For the DECO 30th anniversary event, I made several pieces to display. The main display was made to fit a large wall space. I was so busy with a long list of other very important projects which kept me from focusing on this piece until a couple months before the show. This was a huge amount of pressure and needed more time! Even though it was not ready in time to be published in the Anniversary gallery book, I still didn’t want to give up on this. Most of my inspirations came from Hawaii and the beauty of nature and the things I create every day. So it was pretty easy for me to decide what to create and I knew this would be big task and would take so much time to complete; especially since this was such a huge event!!!
The title of this piece was "PARADISO DE LA FLEUR" (in English, Flowers in Paradise).
The meaning of Paradise to me is the beauty of nature with all the flowers, birds, blue sky and trees. I made as many flowers as possible and assembled them in and around large white frames intertwined with tree branches and singing birds.
I thought it would be nice to add some famous poetry of nature to capture the feel I was going for and decided to silkscreen these on the canvas.
With all the support of so many I was able to complete these pieces just a couple days before the show started…
Thank you so much to everyone who helped me realize my dream and visions for this show! Without you, I could not do what I do! I have been wanting to share these photos of all my creations for this special event in the blog for a long time. I hope you all enjoy them!
Yukiko
November 27, 2011
November 26, 2011
A day of Thanks...
I hope you all had a heartwarming Thanksgiving!
I just got back to Honolulu in time for this favorite holiday and decided to have quite time with Tim. We attempted a home cooked meal this year… I have to admit that Tim is really good cook. He is so talented many things and when it comes cooking seems to always have it under control… He made a super tasty Turkey this year! Yes, I know I am so lucky!
We had a stuffing cook-off to see who’s got the "stuff" to make a great stuffing… Tim went for an oyster stuffing and mine was sausage & many greens. I must say, they both came out delicious. The judging decided it a tie! I also tried pumpkin mélange pie from a recipe I found from Martha Stewart Living November issue.
I tried couple recipes from this magazine for this special day, and without fail, Martha came thru for me!
It has been very busy this year and this Thanksgiving was just wonderful chance to slow down to remember all the good things we are thankful for. It was just nice to be home and enjoy the simple gratitude of this day… Thank you!
When Tim got home from Japan, he noticed that the Monarch butterflies had found their way the crown flower he planted. They love this plant and the caterpillars basically eat the whole thing.
When he arrived there were over a dozen of these amazing creatures in the Chrysalis phase of development and after a few short days had emerged to spread their wings and claim the title of “King” of butterflies.
When I saw the photos, I couldn’t believe how pretty they were!
All of this nature around us is such an inspiration and joy. Each and every moment, we are thankful for these gifts.
Thank you!
Yukiko
November 11, 2011
DECO 2011 Seasonal Kits
Can you believe November is here and nearly 1/3 over!!! I can’t believe how time goes so quickly…
Before I left Russia we were preparing our tradition of Christmas & New Year’s project Kits.
This year, we have assembled this "vintage feel" flower arrangement for Christmas with Hellebore, Roses and cute little berries. This kit can also be decorated by making a seasonal figurine, so many possibilities make this a great gift idea for Christmas giving.
For the New Year we have Camellia, Daffodil, Dogwood and Plum flowers assembled and arranged using a beautiful long bamboo style container and finished with pine branches.
We are so happy with the way these arrangements came together and are using them as table centerpieces this New Year.
These kits are available from both the Tokyo and Hawaii DECO offices. Contact us to reserve your kits today and to schedule classes. We will also be offering lessons on creating this year’s zodiac animal, which is the Dragon. Supplies are limited, please contact us to reserve yours today…
Please visit the news page of the DECO website to view available items.
During the next 10 days I will be in Tokyo offering instruction on the final project in the Curriculum 3 lessons; were we will be teaching Peonies and Dahlias. To be honest this was a huge challenge and even with all the difficulties I am so happy with the end results! I love creating these flowers huge flowers so much! Chenli is teaching these classes at the Hawaii studio this month and I will be back to Hawaii at the end of November....
Arigato!
Yukiko
November 10, 2011
DECO in Moscow, Russia
We just returned from 7 days in Moscow… During the trip we held DECO Curriculum 3 classes with the final day of a figurine workshop by my mother. It was our first time to visit Moscow and was such a memorable and rewarding experience. We were able to meet with more than 30 DECO certified instructors form all over Russia, Ukraine, Norwary and Kazan.
Please visit the DECO Facebook page for even more pictures and stories:
My mother and I couldn’t believe how the instructor base has been growing in this area of the world! Thank you so much for everyone who came to attend our classes and also stopped by to say “Hello”. We had so much fun meeting so many wonderful people and being greeted with such warm hospitality during our entire stay.
Thank you so much to Olga Petrova and her team for organizing these workshops and all their support! We were treated to so much great food and friendship and can’t thank everyone enough for all you do!!!
To assist in the language barrier we had the assistance of Irina who was able to communicate in Russian, Japanese and English. This gave us a chance to have great conversations and to share many wonderful stories. Thank you so much Irina for helping us to bridge this gap!!!
After four days of workshops we received a special invitation to visit Zosya Volkhonskaya and her students at their class location.
In total there were more than 30 students, as well as family members. Everyone had prepared such amazing food and drinks for all to enjoy together with the warmth of everyone’ s hospitality. Thank you so much for making our experience in Russia unforgettable!
After workshop, we also had a free day to see some of Moscow’s most famous places. There is so much to see and do and we truly enjoyed everything about Russia!
I just noticed that today is November 11, 2011 and I am writing this blog entry at 1:11. That’s a lot of 11’s!
See you soon!
Yukiko
October 24, 2011
10th Hawaii DECO Anniversary surprise party
Yesterday was such a nice surprise! Everyone threw a 10th Hawaii DECO Anniversary surprise party for me at the studio where I was greeted with a shower of sparkling confetti as I entered and enveloped in heartfelt hugs, leis, and presents.
Many longtime friends and members that I haven’t seen in while came to celebrate this special occasion with me. The studio was so cute with all the pastel colored party balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling. There were even HUGE white paper Peony too!!
Tim and the DECO staff put hard work into bringing me to the party without suspicion (especially since it was a Sunday); but it was clever idea to have Tim “take me out to lunch” while Marlo called unexpectedly to meet for an emergency situation at the Studio – those troublemakers! (Smiles)
The food was also very tasty – Tomato Pesto and Barbecue Chicken Pizzas, miniature fruit tarts, cream filled cannoli, fresh salsa and chips, and a few other yummy entrees; but my most favorite dish was the barbecue chicken pizza…so delicious!! All the food was catered by a natural foods company so it was healthier than most fast foods and the taste was great!
I enjoyed the food, presents, and atmosphere; but the BEST part of it all was the company. It touched my heart to see so many people coming to celebrate this “almost forgotten” occasion – thank you!! TEARS OF JOY!
This 10th Anniversary party was fun, exciting and unexpected; but also reminded me of one important lesson – time flies by fast, so enjoy and make every second count.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
Yukiko
October 18, 2011
...everlasting gratitude!
A few weeks past since the completion of the 30th Anniversary exhibition, but my memories of the great times are still clear and fresh!!
It was such an enjoyable and successful experience all thanks to everyone’s help and participation. Amazing to see so many willing to help and join us in celebration – everlasting gratitude!
I would like to mention one of our newest publications to the DECO Collection – Our first ever theme inspired “Bear and Wreath” book, the newest addition to our repertoire, has great pictures of many Instructors’ projects - so many cute ideas to look through!!
This book has over 350 pages showcasing the artistry of each participant with its own theme from sunny tropical to romantic vintage, cute to the most mysterious, and East to West influence – so exciting! I feel that we able to capture the essence and personality of each Instructor through this publication. Congratulations to all who participated!
The following is a list of awards: BEAR Project Gold medal goes to Takako Hikita, Silver medal to Eriko Watanabe and Bronze medal to Yumi Miyata. In the WREATH Project the Gold medal goes to Ryuko Nitta, Silver medal to Atsuko Kido and Bronze medal to Naori Ikeda. Great job to ALL the participants of the BEAR & Wreath book! You all deserve a gold medal!
Many new items such as the “Bear and Wreath” book will be available soon, so please check back occasionally for updates.
As you may all know, the year is almost coming to an end…!! Time flies by so fast (especially when you are having this much fun)! Oh’ yea, this means our Christmas and New Year’s Kits are on the way; arriving at the beginning of November.
Please stop by the studio to say “Hello” and I will keep everyone posted on these exciting upcoming projects!!
Yukiko
October 06, 2011
DECO goods...
Hello Everyone,
We have so many new products to share which were released during our 30th Anniversary Event. There are several new publications and a variety of new items available for purchase – ranging from Miyai Sensei favorite chocolate to calendars, DECO ribbons, DECO flower Arrangements all hand made by many instructors... Here is a sampling of several of these items.
My new NHK publication book “Hana gift (Flower gift)” has so many new fresh ideas of flower gifts ideas all created with CLAYCRAFT by DECO soft clay. In total there are 80 pages filled with unique and fun projects and beautiful flower pictorials. Many gift ideas to review with step by step instructions - A must see!!
The newest book in the DECO repertoire is the 30th anniversary collection book titled “Clay Art World by Deco Clay Craft Academy” - showcases over 450 participating instructors creations commemorating this special event. Hours of enjoyment here...
Another popular title, “Wreath & Bear” a gallery book of 354 original pieces from DECO instructors who applied to participate. Everyone put there hearts into this and it shows! It was really fun to see everyone's creativity soar!! Great Job!
A new DVD!!! “DECO CLAY CRAFT ACADEMY 30th Anniversary Clay Craft World” with Kazuko Miyai shows the history the DECO Clay Craft Academy including our Hawaii studio class in action. This DVD shows everything about DECO including many creations and some step by step hands on instruction of a figurine. I would like to again thank TV Asahi for an amazing visual presentation of the DECO world past and future. Amazingly talented group!
As if that were not enough, we also have some other new DECO products! One is, according to everyone, a stylish DECO tote great for everyday DECO use with a perfect fit for dry foam to carry fresh clay flowers and finish pieces. And super durable!
And a new DECO tool bag to carry your DECO tools!! This charming carrier is large enough to hold molds, essential tools, and even a small pressbar, but small enough to carry as a cute accessory; comes in bubble pink with chocolate brown trim.
In Japan these furoshiki are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods.
Last but not least, the 2012 Calendar which we made in two sizes - A large wall hanging style with photos of my Mother’s one-of-a-kind 30th Exhibit figurines, and a smaller version for a perfect fit in purse or to stand on your desk showcasing flowers from my new NHK Hana Gift book.
These items are available from the Japan DECO office now and very, very soon in Hawaii, please check back for updates.
Until then, Happy Crafting Everyone!!
Yukiko
October 04, 2011
DECO Clay Craft Academy 30th Event = 36,000+ visitors !!!
The DECO Clay Craft Academy 30th Anniversary Exhibition was an amazing success due to the support and effort of all those involved!!! A turnout of over 36,000 visitors during the 6 days became a new record for the Mastuya Department store! It was just amazing to see how many people visited from near and far. Thank you!
My mother, all of the DECO Clay Craft Academy staff, and I would like to personally thank everyone for the breathtakingly beautiful displays and to all those involved in organizing this event. Due to such great teamwork of the DECO instructors base, our head office staff, Matsuya Ginza department store management and TV Asahi our dreams have become a reality....
We were so blessed to have instructors join from all over Japan, Hawaii, Russia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Georgia and California. This is absolutely the most wonderful experience of a lifetime; one we will ALWAYS remember!!!
To celebrate this monumental moment, we decided that the Imperial Hotel would be fitting for such an occasion. On September 28th we joined together with 300 guests for a night of fine dinning and entertainment. We were fortunate to have a the very famous Hayami Yu sing and entertain, as well as, Chino Shio as the MC for the event. It was an amazing time with elegant dress, great food, drink and laughter.
Thank you again for everything! We sincerely appreciate your support and the kind messages by email and FaceBook from those who were not able to attend. We are sharing many pictures on our FaceBook page, please visit if you have a chance!!! Now that the show is over we are seeing a huge response for those who want to experience creating with CLAYCRAFT by DECO clay and to join membership classes. Visit the DECO Clay Craft Academy certified instructor listings in Japan and International. The phone has never stopped ringing since last week!!!
Suddenly it has started to get much cooler with the arrival of the fall season here in Japan. Time for onsen (hot springs)?
Our heartfelt THANK YOU to you!
September 26, 2011
September 25, 2011
Please follow us on Facebook
Hello Everyone,
During the show we will may not be able to send news to the DECO blog... Please feel free to follow all the happenings on our Facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DECO-Clay-Craft-Academy/159858504062367
