Off you go to the land far, far away!

So what did I make for my first creative swap recipient?

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The past weekend was a very busy one for me. Saturday morning, I went to Divisoria to buy some materials like cloths, ribbons, and other crafts and sewing stuff. The rest of the afternoon was spent creating my present to my first creative swap partner (which I will post on soon).

The whole of Sunday was spent with a bunch of cloths, creating something I’ve been waiting the opportunity to try.

While the present I made for my creative swap partner was made mostly using fabric glue and glue stick because the materials were so thick I couldn’t use my sewing machine, for this one, the sewing machine, along with the scissors and lots of pins, was my constant [and best] companion.

It started as a bunch of cloths…

which were transformed into passport holders!

My current passport holder is very different from this one, not only in color and material, but also in the design. I wanted to create something different this time.

Honestly, I find this design more useful because it has another pocket that can hold stuff other than your passport, such as tickets and money. These passport holders look chic too, don’t you think?

I was so pleased with the outcome that I’m seriously thinking of mass producing and selling as soon as I think the quality of these passport holders is fit for “commercialization.”

For the meantime, I’m giving these away to friends who love to travel.

After months of hesitation, I finally decided to join the May/June creative swap. It took me a while to send that “OK, count me in” reply to Caryn though, and the e-mail was stuck in my inbox for a couple of days.

But here I am! So for my first partner, here’s what you need to know about me!

What kind of creative things are you into?

Baking, sewing, gift wrapping, putting an indelible mark [read: personalizing] on some of my belongings, and making things out of scrap.

How could you describe you personal style?

I love home-made things, especially those done with love. I experiment with a lot of things and try to create stuff with my own hands. Sometimes, I find what’s lying around the house, like used cloth or ribbons,  and try to use them for whatever I will be creating. I like my things to be personalized, to be unique. I like simple things and I don’t like stuff that are “loud”. I prefer contemporary and minimalist designs. I love wood, paper, and anything that has something to do with the environment. Oh, and I like my things organized [at least I try].

What are your favorite colors?

I like colorful things. But right now, I am loving earth colors: shades of brown, green, orange…I love the color of autumn!

What is one craft you would like to learn?

Right now? CARPENTRY!

What other hobbies are you into?

Travel and photography, oh, let me rephrase that, taking pictures [you might be led to believe that I am good in photography]

What items do you wish you had right now?

I can’t think of anything! Well, maybe aside from plane tickets to Europe, I guess one of the following: desk for my carts and crafts stuff, cloths for my sewing projects, medium-sized travel bag (the one you can carry while going around), albums, digicam!

The most important thing you have to know about me is that it takes very little and very simple things to make me happy! So don’t worry because whatever it is, the thought and effort you will put into my “present” will be enough!

My palms are sweating and my heart is beating fast just thinking about what I will be giving my partner. I am honestly nervous…nervous but excited. I guess it’s time I share whatever “talent” I have with somebody else! I’m so excited!

(Pictures taken from the Internet)

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PS, here are some of the things I’ve done so you will have an idea of the stuff that my crazy mind and hands have been busy with: passport jacket,  luggage, photo albums, camera bag, laptop bag, loot bags!

I finally got my new passport today. I’m glad for the following reasons:

• I hated my picture in my old passport. Imagine having to live with it for 5 years…at least driver’s license expires after 3 years [or is it 4 years?]!
• Because almost everyone is already using the brown passport, I felt in minority having the green, outdated passport.
• I can travel for sure again [as long as the budget allows]!

Most of all, I’m excited to see how the new one would “fit” into the passport jacket I made a week ago. I know, I know…pare-pareho lang naman yun. But still, I wanted to see how the passport would look in its unique protective cover.

At the height of my fascination with metallic paint when I decorated my luggage,  I searched for more items to “victimize.” And in my quest to personalize what I can, the plain, black passport jacket caught my eye, and my creative juices were flowing out again!

Here is the outcome:

The initials were the design of a friend; I just decided to add the stripes at the last minute.

I don’t know how to describe the design, but it looks kind of eighties to me, don’t you think? I decided to do away with the vector design, as was what I did with the luggage, because the jacket was smaller, and more intricate designs would be harder.

And how I love the finished product! It is very me! And as usual, I didn’t mind the imperfections because it give the jacket its unique personality. On top of it all, I just love the look of the violet metallic paint on the surface! Not so much bling-bling, but it has a shiny effect that I love!

Now, no one would have to nerve to pick up my passport because, just like my luggage, malayo pa lang, I know it’s mine!

In my quest before for THE luggage, I ended up with a pink hard-case bag. I like its color, of course, because I’m a girly-girl female person. I also love that it is strong and dependable and, more importantly, was within my budget.

Oh, but did I mention I was on the search for the perfect luggage? Well, my bag had one major flaw that irritated me.

You know the feeling that when the luggage and bags are put on the conveyor belt, when you see your bag from afar, you are SURE that it is yours? As in malayo ka pa lang alam na alam mo na, walang kaduda-duda, na sayo yun? I wanted my bag to be that way. Unfortunately, pink is a pretty common color, and I bet that many women had this type of luggage. [Honestly, I just don't want my bag looking like somebody else's.]

Looking at my pink bag, thousands of ideas sprang into my head. So my goal was to transform my luggage from “uhm, it might be mine” to “yes, it’s mine!”

It seemed an easy task, but it wasn’t. Thinking of a design was crucial and nerve-wracking because I might have a hint of creativity in my blood but I certainly don’t have a drop of artistic talent. SO if the design might be a little “off”, please excuse me. Anyway, I wanted the design to show two things: a hint of being a lady and a hint of being a Filipino, hence the final, simple design I created.

The next consideration was the material I’m going to use with the design. As per the suggestion of TPS and a friend, I went for acrylic paint…acrylic spray paint that is, which was easier for me because I think using paint and brushes would be a disaster for me.

Straight from the manufacturer

Straight from the crazy hands of KG

What I love about DIY stuff is that it is completely you–you can put a bit of yourself in it. And more importantly, it doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, the imperfections in the design and the way I painted it are what made this bag perfect for me.

Now, at least I know that I’m the only one in the world who has this kind of luggage. And if anyone “mistakenly” grabs it, aha, busted!

Here are what kept me busy during the days between Christmas and New year….

I finally got to organize my Europe and Hong Kong pictures. What can I say but…finally!!! Grabe…it has been months and I just had the pictures printed. Well, for one, I had no money. Second, narrowing the 5,000 Europe pictures to just a thousand and the 2,500 Hong Kong pictures to just around 300 is such a hard task! And third, no time!!! So, I took advantage of the past few days to organize my pictures…from printing to putting them in their albums.

Although, then, I had no immediate plans of printing the pics, I was alsways on the lookout for perfect albums, preferrably travel themed. But, as usual, I didn’t seen one that I liked [kung meron man, super mahal]. So, during my recent trip to Divisoria, I bought 5 albums there [100 pesos each, 200 pictures per album...jackpot!], not minding the design. I knew then that I would be busy the next few days because had to I tap into my creative side again to create these personalized albums.

I just used stuff in our house, like the leftover cloth I used for my camera bag, rubber stamps, and the ribbons I had on hand for gifts. It takes just a little imagination, and steady hands [plus lots of glue stick!], to decorate your own album.

The dried leaves depict perfectly the trip that my sister and I had during the autumn season in Europe.

Silver and blue were just right, complementing the lights reflected by the Hong Kong buildings.

Having the right look for my albums was important for me because these hold the memories I had during these trips. And now, I can look at them anytime. Digital photos give us a lot of advantages, but enjoying printed pictures in nice albums is not one of them. And no matter how technologically advanced we become, iba pa rin ang printed pictures!

*****

Postscript: I need help! I need to cover these albums if I want them to last long [if not forever]. Somebody suggested covering them in plastic cover, but I want this to be the last resort. So if anyone has an idea [like is there a craft plastic cover], please, please do let me know! Thanks!

This entry was originally posted at kumarenggrace.i.ph.

When I bought my Canon EOS 1000D DLSR, I literally haggled for a camera bag because the package did not include a bag. Hello! Where in the world will I put my camera when I walk around or when I carry it with me? So I said to the attendant, if she gives me a bag, I’ll buy the camera NOW. So she did give me one.

After using it for a while though, I realized that it was too obvious that I had a camera with me. I remember when I bought my laptop, I also made my own laptop sleeve and bag so that when I carried it with me, it wasn’t obvious that i had a laptop with me. I decided that I had to do the same for my camera. So there started my  mission: find a camera bag.

As we all know, camera bags are not ordinary bags. It is important that the camera will be protected. So it was not easy looking for one, and I didn’t want the ordinary black camera bags.I looked around and in the Internet for THE bag for me. I really liked the ones from XcessRice Dezigns and the 5-Million Crumpler Bag, as in. I ogled at them for days. But they are toooo expensive for me. In the end, the practical me took over, and I decided I wouldn’t get either.

So I did what I always do when I’m desperate, I made my own camera bag.

I went to Market! Market! and bought my materials. Finding the right bag was important so I went around first. I then realized that there’s an area where I knew I will find the right bag: the baby section. I went there because I knew bags there had the shape I was looking for and that baby bags already had a certain cushion, which was a plus. Lo and behold! I found one for only, get ready for this, PhP300! Gosh! Such a bargain! (Jetty, told you I was a discount shopper!) I was soooo happy! The design, size, and print of the bag were perfect! After, I went to Carolinas to buy foam and brown cloth. And with that, together with my Brother, I set on my project. The only thing I had to do was the protective layer, the thick one, that, obviously, protects the camera.

The only materials I needed: a bag, foam, and brown plain cloth.

First, to make the “protective layer”, I measured the bag and cut the pattern on the brown cloth. [Fold the cloth for easier two-sided pattern.] Remember to put an inch of allowance for the hems.

I did the same on the foam, with the sides having two layers of foam while the bottom part had three layers, for protection.

Then I placed the foam in between the two layers of siding then sewed on the pattern.

I then sewed the sides and bottoms together to create a box like the one in the picture.

Then, I turned the box inside out…and this is what it looked like! The finished product!

The last step, of course, is that I put the protective layer inside the bag!

There, my very own camera bag!

The good thing with this bag is that I can remove the protective layer if I want to use the bag as a normal bag. Ha! It took me roughly an hour from the measurement to the finsihed product (picture, picture included), so it was relatively easy.

There, another creation under the premises of desperation. Not the greatest bag there is, but I’m very happy with the final product!

This entry was originally posted at kumarenggrace.i.ph.

I realize that my last post was soooo gory (to exagerate it), so my post today is on the lighter side of life! Ha!

Princess Wendy recently opened a bank account of her own…with 4,000 pesos of initial savings. She was proud for the first few days, which was understandable because of all the excitement (after all, it was her ipon). But after a while, it still was not over. Wendy would still try to sneak in “4,000 pesos” in some conversations.

PW: Mama, paglaki ko magtatayo ako two restaurants: one for rich people and one for street children. Syempre, free for the street children.

KG: Wow! That’s good! Pero san mo kukunin money for the restaurant for the street children? Eh di sila magbabayad?

PW: Sa binabayad ng rich people!

KG: Eh san mo kukunin panggastos mo sa restaurant for rich people?

PW: Hmmmm…e di yung 4,000 pesos ko!

****

KG [while driving home from PW's school]: Wendy, look oh, pink house! Ang ganda ano?

PW: Yes, for sale yan dati eh.

KG:  Talaga?

PW: Yes. Bakit di natin binili?

KG: May pambili ka?

PW: Yung 4,000 pesos ko!

****

KG’s brother: Wends, miss mo na Hong Kong?

PW: Yes! Balik tayo lahat!

KG’s brother: Sige, libre mo kami?

PW: Oo naman! May 4,000 pesos ako!

****

Apparently, for her 4,000 pesos = 1 million pesos (which I wish were true), thus the high chin and “I-have-4,000-pesos” attitude.

Kids!

****

Anyway, just want to share something that goes to show that when parents are desperate, they can do anything!

This is the hula skirt I made for PW…from scratch! I was so desperate because I couldn’t find one, and she needed one tomorrow! Nahalughog ko na ata lahat ng mall…pati Bicutan market wala din. And when I left Divisoria empty-handed, I knew I was in trouble. Text brigade gave zero results! So, I thought to my self, deperate times call for desperate measures. I put the matter into my own “hands.” And this is the result. Who knew my hands could do something like this?

Happy weekend everyone!

This entry was orginally posted at kumarenggrace.i.ph.