We're visiting Mahone Bay (again!) :-) Join us for an ikebana workshop on April 28th, 1-3 p.m. at the Mahone Bay Centre.
Click here to find out what our ikebana workshop is all about.
Needle Felt Turtles
Maybe you've already seen them in the shop..these cute little turtles!
Before they became turtles, they looked like this.
We took the woolen roving and stuck the needles into them gazillons of times to compact them together into turtle shapes. The tiny eyes were the trickiest part!
Do you like how they turned out?
We even put them in their habitat! Just to make them feel more at home. :-)
Available at the shop. $8.50 each (plus HST). Made in Nova Scotia, Canada.
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
My Ikebana: Natural Style
This time I made an arrangement in a more orthodox and natural style.
Last week, a customer came to the shop bringing a big branch. She said she had found it on the sidewalk. She knew I loved getting branches! It was that branch that I used for this arrangement. Thank you very much!
I used red carnations, white pom pom mums and a sprinkling of pine.
See the buds? The branches were holding out the promise of spring!
Here is the complete arrangement. I imagined it would be appropriate at an entrance lobby of a restaurant or ryokan (Japanese style inn).
We put it in our shop instead! :-) Sorry but we don't have a lot of space these days so it had to be together with some other things!
I hope you like it. --Miyako
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Cute Cat And Dog Chocolate
We teamed up with local Nova Scotia chocolatier, Brigitte Linder of Out The Box Chocolates and came up with these cuties.
Hand-crafted Swiss style chocolates. (But of course...Brigitte is from Switzerland!) They are 53% dark chocolate...just the way we like it. Not too bitter but not too sweet either. Plus, little spots of white chocolate...just to make them more interesting.
Aren't they just adorable? ^_^
We have cats...
...and dogs.
All individually wrapped. Perfect as a small gift!
All made exclusively for us! Can't buy this anywhere else!
Available at the shop. $2.50 each (plus HST).
All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.
My Ikebana: Pine Needles
The back of our house has a lot of pine trees. The previous night's rainstorm gave me a gift of a fallen pine branch.
Back at the studio, I stood for a long time in front of the flower container shelves but found it difficult to choose a container. In the end, I decided not to use a container...rather, I re-discovered this piece of driftwood that had been set aside many months ago!
I also abandoned the idea of using the big pine branch. The needles had caught my eye.
I rearranged them to form a mass. I thought it'd be interesting to set it on the driftwood to look as if moss had started growing on it. Then, I added the pine twigs (already stripped of their needles) on to the end to show movement, giving the mass of needles a lighter tone.
Here is the arrangement...
I hope you like it. --Miyako
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
My Ikebana: Swirling Eucalyptus
The idea to twist eucalyptus branches round and round came from the shape of the container. I thought of using only the heart-shaped one.
When I finished, I felt the arrangement uncomfortably incomplete.
So I expanded the work using the second container.
I used the single aspidestra leaf embedded in the eucalyptus swirls to create a connection with the second container.
Also with the help of hydrangea blossoms, the arrangement with two containers was now a unity.
Hope you like it. --Miyako
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Lavender In Apples
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Our lavender apples will keep you smiling all day!
Hand-made apples stuffed with Nova Scotia lavender. Wouldn't those look and smell good on your desktop? :-)
Red Delicious...
Granny Smith...
Hand-made in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Available at the shop or online.
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Catch The Wave Sale - Two Days Only
Two-day window exclusively for our online customers.
We are trying to give our online shop a little boost with a short promo, exclusive to our mail order customers.
We'll take $10 off from total purchases with value over $50 (before shipping & applicable sales taxes). We must receive your order between Mar 8th & Mar 9th, 2013.
If this works, we'll dream up of other short-but-sweet deals for you! Please help us spread the word and share with your friends. Thanks!
Visit our online shop here.
Horizons - Ikebana Exhibit
We are a proud sponsor of Horizons, the 2013 exhibit of the Ikebana International, Ottawa Centennial Chapter 120. Please visit if you are in the area!
Lovely Lavender Happi
We got ourselves a bagful of lavender from the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market here in Nova Scotia.
...and we had some Japanese cotton fabric in our hands.
Put two and two together...we came up with these miniature happi coats.
Sewn around the tummy area is a "pouch" filled with lavender.
Put in your drawer, closet, car etc. The fragrance of lavender will freshen up your space.
There is a variety to choose from!
Fabric from Japan. Lavender from Nova Scotia. Hand-made in Nova Scotia, Canada. Available at the shop or by mail order. $3.50 CAD each plus HST where applicable.
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)