It's time for the release of the last two animals in the Sister Stamps Chinese Zodiac stamp collection, the Year of the Rabbit and Year of the Dragon. My project today is a Tsukimi gift bag featuring the adorable Year of the Rabbit stamp.
Around this time of the year, many cultures around the world celebrate the harvest moon. In Japan, the event is called "Otsukimi" or "Moon Viewing" Festival and is based on an old folktale about the rabbit in the moon. In this heartwarming tale, the rabbit offers to jump into a fire to provide himself as a meal to a hungry beggar (who is really the moon god in disguise). Touched by the rabbit's kindness, the moon god takes the rabbit back to live with him in the moon forever. And so to this day, when the moon is clear and full, the Japanese say you can still see the rabbit in the moon. During Otsukimi, displays of Japanese pampas grass or "susuki" are seen decorating homes and mochi dumplings (tsukimi dango) are offered to the gods for a bountiful harvest. Families and friends gather to retell the story of the rabbit in the moon and celebrate, honor, and view the beauty of the harvest moon together.
In addition to the new Year of the Rabbit stamped image, I added other traditional icons related to the Otsukimi festivities to decorate my gift bag. The tsukimi dango (mochi dumplings), offering tray and moon were simply created with circle and square punches; the pampas grass, and grass were handcut; and the kanji characters for "tsukimi" were cut on my Silhouette.
Thought this little gift bag would be cute to hold mochi and other treats for giving during the Otsukimi celebration.
For more fun and creative ideas using the two new Chinese Zodiac stamp releases, be sure to stop in to visit the blogs of the our other DT members as well as the Jenny at the Sister Stamps blog. Don't forget to leave a comment over at the Sister Stamps blog for your chance to win this adorable Year of the Rabbit stamp! And hope you'll get a chance to stop by again tomorrow for our preview of the Year of the Dragon stamp...
Linda: Simple and Sassy Creations
Laura: By TKG
Patti: Creations By Patti
Jenny: Sister Stamps Blog
6 comments:
OMG Eunice! I love this! I just love all the details like the hills, wheat, mochi, moon! Thank you so much for all your help over the last year!
Wow, this just blew me away. You're so clever. TOTALLY AWESOME.
Beautiful Eunice! So inspiring! Love all the little cute touches that you added on the favor bag.
this is so cute! love the bunny and the mochi and the kanji letters! totally wonderful!
oooh, soooo cute. Love what you did with the Year of the Rabbit. Those buns sure look good enough to eat!!!!
I agree with what the ladies before me wrote....just wonderful.
Learned something about another Japanese festival, thank you Eunice.
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