Many will want to have a go at creating some Japan inspired designs themselves. However, if you're not confident with designing, or it just plain doesn't appeal to you, that doesn't mean you have to sit the month out of the challenge. Have a look through the kits, books and magazines that are available to you and see if you can find something you'd like to work that fits in with this month's theme. Or maybe you have a suitable part-worked project you can push forward with.
I've been looking out a few of our travel photos and also taking pictures of some of the Japanese items and souvenirs we've collected over the year in order to give you some ideas and inspiration for the month ahead. Enjoy!
A collection of souvenirs on a shelf in our 'museum' cabinet.
Souvenirs on sale at Nijo Castle in Kyoto above and in Asakusa, Tokyo tourist market below.
The temple area in Asakusa, Tokyo
A shrine in a garden, Kyoto
Some very old houses alongside a stream in Kyoto
Shoppers wearing 'yukata' (a kind of simplified kimono) in central Tokyo
Me posing around in a kimono in a hair salon, Kyoto
Some typical traditional shapes from a book on Japanese embroidery
I hope that helps to give you some ideas to get started with. You'll be able to find many, many more via a simple websearch, travel brochures, a trip to your local fabric store (as Japanese prints are quite popular - I've seen them in several fat quarter displays) and so on. Feel free to share your inspiration finding ideas with us here as I fear I'm going to need them when it comes to most other design inspiration ideas!!=) East Asia I have a lot of stuff for. Others, not so much.
So, whether you're designing for yourself, working someone else's design or just pressing on with an on-topic work in progress, have a great month being inspired by a fascinating country and don't forget to leave links to your own challenge work on the Monday update posting.
Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014