FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Where did you acquire the information for this site?
The information on this site was acquired through research on the internet and books on topics regarding kimono, kimono kitsuke, traditional Japanese hairstyles, traditional Japanese  hair accessories, the lifestyle of geisha & maiko, traditional Japanese arts, chado, and other traditional Japanese arts that could have a little kanzashi being worn by someone. For more direct information check the links section or the bibliography & sources area.

How many people work on Kanzashi Garden?
At the moment, it's just one person, with that being me - the person typing all this up. I wrote the articles, designed the graphics for the site, and try my best to attain more knowledge on kanzashi to share with you all. My husband does however help with the coding when it reaches the point above my ability ... he's very helpful :) .

Other people have been kind enough however to contribute images of their kanzashi creations or collections. Without their help, the site wouldn't be near reaching it's goal of becoming an ever encompassing kanzashi knowledge source. So, thank you all!

Why was Kanzashi Garden changed from a store to an information site?
I originally wanted to sell my kanzashi online, but with much moving around and having a serious lag of not being inspired, the site sat idle. I recently (Feb. 08) became inspired again and thought that the site would be put to a better purpose if it was informational, as there are many great kanzashi artists already out there. I thought it would be nice if there was a website dedicated exclusively to the research of kanzashi as there are already very good sites out there about kimonos and kimono kitsuke, but not a whole lot of information regarding the dainty little kimono accessories themselves. So, viola! ... You now have a website with that primary focus :) .

How long does it take you to create a kanzashi?
Depending upon the size and type it varies, but all do require a significant amount of time. It typically takes me 3 hours to create a small kanzashi, 6 to 7 hours to create a medium size kanzashi, and 10 hours and up to create large kanzashi. This is all due to not just it's creation, but for the preparation involved in making each petal by preparing the fabric.

How do you make kanzashi?
I create kanzashi the traditional way by using the Japanese method of folding squares of fabric using a technique known as tsumami. Each square is multiply folded with the aid of pincers and cut into a single petal. There are many ways to fold the squares so that you can create interesting petals of various kinds such as sharp pointed ones or round ones with soft edges. I thus make different types of flowers by folding each petal a bit differently or by arranging them a certain way. The are then glued together to form the shapes you see and attached to a metal pin.

Will you teach me to make kanzashi?
I myself cannot teach you to make kanzashi because I do not have the time to, but I'm sure the kanzashi tutorial I have placed in the articles section could help you in this endeavor. You can find that located here in the articles section. I can also direct you to some places where you can learn how :D . Here are some places where others have put up some handy information regarding kanzashi creation:

craftster.org - How to Tutorials for Kanzashi
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=19815
Japan Tourism Craft - Kanzashi Creation Videos
http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tra/goods04.html#13

Will you create custom designed kanzashi?
At the moment no, as I do my work off of my inspiration. Although, you are more than welcome to give me the idea to create it, because I just might. Check the blog I have for any kanzashi I may have made.

What flower is the logo of Kanzashi Garden design after?
Well, actually it is two flowers; the outer layer is designed after an Ume blossom (Japanese Plum), while the inner layer consists of a Sakura flower (Japanese Cherry) designed in a way to mimic the old mons (Japanese family crests) that are often seen on kimonos. I love both flowers deeply so I wanted to include both of them in the logo :D .

Who designed your site?
I designed my site entirely with the help of coding from my husband. The image of the geiko was created based off an image and then turned into a vector to match the style of the site. The background was inspired by Japanese textiles and the tree and cranes were created in a similar way to the geiko. If you are interested in seeing more of my digital art, check out www.tantaga.com for some cool digital art to look at.

Do you link swap?
As long as the link is appropriate and relates to kanzashi, Japanese traditional arts, kimonos, and geisha. I may even swap links to some other categories that don't fit into the above as long as it's a cool one :) . Just send an e-mail with your link and why you would like to link up to tantaga [at] tantaga.com and I'll see what I can do.

If you have any other questions, e-mail me and I'll do my best to answer them.

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