New from Tokyo Milk: the entomology soap series. Wrapped in bright yellow linen paper with the usual Tokyo Milk style of charming illustrations...this time of insects, this set has a refreshing citrus fragrance. It is a limited release product so try to get some while we have them!
Tokyo Milk soaps are French triple milled from a pure vegetable base, enriched with Shea Butter to moisturize skin during cleansing.
(Photo by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Some weeks ago, we had the honour of putting up an arrangement for a speaking engagement. It was at the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax Ballroom...the best ballroom of the hotel!
The client gave us a free hand and only asked that the flowers should be equal in stature as the speaker on the podium. We hope we did not disappoint.
Have a closer look.... Lilies, sunflower, carnation and weigela.
(Photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Iwasaki Chihiro (1918~1974) was a popular children’s book illustrator, famous for her warm and gentle portraits of children. The driving force behind Iwasaki's tender depiction of kids was her strong desire to see a world of peace and happiness in which all children would be safe.
We have an extensive collection of her postcards available at the shop or by mail order. $3.00 (CAD) each plus HST where applicable. You can purchase here.
(Photo by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
What an enjoyable afternoon we had at Mahone Bay last Sunday! Thank you to everyone who participated in the ikebana workshop. We hope you enjoyed as much as we did. Special thanks to Susan and Lynn who made this workshop possible.
Before the workshop, Susan and Lynn brought us to a great spot. They braved the mosquitoes to gather branches. Miyako was able to give them a few pointers on how to choose branches for ikebana...something we cannot teach in the studio!
We held our workshop at the Mahone Bay Centre--a grand, old schoolhouse building. We loved the way the wooden floorboards creaked at every step!
FIrst, Miyako gave a demonstration.
Then, participants get to try it themselves. Ladies, pick your branches!
Learning to distinguish the main branches...
"Maybe this flower should be a little lower..."
Our youngest participant...she knew more about plants than anybody else!
Relaxing after they were done.
Lynn concentrating on her nageire.
Susan and her finished work.
See you next time!
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Any entrepreneur will tell you that setting up a new business is never easy. Back in 2008, as newcomers, we found it doubly hard to set up. Apart from not really knowing the rules of the game, we lacked that built-in network of family and friends. You know how it goes...you need to find out about something or need to get something done, you ask your elders, your cousins and your friends. Sooner or later, somebody somewhere will turn up and say, "Hey, I know this guy who can help you...." and thus, you move one more step forward towards your objective.
Thankfully, for newcomers to Canada, there are the immigrant services organizations. In Nova Scotia, they are ISIS - Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services.
The people there were literally our first friends in town. To any immigrant who is serious about settling and setting up shop in Nova Scotia, ISIS is a gift from heaven and we cannot thank them enough for helping us on our way. Now we have our little shop and things just keep getting better!
For sure, you have to have the ideas and you have to do all of the legwork. They won't spoonfeed you but they do have a vast network to help answer your queries, introduce you to knowledgeable people and provide guidance along the way. So if you are a new immigrant to Nova Scotia, get in touch with them now. You won't regret it. Promise. (http://www.isisns.ca/)
In the video, make sure you watch from 4:47. You'll get a glimpse of the inside of our shop! (^_^)
The video was originally posted here: http://www.newcomersuccess.ca/index.php/videos/ciip-settlement-series-atlantic-provinces?lang=en-GB#
Summer is here! We are planning a little origami workshop on July 7th, Saturday, 10-11 a.m. at our studio on Quinpool.
In this workshop, we will show you how to make origami of your favourite characters: Hello Kitty, Totoro and Pikachu! We will also prepare one square towel for each participant and show you how to make an "origami" bear with it! It'll be fun so please sign up. Of course, it's not only for kids...there is no maximum age limit for origami! :-)
Cost is $7 (plus HST) per participant...and you bring home your work!
Hope to see you there!
Don't you just love it when things fall into place?
A few weeks ago, a lady came to the shop looking for a Japanese doll. She said they had a beautiful one at their home when she was growing up but sadly it was no longer with her. Unfortunately, we did not have Japanese dolls in our inventory. They do tend to be very expensive and delicate...therefore, difficult to ship...which translates to very high shipping costs because of the extra special packing required to protect them. The best we could tell her was that we'd look into it and see what we could come up with but we did give advanced warning not to be shocked at the price. We do know there are some "imitation" ones out there but really, the craftsmanship would be very different...as would the price, of course; but we did not want to go down that route.
As it happened, about a week later, another lady visited the shop bearing...guess what? ...a Japanese doll in her hands. She wanted to sell it and so came to ask us if we could find a buyer. We could hardly believe the timing! The doll was authentic. It was not new, of course, and there were some parts that showed the passage of time....frayed edges in some parts, some errant hair. We also saw where a little repair had been made. But still, the doll still looked grand and elegant with her drum.
We immediately called the first lady and she came by to take a look. "It's even better than the one I had as a child!" she exclaimed excitedly. She didn't mind the flawed parts we pointed out and was very happy to give the doll a new home!
Now, we have two happy ladies! ...which makes us happy!
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
We are bringing a taste of ikebana to the South Shore!
Ikebana workshop at the Mahone Bay Centre on Jun 24th, Sunday, 2-4 p.m. Well, come over at 1:30 and enjoy tea and snacks too!
We are preparing a short demonstration and then instruction on how to make a basic upright arrangement. Participants will get to take home their work too!
Pre-registration is required (because we need to prepare the flowers for you!) so please call or email us to book. We also ask participants to please bring a pair of floral clippers (what you use for your garden is OK) to the workshop. Workshop fee is $35 (plus HST).
The Mahone Bay Centre is located at 45 School St., Mahone Bay NS B0J 2E0 http://www.mahonebaycentre.com/
Thank you to Susan and Lynn, who consistently make their way from Mahone Bay to Halifax to join us for lessons, for helping make this possible!
We hope to see you there!
Dear Members of Ikebana International Ottawa,
Due to your very warm response, we are pleased to announce an extension of our free shipping offer until July 31st, 2012. Pool your orders and save more! We thank you for your patronage.
Special offer to members of Ikebana International Ottawa:
1. Any mail order purchase by members of merchandise with total value (before HST) less than $200, we offer to cover 50% of shipping cost.
2. Any mail order purchase by members of merchandise with total value (before HST) of $200 or more, we offer free shipping.
Other conditions:
a. Shipping will be via Canada Post (shipping method will be at our discretion)
b. Shipping destinations will be limited to Ontario and Quebec.
c. Orders must mention membership of Ikebana International Ottawa before payment processing.
d. Members are free to pool their orders to avail of free shipping as long as shipping destination is only to one location.
e. This offer is not limited to ikebana supplies but includes all other merchandise at the shop. We do reserve the right to refuse sales of certain items which we deem too fragile to ship.
Offer ends on July 31, 2012.
Beyond July, 2012, all is not lost!
We will cover 50% of shipping cost for any mail-order purchase with total value (before HST) of $200 or more. (All other conditions apply. Offer ends December 31, 2012.) It's almost going to be like the cost of a taxi ride...almost! But hey, you're shopping in Halifax! (^_^)
If you are an ikebana group in Canada or the United States and would like to avail of a similar arrangement, please let us know and we'll see what we can do. No promises but we'll give it very serious consideration!
Nancy Roberts is a Nova Scotia potter who likes to make quirky, fun and interesting pieces.
Indeed, the collection of flower holders that she made for us all have different personalities!
Each glaze is different!
Each texture is different!
Each one comes with a small kenzan (frog). Fill it with water, pick a bloom or two from your garden, stick it in and enjoy!
Nancy is a member of the Nova Scotia Potters Guild.
Learn more about her here: http://novascotiapottersguild.com/members/detail/nancy-roberts
Flower holders are available at the shop or by mail order. $30 (CAD) each plus HST where applicable. All hand-made in Nova Scotia, Canada.
(All photos by the ikebana shop, except photo of Nancy, which is courtesy of Nancy Roberts. All rights reserved.)
