digital downloads

I've decided to add high-resolution digital downloads to my Etsy shop. This means customers can download selected etegami directly from my shop and print the image on their own printers multiple times for a variety of artsy-craftsy uses that do NOT include resale. Shown here is the first image I've listed for digital downloading. I will be adding more images soon. They are available at a nearly-give-away price (and, of course, no shipping charges or waiting!) to the first five customers, on condition that those customers send me feedback on the experience to help me improve the product and service.

new etegami calendars

I made three new desk calendars for 2015. The Cat calendar and Dog calendar are also available as wall calendars, but I think the etegami look their best in the desk calendar size. They're all listed on my Etsy shop, so please click here for details and check out the sample pages. I'll be taking orders until November 1. The calendars will ship in late-November.

etegami supplies and an etegami call

(1) I will be restocking etegami supplies on my Etsy shop one last time this year. Click here for the list of main items. If there is something special you want me to look for that isn't in the listing, I can give it a try.  Message me on Etsy to pre-order your items, then I will set up a custom listing for you to make the purchase. Your shipping cost will depend on the total weight of the items you order. I will figure it out for you before I set up your custom listing. All transactions must be completed before May 30. I will order from the supplier on June 1, package your items for you when they reach me, and then ship them to you by air mail. Your order should reach you in 2~3 weeks after the transaction.

(2) A British etegami artist friend of mine is calling for etegami on the theme of "England or Englishness." Deadline is June 26. Here is the original announcement:

ETEGAMI CALL! Please submit your etegami on the theme of England or Englishness to help celebrate us hosting the Olympic games and our Queen's Diamond jubilee-60 years on the throne. Please submit to Dan Jones, 15 Aspen Way, Newport, Shropshire TF 107EE, UK. Deadline is 26th June. I'm going to try and get some gallery space in Shrewsbury, if not I will create a Blog to exhibit them.

earthquake series for sale

The original etegami in my Earthquake/Tsunami Series are for sale on my Etsy shop. In honor of the many who lost their lives one year ago this month, and of those who survived to mourn and to rebuild, I am offering free shipping on the works in this series, to anywhere in the world, till the end of March. Click here to see which ones in the series are still available.

hand-painted mini-fans

Though Etegami is-- in principle-- a form of mail art, the most common form being a postcard, there are other forms an Etegami can take without compromising the mailart factor. One of these forms is a miniature version of the hand-held flat fans (uchiwa) that I introduced in this post. The mini-fans are small enough, and flat enough, to slip into an envelope and send through the post. They're especially cool (pun intended) as shochuu-mimai greeting cards in mid-summer. Summer is a long way off for most of us, but you might want to try this as a Christmas gift idea this winter. There are more samples in my Etsy shop ♥

blank washi postcards now in my etsy shop

Many of you have asked me how to order etegami materials online, and I've written several posts sharing what information I could dig up on the subject. Some of you have found what you were looking for, some have improvised and come up with great solutions, and many others have continued to be frustrated by the difficulty of selecting and ordering the right kind of paper.

So, I finally broke down and decided to start offering blank washi postcards on my Etsy shop. Today I posted two different brands of Hongasenshi, the cardstock that I personally recommend for Etegami. I don't know the language that Western artists use to describe paper, so all I can say is that I like the way these two brands of paper interact with ink and paint.

I'm hoping that you can use the writing brushes and paints that you already have, or that you can find a supplier for them with less difficulty than it has been to find the right kind of paper.

Go here to learn more about the washi cards I am offering on my shop. If you could order directly from the paper suppliers, it would end up being much cheaper for you, since my prices reflect the postage, Japanese sales tax, and handling fees that I have to pay when I order the supplies. But at least this will be an easier way for you to get your washi cards. : )