Takara Town

How to make a Miniature Fake Strawberry Cabochon Tutorial - Japanese Craft Book

 

Here is another tutorial from great Japanese Craft Book called Deco Suites in Goods 100 Yen ( Nice Wife Supplement)

By Yonggao Masumi

First of all, how much do you love the "Nice Wife Supplement" part! ha!

Okay so this book has lots of great clay craft tutorials which you can figure out mostly just by looking at the pictures. I say "mostly" because some of the stuff they used was confusing and I have no idea what it was, but in general you can figure it out. 

They make items other than clay fake sweets, such as flowers and fruits too. 

I like to make decoden craft items for decorating cell phones and to sell on my website so I choose two tutorials that I found really useful for doing decoden craft. 

Tutorial one: 

Fake Strawberry with polymer clay:

This tutorial was one of those that was super complicated, I confusing. 

I cut out those pictures and am just showing you what I like and use. 

So to make this berry here is what you do: 

STEP ONE: Shape the Berry.

I start by putting down a layer of wax paper so that I can pick it up and peel the berry off and not risk misshaping it in the process. 

You will need to knead the polymer a little bit to get it soft, then shape it into an egg shape. Then press it down onto the wax paper, smashing and molding it as you go to make the perfect cut in half strawberry shape.

STEP TWO: Texture the Berry.

This is why I LOVE this tutorial! There are many ways to add texture to your berry creations, but I think this is the best way if you want to have a realistic looking berry! Now it depends on the size of the berry you want to make but you are going to need a hollow tube of some sort to make these "seed" impressions in the clay. 

I have a few different tools for this depending on the berry size, which I have found in objects I already owned, and also at thrift and hardware stores. 

For my teeny tiny berries I use a piece of and old Henna Tattoo kit! This kit came with a squeeze bottle with a little hollow pipe, to apply the henna. I bend it just a little to get a more oval seed shape, and it works great. 

For larger berries, I have an old cake piping set which had a little tip for piping fine letters, again I bent it just a bit, and use it all the time for making these berries. 

Just look around the house, you will probably find something you can use! 

You may want to look at a real berry when you are doing this, because it is sort of important to place the seeds in a nice pattern. 

You can see how the seeds are evenly spaced, but do not always follow straight lines of pattern. 

Okay moving on....

STEP THREE: Color the Berry.

There are a couple of different options in coloring the berry. 

1. You can use pastel chalk. You will want to use a razor blade and shave the chalk into a pile of powder, then with a soft bristle brush, paint the berry before baking. 

2. You can use acrylic paint, either before or after baking. I have had fine results painting before baking, but it still makes me nervous for some reason?

The key is to paint in the brightest red you can find. If you will please notice, the berry above, does not exactly look like the real berry that I showed you earlier. They need to be bright true red to look real! 

You can alsp have the color darken at the tip and lighten at the top to mimic a real berry:

Some light green at the top looks good too. 

Now in this book the next step was the flatten the bottom with a nail file ( which works really well), and then you can use like this, or you can paint the underside as well. 

I never paint the botton, since I use these as flat back cabochon cell phone decorations, thus there is no need because you do not see the bottom. If you wanted to make a keychain charm or necklace you would want to color the bottom though. 

I also go a step further than what is suggested in this tutorial, and I paint it with a high gloss finish, so to make it look ripe and juicy!

I have some good japanese sealer for sale on my website: www.takaratown.com, or you can use Triple Thick Glaze by Sculpy which works great too! 

Please Note: 

This is just my interpretation of this tutorial, not a literal translation. :) 

ENJOY!

Super Cute Kawaii Tattoos!

So I have just one Tattoo, which I got when I was 17. It is a teeny tiny pink bubble with floats on my right shoulder. A cute reminder that life is fleeting, that people are always trying to burst your bubble, and that pretty things make me happy. 

I want more, infact I want huge gigantic ones covering my shoulders, possibly across my chest, and back as well. But it is really really hard to choose what to get. It is not that inspiration is hard to come by, it is that there are way to many  pretty and cute and amazing things in this world, and how can I incorportate them all! 

So I collect pictures, and snippits and perhaps one day I will figure out what the heck I want. 

Here are some super cute Kawaii snippits that I have collected over time. 

I do not know where they came from, so I cannot post links, or give credit, so if they are yours, please comment, and I will post the link! 

Here they are : 

 










This one is a bit different, but I had to include it! How amazing of an idea is this - connect the dots!

I really like this one, the colors are amazing ( sorta similar to my website colors!) but the lack of outlining on the rainbow and cloud, then thick outlines on the charactors works pretty nicely - do you agree?!

mmm, pink hair. heart.

Enjoy!

Takara Town Rement Blog on SuperCuteKawaii!

 I am so happy I could cry! 

There is a blog post about Takara Town, Click on the picture below to check it out!

Welcome!

Welcome to the official Takara Town Blog! 

If you like what you read, please leave a comment. 

To visit Takara Town click below :

www.takaratown.com

Interview with Decoden Artist Silver Leica

 

 

 

I recently wrote to Decoden Artist Silver Leica (Felicia), letting her know that she was my favorite Deco Artist of all time, and kindly requesting an interview with her. She obliged, and this is the interview which I sent to her via e-mail, along with her responses: 

First of all can you please introduce yourself?

Hello! I’m Felicia, a passionate deco-artist, faketisserie & a deco-shop owner from Indonesia who commit to provide the best quality of decoden & fake sweets creations & jewelries to all people who like to have something sweet to spiced-up your day! But don’t worry, all items are calorie-free! :D 

 



Can you tell me where you got the name Silver Leica and what it means? 

- I love the sounding of this name. It's very sweet :) in the end, people often mispelling it as Silver Licia (they often said it’s that because my name is Felicia LOL) so it's suitable too :D

I see that you are located in Indonesia. Are you originally from Indonesia? Do you ever come to the United States?

- Yes I am ^^ I’m an Indonesian & I haven’t get a chance to visit United State yet :(

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

- Talkative, Creative & Funny

How long have you been making Decoden items?

- It’s been 1 year & 5 months & still counting! LOL

You have an impressive amount of cute things for sale on your website, do you make everything yourself or do you have help?

- I made most of them by myself ^^ But I do employ 1 person to help me doing easy-things, like mixing colors, stringing-up the jewelries etc. :)

How did you become interested in Japanese Decoden?

- I was introduced first to nail art from my friend, and during the learning-how-to nail art process, I discovered deco and got hooked on it instantly! My first creation was a pink macaroon phone-strap (if I see it now, it doesn't even look like a macaroon! LOL!) Since then, I can't stop making those fake sweets. I think now it become an obsession!



What are your three favorite colors?

- Red, brown & gold

Do you have a "real" job, outside of making Decoden items?

- I’m a full-time deco-artist & a deco-shop owner :D

What other hobbies or artist endeavors are you into?

- I love drawing Japanese manga & graphic-designing :D

Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

- Japanese deco books, of course! They are my source of inspirations! Oh, Japanese catalogues do give me a lot of inspirations too :) you can say that most of my inspirations come from Japanese stuffs & books! ^^



What do you feel makes your products stand out above other artists products?

- I always make each of my creations with love & full of details.. I’m such a perfectionist person & won’t accept any single-minor flaw in my creations (this characteristic is sometime troublesome though LOL especially if there's tight deadlines) Also, I have confidence in my design because I’m a graphic-design graduates, so I choose colour, stuffs, & placement very carefully. I love it when they all fall into one unified whole.

Do you make your cabochons yourself, or do you purchase them?

- Both ^^ I have a huge selections of cabochons to work with.



What advice do you have for those who aspire to become a Decoden Artist?

- Discover your own style & stick with it :) Inspired by other artists (especially Japanese ones) is not a mistake if you have just getting into this world, but don't let yourself fall into the pit! Everyone has their own style & beauty, so be confident! Also, be warned that decoden is not as simple & easy as putting fake whipped cream around then stick whatever on wherever you want! I admit that there are still some Japanese deco-artists out there who did this, but still get famous, but trust me, this method won’t produce any good & admirable deco stuffs :)

What items do people want you to make most often? ( cell phone cases, jewelry, hello kitty, french macaroon?)

- Cell phone cases with French macaroon on it! LOL



What decoden tool can you not live without and why? 

- My gangs of special glues, my huge collections of SWAROVSKI - CRYSTALLIZED™ rhinestones & cabochons :D They are my soulmate & my partner-in-crime for my creations! :D

How would you describe your personal style?

- Sophisticated, but with classic & fun touches ;)

What can we expect from you in the future, what knew projects are you working on?

- While typing this interview, I am currently temporary inactive from receiving custom-order because I am still working for a pile of ready-to-be-ship deco-cases for Etsy stocks & my store’s stocks. I’m also planning on supplying other deco-stuffs beside cellphone cases & jewelries, so I hope in the future customers will get a full-range of choices of deco-motifs products at my store :)


THE END! 

 

Thanks to Felicia, for her wonderful and sincere answers. Is'nt she cute!

Please take a look at her beautiful website : Japanese Decoden 

( you can read more about Felicia on her ABOUT page as well! )

 

Decoden Ideas / Inspiration - Katy Perry California Gurls video

 

Need a delicious dose of decoden ideas, well look no farther then this amazing video. I took this video on my Ipod to Greece last year, and when I was homesick, all I needed to do was watch this! 

Love it. 

Need to have Snoop Dogs sunglasses....gonna make some today !

Use your Decoden Japanese Clay Molds with Fondant, to make real food!

Are you looking for ideas on how to make your cakes cute, or perhaps you have decoden molds and you want another use for them?

Well look no further! 

Check out this great idea for using fondant in your fake sweets molds that I found on www.clockworklemon.com

How to Make a Fake Miniature Banana - from Sweets Motif Wonderland Japanese Magazine

This Japanese Magazine will give you much inspiration for your next Decoden Project! Not only are the pages filled with tasty looking treats that look real enough to eat but also they have some excellent tutorials in here. 

Here is my own translation of this tutorial based on my own trial and error: 

Step One: 

For this project I used White Sculpy brand polymer clay. Start by kneading the clay until it is soft and workable ( approx: 2 min.)

Depending on what size you want your banana, gather a ball of clay and form into a ball, then flatten ball onto work surface.

Now you will want to add a small dab of yellow Oil Based Paint. You must use Oil paint if you want your peice to be of high quality. Acrylic paint can deform the clay when baking. Oil paint mixed well and will not disrupt the cooking procedure.

Now fold over the clay so that it captures the paint inside, and then gently knead until a uniform color is reached, with no striping or marbleing.

NOTE: it is best to add color a little at a time, until you reach your desired hue. If the clay becomes to warm, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes.

 Step Two: 

Once you have the color you desire, roll the clay into a log shape. For best results do not overwork this step. A banana in nature is not a perfect cylinder, but often times can be slighty lumpy and curved. 

Step Three: 

Now using a box cutter, or razor blade, you want to apply a texture to the surface of your banana. This is done by slicing shallow lines into the clay with the blade. Start by making slices that go around the banana, remembering not to be uniform or overly tidy when doing this. 

Step Four: 

Now you must make long horizontal lines across the length of the banana. These lines should be slightly deeper than the lines you made previously. Agian remembering always not to make perfectly straight lines. 

Step Five: 

Once you have all of the outside texture, you will want to cut off the end on a slight diagonal cut, and throw away the end piece. ( or recycle! )

Step Six :

Using a very sharp knive, you will now want to slice the banana into slices. For this type of banana you want thick slices, to show off the outside texture. If the clay is too warm and squishy just pop it in the fridge for 10 min. to make slicing prettier, and easier. 

Step Seven: 

It is now time to put the detail onto the slices. There are a couple of ways to do this: 

    A: Oil Based Paint : For this method, you will want to bake the clay before you decorate it. Bake in a small toaster oven ( you do not want to bake in your household oven because polymer clay gives off toxic gases while baking ) at 275 degrees for 15 min. for each 1/2 inch of thickness. Be sure to place foil or parchment paper both underneath and on top of the clay peices during baking to ensure even cooking, with no burning or bubbling. 

    Once baked let cool without disturbing them. 

    Once cooled you may paint with oil based paints. For this you will want a very fine brush, and also a soft bristle slighlty large rounded brush. You will paint according to the pictures, building upwards from the base. Agian trying not to be too perfect in your painting, as this will make the banana look too fake and unatural. 

    Once the painting in complete you do not need to seal the final product unless you seek a different finish. The oil paint will bind with the polymer and will not come off. 

    B: Stick Pastel Method: This is the method that I prefer. I find that it gives a softer, less precise detail, which looks more natural. You want to apply the detail BEFORE you bake the clay! 

    Using a soft rounded brush, and a small detail Brush you can apply the colors onto the clay. I like to use a razor blade to scrape a pile of pastel chalk into a pile of pigment. Then I dip my brush into the pigment, and then tap off before applying to the clay. 

    Once you are done you will bake it in the oven in the same manner as I have described above. 

Step Eight: 

As you can see here, a bright yellow was applied first, followed by a darker brownish yellow color for detail. 

Step Nine: 

Finally the small seeds are painted on. You may find that using a combination of pastels and oil paint works well for this peice. Pastels are used pre-baking for the bottom detail, and finally post-baking oil paint is used for the fine detail needed to make stunning seeds. 

 

These Banana Slices can be used for most anything, from Banana Cream Pie, to tarts, to waffle and pancake stoppers! 

 

And finally another page from this lovely publication for your viewing pleasure: 

 

    

How to make a miniature drinking Straw - Tutorial from Japanese Fake Sweets Book

If you can find it, this is a Japanese Craft Book worth having. It is full of pictures, that are just packed with ideas for your fake sweets making. You will also find all kinds of tips for making items out of household items. For example, how to make a drinking straw from a paper clip: 

Is this not a genius little idea?! This book is full of them. I love it. 

 

Here is the cover art, which also has enough inspiration to keep you going for a week or more! 

The title of this publication is : 

Miniature Cafe Part 3 ( I think ) I have it in Hardcover, but perhaps it comes in soft cover as well. I do not know. 

ENJOY!

 

Debika Japanese Clay DIY Kit - For Sale!

Hello Everyone, 

Here is a great video I wanted to share with you guys, from Debika. Debika makes some of the best little DIY Clay kits, and I love this one in particular! 

Please check out this video to see what you can make with this kit. 
Also these kits are great because they include the molds which can be used over and over agian, and they provide the inspiration which can somtimes be the hardest thing to come by!

 

Anyway here it is: ( thanks Debika )