Saturday Morning Samurai Pinup

Ishida no Kentarou Mitsumasa hits one out of the ballpark again. For some sort of gaming event - not clear on which, except that the "mon" is based on something from a game.

I am reminded yet again that I am acquainted with any number of bright, talented, funny, attractive men I can do nothing about except be grateful for their friendship. Oh well.

On that note, I am going to the art store for framing supplies. The sooner I get my scroll on a wall, the safer it'll be.

Oh, Danabren!

One of the things I never understood when I lived with Gaius was the stack of cardboard folios holding award scrolls under the futon sofa. Someone goes to the trouble of creating a piece of art for you, you should find a place to hang the thing, right? Besides, I figure it's much safer in a frame and on a wall in an apartment this small. Frame was on sale at Michael's and I found some lovely paper with a delicate leaf design in it. Your basic white mat board just was not going to cut it.

Currently it's in the spot inside the front door where my Troubadour was, which means finding another patch of wall space for that or moving this somewhere else. Pros: I'll see it every time I come in the front door or down the stairs, it's out of direct sunlight. Cons: it'll be partially eclipsed by the bathroom door when said door is open. (Wall space is at something of a premium as my third floor space is gabled. Anything I want to hang gets hung downstairs.)

And on THAT note, I really need to deal with the disaster area that is my post-Twelfth-Night living room.

Excavating Ground Zero

Suitcase has been atticked.
Event garb has been laundered and folded.
Laurel scroll has been framed and hung.  I should mention that I tried Blick Art in Berkeley for paper first, but hadn't found anything I was mad about. I did, however, treat myself to a calligraphy brush, a roll of washi and a small bottle of Yasutomo sumi ink because, dammit, I am GOING to learn to sign my name properly this year. Too many of my friends signed their well wishes in kanji. They also had stick ink and ink stones. I'm going to wait on that until I'm feeling more confident about remembering the four lousy characters I need to write my name!

EDIT: I cannot believe I found THIS on Amazon.com of all places.

Flea market rice sack has been pressed and is now hanging in the kitchen.

Twelfth Night gifts have been sorted through and put away, though I spent some time making little bubble-wrap jackets for sake cups and monkey plates, because I fully intend them to get used at events.

Speaking of which, here is a photo of the sake set Mercy/Asakura-hime made. I had admired the tokkuri at October Crown and it vanished mysteriously when I went back to look at it because G had bought it for me. Mercy evidently pressed a piece of her raku-ware on G as a gift for me in case she didn't make it to Twelfth Night. However, she did, with a set of five cups to match the sake flask.  As I've always loved the look of Oribe-ware, I am thrilled to have been gifted with this lovely set.


The raku piece is stunning and this photo does not begin to do the iridescent glaze justice.


Silk scraps have either been tossed, folded or used to tie up the Grudge Wig so it could go back in its bag - and let me tell you, detangling that puppy was pretty horrific.

My living room floor can be seen again!

I think tomorrow's project will be to unload the sugoroku box and reglue the corner into submission.