Kokeshi by AlexSyberia Design

Kokeshi is a traditional Japanese wooden doll made out of wood like cherry, Japanese male, dogwood and Japanese cypress trees.  The origin of Kokeshi dates back to between the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) and early 19th century in Northern Japan. The tradition gradually spread throughout the region and became a popular Japanese folk art. At the time in winter, artisans skilled in woodwork who usually used to make household utensils such as wooden bowls, trays, and chopsticks began making this type of doll to sell as souvenirs.  

Today I have created two bookmarks using the beautiful kokeshi dolls that AlexSyberia Design created for use in digital artwork.  

Details: 

I purchased the beautiful Kokeshi Doll Bundle from AlexSyberia Design on Etsy.  I printed the images onto Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock and colored the images using Copic Markers.  I fussy cut each doll and adhered it to a 7 3/4 x 2" piece of white cardstock using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  I had lightly stamped the white background mat with a grey floral image.  I mounted the white cardstock to a red cardstock and finally a black cardstock base to create a bookmark.  I found an old Kanji print stamp set and placed the sentiment in red or blue ink at the top of each bookmark.  I punch a hole through the top of each bookmark and fed a variety of ribbons and threads through to create colorful tassels.  Lastly, I put a coat of clear Wink of Stella over each doll for added sparkle. 

Here is the Kokeshi Doll Bundle digital stamp from AlexSyberia Design that I used to create these bookmarks:

For more information on digital stamping, please read this blog post answering many popular questions. 
Thanks for visiting and happy creating!

XO, Crystal