The best of the islands

ようこそ！めんそーれ！Aloha! Maeva! However you want to say it, it means WELCOME! This is our new blog here for Akabana- Designs. We will be sharing many things with you here on this blog. From crafting ideas to our interests and inspirations that help us in designing our origami jewelry. We will also be sharing random bits and pieces from the many cultures in Asia and the Pacific that provide the reasons we love these islands and hope they will help you to appreciate and love these cultures as well.

One thing all island cultures have in common is a reliance and a respect for the ocean. Nami (波) and nalu both mean "waves" in Japanese and Hawaiian respectively. The soothing sound of the waves crashing onto the beach is definitely something we always remember when thinking about the islands as they help inspire our work....especially when there is nearly two feet of freshly fallen snow outside my window!

We hope you check in here often to see what's on our minds, hear about any events we may be participating in, want to find out more about Asia-Pacific cultures or are just bored at work with nothing better to do. And always feel free to check out our stores on Etsy and Storenvy, or like us on Facebook!