Kano Jacket Upgrade

This is my old Kano Jacket, which I upgraded with *drumrolls please* a waist-band!

I also extended the sides of the jacket (the part that flops open in the wind), but unfortunately it isn't visible in my photo.

It is very amazing that such a minuscule alteration could make a boring, shapeless jacket into one that is actually kind of fashionable!

This is me (or, at least a back-view of me) at Anime Expo at Los Angeles in the LA Convention Center

Cool Origami Dragons

These are made with the instructions written for Origami Simple Dragon, by Shuki Kato

These dragons are folded using only single sheet of origami paper. The thing I love about Kato's design is that it is so simple, and yet the result looks much cooler than any other dragon origami that is foldable with regular-sized origami paper (5 in. x 5 in.)

  

I especially love folding the gold dragon, which is my eastern zodiac(:D), because it glimmers in the sun. Also, foil paper is perfect  to use when folding complicated, but not too complicated origami like Simple Dragon, since it easily retains its shape, folds, and creases.

  

Link to pdf of instructions here

Graphite Drawing of a Certain Celebrity

This is a graphite drawing of a portrait of my favorite Japanese voice actor.

I used an image from the internet to recreate the image using only drawing pencils.
The necklace truly appears to be shining.

Howling Wolf on a Scratch Board

This is a framed scratch-board drawing of a howling wolf recreated from a photograph of one. 

This is the first drawing I made using scratch-board. Each hair was carefully scratched with an exacto-blade. 

Doesn't it look almost like you are looking out of a window with a wolf right in front of you?

Imaginary Creature in Real Life

This creature is hand-inked using ink pen and a little water-color to add a greenish tint.

This mythical creature is imagined from a combination of an iguana, swan, crocodile, eagle, and puma, a Iguaswapumeaglearidile (I know, that's a mouthful!).

Feel free to click on the image and read its description! ^-^/

It would be very interesting to have a creature like this as a pet...and yes, it is a herbivore.

A Thinking Fox (Wood Skewers and twine)

Here is a 3D craft of a fox made of only skewers & some twine (and a little bit of fishing line to position the eyes). The whole figure is made of only geometric shapes, which is quite unnatural for an animal, which should have curves and furry bodies.

Can you find his lean eyes and pointed ears? his front paws pointing down?  His legs are hunched, as if he is sitting down to ponder something incredibly meaningful and deep.

What could he be pondering about?

...Or he could just be thinking about his next meal.

Brown and White Stuffed Rabbits

Upgraded Pink Shoulder Bag

This is that same pink shoulder bag I made and gave to my little sister for her 8th birthday gift.  I simply upgraded it to have a velcro latch that helps keep it closed and inner pocket to store small items.

Hand-Sewen Hood Jacket of Kano, Anime Character from Kagerou Project

This jacket was recreated by using images I found online of the character, Kano from Kagerou Project, one of my favorite anime characters. 

I designed it to be double-sided with pockets both on the white side and black side. No seams are visible. 

I tried to use some of my existing jackets as references, and the hood was made to be exaggeratedly large.

Surprisingly, this took only two days to make (I had to stay up all night, though). The reason was actually that I was trying to make it in time for Halloween. >_< 

Although it isn't as good as I had hoped, as my first-ever and probably only entirely hand-sewn garment, I'd say it was a success.

Foldable Panda Pillow

This is a hand-sewn, furry, and foldable (with a velcro strap) panda pillow. 

It is based on a character in a manga series called Pandora Hearts. I wish more people would give it a chance and read it. I love that series! 

This pillow is super fun to hug, and it is great to take along the long trips!

Penguin Knitted with Crewel Yarn

I found a really cool pattern online to make a knitted penguin, so I decided to try making it for myself. 

Of course, it isn't original, but making this penguin was a unique learning experience nonetheless.

Also, I didn't have any stuffed animal eyes, so I just used some round beads as the eyes...but it still looks great!

Antique-like Wooden Pen

I carved this pen out of a rectangular wood block on a wood lathe. I tried to make it look a bit antique.

It's a little embarrassing, but after finishing it with lacquer and holding it in my hand, when I tried to write with it, it was incredibly difficult to balance. I didn't think about the most crucial thing while I was making the pen, that I had to be careful not to make it top-heavy. _3_

I ended up giving it to my dad as a birthday present, and strangely, he doesn't seem to have a problem at all with the heaviness of the pen.

Maybe people with strong hands do not notice anyway? 

Some More Wooden Animal Figures

The chicks (the cracked egg one and the white one) were some of the warm-up figures I made in the beginning of last year. It just seemed like it would fit to put these three animals together, since they are all animal-shapes. 

The hippo is something I made more recently, and it is meant to be a little bowl to hold trinkets, 

key-chains, and coins.

All shapes for these were pre-printed, so they are not my designs.

Eastern Dragon Cutout

This is yet another wood-work project, a cutout of an eastern dragon.

I used an image to trace the shape onto my wood slab, and then cut it out with a drill press (a very small drill bit is required for such a thin slab of wood).

Its complicated shape requires a lot of concentration, but since it is made up of only one flat piece, it was a fairly fun and simple project.

Want a Bite? Pick Your Favorite Ice Cream Bar

I actually made the chocolate one a long time ago (maybe three or four years ago?), but I just now realized how many different varieties of ice-cream bar plushies one could make.

That's how the strawberry and mint chocolate chip flavors were born.

They're all hand-stitched and fairly simple.