Twist-And-Open Box Of Chocolate Truffles

Added on February 2, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Searching for a little something for Valentine's Day?

Look what we came up with! We made boxes from card stock and covered them with various Japanese fabric.

The unique thing is how it opens.

Just twist!

This hand-made box uses Japanese fabric. Re-use the container after enjoying the chocolate!. The perfect Valentine gift! Contains 10 different flavours of Truffini Chocolate Truffles (Made in Canada.) Box hand-made in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Inside are ten different flavours of the yummy Truffini chocolate truffles! And when the chocolate is gone, you can re-use the box!

Box is hand-made in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Chocolate truffles are made in British Columbia, Canada.

$9.50 each (plus HST where applicable). Available at the shop or purchase online.

Mopping The Floor

Added on January 27, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

If you see us mopping the floor...
Don't even hesitate. Just set your foot inside our door.
We prefer your company and a dirty floor,
To a clean but empty store.

:-)

My Ikebana: Disassembling and Assembling Salal

Added on January 26, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

I found myself with a lot of salal branches this week so I thought I'd make an arrangement featuring salal.

However, the salal leaves were quite big and would completely overpower the snapdragons that I planned to use. So I thought of a way to show only the salal branches. Remove the leaves!

Sometimes, by disassembling the material into its smaller parts, we discover some new characteristics.

Here is the finished arrangement.

I put the salal leaves together with the snapdragons and green hypericum so that people would know what kind of branches were used!

I also removed the budding tips of the snapdragons because I did not want to introduce another "line" element into the arrangement.

By the way, the flower container was made by our friend, Nova Scotia pottery artist, Mindy Moore.

The holes at the top came in very handy for this arrangement!

Hope you like it.

Miyako

Hand-Cut Kiri-e Cards

Added on January 23, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Kiri-e (切り絵) is the art of paper cutting to form an image. We made some cards using kiri-e style.

All are individually hand-cut using a sharp cutter knife and black cardstock.

We like cat themes! :-)

...and we try to be a bit playful!

Each one of course is one-of-a-kind. Hand-cut in-house right here in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The cards are blank inside and comes with an elegant liner and envelope.

Available for sale here at the shop. $5.00 CAD each (subject to HST where applicable.)

Here is a video we found that shows how to make kiri-e!

切り絵のつくり方の紹介ビデオです。

Little Fat Cups

Added on January 18, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Nova Scotia pottery artist, Sally Ravindra calls them her "little fat cups".

These chubby cups measure only around 7~8 cm (about 3 inches) in height. Just right to fit in your espresso machine.

A hot cup of cappuccino or cocoa on these snowy days sounds very inviting. Enjoy your drink in the Little Fat Cups! :-)

Once you hold one in your hands, you won't want to put it down!

They are available for purchase at the shop or here. Hand-made in Nova Scotia, Canada.

My Ikebana: "Sculpting" With Straw

Added on January 11, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Our backyard is entombed in snow and it was difficult to pick branches so I decided to use some dried susuki (Pampas grass) that a friend had given to me a while back. I had been saving them for a rainy day and I thought their time finally came. Not on a rainy day...but on a snowy one!

Because the stalks were very dry and brittle, many stems broke completely. It was a challenge to blend angled lines with the flower container.

I wanted to project this arrangement in 3-D. The lines were placed such that the viewer would be able to enjoy different expressions from many angles.

The alstroemeria, though more commonly used to create mass, were used to show movement this time.

The two colours--pink and orange--inserted on either side of the arrangement, helped to show depth.

I hope you like it.

Miyako

Welcome 2013 Year Of The Snake

Added on January 1, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

The nengajou is a New Year's postcard that is traditionally sent out in Japan on the first day of the year. It is the way Japanese express gratitude and maintain friendships.

Our Year-End Schedule 2012

Added on December 24, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Our Year-End schedule is as follows:

Dec 24th 10AM - 5PM (shortened hours)
Dec 25th shop closed
Dec 26th shop closed
Dec 27th-29th open 10AM - 6PM
Dec 30th-Jan 2nd shop closed
Jan 3rd open 10AM - 6PM ....onwards, shop open per usual.

Kutani Pottery Yoshidaya Style

Added on December 20, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

When we saw this postage stamp, we thought: "Hey, this looks familiar!"

The stamp set commemorates traditional Japanese crafts and one of them shows Kutani pottery in the Yoshidaya style...and we happen to have one such vase in our shop! (And they are not easy to come by either!)

Pine, the evergreen tree, symbolizes longevity and health. The hawk, with its sharp talons and keen eyes, is quick to grasp good fortune.

The Yoshidaya style of Kutani pottery makes use of only four colours: blue, yellow, green and purple. If you look closely, the brown-looking colours of the pine branches and parts of the hawk are really a tinge of purple.

Yoshidaya pottery are stamped with fuku (福) in a double square block. (Fuku means "good luck".)

To see if this item is still available for purchase, click here.

My Christmas Ikebana

Added on December 13, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Ikebana is not always limited to showing simple lines using branches. Sometime we want to work on something more resplendent...especially for festive seasons like Christmas. Here is my Christmas arrangement.

To take advantage of the lines formed by the eucalyptus and bells of Ireland, I chose a "compote-style" container with a very tall base.

The lilies provide gaiety.

The deep red alstroemeria tightens the arrangement into a whole.

And some white carnation provide a fresh look when the arrangement is viewed from the side.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays!

Miyako

This arrangement is currently displayed at the shop. The scent of lilies and eucalyptus is yet another sensory experience so please come visit us!