We are back in Handa!

We moved back to Japan and we are living at TeDe. We are not going to open the cafe and gallery again. The question we keep hearing is, "What are we doing here?"

I am starting English classes incorporating cooking and art with conversational English. I plan to have classes at TeDe and other locations. In addition to English classes, I am looking forward to getting back in my studio and working on textiles again. We are all very happy to be back in Handa Kogen!

Even though we do not have regular business hours, visitors are more than welcome! Please contact me if you would like to stop by! (kristina@tede.jp)

The first project we undertook upon returning to TeDe was installing a wood burning stove. This was a big undertaking and took much more time than we anticipated. The wonderful thing now is that we are finished!  We are enjoying our lovely stove and staying warm! I have already forgotten how much time it took us to lay all of that brick. This year, we are ready for winter!

Here are a few process pictures of the stove project:

It's been a while...

TeDe blog has been sleeping for quite some time...in fact TeDe has been asleep since we have left Japan.  We are nearing our 1 year anniversary on moving to California which leads me to reflect on our life here.

We made another baby, Hiroto Ethan Inoue was born on July 28.  We are all very thankful to have such a happy and healthy boy join our family.  That being said, I have not made the time to do anything creative since we have come to California.  I have been a full time mom and I find that between watching Yukine and taking care of the house time just keeps passing me by.

Tetsushi has been very busy adjusting to his job.  The first 6 months were especially hard, but little by little it is getting better.  Our roles are clearly defined, Tetsushi supports the family, and I take care of house and home.  I have a lot more understanding now of just how overwhelming each of these responsibilities can be.

San Diego is a very nice town to live in and we are still getting to know it.  Towards the end of my pregnancy I started staying close to home more and more.  Now with a new baby to take care of, it feels even harder to get out.

Yesterday, we decided to go for a drive and check out La Jolla.  It is a very beautiful and famous area about 30 minutes North of where we live.  It was so beautiful.  I can see why it is famous.  It was great to get out of the house and spend some time together as a family.  Hiroto conveniently slept almost the entire time!   What a refreshing day.  Here are a few pictureds of the beach...

Collecting

Yukine and I have been taking walks around our new neighborhood. Here are some of the things we have been finding...

This pine cone fell out of a tree right in front of our eyes! It is quite large and it made quite a noise as it crashed to the ground from the very tall tree it fell from. I was so happy to witness it's decent.

The lighter pink berries are actually peppercorns that we picked from a pepper tree. These trees are all over and they are dripping with peppercorns. When you crush the peppercorn it is so fragrant and fresh! I didn't even know that pepper grew on trees.

I have been fascinated by the different kinds of trees and plants we have been seeing. It is so different than Japan.

We are in San Diego!

Hello! TeDe blog has been sleeping for quite some time now but I think it is finally waking up. For those of you checking in, thank you! I know 6 months is a long time to wait for a post. I will be more consistent in the future. From now on I, Kristina, will be writing this blog, as well as the Japanese TeDe blog. My kind teacher has agreed to help me translate my English writing into Japanese. It is a good way for me to keep studying Japanese while I am away.

So, we have arrived in San Diego! It has been 5 weeks since we arrived and we are slowly starting to settle in. My first impression of the city is that it is big. We live on the south side of the city, our town is called Chula Vista. Mexico is quite near, only 20 minutes by car. There is so much city to explore and we have hardly even started.

I finally made it out to see the ocean. This picture is from Ocean Beach. As I was walking up to the beach I was struck by the smell of the ocean. It was lovely. The air is so fresh and invigorating. For the first time since I arrived here, I really felt like I live near the beach! It was pretty late in the day when I came, but next time I want to walk all the way down the beach to the end of Ocean Beach Pier.

moving to California

We are moving to California!

The cafe and gallery is now closed.

We have an internet store at etsy.com where you can purchase our work.

Thank you very much for all of your support over the years.

We will keep you posted about our life in California.

spring sale

We are having a sale. Please come by and check it out!

Spring!

Hello, we survived winter and spring is finally here! Come on up for visit.

shoveling snow

It has been snowing like crazy up here! This is the most snow we have gotten since we moved here...I got out to shovel a little path the other day. Snow is heavy.

happy new year!

and more...

more snow

snow

kyoto-group show

Kyoto Exhibition Location

View Larger Map

This is the map of the exhibition in Kyoto.

first snow : cafe closed for the winter

Winter is here! It is snowy and cold up here in Handa. We have closed the cafe for the winter. If you would like to come up, please give us a call first and we will let you know how the weather is.

AURA Show Flyer

I am excited to be showing work in a group show at Aura Shop in Kyoto. Eight fabric artists will be showing work from December 4- January 17. If you are in the area, please stop in!

show in Kyoto

Kristina will be showing her work at aura shop in COCON KARASUMA in Kyoto from Dec 4.

If you are in the area, please come visit.

display shelf photos

The display shelf project is finished. Just to recap on the project, Tetsushi designed the shelf and I designed the flower motifs. The client requested that each of the shelf doors represent spring, summer, fall and winter. I chose to use cherry blossom, lily, chrysanthemum, and camellia for the flowers. Then Kanegae-san, a marquetry expert, crafted the panel doors based on my drawings. I am very happy with the outcome. Kanegae-san stayed very true to my design and his craftsmanship is excellent. Tetsushi designed the shelf for the client and Suetsugu-san, an excellent wood craftsmen built it. You can see some of his process pictures on his blog at sun set laboratory. It has been a great experience working with everyone. Thanks for all for the hard work!

Kamakura Trip Day 3

We stayed with Shinya and Seiko in Tamagawa Friday and Saturday. Yukine had all kinds of fun playing with them! She got to play the piano, strum the guitar, and beat on a tamborine. Then we went to the park. Yukine picked some Higanbana flowers and used it for a baton. We all had a really nice day and then headed out to Kamakura for the opening. Shinya and Seiko were kind enough to play for us. Thank you everyone for coming out, we hope you enjoyed the beautiful music and delicious food! (Sorry there are no pictures from the actual event...we have no documentation.) Our work will be up at the Shonan Club for the whole month of October. If you have a chance, stop by the Shonan Club and enjoy their delicious food!