Monday, January 11, 2010

Japanese Craft Supplies





I didn't realize that Japan had a corner on the awesome market until I started spending every second of every day on etsy. But they do. (aside: sometimes I wonder if I should be embarrassed by my warranted, but overwhelming love for etsy)

There's all kinds of crazy cute craftiness to be imported there, from printed paper tape to fabric with hedgehogs, to books with crazy adorable sewing patterns. I think that part of the appeal for me is that they're definitely targeting a younger, hip demographic as opposed to the frump demographic of american crafters. Sometimes it's irresistably quirky, sometimes it's serious and chic and modern, but we are not doing crafts the way that they are.

(Or other things: it's like the bento boxes for me. We make silly lunchboxes for kids, and insulated boring/ugly tupperware for adults. The message is that you only have cute, well designed things as a child, and when you grow up, you have to be resigned to stodginess.)

photos click to their shops

1 comment:

  1. sometimes I just go on etsy and type in 'japan' and drool at the results :)

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