|
This week I'm doing a make-over on the genkan (hallway) in my tiny Shimokitazawa (Tokyo) studio by laying new flooring and installing Japanese shoji (paper) doors to cover up the terrible system bathroom. If you're in Tokyo, pop in for a chat and a browse in the tiny shopping area representing 12 international makers based in Japan. LINKS SHOP KIMONO JEWELLERY VISIT STUDIO BIKU WORKSHOPS GOLD STAR MOVING SERVICES YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
0 Comments
Making something out of nothing is my jam. Who's with me?! I found a little glass display cabinet outside a house that was about to be demolished and kept hold of it for several years. Today's the day I finally clean it up and use it in my studio shop. These kokeshi (and more) will be heading to my tiny bricks and mortar studio shop in Shimokitazawa as well as my webshop soon. Mailing list subscribers get first dibs. Camera Setup Camera: https://amzn.to/3Yu5gB2 Tripod: https://amzn.to/3Suz7VS Soft box light: https://amzn.to/3yoVipL Mic: https://amzn.to/3A9d3dc 10% off your first jewellery order when you subscribe to the newsletter : https://www.bikudesigns.com/sign-up.html What are the videos you'd like to see on this channel? Comment below. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I'll receive a small commission. About Victoria: I'm Victoria Close, designer, maker and teacher of jewellery, accessories and crafts based in Shimokitazawa in Tokyo. I'm a long-time Tokyo dweller (over 25 years) with a passion for mottainai (the regret of waste when something still has life left in it), vintage thrifting and any kind of craft. This channel is all about my love of crafts, both Japanese and non-Japanese, traditional and modern, vintage shopping, free finds, my atelier and tiny shop and life in Japan. I’d love to see you at my studio in Shimokitazawa soon.
Dyeing fabric with nasty chemical dyes isn't good for you or the planet. This video shows you how you can create beautiful fabrics by simply dyeing with discarded onion skins. Camera Setup Camera: https://amzn.to/3Yu5gB2 Tripod: https://amzn.to/3Suz7VS Soft box light: https://amzn.to/3yoVipL Mic: https://amzn.to/3A9d3dc Alum: https://amzn.to/4dONv3t Soda Ash: https://amzn.to/3SRELlg ===================================== 10% off your first jewellery order when you subscribe to the newsletter : https://www.bikudesigns.com/sign-up.html Have you ever tried natural dyeing? How did it go? What natural materials should I dye with next? Comment below. Music and sound effect by Epidemic Sound. Start your free trial here: https://share.epidemicsound.com/su21ps This video is not sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I'll receive a small commission. About Victoria: I'm Victoria Close, designer, maker and teacher of jewellery, accessories and crafts based in Shimokitazawa in Tokyo. I'm a long-time Tokyo dweller (over 25 years) with a passion for mottainai (the regret of waste when something still has life left in it), vintage thrifting and any kind of craft. This channel is all about my love of crafts, both Japanese and non-Japanese, traditional and modern, vintage shopping, free finds, my atelier and tiny shop as well as my life in Japan. I’d love to see you at my studio in Shimokitazawa soon. YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
 I was so excited to chat about my Ikigai (living my business and life with purpose) with coach Jennifer Shinkai recently. We talked in detail about:
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
 Mottainai: The regret you feel when wasting something that still has life left in it. The concept of Mottainai can be applied to forgotten things, unused spaces, used objects that are no longer needed and even people. All of which apply to me, my family and especially to my brand. Bikudesigns was founded on this very concept many years ago, not as a 'good idea for a business' but as a deeply ingrained philosophy of life that has been within me since birth. Actually, before I was born. I'm descended from a long line of make-do-and-menders. Tripe dealers, silk weavers, shop owners, seamstresses and a milliner and the one thing they had in common was their working class roots and the necessity to get by any way they could. That would mean altering, adapting, making or crafting anything they needed with what they already had. I grew up with stories of long-dead family members who kept chickens in their inner city yards, who sewed their own wedding outfits, of cardboard wedding cakes and a world resembling an L.S.Lowry painting. The generations lived (and fought) their way through world wars, bombings, rationing, austerity, fear of having nothing or losing it all. Even though my experience of growing up was vastly different to those long-gone days (no-one ever asked me to sweep the street, scrub the front step or do the laundry with a dolly and a mangle) the lived experiences of the family I had never met were built into me. Fix what is broken. Alter what doesn't fit. Make what you don't have.  And this, in a very round about way, takes us from the streets of Manchester and Salford to inner city Tokyo. The spirit of Mottainai travelled thousands of miles with me when I moved here, I suppose there's no escaping your values! When my kids were little, I would make toys from bottle caps, reuse PET bottles to make investigation activities and even make them clothes from time to time. And when it came time to let things go, I sold, donated or gave away their old clothes, toys and baby ephemera. We had charity flea markets outside our house and around that time the 'Mottainai Box' was born. It sounds much more glamourous than it really is...it's a box or crate with a handmade carboard sign (naturally!). And it works like magic. We gather bits and pieces from around the house that we no longer need but still have life in them and add them to the box in the genkan. When there are few things in there we pop it outside and invite our neighbours to shop the items for free. Lately it's taken an unexpected turn with family members shopping the box for different projects. See? Magic! In the last month we've waved goodbye to: 👋 Magazines 👋 Books 👋 Wooden hangers 👋 Easter decorations 👋 A small jigsaw 👋 Gacha toys 👋 ¥100 shop toys 👋 Kids cap
Flowers from a neighbour's garden with a thank you note for the hangers they took If you love reusing things, like me and the rest of my family, I recommend this amazing temple to used goods! This is the Book Off Super Bazaar and there are not very many in central Tokyo. Most are outside of Tokyo in Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama but they are definitely worth the travel! We headed to our closest one (an hour by train and free Book Off minibus) to kit the kids out with ski wear. We also picked up some other bits and bobs such as kimono fabric and hair ornaments. The beauty of Book Off is that you can also sell your used items for store credit or cash. (Store credit is a much better deal.) This is such a great way to pass on your unwanted things with peace of mind make a few ¥¥¥ and teach your kids about saving the planet. 
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY...
|
HI THERE
I'm Victoria, the founder, designer and creator at Bikudesigns, a vintage kimono accessories brand in Tokyo, Japan. Categories
All
Archives
June 2025
|
RSS Feed
ABOUT
|
POLICIES
|
GET IN TOUCH
|
|
Proudly powered by Weebly