a sales target; a student studying for exams; an artist finishing a project; a child saving coins in a piggy bank to buy a toy... No goal or wish is too small!

So are you ready?

Step 1: Decide the goal you want to achieve.
Step 2: Paint in one eye of the daruma doll. Now you are committed!
Step 3: Put the doll in a prominent place where you will see it everyday!
Step 4: Work, work, WORK...to accomplish the task you have embarked on.
Step 5: After successful completion, paint in the other eye.
Step 6: Give yourself a pat on the back. Congratulations!
Step 7: Back to Step #1!

Try the daruma doll with your next New Year's resolution! :-)

第62回多摩探検隊「多摩だるま～受け継がれる手作りの心～」（2009年6月放送）多摩だるま。それは、江戸時代から多摩地域に根づく伝統的なだるまです。今回は、一つ一つ手作りで作られた多摩だるまの歴史や特徴を紹介します。また、親子三代にわたりだるまを作り続ける職人の心に迫ります。＜協力＞内野屋　拝島大師　円福寺＜キャスター＞　田崎愛美＜制作補助＞中島聡　森田智子　葛西友久　齊藤綾　小原美穂　辻圭介太田朗　安田亮介＜イラスト＞　佐竹祐哉　辻圭介＜ナレーション＞　佐竹祐哉＜監修＞　松野良一＜ディレクター＞　成松美菜＜制作・著作＞　中央大学FLP松野良一ゼミ

Get your daruma doll from our shop!

Hariko No Tora, The Papier-Mâché Tiger

Added on December 1, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

from The Tyger by William Blake, 1794.

Hariko no tora, the papier-mâché tiger, is a traditional Japanese craft.

In Japan, tigers are known for their bravery and also for having close-knit families.

The papier-mâché tiger represents courage and family love.

The tigers are also there to help children grow strong and healthy.

Perhaps the more famous and interesting type of hariko no tora is the one with the bobbing head. We have a big one in the shop to welcome you!

RAWR! Don't be scared. It doesn't bite. :-)

We're not particularly big fans of GIFs but in this case, this GIF is probably appropriate to show you the bobbing head. :-)

Please visit the shop and pet our tigers!

If you are interested to learn about how the tigers are made, please visit this site. It is in Japanese only but there are a lot of photos. The paper they use is washi, Japanese paper.

Roller Erasers! Making Mistakes More Fun!

Added on November 22, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Introducing an eraser that makes writing more fun...

...or more precisely, it makes mistakes more fun! :-)

Erase as usual. Then, flip open the top cap and use the little roller to scoop up the eraser dust. Cute, no?

The eraser bits get collected in the box underneath the roller. Don't forget to empty it into the trash from time to time! :-)

We have four different colours in cute designs. Children love it!

Made in China for Lemon Stationery Co., Japan.

Available at the shop.

Reminder: Not just for kids! :-)

2013 Holiday Arrangement Offer

Added on November 10, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

We are preparing an arrangement for the holiday season for you! See the end of this post for details.

The poinsettias are kept intact in their pots so they will last through the season as long as they are watered properly. (Cut poinsettias do not survive for long and so are seldom used in ikebana!)

We hand-painted some dried branches and leaves to give it the season's glitter! The greens are fresh.

...and some fun holiday ribbon to wrap it all up! :-)

This arrangement will make your house ready for the holiday season. ..or they are great house-visit presents too!

Price of the arrangement:
40.00 plus HST.

Available for pick up at the shop on Dec 13th-15th.

Call or email us to place your order!

The Black Kenzan

Added on November 7, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Black is one of the basic colours of ikebana flower containers. A shiny kenzan in a black container would be a distraction and draw attention away from the real focal point of an arrangement. It is something that one would rather not see! For a discriminating ikebanista, obscuring the shiny kenzan used in a black container could be quite the challenge!

You can put the covering pebbles aside... Say hello to the black kenzan!

It is a steel kenzan that is stained black by ionic bonding. The tone is smooth and uniform.

It "disappears" inside the black container!

Hardly noticeable! Don't you just love it? :-)

It's that little bit of extra detail that could sometimes spell the difference between a so-so and an outstanding arrangement!

Add the black kenzan to your ikebana arsenal!

We have a collection of black kenzans available. Click here to see!

The Haori Holiday Special

Added on November 1, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

It's almost that time of year when we think about gifts to our loved ones. We've added a lot of new haori in our online shop! and we'd like to give a special offer to our online customers. See available haori here.

For purchases between Nov. 1st and Dec 15th, 2013, we will ship haori orders for free to destinations within Canada and the continental United States. For other destinations, we will take off 50% from the shipping cost.

Choice of shipping method will be at our discretion. We will normally use Canada Post. Regular Parcel for Canadian shipments, Expedited Parcel for continental U.S. shipments, and International Parcel Surface for other destinations.

In fairness to our walk-in customers, we offer 20% discount for in-store purchases!

PLUS, for the first five haori orders, we will add a haori hanger (a $12 value) for free. In-store customers will also get one, while supply lasts!

First come, first served!