Is it time for Cherry Blossoms?

Greetings!

I have loved the cherry blossom tree and flowers for quite a long time (we're talking about almost dinosaur ages here).



I have penciled them, watercoloured them, painted them, punched them, rubber stamped them, scherensnitte cut them.....pretty much any way I can be involved in cherry blossoms!

from inkednation blog

 

I'm not really "up to date" when the official Cherry Blossom Festival is in Washington, D.C. Some day I will make a trip there, just to see the blossoms!
Well, okay, and the Smithsonian museums, and the memorials....
Day dreams for now.

"But I, being poor, have only my dreams.

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

tread softly,

because you tread on my dreams."

- W.B. Yeats

That is one of my all time favorite quotes.

Here are some more beautiful costumes for Liana's paper dolls.
Have you checked out her blog yet? She makes almost a costume a day!
Verrrrrry creative.....

Grace, from yesterday's post, will also fit these costumes, as will today's Ivy fit into yesterday's costumes.
The spring green tunic with cherry blossoms is styled in the Vietnamese custom.

http://www.jimsmeltzgallery.etsy/

Here are some terrific vintage song sheet covers. These are from Indiana's Music Libraries. Check out their site listed to the right of my blog.

c. 1917

I truly love these vintage graphics. I have spent many (too many...) hours at the Indiana Music site. They are a wonderful slice of history.

courtesy of the Vintage Workshop - check out their web store!



According to some of the info on the internet, Chinese cherry blossoms and Japanese cherry blossoms are both revered, but have different meanings for each culture:

Chinese cherry blossoms are a symbol of power, feminine beauty or female dominance. This usually applies to great power and the symbolization of love.

Japanese cherry blossoms are established on or around strong spiritual beliefs. The nature of life is very short lived and it is considered very sensible to not get too close or connected to anything because it will end eventually. (Cherry blossoms bloom for one day only.) It is also a perceived emblem of feminine design. In ancient Japanese culture the warriors carried these symbols by the heart as in the Bushido code of honor and loyalty.

"Break open a cherry tree and there are no flowers,

but the spring breeze brings forth myriad blossoms."

  ~Ikkyu Sojun

Dolls of the World (DOW) Barbie, 2nd edition Japanese, 1995

c. 1904

 

"Where flowers bloom so does hope."

- LadyBird Johnson

 

c.1914

"Spring hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

- William Shakespeare

Here is  very nice and simple cherry blossom craft, courtesy of

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

Branch Out:

Cherry blossoms bloom only briefly, but these tissue paper versions can last all spring. Layer a sheet of dark pink paper atop light pink paper. Snip out a five-petal flower that's 2 to 4 inches in circumference. Once cut, reposition the dark pink daisy so the petals won't align with the light pink ones. Twist the center bottom of the flower, wrap with a 3-inch length of floral wire, and hot-glue onto a bare branch. Repeat, varying sizes of flowers so blossoms look realistic.

I hope you have enjoyed my focus on cherry blossoms today.

I would love to see your photos or handiwork with cherry blossoms!

dominoes@myinkspired.com

 

Have a beautiful day.

 

"Look deep into Nature,

and then you will understand everything better."

- Albert Einstein

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.myinkspired.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com