Otthon magazine

Here’s a very inviting country home as seen on the website of a Hungarian home decor magazine, Otthon.

I’ve no clue what the site says, but it looks like there’s a contest for readers to vote their favourite home and the couple who owns this cosy abode is one of the finalists.

Self-made stationery

There were many signs pointing out that Self-made Stationery – Handmade goods for myself (手づくり文房具)) by Udagawa Kazumi, would be a good book to get, while I was still in Tokyo in February. Good + simple ideas to replay, explore and build upon. Without further ado, allow me to show you those signs:

Envelope-accordion

Perforated notepad

Magnetic paper clip holder

Page marker, using the edge of an envelope

Fabric book cover

Used-ticket covered notebooks

Gift bags made from envelopes with and without window

Urawaza

Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan by Lisa Katayama

A quick and fun read for either die-hard MacGyvers or wannabes who wish to empower themselves with simple how-tos to solve all sorts of everyday problems.

Urawaza (pronounced oo rah wa za) is Japanese word for a secret trick or a shortcut. Although not all the urawazas in the book are secrets anymore, I do find these 2 particularly special: 1. Bowing isn’t only for showing respect to others in Japanese culture, but it also helps to warm the body by promoting blood circulation. Just take ten deep bows. -:- 2. Walk in the rain without slipping by pasting 2 band-aids on the soles of each shoe. One on the ball, the other on the heel.

Can’t wait to try them out!

Zakka from northern Europe

About 2 months ago I got myself this book (北欧やすらぎの雑貨) on zakka goods from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, that are available in Japan. You can say it’s like a catalogue but yet much more.

Besides featuring an assortment of textiles, kitchenware, stationery, toys and home accents, there are peeks into real homes and shops in Stockholm and in Kyoto, Kobe and Kichijoji. Also a few sewing projects involving handkerchief, kitchen cloth and tapestry are added in. It’s great book, very nicely done.

Alain Gree vintage books

I know some of you bloomizans (huh, new word?) found bloomize because of my notes + flickr pictures on Alain Gree, the well-loved French illustrator. So for you only I’ve hunted down this online bookstore Aixaix, that sells some of his very rare books. Even though it’s a Japanese site, at least you can see quite a few of his books including sample pages.

[Images from Aixaix]

Inflight

For work and for leisure, I read + browse quite a few magazines; on health, home decor, design and all sorts, including any inflight magazine from any major airline.

[SilverKris Mar 08, pg 18-19]

If I can, I’ll schedule my travel plans to allow me to fly at the end of the month and return home the following month so that I get to read 2 consecutive issues – one on the flight out and the other on the way back. But if I’m not travelling, I will ask (very earnestly) friends and family who are heading overseas to bring back a copy for me.

[SilverKris Mar 08, pg 42-43]

Not too long ago I found that I can read one online without having to go on board! Isn’t that nice?

French zakka ain’t complete without Alain Gree

Remember this French author and illustrator whom I had mentioned earlier? I promised to show the postcards with his original art, so here are 3 from the set of 8:

I ordered them here.

Now, he’s well-loved not just in his home country but also in Japan (where else?!) and it’s only in this capital city of zakka that knicks knacks such as these can be found:

[Images from Plazastyle]

The final image I have is a little ski village, which is one of his latest works and it’s free to download! Just save/send/print a copy for yourself or for someone whom you know will thoroughly enjoy it! it’s no longer available to download.

Zakka

While it’s true that many of us who live outside Japan love Japanese crafts and stuff, the Japanese themselves are very much in favor of zakka from overseas, particularly France!

Life-styles With French Goods [フレンチ雑貨と暮らしたい] is by Akemi Matsudo [マツドアケミ/松戸明美], the founder of Zakka + and this is her shopping guide around Paris for great French zakka.

Here are some absorbing pages:

French zakka wouldn’t be complete without Alain Gree, an author and illustrator of detective novels and numerous well-loved vintage children’s books (many of which are out-of-print). It was after seeing this that I ordered online a set of postcards with his original illustrations which I’ll show you the next time.

Akemi also shares a few easy craft ideas for metro/museum tickets, paper-box packages and etc.