Well, I've FINALLY gotten around to naming the winners of the last Kimono-Lovers contest. So without further adeu, here they are!

FIRST PLACE:
Submitted by ShoShanaShira


Title: Hanami: Cherry Blossom Beauty
Congratulations, you have been awarded 30 points in our ranking system. You've earned yourself another kimono! It's an Uncrested Tsukesage. This icon will now appear next to your name in the members list: You're winning deviation will also become the club's new featured deviation until the end of our next contest. Your image will be featured in Qiu-Ling's and Kurokami-Kanzashi's journal until January 2010. And you will recieve 5 pieces of kimono fabric for craft work.

SECOND PLACE:
Submitted by The-Darkwolf


Congratulations, you have been awarded 20 points in our ranking system. You've earned yourself another kimono! It's a Large Patterned Komon. This icon will now appear next to your name in the members list: Your image will be featured in Qiu-Ling's and Kurokami-Kanzashi's journal until January 2010. And you will recieve 2 pieces of kimono fabric for craft work.

THIRD PLACE:
Submitted by Akai-Tenshi


Congratulations, you have been awarded 10 points in our ranking system. You've earned yourself another kimono! It's a Large Patterned Komon. This icon will now appear next to your name in the members list: Your image will be featured in Qiu-Ling's and Kurokami-Kanzashi's journal until January 2010.

Let's have a round of applause for the winners!

________________________________________ _

MY ETSY SHOP

CHRISTMAS CARDS:


POSTCARDS:


HALO FOR THE HOLIDAYS


PRINTS:



I've also listed the last remaining prints of a few of my recently retired pieces. If you want prints of those, this may be your last chance to get them!

KANZASHI:

________________________________________ _

MY GALLERY:

Some of the pieces in my other gallery are now over five years old, or nearing five years old. So take a few minutes to say goodbye to these babies because they will be removed from my gallery at the end of the month. Then they can rest happily and peacefully in their retirement.

Up for retirement on January 1st:


Up for retirement on February 1st:


Prints of some of these pieces are up for sale in my Etsy shop: [link]
________________________________________ _______

MY PHOTOGRAPHY: [link]

Killarney 2008:

[link]

Angola 2009:

[link]

Spain 2009:

[link]

Killarney 2009:

[link]

Well, everyone it's that time of year again. I'm heading off for another summer in Killarney tomorrow morning. I think I'll have somewhat better internet access than I've had in the past, this year. So I'm hoping to still be active here from time to time. However, I am closing commissions until I return home. I will finish up any remaining commisions I've agreed to, but I will not be accepting anymore until September. Also, I may not be able to answer questions, comments and notes until I get home, so please be patient.
__________________________________________

KIMONO-LOVERS CONTEST VOTING!!!

Well everyone, I'm hosting the contest voting for the KIMONO-LOVERS club here. You're welcome to take a look at the entries and cast your vote for the winner!

If you are a club member, be sure to leave a comment under the poll so you can be awarded points. You don't have to state who you voted for, simply that you did in fact vote.


The KIMONO-LOVERS' "Hanami" contest:

For this contest, entrants were asked to create a kimono design or kimono related art work based on the them of Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing. Both traditional and non-traditional kimono designs were accepted.

CONTEST ENTRIES
In the order that entries were recieved.


Submitted by shadowgeisha


Title: Hanami


Submitted by Alexandra-chan


Title: Hanami Contest Entry


Submitted by The-Darkwolf

:
Title: Bushi Hanami


Submitted by ShoShanaShira


Title: Hanami: Cherry Blossom Beauty


Submitted by Akai-Tenshi


Title: Hanami


You can vote for the winner here: [link]

Voting will go on until June 18th, 2009.
__________________________________________

CONVENTION AND TRAVEL SCHEDULE

June 15th - September 13th
KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK

July 25th and 26th
2009 KILLARNEY ART SHOW
_________________________________________

MY ETSY SHOP
Close until I return in September.
_________________________________________

MY GALLERY


Some of the pieces in my other gallery are now over five years old, or nearing five years old. So take a few minutes to say goodbye to these babies because they will be removed from my gallery at the end of the month. Then they can rest happily and peacefully in their retirement.

Up for retirement on July 1st:


Up for retirement on August 1st:


Prints of some of these pieces are up for sale in my Etsy shop: [link]
_______________________________________________

MY PHOTOGRAPHY [link]

KILLARNEY 2008:
[link]


ANGOLA 2009:
[link]


SPAIN 2009:
[link]

Well everyone, I've been back from Spain for a little more than a week now. The trip was awesome, eventhough I was sick and missed out on hiking a part of the pilgrimage. I don't have any photos from Spain posted yet, but I'll be sure to add them to my flickr page soon.

Other than that, I've spent the last week working like a dog to get ready for Anime North 2009. This year, not only was I staffing in the Comic Market, I was also selling in the Crafter's Corner and curating the Kimono Display in the Art Room. The Kimono Display went smoothly eventhough we were missing one of the kimono... The komon was forgotten at home.

Anyways, for those of you who couldn't attend Anime North, or missed out on the Kimono Display - you can take the virtual tour:



Thursday
Thursday evening was the Artist's Jam, where as usual we have the artists draw on a large board which is later sold at the charity auction. I spent a few hours there finishing up some last minute kanzashi, then joined in the fun by adding a detailed phoenix to the charity board.

Friday:
On Friday I spent the morning and early afternoon with some of the other staff setting up all the tables in the Comic Market, Crafter's Corner and Display Area. Then at about 1pm it was time to set up the kimono display. My kimono stands were delivered promptly and and I got right to work setting up. After the kimono display was looking all pretty and such, myloko and I headed over to the Crafter's Corner to set up our table there. We got dressed in our kimono as well. She wore a black taisho houmongi and I wore my Eibetsu no Fuyu houmongi with my pink haori. The weather couldn't have been worse for a winter ensemble though - I was wearing about 4 layers and it was easily 30 degrees in the convention centre.



Saturday:
On Saturday I got up at about 6:30am and got all dolled up in my chaya-tsuji maiko ensemble.



Myloko and I spent the day manning our table and we had some fun with . For the early part of the day she was dressed in her AMAZING Tomoe-gozen costume. Her armour was fully authentic and incredible.



And later that day, Frenchlily changed into her geiko costume once her armour got too heavy. So we got all got a nice photo together. Myloko was playing the part of Shikomi, while I was a Junior Maiko and Frenchlily was a Geiko.



Sunday:
On Sunday, I was up at 6:30am again to get my geiko ensemble on.



I ended up using a couple of the hairsticks from my Ryuu-sama kanzashi set for this outfit, since the kanzashi I had planned to use had gone missing. You see, I had been storing two antique hair pins in the box for my sensu - and either I had mistakenly left the box somewhere, or it was stolen from our hotel room. So I no longer have the box for my sensu or the two taisho hair pins that had been among my first kimono purchases. I'm very sad to have lost them...

Anyways, I spent the afternoon disassembling the kimono display, but not before about a dozen people asked me if they could buy my kimono. One lady was hoping I would sell her my wedding furisode to wear for her wedding. Unfortunately for her, that's the first kimono I ever bought and so, it's quite special to me.
__________________________________________

CONVENTION AND TRAVEL SCHEDULE

June 15th - September 13th
KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK
_________________________________________

MY ETSY SHOP

Will be reopened shortly.
_________________________________________

MY GALLERY:

Some of the pieces in my gallery are now over five years old, or nearing five years old. So take a few minutes to say goodbye to these babies because they will be removed from my gallery at the end of the month. Then they can rest happily and peacefully in their retirement.

Up for retirement on June 1st:


Up for retirement on July 1st:


Prints of some of these pieces are up for sale in my Etsy shop: [link]
_______________________________________________

MY PHOTOGRAPHY: [link]

KILLARNEY 2008:
[link]


ANGOLA 2009:
[link]

Well everyone, I'm off to Spain this evening to on a pilgrimage. Here's hoping I can survive hiking 25km a day for 10 days with a 30 lb backpack on my back...

Anyways, I thought I'd leave you all with a detailed telling of Royana's story (it's a long one!):

Royana's Story:
First, I'd like to introduce you to this adorable 2 and a half year old girl. Her name is Royana and she lives in Angola.

October 2007:
My mother and I were invited to travel to Africa with Dr. Michael Bentley-Taylor. You see, in a pervious trip he'd examined a 7 year olf boy named Jose who turned out to have a heart condition. After returning to Canada, he'd pitched Jose's case to Sick Children's Hospital and the Herbie Foundation in the hopes that Jose could come to Canada and recieve life saving surgery. Unfortunately, an ultrasound with moving pictures, rather than just still images was required to allow Jose to come to Canada. And so, Dr. Bentley-Taylor shelled out for a $60,000 portable ultrasound machine and invited my mother (a cardiac-ultrasound technician) to get the images required. I tagged along.

In Angola, we examined Jose - whose condition had severely worsened - along with a number of other individuals. Among these individuals we found 8 year old Edgar and 6 month old Royana. Both of these children were perfect candidates for Sick Children's Hospital and the Herbie Foundation. Royana had a congenital defect known as a Tetralogy of Fallot along with an overriding aorta.

November 2007:
Jose and Edgar's cases were presented to Sick Children's Hospital and they were approved to come to Canada for surgery. Royana's case was also presented, but she was not accepted immediately.

Spring 2008:
Jose came to Canada and his surgery was a success. Edgar, however, was not so lucky. At only 8 years old, he passed away while waiting for the Angolan government to issue him a travel visa to Canada.

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Dr. Bentley-Taylor was preparing for another trip to Angola, along with my mother and myself. He recieved news that Royana had been accepted for surgery at Sick Children's Hospital at the beginning of April. Time was short, but work began to bring her to Canada.

Thursday, March 12th, 2009
Our team left for Angola once more with high hopes for Royana who was not 2 and a half years old.

Sunday, March 15th, 2009
We arrived in Angola.

Monday, March 16th, 2009
We began work at the CEML hospital in Lubango. Royana and her mother have traveled down from Luanda to see us. We examined Royana and found that her condition had worsened. Though she looked and behaved like a healthy two year old, she was becoming cyanotic (having difficulty absorbing oxygen). Her fingernails and palms were turning which from lack of oxygen and she began to cough when she became too active.

Dr. Bentley-Taylor assigns Adam (a young man who'd been working with Drs. Foster and Collins in Angola for the passed 3 months) to head up Royana's case and begin the process of getting her a travel visa to Canada. He had an advantage over the rest of the team since he'd managed to learn Portugese during his 3 month stay in Angola (Portugese being the national language). Dr. Collins was doubtfull that we would success since it's a rare case to get a visa inside of 3 months in Angola, and we would have to do it in 2 weeks. Still, Adam set right to work.

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
Adam had filed the neccessary paperwork for Royana's visa, and decided to appeal to the Canadian Consulate in Angola to help expedite the process. He wrote a letter detailed Jose's successful surgery and the sad story of Edgar who died before recieving his visa. He implored them not to let Royana suffer the same fate.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the consulate in Angola is only honourary and therefore of no help in getting Royana's visa. Instead, we had to contact the Canadian Consulate in South Africa. Why would the South African government care about helping an Angolan child? Who knows, but we'd have to try. So Adam got to work calling and emailing them only to recieve no response.

Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Our team flew out to the village of Kalukembe to provide medical assistance there.

That evening, Adam recieved a call from the Canadian Consulate in South Africa. They had agreed to expedite the process in issuing Royana's visa. The following week was an example of Adam's persistence and determination, along with the Canadian Consulate's political procrastination and beaurocracy.

Friday, March 20th, 2009
Still in Kalukembe, our team meets a 9 year old girl named Ruth. She has the same condition as Royana, though not as severe. Still, she will need surgery in the next couple of years or she will die. Despite our frustrations with Royana's case, Dr. Bentley-Taylor prepared to pitch Ruth's case to Sick Children's Hospital upon our return to Canada.

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
We've all travelled back to Lubango, and Adam will be leaving the country soon to return to Canada. The Consulate continued to procrastinate with Royana's case. At this point, they had begun call screening and would no longer answer our calls or emails. Either Royana would be returning to Canada with us on Sunday, of she will have missed her oppourtunity, and it could be a long time until the next one would come along.

As a last ditch effort, Dr. Bentley-Taylor enlists the help of Caroline McKay (a journalist who's been documenting our work in Angola) to contact her husband; Liberal MP John McKay to ask for Ottawa's help in this matter. Though what could be done was uncertain, since the Liberal's were merely the opposition party and not the party in power. Due to the time difference, it would be a while until we hear from Ottawa.

That evening, we were saddened by the paralyzing insensitivity with which the Canadian Cosulate (and therefore Canadian government) had seemingly met this case. We dreaded that Royana, like Edgar, would become another example of a flawed system. Things seemed pretty much hopeless, but we kept some special prayers in our hearts for this little girl.

Thursday, March 26th, 2009
We met up with Adam during his last few hours in Lubango, and he excitedly told us about a phone call he'd recieved that morning. The Canadian Consulate had once more started contacting him. It turns out that back in Canada, John McKay had enlisted the help of the Ministry of Immigration, and Ottawa had lit the fire beneath the Canadian Consulate in South Africa. They were now pretty much bending over backwards to get Royana's travel visa to us. Acknowledging that it was too late for us to mail the passports to and from the consulate, they issued special permission for Royana and her mother to travel to South Africa with us. There at the Johannesburg airport, on a Sunday night, after hours (during our stopover on our trip back to Canada), an official from the consulate would meet with us to stamp the visa into their passports, thereby allowing them to travel on to Canada.

Friday, March 27th, 2009
All airline tickets for Royana and her mother were booked and arrangements were made to pick them up on Sunday morning and begin the journey to Canada.

Sunday, March 29th, 2009
Dr. Bentley-Taylor, my mother and myself met with Royana and her mother and began the trip to Canada.

At the Johannesburg airport we met up with the official from the Canadian Consulate. The travel visa was stamped into the passport of Royana and her mother. With joyful relief, we connected to our next flight.

Monday, March 30th, 2009
After more than 24 hours of air travel, we arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada. Royana and her mother were introduced to their host family. Royana's surgery was scheduled for Easter Monday.

Monday, April 13th, 2009
Royana goes for heart surgery at Sick Children's Hospital. The surgery was long and Royana spent a prolonged period on the heart and lung machine resulting in a shock to her nervous system.

Saturday, April 29th, 2009
Despite a difficult recovery, Royana was discharged from Sick Children's Hospital - her surgery a success! She will likely be staying in Canada until the end of May.

THANK YOU!!!

Lord God for hearing our prayers!

Drs. Foster and Collins for bringing Royana to our attention.

Dr. Michael Bentley-Taylor for diagnosing her and presenting her to Sick Children's Hospital.

My mother for providing the material with which to make a diagnosis.

Adam Jutha for all your hard work on getting Royana's visa.

John and Caroline McKay for getting the right people involved.

To all others involved in this case, for getting Royana the help she required.

To all of you, for your prayers and good intentions.

We have seen a miracle unfold before our eyes!
__________________________________________

CONVENTION AND TRAVEL SCHEDULE

May 4th - 17th
SPAIN - Sant Iago di Compostella pilgrimage

May 22nd - 24th
ANIME NORTH

June 15th - September 13th
KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK
_________________________________________

MY ETSY SHOP

Is closed until I return from Spain.
_________________________________________

MY GALLERY:

Some of the pieces in my other gallery are now over five years old, or nearing five years old. So take a few minutes to say goodbye to these babies because they will be removed from my gallery at the end of the month. Then they can rest happily and peacefully in their retirement.

Up for retirement on June 1st:


Up for retirement on July 1st:


Prints of some of these pieces are up for sale in my Etsy shop: [link]
_______________________________________________

MY PHOTOGRAPHY: [link]

KILLARNEY 2008:
[link]


ANGOLA 2009:
[link]

Yep, Anime North 2009 is on its way - just less than 2 months now.

Well, I thought I'd let everyone know that I've gotten a table in the Crafter's Corner at Anime North. So I WILL be there to sell kanzashi!

On another note, I will also be running the Kimono Display in the Art Room at the convention. I have big plans for that display - that is I would like to have one kimono of every formality level as well as a few special pieces. The majority of the show will consist of pieces from my personal collection, but there will be a few pieces from others as well.

So, it's here that I'd like to ask for some help. Most of my kimono are rather formal, so if anyone who will be attending the convention would like to lend me a kimono or two for the show it would be helpfull.

The formality levels I need are: Tsukesage, Iromuji and Irotomesode.

So if you have a Tsukesage, Iromuji or Irotomesode you'd like to contribute let me know!

Otherwise, I need some help deciding which of my pieces to put in the show. So I've created some poles for you to voice your opinions.

Which of my Houmongi would you like to see?

[link]

Which of my Furisode would you like to see?

[link]

Which of my Karinui would you like to see?

[link]

_________________________________________

CONVENTION AND TRAVEL SCHEDULE

May 4th - 17th
SPAIN - Sant Iago di Compostella pilgrimage

May 22nd - 24th
ANIME NORTH

June 29th - September 6th
KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK
_________________________________________

MY ETSY SHOP

POSTCARDS


HALO FOR THE HOLIDAYS


PRINTS


I've also listed the last remaining prints of a few of my recently retired pieces. If you want prints of those, this may be your last chance to get them!

KANZASHI:

_________________________________________

MY OTHER GALLERY:


Some of the pieces in my other gallery are now over five years old, or nearing five years old. So take a few minutes to say goodbye to these babies because they will be removed from my gallery at the end of the month. Then they can rest happily and peacefully in their retirement.

Up for retirement on May 1st:


Up for retirement on June 1st:


Prints of some of these pieces are up for sale in my Etsy shop: [link]
_______________________________________________

MY PHOTOGRAPHY: [link]

KILLARNEY 2008:
[link]


ANGOLA 2009:
[link]