Twice the Cute, Twice the Fun

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

No one does cute like Japan. And the current kings (or are they queens?) of cute, Aranzi Aronzo, have helped make kawaii a global phenomenon. Revitalizing an international do-it-yourself craze with their many clever, cuddly mascots and adorable tchotchkes, the curious duo have become a mainstay in the craft community with more than ten books currently available in English.

After a successful intercontinental craft caravan, Aranzi Aronzo returns to the U.S. with their most valuable publication ever–The Cuter Book. Twice the size of their debut hit The Cute Book, this new release collects dozens of lovable new mascot patterns, each accompanied by easy-to-follow instructions. Along with the many goofy characters featured in The Complete Aranzi Hour, The Cuter Book features a number of holiday-themed mascots sure to be a hit this winter.

Make no delay: with Halloween and the holidays just around the corner, there’s no better time to brighten someone’s day with one of the many charmers found in The Cuter Book.

Caravan of Cute Continues on the West Coast

Friday, June 5th, 2009

With Camel taking care of everything kawaii in Japan, Snakie and Mr. Snake led the rest of the Aranzi Caravan crew up the West Coast to wrap up their U.S. tour with a trip to the City by the Bay, San Francisco. Starting this Saturday, June 6th, the Aranzi Aranzo Caravan will set camp at Books Kinokuniya located in the Kinokuniya Building in San Francisco’s Japantown, where they will once again have one-of-a-kind displays and unique wares to sell.

This will be your last chance to experience the Caravan before it heads back home to Japan. Kinokuniya will be stocked will all your favorite Aranzi titles, so come experience the cute crafts and goodies first hand.

Check out photos from Snakie’s recent adventures in LA and NYC.

East Meets West

Friday, March 13th, 2009

This Saturday, the Aranzi Caravan finally arrives in America!

Kicking off their U.S. tour, the Aranzi team is heading over to New York City. Fully stocked with books and crafts you can purchase, the tour starts off at Kinokuniya Books in Manhattan and remains on display until April 13th. After that, the Caravan moves to the West Coast, so if you can’t get to New York, you’ll still have a chance to see them! And for this Saturday (Mar. 14) only, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to see Ms. Kinuyo Saito; maybe she’ll even tell you what new project she’s working on!

Kinokuniya Books is ready and stocked with your favorite Aranzi titles, but they’ve hauled in some special goodies as well! Now you can have all the fun of Aranzi without the long ride to Japan!

We have a few photos of the New York City Caravan. Be sure to stop by!

Calling in “Too Cute to Work!”

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

You may have to call in sick this week. Aranzi Aronzo is melting our hearts and warming up February with their latest release, Baby Stuff, in stores today! The cute-inclined duo is back for what might be their cutest book ever. Aranzi and babies: how can they lose? 17 entirely new crafts geared toward making life a little easier for baby and parents! Filled with easy-to-make crafts like bibs, finger puppets, and mobiles, Baby Stuff is sure to pacify even the novice crafters! As usual, the team has simple instructions and full color pictures that will leave you squealing, “Oh my god, it’s sooo cute!”

Check out what the crafting world is saying about the latest Aranzi release.

Massive Attack of Cute

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

Fans of cute rejoice! The Complete Aranzi Hour is here, a compendium of Brobdingnagian proportions. This voluminous paperback contains 256 full-color pages filled with so-cute-it-hurts comic skits, photo adventures, puzzles, games and more, starring the whimsical and irresistible Aranzi Aronzo characters. The variety show in a book begins with a singing salutation by Sprite; White Rabbit and Brown Bunny discuss the virtues of having strawberries at snack time; Bad Guy and Liar continue their Spy vs. Spy one-ups-manship; the auspicious meeting between Panda and Mechani-Panda is chronicled; and Bad Guy gives his life advice. There’s also a songbook, a game board; the characters show off their art skills and discuss their dreams; and the book features several appearances by a certain ho-ho-holiday hero. So grab some cocoa and curl up with cute this season with The Complete Aranzi Hour!

Refresh Your Accessories This Spring!

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Just in time for the flowers and nice weather, our lovable little characters from Aranzi Aronzo are back with tons of new projects in their latest book, Cute Stuff! If you are getting bored of your scarf and hat, pick up the book and brace yourself for oodles of Aranzi Aronzo accessories. Cute Stuff is filled with patterns and easy-to-make instructions to keep you busy through the last haul of winter. In stores today, don’t miss out on new cute accessories—pouches and purses and bags, oh my!

Click here for a free preview!

Accessories So Cute… They’re Scary!

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

Scarcely have Fun Dolls and Cute Dolls taken America’s bookstores by storm—leaving a swath of French knots, yarn clippings, and tangled thread from lesser craft books in their wake—than the nation’s craft community have begun screaming, “MORE!” Before you take up your knitting needles, Gorilla Glue, and ergonomic scissors to storm the Vertical offices, America’s “cute”-est company presents Cute Stuff. Aranzi Aronzo—the mischievous duo who revolutionized crafting with their combination of “cute” and “attitude”—have created a tome of tempting techniques for creating everything from key rings to tissue covers styled with the snarky whimsy you’ve come to love and expect. Cute Stuff won’t hit your favorite book purveyors until March, but the Vertical crew is nothing if not sympathetic to the needs of its faithful readership, so we’ve provided an incredible sneak peek complete with actual instructions for making “Long Doll” bags.
No …Thank You!

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A Fifth Printing for The Cute Book

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

Maybe it’s the characters’ snarky attitude or the combination of “scary” and “cute” that explains the phenomenal popularity of the book. Perhaps it’s a fortuitous by-product of the nation’s current fascination with all things Japanese. Or it could be a resurgence in crafting not seen since the days of Michelangelo has overtaken America. Whatever the reason, people just cannot seem to get enough of Aranzi Aronzo and The Cute Book, which has recently gone into an astounding fifth printing. Find out for yourself why bookstores and libraries across the United States cannot keep this irresistible book on the shelves by running out and getting a copy of your very own. And make sure you pick up Aranzi Machine Gun, Volumes 1-3, Fun Dolls, Cute Dolls, and The Bad Book as well, before it’s too late.

Let the Crafting Begin

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

The wait is over. Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls are now on sale, just in time for the holidays. Whether you’re an old school craftster or a neophyte, you’ll enjoy these magazine-size craft books. Each book is filled with colorful instructions, patterns, and pictures for making more than 20 “scary-cute” characters in large huggable sizes. Cute Dolls features such popular critters from The Cute Book as Sprite, Bad Guy, and Pinkie, plus new favorites, such as Spritekin and Munky. Fun Dolls stars an all-new cast, such as Rabbity Rabbit and Silky Kay, and the Unmotivated Kids. And even if your idea of crafting is making the bed, the whimsical “model” shots and descriptions make these how-to tomes a delight. Grab up copies for all your friends this holiday season, and make sure everyone knows they’re at the top of your list.

“Cute” Invades Texas

Friday, October 26th, 2007

The cute quadrupeds of Aranzi Aronzo took Texas by storm this past weekend at the Third Annual Maker Faire. To help celebrate the fair that celebrates America’s creative soul, Vertical had exclusive Aranzi Aronzo merchandise shipped in from Japan. Sewing kits, mascot kits, and stationary emblazoned with the “so-cute-they-should-be-illegal” creatures were snapped up by eager attendees, who also grabbed advance copies of Fun Dolls and Cute Dolls. Not much remained after the two-day festival, just some bits of thread, a swatch of felt, and a couple of locals muttering, “Who were those crafty critters?”