deviantART: by:minami63

Work in Progress

Because of the insanity that was 2008, I was unable to enter any of the competitions I'd originally planned on, thus I will be trying to do that this year... 2009. That said, I will be focusing on crafts that I can use as contest entries.

All Homemaker's Competition 2009 items are tentative entries as I am prone to changing my mind about an item midway through actually completing said item. I will be making crafts for these specific categories, but the rules for entries have changed in recent years, so I may not be able to use some of them. We'll find out what can and can't be entered in the competition when the entry forms are distributed in August.

Section>CategoryItem Description

Crafts>Needlework>

Counted Cross Stitch Kimono

Crafts>Crochet/Knitting>

At the Ramen Shop

Minami-wan Kenobi

Crafts>Weaving/Macrame>

Crafts>Lei>

Multicolor Eyelash Yarn Lei

Kukui Nut/Eyelash Yarn Lei

Crafts>Others>

Beaded Daruma

Novelty Crafts>Magnets>

Novelty Crafts>Hair Ornaments>

http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/24738325/ Wed, 13 May 2009 13:57:59 PDT
First, I'd like to thank everyone who has commented and sent wishes/prayers my way. The surgery went well, though there are several reasons for the title of this journal. Once I woke up after the surgery, my doctor came in to tell me that she'd encountered a few surprises during the three hours she was working on me. The tumors, though benign, were larger, denser and more widespread than all of the tests had shown, so it took her longer to remove them from me. They'd completely screwed up my insides to the point where even the body parts I was keeping had to be disconnected, then reconnected after the tumors were extracted. What my doctor found after clearing out the tumors was the real unpleasant surprise. I was in the initial stages of ovarian cancer. Apparently, the tumors were so densely packed that they completely blocked the cancer from showing up on any scans. Luckily, I had already approved removal of any and all "bad" things, so my doctor was able to take everything (tumors, cancer, all affected body parts) out at one time. I am extremely lucky. The National Cancer Institute estimates that this year alone there will be 21550 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and it will claim the lives of over 14000 women. I won't be one of them.

So, now I've been at my parent's house for a week-and-a-half. I'll be here for another six weeks. I'm still bleeding and in a bit of pain, but considering what might have been the alternative... I'm doing great. Not a whole lot of energy, but that's okay. They sent me home from the hospital with a huge list of "Things Not To Do". No housework, no lifting, no climbing stairs, no driving, no "strenuous" activity of any sort. The toughest thing they want me to do for the next several weeks is try to walk a bit, at least three times a day. I caught a cold last week and it quickly progressed into my chronic bronchitis, so I'm just trying to get over that. Thought I'd be able to work on some crafts, but the pain in my abdomen completely prevents that. Even sitting up hurts and, OMG, how I dread having to go to the bathroom! Yikes!

Anyway, I'd better end this here so my friend can have her computer back. Just wanted to touch base with everyone and thank you all for the waves of good karma I know I've been getting. They've made a world of difference! I'll probably be back when I can borrow my friend's computer again, since I won't be able to do anything about my own dead hard drive until I'm better. Talk to you all later! Love ya!

Work in Progress

Crafts>Needlework>

Counted Cross Stitch Kimono

=minami63 What's Going On... http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/24429424/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/24429424/ Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:29:38 PDT
When 2009 started, I had very high hopes for the new year. *sigh* Then, I went to the doctor for my annual check up on March 3rd. To make a very long story short, I have been at various doctor's offices for all kinds of tests at least twice a week ever since. I will be having major surgery on Wednesday, April 29. What my doctor found when she examined me were tumors. The good news is... they're benign (non-cancerous). The bad news... they're large (one the size of a grapefruit and two the size of baseballs), they're numerous, and they're screwing up my insides very badly. They're making me very sick and uncomfortable at the moment, so I am actually really looking forward to this surgery. My surgeon says I'll be out of work for about 8 weeks which I'm also looking forward to considering I now have job-related high blood pressure, as well.

I've already organized my yarn and thread so that when I'm mobile again, I'll be able to get to some serious crafting. It's been a while since I picked up the crochet hooks because I completely lost my motivation when my Nana died. She was my mentor and my inspiration. We lived on different islands, so we didn't get to see each other very much, but we spoke on the phone often and our conversations always centered around whatever crochet projects we were working on at the time. It's strange, working on a new project and thinking, "I wonder how Nana would like this?", but not being able to get her opinion anymore. I really miss her.

Anyway, this journal went on longer than I anticipated so I'll end it here so as not to put too many of you to sleep! I just can't wait to put all of this behind me and get back to my "normal" life! I'll be staying with my parents after the surgery and not only do they not have a computer, but they live in an area where my WiFi has a tough time working, so I don't know when I'll be back here. It shouldn't be more than two or three weeks, though. In the meantime, keep creating the wonderful work that you do and stay well! See ya soon!

Work in Progress

Crafts>Needlework>

Counted Cross Stitch Kimono

Crafts>Crochet/Knitting>

At the Ramen Shop

=minami63 Still Alive... http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/19285472/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/19285472/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:47:01 PDT am still alive. This year just hasn't been as cooperative with me as I had hoped. I have been sick more times than I can mention (I'm fighting yet another head cold and sinusitis attack right now... as a matter of fact). Work has been overwhelming, to say the least. My boss still has not hired a replacement for my assistant and I find myself falling further and further behind, forcing me to work nights just to stay current. Then, just about two months ago, my grandma was rushed to the hospital due to failing health. She lived on a different island from me, so my Mom and I were flying back and forth between the islands every few days just to be with grandma. The days we spent with her were fun, in spite of the fact that they were spent in a hospital (we even ate at the hospital cafeteria so we wouldn't be far from her... oh, yum). Some days she would be a bit glazed and not really responsive to anyone, but on other days she would be just like the grandma I remember, sharp and witty. We did a lot of laughing on those days.

My grandma died two weeks ago and, as she requested, we scattered her ashes in the ocean on July 4th.

I've missed all but one of my Bon Dances thus far this season, I haven't picked up a crochet hook or even touched a beading needle in months. My entire existence since April has revolved around work and grandma. Oh, and various illnesses. I'm slowly trying to get my life back on track. I'm going to cut back on work, even though it may mean falling behind in my paperwork. Maybe that will be an incentive for my boss to finally get me some help. I'm back in my dance class on Monday nights. I will be dancing at a Bon Dance on my island of Maui this Friday night, then I will be crossing the channel and dancing at another Bon Dance on the island of Lanai on Saturday night. And, I'm starting to get a few craft ideas again... small, simple ideas for right now... just until I get used to crafting again.

I know I owe a lot of people responses to comments and notes. I'll get to them... eventually. Hopefully, I'll be able to work out a little more dA time soon. Thanks to you all for being so supportive, though. It's nice to come back from dealing with so many stressful situations and find so many wonderful comments and notes waiting for me. Not to mention the tons of great artwork I get to catch up on! You guys are awesome!

Work in Progress

Because of the insanity that was 2008, I was unable to enter any of the competitions I'd originally planned on, thus I will be trying to do that this year... 2009. That said, I will be focusing on crafts that I can use as contest entries. I will be working on the other items already on my WIP list as I find time, but I will not be adding anything new until I have completed the 25 craft items I will need for the Homemaker's Competition coming up in October. I am also no longer going to promise gifts for specific dates because I never seem to be able to get anything done in time lately. Instead, I will just say that there will be a gift forthcoming...

gift for ^JunkbyJen ~~~ Melville II

special request for Mom ~~~ Godzilla

just because I really want to ~~~ Audrey II, Usagi Yojimbo, Momotaro
Random Ideas:

Grocer's basket with fruits & vegetables

Gourmet cheese selection

Chess set

Nesting dolls

All Homemaker's Competition 2009 items are tentative entries as I am prone to changing my mind about an item midway through actually completing said item. I will be making crafts for these specifi... ]]> =minami63 Contest Winners and Practicing Invisibility http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/18127136/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/18127136/ Fri, 02 May 2008 02:57:48 PDT ArtisanCraft I promised a two week journal feature to the winners. So, without further ado:

First Place:

by *thymian

Second Place:

by *flufdrax

Third Place:

by =Winneganfake

Great work to all who entered and congratulations to the winners!

Practicing Invisibility

I've been practicing being invisible lately... I'm pretty good at it, aren't I?!

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's been nearly a month since my last journal post. A lot has happened since then. I got sick on my vacation and spent most of it medicated and/or unconscious. I wasn't even able to work on a single craft project. Got back to work in time to deal with a ton of paperwork as well as my boss's taxes. Things have been so busy at work, in fact, that once I get home, I have just enough energy to make dinner, feed my fish and fall asleep, although there have been a few nights where I've actually missed the "feed the fish" part.

Just when I thought things might finally improve, my boss let my assistant go yesterday, so now I have to do all of the accounting by myself. What this means is that I no longer have time to visit dA during my work hours and now I'll be working about 9+ hours per day to get everything done, so it's unlikely I'll be stopping by after work either. I'll try to catch up with everyone during the weekends, but with my dance classes and performances I don't know how much time I'll have on the weekends, either. And with Obon season just around the corner, once we start dancing for that, I won't even be home during the weekends. This doesn't bode well for my crafts, but I'm still going to try to finish everything in time for the contest I want to enter at the end of September. I also have a few items that I've promised to friends and I will be making a special effort to get those done. I really hope the boss decides what he wants to do about the extra work, because I can't keep doing all of the paperwork and accounting by myself... I'm already exhausted and I've only been doing this for a week. A couple more months of this will be the death of me. Anyway, that's why it's taken me so long to comment on some of your deviations. Right now my message board is saying I've got nearly 400 deviations to look at so it might be a while before I get through them all. Hope everyone is doing okay, though! I miss you all!

Welcome

Yes, my gallery is rather random, mainly because I have the attention span of a three-year-old. My main craft is crochet, but you'll also find all sorts of other crafts, plus the occasional drawing, painting, and, every once in a while, I get lucky with my camera and capture an interesting shot. I also have a bizarre sense of humor, which is reflected in more than one of my pieces. Enjoy!

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/17725481/ Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:48:54 PDT
On the dA front, I've been so busy that I'm way behind on comments and deviations! Hopefully, I'll be able to work through them all this week, since I've got close to 200 deviations to look at right now! On the "I'm slightly insane" front, I went on a faving frenzy this afternoon, which you can see by my dangerously overflowing Feature Gallery! And on a completely random note, I cannot wait for The Forbidden Kingdom to open! Jackie Chan and Jet Li on the same screen... that's a dream come true for me! *happy sigh* Of course, sitting in a movie theater gives me a migraine headache, but I'm willing to endure it for those two! I'll just have to remember to take my Tylenol 4's and Maxtor tablets with me when I go.

Meme

*DekeNicki started her own meme called "Why Do You Like That?" The instructions are simple, just explain something that you're interested in and why it means so much to you!

Well, my favorite thing to do right now is Japanese dance. Every weekend during the summer I dance at Buddhist Missions for Obon and through the rest of the year I also dance for a traditional Japanese dance group. Occasionally, my dance group will put on public performances, which are a lot of fun, particularly when we try to get the audience to dance with us. I enjoy dancing so much that for six weeks throughout July and August my schedule looks like this, Sunday: recital practice, Monday: dance class, Tuesday: Obon practice, Wednesday: off, Thursday: Obon practice, Friday and Saturday: Obon. For six weeks. There are so many reasons why I like dancing, starting with the fact that I've been dancing hula since I was ten years old. As I've gotten older, I've found that I can't do many of the hula moves anymore for various reasons (bursitis in my left knee and both hips randomly popping out of their sockets being some of the main ones). I still wanted to dance, but I needed to find a way to keep from winding up in the hospital because of it. Bon Dancing and Minyo were my answers. I can still keep the poise and grace I acquired while dancing hula and combine that with footwork that won't cause me any permanent damage. I also get to dress up in really fancy kimono and do my hair like a movie geisha, which is my shallower reason for loving this so much! It's like a grown-up version of playing "dress-up!" Very fun!

Welcome

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

GIFT ART & CONTEST PRIZES

http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/17620679/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:41:54 PDT Just got tagged with this one again from =helmmanodehierro
1) Answer the questions below
2) Take each answer and type it into dA search box
3) Take a deviation from the first page of results (may use ' popular' or 'newest' ) and post thumb (for subscribers) or link (non-subscribers)
4) You can't copy the persons answers who posted this before you

1. The age you will be on your next birthday: Not telling

2. A place you'd like to travel: Granada, Spain

3. Your favorite place: Kyoto, Japan

5. Favorite food: Sushi

6. Your favorite animal: Fish

7. Your favorite color: Amethyst

8. The town/state/etc in which you live: Hawaii

9. Name of past pet: Hide

10. A dream come true: Spend more time traveling

11. Your nickname/screenname: minami63

12. Middle name: nalani

13. Favorite Smell: citrus

14. Bad habit of yours: collections

15. Your first job: national forestry service

16. Favourite Movie: Rocky Horror Picture Show

http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/17265672/ Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:32:39 PDT

Welcome

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

GIFT ART & CONTEST PRIZES

PURCHASES, COMMISSIONS & TRADES

THE STAMP COLLECTION

Spread the Word!

[link]

Update

So, I got hit with the 8 Random Things Tag three more times this year. Because I've done this three times already, I'm not going to bother with the rules and junk... been there, done that. I'm a bit tired of this one already, so I'm gonna pass on this tag after this post. Sorry, guys... I'm just running out of info to share. Believe me... these responses are going to be really random! From tags by ~blackblood212 ~adnileb and ~Im-so-C-O-L-D

1. I'm allergic to seafood.
2. I'm 1/4 Hawaiian.
3. I can't swim.
4. My dream job was to design album covers for rock bands.
5. I managed a rock band when I was in colle... ]]> =minami63 Wanna Be Featured? *EDIT* All slots taken! http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/17083334/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/17083334/ Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:23:48 PST

Welcome

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

GIFT ART & CONTEST PRIZES

PURCHASES, COMMISSIONS & TRADES

FRIENDS, WATCHERS & OTHER SHADY CHARACTERS

THE STAMP COLLECTION

Spread the Word!

[link]

Popular

... ]]> =minami63 Klutz http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16988119/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16988119/ Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:20:50 PST

Welcome

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

GIFT ART & CONTEST PRIZES

PURCHASES, COMMISSIONS & TRADES

FRIENDS, WATCHERS & OTHER SHADY CHARACTERS

THE STAMP COLLECTION

Spread the Word!

Popular

http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16932688/ Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:27:17 PST

Welcome

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

GIFT ART & CONTEST PRIZES

PURCHASES, COMMISSIONS & TRADES

FRIENDS, WATCHERS & OTHER SHADY CHARACTERS

THE STAMP COLLECTION

Popular

Updates

Spread the Word!

=minami63 Holy Heck, It's Happened Again! http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16858515/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16858515/ Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:22:33 PST

Welcome

ABOUT MY CRAFTS

GIFT ART & CONTEST PRIZES

PURCHASES, COMMISSIONS & TRADES

FRIENDS, WATCHERS & OTHER SHADY CHARACTERS

THE STAMP COLLECTION

Popular

What's New

Links of Interest

Weekend to End Breast Cancer
=minami63 January is Artisan Crafts Month on dA! http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16365958/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16365958/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:02:56 PST

Welcome

About My Crafts
Gift Art and Contest Prizes
Purchases, Commissions and Trades
My Friends
My Stamp Collection

Popular

What's New

Links of Interest

Artisan Crafts Month

Weekend to End Breast Cancer

=minami63 Happy New Year http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16199257/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16199257/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 03:14:12 PST

Welcome

About My Crafts
Gift Art and Contest Prizes
My Friends
My Stamp Collection

Popular

What's New

Links of Interest

Artisan Crafts Month

Weekend to End Breast Cancer

Fu... ]]> =minami63 Holiday Greetings http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16052446/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/16052446/ Sun, 23 Dec 2007 02:23:30 PST

Welcome

About My Crafts
Gift Art and Contest Prizes
My Friends
My Stamp Collection

Popular

What's New

Links of Interest

Funeral for Marly Fundraiser

CuppaJoe's

for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund

<... ]]> =minami63 OMG! A Daily Deviation! I Actually Got One! http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/15181850/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/15181850/ Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:03:56 PDT

Recent

Support

Welcome to minami63's Gallerie Eclectica!

Yes, my gallery is rather random, mainly because I have the attention span of a three-year-old. My three main crafts are crochet, beadwork and cross stitch, but you'll also find all sorts of odd crafts, plus the occasional drawing, painting, and, every once in a while, I get lucky with my camera and capture an interesting shot. I also have a bizarre sense of humor, which is reflected in more than one of my pieces. Welcome and enjoy!

=minami63 So Many Reasons to Celebrate! http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/14962146/ http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/14962146/ Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:34:33 PDT

Support:

Welcome to minami63's Gallerie Eclectica!

http://minami63.deviantart.com/journal/14696441/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:22:45 PDT All of the artwork shown on this page are pieces that I either bought outright, commissioned from the artist or received in an art trade.

PURCHASES and COMMISSIONS: