A big thank you...
Tags:A big thank you to all the students and to the organizers of CKU-Japan. This has been an absolutely amazing experience. I want to echo what I said at the closing last night - I am once again reminded about the awesome universiality of scrapbooking. No matter where we live, our cultural backgrounds/religion/etc., we all care about capturing the lives of our families and creating art. I love that. It is so very, very cool.
Today Paolo, Ikuko, Tracy and I are headed out to shop and play around before flying home tomorrow. There is a store here called Tokyo Hands that has one entire floor designated for stationary/office supplies - we were in there for half an hour last night and it was totally not enough time. We may be in there for hours today. So many cool designs, different clips and papers and little books. Heaven. It is heaven.
This has been a fantastic experience. Having Paolo here and Ikuko as our translator and friend has been wonderful beyond expression. We are kinda like the three amigos - a crazy three who have spent the last week laughing and totally enjoying each others company. Good, good times.
On another note, be on the lookout for a newsletter later on this week after I have returned home from Tokyo.

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26 comments
This picture just gives me a glimps of how huge the scrapbooking indusry really is and just how important it is all around the world to preserve our families histories...very neat feeling. Thanks for sharing and speading your talent. Enjoy perusing through the stationary floor. :o) http://jolenegeorge.blogspot.com/
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Have a wonderful day.
I am so grateful for your teachings ALi.
ANd our scrapping community... is something so very special.
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Thank youuuuu Ali!!What a cool & soulful class!!Amazing!!See you next CKU-J!!!!!
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Jealous! That paper shop sounds great - Japanese stuff is gorgeous!!
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Hi, Ali. Please keep shopping, and don't spend money too much. You can buy everything here in Tokyo. Have you been to Ginza where Itoya, Kyukyo-do, and some more Japanese traditional stationary stores locate. You can also get toys for your boys at Hakuhin-kan, where the whole building are full of toys. I also strongly recommend you to go Omote-sando area where many modern architecture buildings locate, including Prada, If you still have time. There is also another toy building called Kiddy-Land. The weather is very nice and typical Autumn sunny today, and enjoy the lest of your staying. Please say hello to Paolo and come back again with him.
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I've been to Tokyo Hands (in 2000) - totally cool store! My finds back then were some very awesome rubber stamps.
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Ali-
It's such an adventure reading about your travels. Scrapbooking could just be the bond that unites, eh?
Anyway, you simply must tell Paolo that his friend Jamie said Hi! We are blog buddies who met through you (or your blog anyway). I'm so happy to see that he seems to have recovered from his "bar hopping" incident. (Sticking my tongue out at him as I typed that.) HA!
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
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Have loved reading about your trip to Japan! And that paper shop...I can only imagine :) Hope you fill your suitcase full of all that cool stuff. Enjoy!!
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oooh! tokyo hands is AWESOME!!
have fun!
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Ali, Have a safe trip to home.
Please come back to Japan sometimes very soon! We love ya !
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Hi Ali, I couldn't agree with you more about how people all over the world enjoy documenting their lives through scrapbooking. I recently moved to Belgium and was totally surprised when I discovered my son's preschool teacher also scrapped!Very cool!
The stationary store sounds absolutely fabulous!! Are those tiny metal stamps pictured in this post?
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I love Japanese stationaries !!
Glad that you had a wonderful time in Japan.
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All sounds like a fabulous experience and the stationary shop sounds superb...you will have to show us what you come up with :)
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how freakin' awesome ali :)
enjoy the paper store YUM YUM!
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Enjoyed reading your blog, esp your AEzine.
Tokyo Hands is awesome!!! I can stay there for hours!
Wish i could be @CKU!
Have a safe trip home!
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Today's photo of the class in Japan is sooo awesome! I love that this creativity that we all are mad for is taking place all around the world ! I'm so glad to be a part of such an incredible creative adventure and be able to see it cross oceans and countries through your travels.
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Have a safe trip back Ali!!! (hugs)
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Ali,
I love how your photo captures the intensity of the class as they work on a project...totally cool....scrappers have such a bond maybe we should pass that on to the diplomats and political areana ...could be the start of World Peace!!! thanks for all your sharing you are awesome
sharon dryjanski
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Wow Ali...so glad you had a great experience!. Sounds like you had the time of your life!!! You deserve it!
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This looks like so much fun!!
I teach classes in Calgary Alberta but this looks like the ultimate experience! Love your Blog!
Lynn
www.memoriesbylynn.com
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