Cynthia Shaffer

Leather Journal : : Tutorial

It was a crafty kind of day at our house a few days ago. My son Corry, home from college, is loving the quiet of the house with just a few friends near by and the warmth pups! He was looking for something to make ... hummm.

I reminded him of all the hides of leather we recently acquired ... Ok, truth be told ... we went dumpster diving ... So worth it ... we scored 6 huge hides of leather ... and if you can belive it, we didn't take it all. There were several hides I left behind simply because I didn't care for the color. What was I thinking?

Anyways ... Corry loves to draw and paint and doodle, being the art major that he is and so he set out to learn how to make leather journals.

He was out in the man cave for hours ... reading and watching videos, trying to figure out what he wanted to make ... then, these happened!

After several hours, he mastered it! Of course I wanted a journal too and so for this tutorial, Corry made me a journal while I shot the photos and typed away ... Hope we didn't miss any steps! 

Here's what you do:

• Cut papers down to 6 x 9 inches

• Using a straight edge, tear about 1/4 inch off the short ends. Place the cork side of the ruler on the paper ... this makes for a varied and scrappy edge.

• Fold paper in half

• Gather all the folded pieces of paper to make several signatures. The thickness of the paper of the paper will determine how many pieces of paper are in each signature ... (A signature is a section in a journal ... if a signature is made with the thin paper, I will have 10 pieces of paper, folded in half to give me a 20 pages in that signature.) 
• For this journal we are mixing the papers within each signature so there will be a few thick pages made from watercolor paper and then a few pages made from marker paper. 
• There will be 7 signatures in this journal.

• Open to the center of one signature and mark the points where the pages are going to be stitched into the leather. For this journal we marked 1/4 from the top edge and the bottom edge, then make four marks roughly every 1 3/4 inch. This will give you 3 sections in the center of the signature. For the technique we are using to stitch this journal, you have to have an odd number of sections to sew in the center of the signtures.

• Using a leather needle and a hammer, poke hole where the pencil marks are.

•  Use this top piece of paper as a template to poke the holes in the remaining signatures. The paper clips help to keep all the paper lined up.

•  Cut a piece of leather that measures 14 x 6 1/2 inches.

• Place one signature 4 1/2 inches from the left edge and using a white pencil make a small dot where the holes are on the signature, and then 6 more 1/8 inch apart.

• Using the leather needle and hammer punch holes at every white mark.

• Cut a length of leather cord that measures 2 times the height of the signature x the number of signatures you have, plus an extra 12 inches.

• Place one signature onto the leather and follow the above chart to stitch the journal together. Start by going into the paper side of G4 and then on through the leather, tying a simple knot that can be untied ... leave a 4 inch tail. Then come back up through the leather and the paper at G3. Then back down through G2 and up through G1, then back down through G2 and then up through G3 and then down through G4 paper only and then through the F4 leather ... Continue up through F3 (This is the start of a new signature) leather and paper and continue in this manner until all the signature have been stitched into the leather. Your last stitch you will be going into A4 paper and leather and then back up through G3, leather only and then out G2 leather only and then in at A1 leather only and then across the top of the signatures and through the paper only from the back to the inside fold of G1.
• The below photo shows you what this stitching looks like from the outside.

•  This last stitch will bring you back to the first signature you started stitching. Untie the first knott and then tie the 2 end together. Trim the ends of the cord.

• The next step is to create some sort of closure ... here you can see that the inside flap is exactly the same width as the pages ... I may trim it by about 1/4 inch or so.

• And then the front flap doesn't goes all the way to the edge ... Not sure how I'm going to close this journal or embellish it. This is the fun part, according to Corry, so stay tuned for another post on how I finish it off.

 

My Life At A Glance : : Fall 2012

As you have probably noticed I'm not the type to blog too much about my life, my kids or what's going on around here but thought I would give you a little glimspe of what my fall has looked like.

Dropped my oldest son Corry off at college, TCU in Fort Worth Texas ... and yes, that's all he packed!

Still have one kid at home and yes, I love to watch Cameron play baseball for Villa Park High School.

Taught a couple of photography classes and made some new friends along the way ... I'll be teaching Photo 101 again on February 23rd!

Did some photography of a few models for a modeling agency. Beautiful girls if I say so myself!

Photographed lots and lots of books here in my studio and out and about with my assistant ... Thanks Becky! 

Became completely addictied to boxing!

Joined in on the annual block party.

Aiden enjoyed the bike parade as well as cousin Tiffany!

Oh, and then Danita came to town and taught an amazing class at Studio Crescendoh and I got to be the class helper!

Then a relaxing day at the beach with Danita, Saul, Marielena and Leo ... 

Then back to TCU for parent weekend where Corry showed us some of his recent art projects.

And of course my favorite ... we went to the football game!

Somewhere during this time, the moon was huge and my husband and I had fun snapping photos.

Cut and sanded some birch panels for paintings and for grounds for some books I was shooting.

Photographed the lovely Tracy Verdugo at a workshop put on by Christy Nimeh.

And put a little paint on a canvas while I was there!

Sold 3 paintings at a gallery show at Studio Crescendoh.

Took lots and lots of photos of my pups Harper and Berklee.

Bought some fun parts and pieces at Glitterfest yesterday ...

And today ... in like 3 hours ... I'm off for a much needed week long vacation to Hawaii with a couple of friends, lots of yarn, a new book and of course my camera bag stuffed to the brim!

 

 

I Heart Laguna Beach

The above photos were all taken at Tuvalu and if you ever get a chance to visit this store be sure to bring your camera ... There is eye candy everywhere!

And then there are lots of fun furry friends out for a day at the beach.

There are really no words need here ... The Candy Baron has every type of candy under the sun!

While the sun never made an appearance today, the overcast sky's gave me the perfect amount of filtered light to shoot and shoot and shoot ... Field trip anyone?

Japanese Candy Wrapper Collage : Tutorial

My Husband just called to inform that he will be traveling in the upcoming months ... It's Japan again ... my favorite place!

He travels there often and always returns home with some very interesting candy for my kids. We never know what it will be and I have to tell you, I have only actually tried a few of the 'sweets' he has brought back.

Why you might ask ... well here's why ... I learned early on in his traveling days that a lot of the Japanese candies are made from bean paste ... and I love beans, but here's where I have an issue ... I can not wrap my brain around the idea that beans are a sweet treat. To me the are salty, savory and are often slathered with onions and cilantro. So ... do you understand my problem?

Here's a funny story ... so my mother had a Japanese foreign exchange student named Yoshiko come to live her for a year. We introduced her to all of our favorite foods, including refried beans ... she tried them and nearly spit them out on her plate ... she could not wrap her brain around the idea that they were not sweet! 

Japanese Candy Collage and Doodles

The wrapping and presentation is a feast for my eyes ... I love all the color and love the attention to details.

Japanese Candy Wrapper Collage:

 Unwrap and flatten colorful candy wrappers ... feed the candy to your children!

Cut out random shapes and swirls from the wrappers.

Using a glue stick, randomly adhere the pieces to a panel of watercolor paper.

Free motion stitch the wrappers in place and then onto the card in swirls and loop patterns.

Add some color with watercolor pencils and doodle shapes with a black marker.

Here's to Japanese candy, happy and safe travels for my husband and crafting and doodling!

Christmas Quiet : : 2011

 After lots of preparation, cooking, shopping and wrapping ...

Christmas 2011 is a quiet Christmas ...

Yes, my husband was in town for this Christmas ... Playing with his camera while waiting for our dinner guests to arrive ...

The table was set and ready for prime rib and lobster ... our favorite ...

Then came the sweet treats ...

Yes, that is Harper sitting at the dinner table ... patiently waiting for someone to pop open the lid of that cookie tin.

And a little quick check of facebook ... Really Cameron?

 Then ... the exchange started ... Harper led the way and was more than thrilled with her little chipmunk she got from cousin Lucky.

And there's Corry sort of spacing out after a few too many sweets?

A few things that really stand out in my mind about this Christmas ... lights ...

And even more lights and color ... 

Here's to having a wonderful Christmas with friends, family, lights, color and the quiet.

Merry Christmas! 

A Few Things I'm Thankful For On This Turkey Day!

Just a few things I'm thankful for on this day, my favorite holiday ....Thanksgiving!

A football team, my son's football team, that practiced early this morning then came together for family photos.

For the young men that serve our country so that we can be together as family and friends and feel safe and protected.

For a football coach that, even at a public high school, believes in the power of prayer and understands the importance of faith and family.

And for my son Corry, who without us knowing, has been leading the team in prayer before all the team dinners.

For my husband who works harder than anyone I know, often in foreign countries, so that the rest of us have a roof over our heads and food on our table. 

For my dinner table that was set yesterday, ready for family and friends to arrive for dinner.

 For small little pilgrims that adorn our table each year, a cute set of salt and pepper shakers, a gift from my mother years ago. And the Navajo rug that I use as a table runner, yet another gift from my mother ... from her extended family.

From my family to yours ...Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Corry and Dylan

Just a few photos of my oldest son Corry and his girlfriend Dylan ... all dressed up and heading out to the homecoming dance. Notice the corsage and boutonniere I talked about in this earlier post.

 Sooo cute don't you think?

As it turned out, I was taking Flora's painting class while my husband was snapping away here, hence the slightly silly photos!

I'm not kidding here ...

I don't think he snapped a single photo of them looking somewhat serious.

And apparently they were just killing time here and making each other crack up over absolutely nothing. 

Really! Now this is a proud mom moment!

And of course as it would turn out ... Corry has a broken finger, just like last year, same time, same place ... oh wait, of course ... it's football season!

Oh my how I love these kids ... so comfortable in their own skins and having sooo much fun during these last few months of high school! 

Mustard and Gray Houndstooth : : Knitting for a Rainy Day

I LOVE rainy days.

Not only because all my plants are getting a nice drink of fresh water, but also because it gives me permission to stay home with my pups and do what I love to do ... KNIT!

When the weather changed to chilly and breezy a few days ago, and knowing that lots of baseball and rain were in my future, I took a little field trip to my local craft store and scooped up this yummy wool yarn.

Having no real plan or pattern in mind for this yarn I did remember that in my knitting group my friend Anna was trying out a new pattern that slightly resembled houndstooth and I have always loved houndstooth.

So I quick like knit up  a swatch to check my gauge and to work out the pattern and soon realized that I loved the look of the high contrast and that it did look like knitted houndstooth but much more simple than reading a chart and tracking your rows ...LOVE IT!

Look how simple ...

1. Starting with the gray yarn, cast on an odd number of stitches. the amount you cast on will depend on what you're knitting. (Think scarf, prayer shawl or skirt.)
2. Knit 2 foundation rows. 
3. Add the mustard yarn and K the first stitch, K the next stitch along with the loop right below the stitch that's on the needle.
4. Knit the next stitch.
5. Repeat #3 and #4 until you get to the end of the row.
6. Next row ... all K.
7. Now bring the gray back up .. K 2 then knit in the pattern described above, except when you get to the end of this row, K the last 2 stitches.
8. Knit the next row.

Here's to rainy days, yummy yarn, fab houndstooth and sweet pups!

Soldering + Glass + Pearls = Homecoming Corsage and Boutonniere : : Tutorial

Another high school dance has come and gone and guess what ... the corsage and boutonniere still look as good as the night they were worn!

You may remember this post last year when I announced to my son Corry and his girlfriend Dylan that I was pretty much done purchasing flowers for the dances when I discovered that they take them off when they get to the dance anyways!

This is what this years handmade "flowers" looked like. Of course they would be soldered ... that seems to be what I'm into these days and if I say so myself ... I think they turned out pretty fab!

Here's what I did:

• Using tinned copper wire, I first created a large heart shape and then another loop, just to make it look a bit abstract. 
• Then using fine silver wire I strung fresh water pearls, glass beads and some silver beads, twisting each bead in place on the wire. 
• Next I wrapped the thin wire around the heart shaped tinned copper. 

• After the heart shape was wrapped, I wrapped the curly ends and then went back and secured the center area. (Notice that at this point the red floss in the middle is gone ... since I was designing as I was going, not all the photos are super accurate and things change and I forget to re-shoot some steps.)

• Next I glued a little square of text from a Bible onto a 1" square of glass and then glued a little red heart onto the text. 
• Then I soldered just the top and bottom edges of the glass squares.

• And to anchor the wired heart to the glass, I soldered just a small spot at the top.

• Then sandwiched the wired bundle between the 2 glass squares and then soldered the outer edges several times.

• And to finish off the corsage, I cut a portion out of large jump and then soldered them to the sides.

• Then I  finished it off with a couple of lengths of cream rayon ribbon to wrap around the wrist then tied.

• The boutonniere was of course, much simpler. First I made a heart with the tinned copper wire, then wrapped the beaded silver wire around the shape.
• Next, I soldered the center to secure the shape.

• And to finish it off ... a short length of rayon ribbon wrapped around the center and a long pearl pin.

Photos of the lucky couple ... to come!

 

 

 

B ... Is For Berklee and Boston!

Doodling and thinking about my pup Berklee. You see Berklee is our pound pup, scooped up at our local animal shelter, and let me tell you, she is one in a million!

I look at this photo I took of her and I can not imagine that she was left at the shelter and her owners did not come to get her. Really? 

Ok, so she is little bit ugly, but trust me, her personality and loving sweet sweet soul melts your heart the first time she tries to slurp on you.

We named her Berklee for a few reasons. 

• She can sing and howl like no other Boston Terrier and after all there is the Berklee College of Music in Boston MA.
• My friend Darcy saw a photo of her when we first brought her home and she noticed that she had great legs. I told my husband about Darcy's comment and he blurted out Busby Berkeley ... famous musical choreographer and movie director in the 1940's.
• And last but not least, my father graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and he would have loved her, I just know it!

Berklee is scrapper and a survivor ... we often find her sleeping on a pile of dirty laundry, or outside on the hard plastic bbq cover laying on the concrete under the patio cover. Really? Wouldn't the couch that's right there under the patio cover be a bit more comfortable? 

Oh well ... Where ever she wants to sleep during the day is fine as long as at night she is snug under the covers with me!

Mason Jar Desserts: : Tutorial

With Sunday Supper @ Six, comes fun desserts that I love to experiment and play with. Oh sure, sometimes it's just s'mores, the old fashion way, and then sometimes it's individual desserts in mason jars!

First I tried the S'mores in a jar that I read about here. Looks so yummy and so easy to make.

The next Sunday I made an ice cream sundae with a chocolate chip cookie baked into the bottom of the mason jar. These were a HUGE hit with all the kids.

Here's what I did:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae:

First I cleaned out the mason jars that were recently used to hold votive candles for my mom's 80th party, then I sprayed them with Pam.

Mixed up a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough ...

Spooned the dough into the jars and then placed the jars into a 9 x 13 inch pan, then added about 1" of water to the bottom of the pan.

Popped them in the oven and watched them turn golden brown and oh the smell ... there is truly nothing better!

After the cookies had cooled a little, I scooped out some vanilla ice cream and then topped it off with chocolate syrup! I had whip cream and cherries on hand but as it ended up ... this was the perfect combo, just the way it is!

S'mores In a Jar:

I changed up the recipe I saw on the Lark site and decide to use a store bought cake mix instead.

First I gathered and cleaned up the mason jars.

Next I sprayed the jars with Pam to keep the cake from sticking too much.

Next I mixed crushed graham crackers and then mixed it with melted butter and a bit of salt and pressed it into the bottom of the jars.

Then I mixed up the cake mix according to the directions on the package and then spooned it into the mason jars.

Before I put them in the oven, I place about a cup of water in the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan, then placed the jars in the pan, then popped them into the oven. (Notice the huge pans of baked zitti on the stove top. There was only a few pieces left over that night!)

As soon as the jars of cake came out of the oven, I stuffed them with 3 large marshmallows, then put them under the broiler for less that 30 seconds, just to toast the tops of marshmallow! After the jars sat for a few minutes, the marshmallows started to melt and became  gooey, yummy jars of heaven! Ok so .. truth be told ... If I do the s'more ones again I will swap the chocolate cake mix out for brownies!

So ... as you can imagine, the sky is the limit!

Just think ...

• Individual rhubard and strawberry cobbler with ice cream
• Brownies-a-la-mode 
• Ranger cookie with vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce then topped with whip cream and pecans. (I may have to save this one for my Bible study group!)

 

Sunday Supper @ Six ... Come One, Come All!

A little over a year ago I started Sunday Supper @ Six. You see, back in May of 2010, when I was working on my first book, I realized that I had not been cooking much. In fact I had not cooked a hot dinner for my family in weeks. That's when I got this great idea to start Sunday Supper @ Six.

You see ... if I know people/kids are coming over for supper, I'll set the table, or at least put linens on the big picnic table in the backyard, plan the menu and even pick up the house a bit. 

It's basicly a come one come all for my kids and their friends. All I ask is that I get a head count about 3 hours before we eat. On some Sunday's I have as many as 17 teenagers laughing, telling jokes and being a really fun and funny group to be with. And yes, my husband and I sit and eat at the same table and I love it! They all call me ... Momma Shaffer!

Sometimes it's BBQ rib eye steaks with baked potato, salad and bread and sometimes I make my famous baked zitti. 

On this particular Sunday I decide to do a make your own pizza so I had a ton of toppings and each person got to load up there pizza dough with whatever they wanted.

Then I popped them into the oven and baked them in shifts. I had the kids write their names on a small piece of  foil so we could tell them all apart after they had baked.  Ok truth be told ... we  put some on the BBQ and they burned ... sorry Dylan and Tim!

And then at some point teams are formed and they either play a game of wiffle ball, which is hysterical, soccer which is brutal on my garden or shuffle board!

And finally ... dessert is served. 

More on the desserts I've been playing with in a later post ... but here's a sneak peek! 

 

Mushroom LOVE

Oh how I LOVE my mushrooms! My husband says I'm a mushroom hoarder ... I don't think I'm alone, at least not in my family ... My son Cameron can eat an entire bag of mushrooms, raw, without a blink of the eye!

These oyster mushrooms are so beautiful and the flavor is just so delicate.

 

Oh My ... have you ever seen anything so dang cute! They're called beech mushrooms and yes, I couldn't resist doodling on just a few of these little happy guys. 

And then there's the usual mushrooms that find their way into just about every scrambled egg breakfast I make for Cameron and myself.

Grilled them up with a few red and green peppers and onion and rolled it all up in a tortilla and topped it off with a little feta ... Yummy ...  dinner tonight!

If you're in the Old Towne Orange area on Saturday mornings, you'll want to check out the Orange Farmers and Artisans Market that just opened up at the old packinghouse on the corner of Palm and Cypress.

And ...go visit my favorite vendor ... the mushroom guy! 

Oh and you don't want to miss this ...

The farmers Market also has a Chef demo series ... Coming this Saturday, July 30th ... Chef Diego Velasco of Memphis at the Santora in Santa Ana! 

 

Turning 80, Sparklers and Pie!

My mom's birthday party went off without a hitch thanks to the help of my sisters, niece and nephew. Here are just a few of my favorite photos of the night.

Here's my mom sitting and listening to friends and family members talk about her and her many passions. I can only hope to look half this good when I turn 80! 

Long-time friends shared favorite stories ...

My sister shared a bit about my mom and what it was like  growing up with a mom that was and still is on the go. She talked about the role model my mom has been to all of us girls, a women of passion and real compassion for the needy and less fortunate.

And then it was my mom's turn to talk ............ she kept is short and simple. 

And finally, pie was served. We had 9 different types of pie, all served with vanilla ice cream.

Can you guess which flavor pie was the favorite of the night and is my all-time favorite as well? Rhubarb! I LOVE IT!

 

I love this photo ... notice that this man was very smart and helped himself to a small slice of several different pies! Needless to say that at the end of the night, there was only a slice of peach pie leftover.

We had to hide this slice of rhubarb pie for my mom ... her favorite as well!

Happy Birthday again mom!

 

Just A Little Glimpse

 

The centerpieces were ready a few days ahead ...

 Mason jars with votive candles ...

 Antique linens were purchased at The Farm Chicks Antique Show ... 

Star crackers were arranged ...

And these fun little lanterns were lite as the sun started to set ...

More photos to come when I return from a mini vacation with my mom, sisters and niece!

The Party Is Today! : : Birthday Invitaion Tutorial

Tomorrow is my mother's 80th Birthday ... but today is her party ... at my house!  Yes, her name is Betty and she is a 4th of July baby! 

Here's a quick peek at what the invitations looked like.

And here's what I did:

First I printed out the word Celebrate onto card stock and then cut them out.

Next I cut strips of patterned star paper, then punched out a scalloped edge.

Then a slathered a few old book pages with gesso and then tore the book pages into little rectangles.

Cut red dot fabric into strips.

I created the party details and information on the computer and cut out the panel.

Then I assembled the invitations all at once, then went to the sewing machine and started stitching.

Gathered star brads ...

Insert the brads ... and stitch the information panel to the inside.

Oh ... and here's the response card.

And ... the name tags!

Here's a quick shot of the Birthday girl and some of my helpers after a long day of work!

More photo's to come ...

 

Fabric + Wire + Paper = Prom Corsage and Boutonniere : : Tutorial

So when I found out that the girls don't wear their corsages during the dance, and instead shove them into their purses, I decided to make the corsage and boutonniere for this year's prom out of fabric, paper and wire.

My son Corry and his girlfriend Dylan were up for it as well, being the artsy types that they are.

If I say so myself ... I think they turned out fabulous! And guess what ... they wore them the entire dinner and dance and ... they didn't even crush them!

Here's what you do:

Gather:

White fabric, about 1/4 yard. Any fabric will work but I use a piece of silk shantung.

Old book text.

Steel wire, about 3 ft.

Light blue pearls  (4)

Silver wire, about 3 ft.

Ribbon in white and sheer black.

White floral tape.

Gesso

Mod Podge

Pliers

Make:

Apply a thin coat of gesso to one side of the old book text and set aside to dry.

Cut a length of steel wire about 12 inches long and using the pliers, bend the wire to form a leaf. repeat till you have 5 leaves.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the gessoed book text and set aside to dry.

Cut out a leaf shape larger that the wire leaf. Apply a thin strip of Elmers glue to the wire leaf and then press the paper leaf to the wire. Hold it for a minute and repeat for the other wire leaves. You may need to check on these leaves a few times before they dry completely, pressing the paper into the wire often.

Once the glue is dry, use a craft knife and cut around the outer edge of the wire leaf.

Then arrange the leaves and twist the wires around each other, leaving some wire to form the swirls at a later time.

 

Cut 4 pieces of wire about 10 inches each and thread them through the pearls and then twist the wire together.

For the Corsage, cut 2 pieces of fabric on the bias that measure 1 3/4 x 14 inches and for the boutonniere cut 2 pieces of fabric on the bias that measure 1 1/4 x 10 inches. Taper to a point, one side of each end. 

With the leftover gessoed book text, cut narrow strips and hand sew them to the straight edge of fabric strip.

With a hand needle and thread or sewing machine, run a basting stitch close to the curved edge.

Place the wired pearls at one end of the fabric strip and gather up the fabric strip.

Now coil the fabric around the wired pearls and then secure by hand sewing back and forth through all the layers. Note: The tighter you gather the fabric strip, the more open the  flower will be. I prefer to have the "rose" a bit more closed for the corsage and boutonniere.

Cut one pieces of white ribbon and one pieces of black ribbon about 12 inches long. Make a bow with each separately then twist a length of ribbon around the bows at the center.

Arrange the fabric rose onto the wire leaves and then add the ribbons and use the extra wire from the ribbons to secure all these parts.

Add a strip of white floral tape to cover the wired area and using a pliers, curl up the ends of the steel wire. 

Cut a length of white ribbon about 18 inches and tie it around the white floral tape. This ribbon is used to tie it onto the girls wrist. You may need to trim this ribbon after it is tied in place.

The only difference for the boutonniere is that I used just 2 leaves and one pearl. Also, above I gave the dimensions for a smaller rose, which I used for the boutonniere.

And ... you are done! 

 

Paper, Cotton and Linen Flower : : Tutorial

 My son's high school prom is just around the corner and I thought I would make his girlfriend's corsage and his boutonniere ... out of paper, and a little fabric!

So, I'm just playing here and moving kinda fast ...  paper, cotton print fabric and a bit of green linen.

Here's what I did to make this flower:

First I cut out petal shapes from old book text and a printed cotton fabric. Using spray adhesive I then layered them together.

Next I stitched around the cotton , then around the paper. 

Then I hand pleated the petals and machine stitched across the pleat, holding it in place.

Next I used a bit of Elmer's glue to hold the petals together. 

Then I cut out a circle from a green linen scrap and then cut the circle in a spiral pattern ...

And twirled the spiral up adding Elmer's glue as I went ...

 

forming a little bud.

Ok, so, not sure this is the direction I will go for the prom flowers, but stay tuned and I'll let you see just how they turn out!

Sendai Japan, August 2008

According to Jenny, my husband and I are the most Japanese people she has ever met. My husband even does the appropriate head nod and slight bow when he greets someone. 

Back in August of 2008 our family, along with my dear friends Shigeru and Cliff, went on vacation to Japan. Even though my husband works there much of the time, even for him, to travel up to the northern part of the island, was a real treat. 

We traveled on the Shinkansen, through farmlands and valleys, visiting sleepy villages, taking in some museums, local food and of course we manged to see some wonderful summer festivals. 

The city of Sendai was one of the most spectacular stops of our travels. For one week during the month of August, Sendai celebrates with the Tanabata festival.

Gorgeous decorations made from folded Japanese paper, are hung up in the walk way, or arcade of this shopping venue. There must be over one thousand of these huge decorations lined up in the walk way.

Some of these decorations hang way down, almost touching the ground and we got to walk right through them.

Here are my kids Corry and Cameron and my friends, Shigeru and Cliff.

And because of the festival and celebration, young girls were dressed in their traditional clothing and loving this photo opp with my boys.

So sweet and oh so beautiful.

As the day wore on we became a bit hungry and you know, we had to try it, just to make sure that it tasted the same ... right? 

Notice that they even had a Claire's in Sendai ... and look how adorable this employee is!

Cameron was feeling brave at this point.

Then there were the sleepy side streets, with little decorations, and business as usual.

We captured several shots of random phrases ... and yes I did bring back a collection of great socks.

And then it was off to our ryokan for a great nights rest. 

Love to the Yaji family ...

Love to Yoshiko with a baby on the way ...

and love to Tadashi ...

Keeping you close to our hearts and constantly in our prayers ... 

The Shaffer Family

 

Sushi Decorated : : It's What's For Dinner

So ... my kids always say ... "It's not fair that dad gets to eat sushi every night when he's in Japan." 

I say ... "He might be eating sushi every night, but I would bet you anything that it is not decorated like this sushi!"... Look what's for dinner tonight Corry and Cameron! 

Nori punched with craft punches ... little hearts, stars, mini leaves and large flower, decorating this beautiful fresh fish, avocado and rice ... Love fish! 

Oh ... and a caterpillar with nori antenna and polka dot punched skin ... Love him!

And then there's the lotus blossom with nori punched flowers and a marble size piece of lime green heaven ... Love wasabi!

California rolls and Philadelphia rolls on top of nori flowers ...

Hand cut birds sitting on nests of rice, avocado, and cucumber ...

Scallop punched nori doily with punched circles ... just because I can. 

No real tutorial needed here, but I did want to show you all the punches I used to decorate dinner.

Easy peasy ...

Here's a little tip I have ... keep the nori cool and dry, it can get soft and limp fast. I punched these decorations out a few days ago, then bagged them and kept them in the refrigerator until minutes before I served dinner. 

Oh and don't forget the chopstitck ... here's a shot of my collection ... oh, the red and green pencil ones ... they belong to my kids.

Hope you enjoyed dinner Corry and Cameron!