LEARNING & SUPPORT PROGRAMS
Our members consist of handmade instructors of various genres from all over Japan. We support them by supplying teaching materials and craft supplies. We also help network handicraft fans through our members’ classes and other activities.
Porcelarts
The concept of Porcelarts is to “decorate white porcelain and make your own one-of-a-kind tableware.” Porcelarts does not require great art skills as it consists of simply cutting and placing decals onto porcelain to create a design. It has become a very popular hobby as it can be enjoyed by everybody. The facts that finished products are high in quality and can be used as regular tableware are what makes Procelarts attractive.
Porcelarts is a trademark of NIHON VOGUE Corp..
Pressed Flower Craft
Pressed Flower Craft, one of the ways to enjoy natural beauty of flowers for a long time, makes people’s daily lives more enriched. Use of special drying mat makes drying process quick, which helps flowers to retain its true color. Our original methods allow people to make variety of pressed flower crafts, anything from small items to large-scale framed artwork.
We offer curriculums for people who wish to start from the basics of pressed flower. Classes are available throughout Japan and are taught by our official members. When students complete the curriculums, they become certified to teach as instructors. Receiving our certificate expands their artistic activities, such as purchasing teaching materials, holding seminars, entering in events and contests.
L’ecrin Flower
L’ecrin Flower allows flowers to keep their natural color and shape. “L’ecrin” means “treasure box” in French. Flowers and leaves are dried in their natural three-dimensional shape. Special technique is used to avoid discoloration, so that natural color and shape can be enjoyed. By placing it in a frame it becomes a treasure box full of flowers. We offer credit-based curriculum where students are taught from the basics. When students complete the curriculum, they receive a license as official instructors. After becoming official instructors, they can start their own class and hold exhibitions at various facilities such as community centers, post offices, banks, schools, and hospitals. Some of our former students have become successful artists.
Plant Art
Plantart is a new type of art & craft with a concept to create artwork using herbarium techniques. After plants are pressed and dried, we can frame them or place them inside resin to create original resin jewelry. It is a fun new handicraft perfect for all plant lovers.
Students can earn certificates in as little as three sessions through our skill master course available throughout Japan.
What students learn in our course:
1. How to properly dry plants using dry-sheet method and air press
2. How to press plants using plate-pouch method
3. How to create high quality resin jewelry
Clay Couture
Using premo Sculpey® as main ingredients, Clay Couture is a fun clay craft to make accessories, stationaries and small interior decorations. Students can mix different colors of clay together to create their own colors and shapes in any forms. Students can reshape the clay as many times as they want before shaped clay is baked in oven to harden. Because finished products are light, strong, and durable, students can enjoy making it for different uses. After finishing our curriculum, students receive instructor license and are able to open their own classrooms.
French Maison Décor
Pasting beautiful fabrics onto thick paper and using tassels are some examples of traditional French crafts. Using its techniques, French Maison Décor is a handicraft to make beautiful interior decorations. Students work with easy-to-use pre-cut kits. Textbooks include pictures to explain the steps and easy to understand even for beginners. Students who complete our curriculum receive diplomas and become NIHON VOGUE Corp.’s certified instructors.
HAPPY Handmade
HAPPY Handmade includes four handicrafts: “Italian Jewelry Brillante” “Candle Meister” “French Deco” and “Heritage Deco.” When students complete each curriculum, they receive a completion diploma certified by NIHON VOGUE Corp. After receiving the diploma, the students become official members of HAPPY Handmade and authorized to start their own class using the same curriculum and teaching materials. There is no membership fee and members are provided with various new craft ideas and event information.
Art Print
Art Print uses heat of iron to transfer decal designs onto fabrics to create original items. New decal designs are released every season and other than using it as a simple collage, other techniques can be used to make one-of-a-kind fabric crafts. Custom fabrics created through Art Print can be used for other needlework handicrafts such as patchwork. Art Print is perfect for students who are looking to expand their handicraft options and enjoy creating items that are different from other people.
Porcelain Painting
With special base coat, painting on porcelain is made possible using tole painting techniques. Students can enjoy creating one-of-a-kind porcelain tableware. Painted porcelain pieces are fired in electric kiln, so they can be used just as any other tableware. It is recommended for students who enjoy tole painting.
Glass Fusing
Glass Fusing is the technique to melt pieces of glass in electric kiln to make small dishes and accessories. Glass Fusing is relatively a new genre of handicraft within the history glass sculpting which became popular in the 1960’s. It has a lot of potentials as more new techniques, tools, and supplies are going to be developed in near future. Anyone can easily melt glass (fusing) with electric kiln. Glass shows many different looks when they are melted at different temperatures. Enjoying the changes of appearances of glass is an attractive element of Glass Fusing.
Glass Art
Glass Art uses lead wire and colored films to create stained glass like artwork. Pasting adhesive lead wire and special colored films onto a piece of glass are elements of creating Glass Art. Lead wire and colored films can be cut with scissors or knives. Lead wire is easy to shape with hands. Compared to stained glass, advantage of Glass Art is that it is simple and can be safely made in shorter time. Lead wire and colored films can be pasted onto any flat surface such as mirrors, acryl, and wooden materials. There are many ways to enjoy Glass Art, as it can be made into anything from small interior goods to glass windows.
Silhouette Art
Silhouette Art expresses the world of paper-cutting art with over 140 special-colored films. By transmitting light to special films, it adds strong power of colors to the artwork. With Silhouette Art, the world of shadow art can be conveniently enjoyed at home. Various design templates are available, making it easy for beginners to create beautiful high quality artworks.
Metal Embossing Art
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if these beautiful silver designs with antique touch can be created at home? Metal Embossing Art is a traditional craft technique developed by medieval craftsmen in Europe and Russia. It is a newly introduced handicraft that was imported to Japan from America in the 2000’s. Pewter sheets may look hard, but is actually very manageable and can be easily embossed. Its techniques are very different from that of metal engraving and do not require heat. By using available design patterns, anyone can easily create a design. It can add a special touch to other handicraft items.
Tile Craft
Tile Craft is to decorate items with small mosaic tiles. In addition to using regular ceramic tiles, other materials such as colored glass and stone are used. When students get used to arranging tiles and working with filler, they can also use old vases and furniture to decorate. From decorating small items such as glass vases and photo frames to cutting tiles to create own mosaic designs, there are many ways to enjoy Tile Craft. Adding a little touch of Tile Craft to interior design can be fun.
Quilting School
With a purpose of students to become able to design and make their own quilt, our Quilting School offers 31 classes which are taught by leading quilt artists with creative styles. Each class takes place in school’s seminar room where students deepen their knowledge and techniques for improved design skills and sharpen their artistic senses with other classmates. Many students have been successful with their own ways such as winning awards at contests.