ITAD ... very belated... prize draw

Goodness me where have the days since ITAD 2011 gone? A month has already whizzed past! Every time I've sat down to post to this blog something else has drawn my attention and wrestled me away from my computer.

I am very sorry that I am so late posting about the winner of this competition. There were several people that made comments or sent messages that asked not to be included in the draw, but for those that wanted to be included in the draw and had submitted their entries by November 11th, I gathered all the entries into the 'hat' to be drawn on the morning of November 12th. Unfortunately on that day my dog died and I was more than a little distracted from all things temari and (even to my own surprise) very weepy too. Then I got asked to participate in a Japanese festival at the last minute which was wonderful and really helped to get me motivated again. We are doing better now that my remaining dog is getting on with life again too (he spent about a week in his bed pining for his brother).

Here is the post I had started writing before real life got in the way.

There were several people that made comments or sent messages who asked not to be included in this draw, I guess you are all lucky enough to have your own set of Cosmo 1-7 already... but thank you for still participating in the ITAD competition even if you didn't want to win a prize.
So here we are now it is time to announce the winner....
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It's Shirley
Congratulations!!!
I will email you so you can choose which volume you'd like and we can organise get you your prize.

ITAD in Kyoto

Barb Suess sent me this email earlier in the week.

Our group of three intrepid travellers (Glenna, Kathy and me from the US to Japan) spent the day traveling with our JTA sponsor from Kyoto to Uji by train. Then we ate lunch (Japanese, of course) and took a taxi to Sensei Itoh’s home. Her classroom is in her home – a room with seating for about 10 and the walls lined with shelves filled with temari. The day was the first of our temari classes in Japan and it was absolutely wonderful! I mentioned that ITAD was on this day and there were nods of appreciation. I’m not sure our JTA sponsor or Itoh Sensei knew exactly what I meant. But it gave us all a moment to reflect that temari has spread all over the world. Sensei worked with us on a rather difficult pattern and we got it!

Wow what lucky ladies... to spend ITAD in Japan with two Temari Sensei taking a private class.

Temari class with Sensei Itoh

Barb Suess sent this great pic of herself with Kathy (left), Glenna (right) and Sensei Itoh in Japan during their recent holiday. I bet they were jumping out of their skins at such a wonderful opportunity to stitch temari at a class in Japan.

Click the image to see it a little larger and admire all the temari in the shelves.

Thanks for sharing Barb!

How international was ITAD this year?

I keep visitor statistics on this blog because I want to know how far the message about International Temari Appreciation Day is travelling around the world.

I would have expected it to spread through the English speaking parts of the world (particularly through Australia, England and USA) but I was surprised to see the list of countries names in the statistics this year.

Have a look for yourself.

I see there is a huge amount of traffic that falls into the 'Unknown Country'* category, so who knows there could be many more countries than those already listed ( a few more at least). 

If you are interested you can compare the visits this year with the previous year here.

* This category is for computers whose IP address is kept behind firewalls etc so the location cannot be determined.

Still time win a copy of a Cosmo Temari Book

There is still time to enter our 2011 ITAD competition to win a copy of a Japanese temari book in the Cosmo series.

Click here to see the competition details

Please do take 5 minutes to enter this competition. I am sure we can all speak volumes of why we love or how we got involved in Temari making. Your entry need not be an epic War and Peace type novel. Just a few lines is all you need, a picture would be nice but also not essential.

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(_____)

Beadturtle celebrating ITAD by....

making teeny temari key rings. So cute! Click over to see them.

In Fremantle celebrating ITAD by....

Shirley sent me this note about her ITAD activity.

As you noted we have had a cool cloudy day and I wanted to make temari outside also, but made a pact with myself. If I planted out all the pots that have been waiting for such a time as this with showers forecast   for several days, then I could spend the remainder of the day finishing off the HHG path that I have been working on. It has been done. I have had a thorough wash, (no dirty hands on my temari!) and I am about to sit down and enjoy playing with the threads. I am ready for a rest!!

Cool, love the colours you chose to use on these ones! Perhaps you also have some future temari inspiration growing in your pots too. 


PS see you next week :)

In Russia celebrating ITAD by....

adding to your online albums.

Inspired by International Temari Appreciation Day this image called Temari Galaxy was added to Ssvetik's Flickr album this week.

What an awesome picture... perhaps you should submit it for the 2012 Temarikai Calendar.

Thanks for sharing!

In Kyoto celebrating ITAD by....

Barb Suess sent me this note this week.

I will definitely try to get Kathy and Glenna to stitch in public and give away temari in Kyoto. What fun! Will have my video camera out. Don’t enter me in the competition. I’m just doing it for fun!

Wow celebrating ITAD while in Kyoto! Have an excellent time. Hope we get to see lots of photos when you get back from your holiday.

KJ celebrates ITAD by....

having lunch with my husband at a local Japanese Restaurant where I’ve had my temari balls on display in the past.  The owner is from Edo and loves my temari.  Then, I will put on my favorite music and spend the balance of the day totally immersing myself into stitching temari and reveling in the experience.  

Due to health issues, I haven’t stitched for 4 years, and being able to do so again just thrills me beyond measure.  I can’t change the world, but if I can make just 1 person smile when they see a temari ball, I was able to give them an instant of unexpected happiness.  

Temari lets me bring a little bit of beauty into my corner of the world that I can share with others.

KJ Wilson

Have an AWESOME day KJ and thanks for sharing! Eat a prawn gyoza for me!

Happy International Temari Appreciation Day 2011.

Today is October 22nd! And you know what that means right?

Happy International Temari Appreciation Day. 

I'd like to give thanks to all my temari mentors and friends for sharing your passion of  temari making with me and for guiding, supporting and inspiring me along my own temari journey. I am constantly amazed how our shared love of this wonderful craft has brought so many people together from every corner of the globe.

I find it amazing that a chance encounter with a simply stitched Temari ball at a Steiner School fete several years ago has led to an enduring love of Temari making. I had never before found (and stuck with) a handicraft like I have with this. More amazing is the reality that I had not previously done hand sewing and barely knew the front from the back of the needle. Since that fateful encounter I have stitched on, prepared and wrapped, marked and divided, written patterns or just dreamed and surfed the net about temari for a portion of almost every single day. I even took my temari making supplies when I spent time in hospital.

The weather changed my temari plans for today, in Perth it is cool and overcast to be stitching outdoors.
So instead got out my big stack of temari books and browsed through them. I've looked over my Temari Skills* list and I've planned out some new projects for the coming months. I also wrapped 4 balls in shades of blue (my favourite colour) and read several of my favourite temari related blogs, then spent time working on my temari for a workshop next weekend.

My ITAD temari goal is to make 3 multi-face designs before ITAD 2012. I haven't made a ball with more than 32 centers so I am going to challenge myself to a 42 to start with. For information about multi-face designs see Debi A's temarimathinfo site.


Temari is totally absORBing!

Happy stitching, and enjoy your day! Remember to enter the competition to win a Cosmo Temari book.

*There is a skills checklist made by members of the Temari Challenge group on Yahoo. Not a member? Head over to Yahoo groups and sign up.

Let me think... ok how about an incentive to share your ITAD 2011 story...

Hi Everyone!  I can't quite believe it but there are only 14 days until ITAD 2011.

Scroll down to see competition details

You can celebrate the day by working on your own temari, teaching someone else about temari or maybe even giving some away. Actually there is no end of ways you can celebrate ITAD just let your imagination run wild. Your own celebration can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. Why don't you visit your local Japanese garden (many towns have them) and find a Sunny or shady spot and have a little stitch while reflecting on what you love about temari making, what brought you to it or planning some goals (or projects) for the future.

I think I might spend some time stitching in a local cafe and take along some of my temari (that I am happy to giveaway) and give them to people who show an interest in what I am doing. I also have a 2 day workshop booked for the following weekend 29/30th so that is also part of my plans for celebrating temari day.
Have a think about what you would like to do to celebrate the craft of temari making in your local community.

I'd love to know what you do to celebrate. You can share your story by emailing me at intltemariday@gmail.com and I'll add it to the ITAD blog (your photos are welcome too.


So here is the incentive to share your celebration.

Send me a short note about your celebration (with or without a photo) and I will randomly select one contributor who will win 1 copy of any volume in the Cosmo Book series. Yes that's right I will give the winner a volume of their choice from the seven books in the Cosmo Book series. 

Never owned a Japanese language temari book? Here is your chance to get your hands on one... Missing one of the series?  Complete your set with a freebie from me.

I'll even post it to you for free. Yay!!!

Small print: Yep there always has to be a bit of small print.

This is a competition of chance not skill.

The one (1) winner will be drawn at random from all the entries received at the linked address above by midnight Australian WST (+8 GMT) on 11 November 2011.

By entering the competition you agree to have your entry appear on the ITAD website. You don't need to write an epic length entry, 100 words or less is more than fine. How much is 100 words? The section of text above highlighted in pink is just under 100 words - actually there are 92 words to be precise.

The prize is one (1) book from the Cosmo Temari book series written by Ozaki Sensei valued at $20AUD. The book is winners choice subject to availability at the Temari Addict Australia webstore. I will also cover the cost of standard postage to your delivery address no matter where you live on our big planet.

I will need to contact the winner for a mailing address so I can post your prize. If the winner has not contacted me to provide their postal address after 30 days from the prize draw date, there will be a redraw.

Now go get ready to celebrate ITAD 2011.

2011 Competition Updates... Link Winner

I am pleased to announce that the winner of competition 1 is...



 Rod's Jtex Blog 


Congratulations, you have won the $15 thread pack from the Temari Addict Australia store.

I can see from this blogs' visitor statistics that there are several traffic sources for visitors to this blog so there have been many more people have been writing about ITAD on the web but only Rod and Debi (TemariTrain of thought) followed the competition guidelines by posting a message to the ITAD blog as their entry. Mr W and I tossed a coin to decide the winner.

Both Rod and Debi's blog have some great suggestions to get you thinking about the possible ways to celebrate International Temari Appreciation Day in you own community when it falls on October 22 this year. I recommend you go and check out their suggestions if you haven't already.

Rod, I'll be in touch about your prize.

ITAD Logo Competition 2011

And the winner is....

ssvetik

Congratulations on having your temari voted as favourite to become our 2011 ITAD Logo.

And here is the logo.

I will email your certificate.

I have also drawn the other competition... I will announce the winner tomorrow.

2011 Competition Updates

Just 86 days to go until October 22nd, 2011.

So far I have only seen 1 entry into our competition for the 2011/12 ITAD logo. You can see it here. Time is slipping by so get you needles flying and post your entry before entries close. You can click here to see all the details in case you missed it.

ITAD 22.10.2011 Let the Competitions begin

Wow hasn't this year just zoomed by!!!

It is just over 100 days until International Temari Appreciation Day 2011. Let's get started by announcing 2 new competitions.

Competition Number 1: Web link and Blog posts
Create a web or blog page about International Temari Appreciation Day 2011 with a link to this blog to win.

We want you to give our craft's special day a shout out so please write a post to let your readers know about ITAD and then make a comment with a link to your page on this post. You can write about what you did to celebrate ITAD last year, what you plan to do to celebrate this year, add a button to your page, suggest your readers enter our new 2011 logo competition at flickr or anything else temari related... just remember to provide a link so your readers can find the ITAD blogspot.

One entrant will win $15 of threads from the Temari Addict Australia Supply Store.

Here's the small print: You can enter more than once, so if you have multiple blogs or web pages you need to make a separate comment on this blog post with a link for each page you wish to enter. You must provide a link to direct readers to the ITAD blog in your page.The prize threads totalling AUD$15 can be chosen from any range but shade selections will be from current stock only so please be aware we may not have all shades available. The winner will be announced on the ITAD blog on July 30th at 6pm. You will need to provide a postal address for delivery of your prize before August 10th or the prize will be re-drawn. All competition times are Western Australian Standard Time. 

Competition Number 2: Create a Logo temari

Last year we ran a great competition to create S16 Uwagake Chidori temari to be used for our ITAD logo. The winner's temari from 2010 is featured above in our blog banner.

Here is a sample ball made by me

Seeking a beautiful Temari to use as our Logo.  The winning Temari will be created and selected by you, the Temari community.

Here are the entry guidelines:

• General: Please ensure your submission is a new ball (not previously photographed or shared). The ball must be your own work, however it is not necessary to be an original design, you may take inspiration from a pattern you have seen elsewhere but please provide your design reference. You may enter your ball by adding it to the Flickr site here You will need to make a Flickr account to enter or vote, if you already have a yahoo account this is a quick process. The winner grants the International Temari Appreciation Day coordinator permission to use the image of the winning Temari in a logo representation.
• Time: Competition will commence on July 10th 20111 and close at Midnight July 31st 2011 local time. I live in Western Australia so the time here is GMT+8.
• Division: S16.
• Size: 30cm circumference (+/- 1cm).
• Stitch: Uwagake Chidori Kagari (Zig zag over) aka kiku herringbone stitch - specific arrangement of Chidori Kagari where the working thread is taken over the previous rows to create the widening solid "V" shaped wedge, emanating outward from the pole or center point. This stitch arrangement refers to whether all, one, or several previous rows are worked over and around. -definition from Temari Kai tool kit.
• Colour: Your choice.
• Thread: Use perle, floss etc... it is up to you.
• Photography: Please photograph the temari against either a plain black or white background without props. This will allow the image to be cropped into a logo. Ensure your photo is named in an identifiable way. This will ensure you get all the credit for your work.
• Voting: Click on the gallery of photos and hit add to faves button just under the picture title. Flickr will automatically keep a tally of how many times each picture has been voted as a favourite. Visit regularly to ensure you don't miss any entries.

The maker of the winning Temari ball will have their work used to create the International Temari Appreciation Day logo for 2011/2012. You will be able to tell your friends with pride that your work has been selected by your peers to be the one to represent our celebration day. You will also receive an acknowledgement certificate featuring the finished logo as a keepsake.

Ladies and Gentlemen....Start Stitching...