JS Wax Seal

Customization, personalization, adding a personal touches to the little things always make me happy, and hopefully the ones who receive them too.  Am in the process of creating my promotional piece for the year, and thought what can be better than to seal the envelopes with customized "js" wax one?

After lots of running around, Internet searches, and emails, I ordered one from France.  And it finally arrived last night! Though I have yet to test it out myself, I was extremely happy with the results--a sample was kindly included in the package. This beautiful, little brass and lacquered wood seal is going to seal not only envelopes, but also lots of thoughts and love!

Mr. Dominique Chaine--a true artisan, crafted the seal for me and corresponding with him has been a great pleasure. Please visit his site for more details:

www.gravure-marseille.com/en

my favourite things - The Peplum

The Peplum: in "modern" (20th century) fashion history, was revived by the Mr. Christian Dior in his amazing "the New Look" collection of 1947, finally bring back glamour and elegance to fashion in the postwar era, easing the utilitarian look that dominated every aspect of life at that time.

Fast forward to today, it is again fashionable, and the approach of the peplum element/silhouette varies vastly, from the hip fashion to the classical look.  I love love love the peplum, and am happy to see it used again in different styles.  I painted my favourite element in the two different approaches too:

- Ringo-chan sporting a peplum black and white cropped blazer, pairing it with jeans and platforms while listening to her iPod

- Lala wearing a white peplum pencil skirt with her favourite black turtleneck as she is shopping for some new shoes

Either way, I hope more people will come to know of the Peplum, and Mr. Christian Dior's "the New Look" collection.

ID Management

ID Management is an unique creative talent & production company, with a amazing network of artists, designers, and the alike.  Am very happy to be a part of this global network.  Please visit their brand new website, and check out the stunning work they do!!

www.id-management.jp

P.S. Am listed in their Tokyo network under the Artist & Designer section!

Happy 2014!

Decided to go with a four leaf clover to post on Jan 4 to celebrate 2014.  Clovers are a symbol of Good Luck, so I wish everyone a healthy, lucky, and creative New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Wishing you all a beautiful holiday season filled with laughter, good food, and joy!  May 2014 be another exciting year!!

My Favourite Things - Vintage Moschino by Persol Sunglasses

I own a number of sunglasses, but you will often see me in these: my vintage Moschino by Persol sunglasses from the early 90's.  I got them a few years ago as "New Old Stock" from a wonderful optical store I frequent in Vancouver, and I just love them like crazy!

Actually, the owner became a good friend of mine because I would go into the store, and spend hours looking at the amazing vintage stock he has.  We would chat about each frame: the maker/designer, the colour, the details, the material, the craftsmanship, and etc. Yes, I added "the" to all the words because they are so important! I still see him every time I visit home, and usually come out with a new pair of sunglasses! Hahaha......

Side note, Lady Gaga was spotted wearing a pair of Moschino by Persol from the same collection.  Instead of the key motif on the side, hers had large cut gems.  Funny, as my friend also had that frame in his store!

Lala at Cafe Barney?!

Cafe Barney in Tokyo is a charming little French bistro cafe that serves great food and wine, and always has wonderful jazz music playing.  Did I mentioned from a vast collection of vinyl records too?  What makes it even more special is how lovely the owners are.

It's an honour to have a small painting of Lala there. Though it was meant as a gift to congratulated them on the 1st anniversary of Cafe Barney's opening, it was a little late, almost by 2 months......Yes, I can be slow at times, and am going to blame it on creative procrastination!

Please go visit Lala and the sweet owners of Cafe Barney if you have the chance!

le-barney.com

Poetry & Paint Anthology - Lost

I often get lost, not only physically (just ask any of my poor friends waiting for me!) but also in my thoughts.  I don't necessarily find it to be a bad thing, especially when I can make new discoveries, be it a small cozy cafe, a beautiful stationery store, or about myself.

A couple of months ago, I received an email from Carmina, a lovely writer in London who puts together an anthology of poems and illustrations.  Her next anthology was to be around the theme "Lost".  What a great subject I thought.  So, am happy to be a part of her wonderful anthology, which features both my poem and illustration, and would like to share it here with everyone.  I hope you will like it!

There are also other enthusiastic artists who contributed to this collection.  Please do visit the following links for more information:

www.lulu.com/shop/carmina-masoliver/poetrypaint-lost/paperback/product-21257088.html
www.poetryandpaint.wordpress.com

Bu-chan

Please meet bu-chan, my piglet friend.  More than that, think bu-chan may be a manifestation of myself.  I just love great food, and am constantly on the lookout for some more!  Look, bu-chan just found himself a cake made out of cupcakes!

My Little Book of Happiness

It's finally here!  My Little Book of Happiness is now available worldwide on various Amazon websites. Below are the direct link to Amazon.com.  For all other links, please visit this page:
jodisam.com/books/happiness. 

Thank you very much for your support, and I look forward to hearing your comments about my new book either here or on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/mylittlebookofhappiness

For readers without Kindle devices: below each icon for purchasing the book in your respective countries/area, is a link to download free Kindle Reading applications for your smartphones and tablets (Android for smartphones and iPad).  Please download and register your application/device before purchasing your copy. Because Kindle for PC and Mac cannot be used to read this publication, kindly select Kindle for Android, Kindle for iPad, or a Kindle device.

www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXK4YX2

Coming Soon: My Little Book of Happiness

This has been a long time in the making. Finally, it's almost complete--My Little Book of Happiness.  I first wrote this story several years ago, and come next month, it'll be available on Amazon Kindle worldwide.  And no worries, if you don't have an actual Kindle Reader, as there are various applications you can download on Amazon that would allow you to view it digitally.

It isn't only me that have poured heart and soul (sweat included!) into this project.  So, a big thank you once again to everyone who has supported me along the way.  The next feat, not an eBook, but an actually hardcover version with a dust jacket and all!

Coming Soon in Sep 2013 to Amazon Kindle worldwide! Stay Posted!

Website:
jodisam.com/books/happiness/

Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/mylittlebookofhappiness

A New Flatmate: Yamori-kun

I found a new flatmate a couple of weeks ago.  It's a cute little yamori or gecko. Drew this after spotting him.  He is a quiet an adorable fella, and thanks to him, there are less tiny flies around.  However, he has been hiding somewhere since, maybe adventuring out in the great big world?!  Whatever the case, he is always welcome back to our home.

Interesting note, the kanji for yamori is "家守", which means "to protect a home" or "protector of the home"!

My Favourite Things - Jo Malone

Decided to share some of the things that make my daily life a little more enjoyable.  One of them is perfume.  I used to wear different ones everyday, as storing them properly so they don't become "off" (like wines) was not a problem in Vancouver.  However, the high heat and humidity in Tokyo has made this difficult.  Have since become very selective of the ones I wear and purchase.

Jo Malone is one of them.  I have worn her fragrance for a number of years now, and have always repurchased the same scent.  It makes me feel refreshed yet grounded, feminine yet boyish--ready to take on the day.  Which particular one you ask?  Now, that's a little secret of mine!

Ladybugs: Before and After Watercolour

The first thing I ever painted as a child at my community art center class was a pair of ladybugs strolling under some flowers.  Now years later, am still thinking of the same little creatures.

Am sharing both the B&W (roughly scanned) and completed images of my work.  I use carbon ink for all the outlines of my illustrations, and then watercolour for the colours.  Painting with watercolour is almost like second nature for me.  I have used various mediums before, but I find still it the easiest one for me to express myself.

These ladybugs are now taking off on their own little adventures!

Hotaru - Fireflies

"Hotaru" or fireflies, are amazing little creatures that Mother Nature has given us.  The season for firefly watching is very short, only about 2 weeks and usually from the end of June to early July. Even in this period, they may not always be out.  The weather conditions have to be perfect, ideally having rained during the day, then stopped before the evening, so that heat can make the surrounding hot and humid.  The wild ones are even hard to come by these days.  We don't have fireflies in Vancouver, so I was always fascinated by them and begged to go see them in their nature habitat.

I was very fortunate to have witnessed this wondrous sight of wild "hotaru" flying about, back in July.  They were so beautiful! Though cannot say the same about the mosquito bites I got from that evening.

Hikaru-kun

Hikaru-kun (or くん is like -chan , is a cute way to call someone in Japanese, but is usually used for boys).  Hikaru means "light" or "ray of light" in Japanese.  It is a common but beautiful name used for both boys and girls, that I have always loved.  So, was happy when I found out that my friend decided to call her energetic little baby boy, Hikaru.

Hikaru-kun is a traveller at heart, constantly exploring the world.  Full of energy, but calm and gentle, his strikes a balance that I myself strive to achieve.