Under the Canopy of Love; It's Good to be the Queen

For this month of love, I've done up a love canopy using Tim Holtz luminary die and several cliparts from Ephemorie Bee and Beekeeping Apiary collection. Though I was pretty late for this Valentine, love is not restricted to only February 14th. It should be forever. And this brought me to recall one of my lecturers from UWA as I studied microbiology during my college years. She once passed a very irony remark about Herpes. She said, "Love is not forever, but Herpes is forever." The class burst into laughter while she remained her poker's face and warned us to lower down our volume.

Alright, not here for a microbiology lesson. But the remark made by my lecturer was indeed too ironically funny that deeply etched into my mind, including some of my other classmates as well. It's simply too amusing not to mention about her whenever we talked about her and her Herpes remark. Oh well, not to give you a very wrong idea about love and it's connection to Herpes, I shall sanctify it by going into the story behind this project.  

Every lady wants to feel like a queen, protected under the love of her man. And that's the idea behind this little project for this month of Love. Specifically on the queen bee concept, I decided to use some honeycombs for the canopy of love. Honey is sweet and so is love. So that's practically the idea behind.

I used one of the whimsical fairy digi stamps from Traci as the main focus of this project. Clearly, it's such a lovely fairy pair! Images of honeycombs, bee frame and crown are resized to what I want based on the measurement of the luminary diecuts prior to printing. I coloured the images with watercolour pencils and then trimmed off the honeycombs to fit around the pillars of the diecut.

Notice the lovely fairy pair are seated on a bed of pollen. These are some yellow sponges in my stash and those little "stones" surrounding the "pollen" are actually from Prima's A Victorian Christmas embellishment. I just tore the sprays apart and surrounded them, including the pinnacle of the canopy. I just love adding some natural elements to my project! And that's why despite I've diecut the luminary with kraft paper, I just want to add some brown paint over to give some woody feel. Then surround the corners with some underbrush and foliage.  

The Queen's crown

Here is a short video walk through I made for this project, with a little story telling as well. I wish I'd had more time to do up an extensive video, however it has been quite a busy and short month for me that I deeply regret not to plan my time well enough. Nonetheless, I do hope this has been inspiring enough for this month of love. More pictures below, as well as a list of supplies I used for this project at the bottom of this entry together with links to where to get them.

I shall be back in March for more project ideas and tutorials. So do stay with me!

List of supplies used for this project:

• Ephemorie Bees & Beekeeping Apiary collection
• Tim Holtz Luminary Bigz XL die (Amazon, Scrapbook.com, Sizzix)
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink in brushed corduroy (Amazon, Blitsy, Scrapbook.com)
• Tim Holtz Distressed stain in tarnished brass (Amazon, Scrapbook.com)
• Prima Marketing A Victorian Christmas embellishment
• Prima Marketing straw jute
• Watercolour pencils
• Kraft cardstock
• Own stash (underbrush and foliage, honeycomb chippies, brown and gold paint)

Heartfelt Farewell Gifts to my Customers

It wasn't easy to say goodbye especially to people whom you've been seeing them regularly for the past 2 years. Today is my very last day in a cafe where I worked for, a place where I relearned a lot things and found new friends there. Most of them are my regular customers whom I've been serving them since day one I started work there.

There's so much memories created there and certainly these lovely customers indeed have made my workplace a better place to work in. To show my appreciation and gratitude towards them, I decided to do up something for them. At the same time, I'm submitting these projects for Heartfelt Creations Design Team Call. While I'm not expecting that much that I'll be able to make it to the semi-final round, I'm hoping I'm able to create some inspirations via this means. 

It's also my very first time using Heartfelt Creations products (of which most of them are generously loaned to me by one of my crafty friends, Pauline who owns loads of Heartfelt products) and realized how heartfelt these products are. They synced in so well in what I want to express, in particularly for the Coffee Talk collection as making coffee has always been part of bonding process with my customers. It's also through coffee I learned about the science and art of making a good cup of coffee. All thanks to Weranga, one of my customers who encouraged me to take up some courses to hoard my skills. To bid them goodbye certainly will bring tears to my heart. I'll surely miss them dearly. 😢  

I wrapped some teabags with some brown paper and secured them with some jute twine. These tea pouches came with tags that I die-cut them out using the Luggage and Tag dies (HCD1-745) and stamped with "a gift for you" using the Balloon and Bicycle stamp set (HCPC-3599). I made the sleeve with walnut cream cardstock using the Eyelet Oval die (HCD1-776). Because these are not coffee, I only added on some cup and spoon embellishments using the Coffee Talk stamp and die set (HCPC-3709 & HCD1-782).

What's coming next is the main focus of the farewell gift - coffee. Coffee is where all friendships are made. Neither would I be able to make coffee for my customers anymore, nor would I know when will our paths cross again, what I can do is to gift them some coffee beans; beans that I used to make their daily coffee. Well, instead of placing those beans in a bottle, I placed them into these mini suitcases and decided to pack them with some interesting idea that will "perk" my customers up a little.

Without me further explaining, as pictures do speak a thousand words. Introducing Heavenly Scent; stress coping coffee beans!! What I stated within this little "product insert" are true accordingly to scientific studies, but what comes after are some puns and kind warnings! Oh well, these are meant to be some sort of novelty gimmick to entertain my customers a little. 

The gimmicky product insert...

These are matchbox size suitcases which I die cut them out from Tim Holtz' matchbox Bigz die (which unfortunately has been retired) using kraft cardstock. Prior to assembly, I stamped the surfaces with coffee beans using The Perfect Blend stamp set (HCPC-3712) and coloured the beans using watercolour pencils. At the back of the drawer, I stamped some Latte Art (HCPC-3711). To provide some "packaging" to these Heavenly Scent beans, I made these mini paper bags as well using The Perfect Blend stamps. 

I penned down my heartfelt messages for my customers on ATC cards and everything I made went into a bigger paper bag, which ended off with a huge message "Thank you for making my world a better place" using My World stamp (HCPC-3663) right at the front.

Alas, as I gifted them away to my customers, I hope I've more time to talk to them prior to my leaving. However, this wasn't possible as I couldn't manage to catch some of them in time and have to go. I left my crafting identity within and hope they are able to find me online. Well, should our paths cross again, we will meet again in time to come.

Create, Love and Dream ATCs

Been a little late for updates for this month as I was quite busy lately with several activities for the past weekends. Trying to strike a balance and has been making an effort to plan my time well. There are a lot of things happening around me and I'm very glad to share they are good things. It'd also mean I'll busier for a very different set of reasons, as well as transiting into a new phase in life. More challenges ahead I should say and I may face some adaptation stress which might not be a bad thing. Rather, it'd mean I need to be more disciplined and have to constantly keep my emotions under control. Nonetheless, it's still something positive to look forward to and I'm super excited about it! 😂 

Moving on, sharing here my latest project today in relation to my recent YouTube channel trailer. Decided to do up these ATCs to portray the message I've been wanting to bring across and what it really means by "Creating the Dream". It has been an amazing creative journey so far. And I've witnessed the creative progress in me during these past 4-5 years, which has moulded me into a better thinker and person; an experience that I never acquired during my past working life. 

Create, Love and Dream are terms that I always want to use them as frequent as I could to remind myself why I'm into this journey. Regardless of what kind of art or creatives you are in, the desire to love the work you do and continue loving it makes the dream possible. Hence, creating is more than just a journey itself. Loving it makes the journey more complete and fulfilling. It's also my greatest pleasure to invite everyone to join me on this journey together, not solely to share my works but also to encourage and inspire as much as I could. Likewise, I'd also love to be encouraged and inspired as well and that's the whole purpose of wanting to do this.

I had bought this Tim Holtz ATC mover and shapers die many years ago thinking it might be useful in the future. Very unfortunately, this die has already been retired and is hardly available online. It took me this long to finally get to use this for this project. Well, it's always better to use them now than never. A great amount of supplies I used are actually within my existing stash that I've kept for very long especially those ornate frames chippies, mulberry leaves etc. I'm aiming to have a nature feel hence I added quite a number of "leaves", "straws", "stones" and "foliage" to make it as if you are entering into a tropical rain forest. I hope I've gotten the feel correctly. Notice there's also some dew on the leaves as well?

As much as I could, whenever time permits, I'll try my best to do up a tutorial. And here is my first tutorial for this month of February. I hope this will provide some interesting ideas and inspirations. An extensive list of supplies I used for this project can be found at the bottom of this entry. 

List of supplies used for this project:

• Graphic 45 Nature Sketchbook 8" x 8" paper pad
• Graphic 45 Botanical Tea cling stamp
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink in brushed corduroy (Blitsy, Scrapbook.com)
• Tim Holtz Distressed stain in tarnished brass (Scrapbook.com)
• Smooch pearlized ink accents in molasses (Scrapbook.com)
• Pale gold acrylic paint
• Prima Marketing straw jute
• StazOn midi in spiced chai 
• Viva Decor pearl pen in magic transparent
• Acetate sheets
• Dusty Attic chipboards (upper alphas, lower alphas, mini corners, mini flourish)
• Woodland scenic underbrush in light green
• My own stash (leafy ribbon, jute straw, mulberry leaves, fern clear stamp, ornate frame chipboards, micro styrofoam)

Graphic 45 Throwback; An Unseen Project - Voyage Beneath the Sea Bathroom Decor

Alas!! As I flipped through the drafts, I took notice of this one project I had done up for Graphic 45 during my term with them. Oh how I miss those days with Graphic 45. Till date their various paper collections and staples still occupy more than 70% of my stash, thanks to their generosity. Therefore, for today's throwback I decided to do up a blog post about this unseen project that's long overdue and never get to share in Graphic 45 blog. 😢

Though I was very attracted by the steampunky mermaid on the main page of Voyage Beneath the Sea paper collection, I especially took notice of the seahorses and the arch frame instead. This gave me an idea of a pair of seahorses guarding a pearl. Eventually, I turned them into a piece of bathroom wall decor, which I think it would certainly look good when placed above the toilet bowl. Imagine the seahorses are splashing some glittering water each time you flush your toilet. Alright, it may sounds a little too much of information here. But, that's probably one unique aesthetic concept you could consider. I do find it rather cool, don't you think so? Oh well, to each of its own...

To hold the decor, I'd need some sort of hook. Instead of a usual conventional hook, I grabbed one of the shabby chic ornate metal key holders and improvised it so that it can be hang onto the wall. A final touch of some patina gilders paste certainly adds some marine feel to it. And it's all ready to be hang!

Sadly, it seems that most stores are not longer carrying this paper collection and we can only wait for Graphic 45 to relaunch them as Deluxe Collections. Nonetheless, below are a list of supplies (not a lot though and within what I can remember) I had used for this project with links to where to get some of them:

• Graphic 45 Voyage Beneath the Sea 12" x 12" Paper Pad
• Graphic 45 Shabby Chic Ornate Metal Key Holders
• Prima Marketing Shabby Chic Round Ornate Resin Frame
• GSL Miniature Steampunk Corners and Borders
• Baroque Art Patina Gliders Paste
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy (Amazon, Blitsy, Scrapbook.com)
• Own Stash (brass chain, seashells and pearl)

#Ernestephanie

So far, it's very likely this is the most simplest and shortest project ever completed in less than an hour, with limited tools and supplies on hand. I made this well wishing card for a lovely couple who is going to get married this March. 

Today is a day for the bride-to-be after weeks of planning. Together with a few sisters, we organized a bachelorette party for her. And part of the programme was to do up a page for the couple, which forms part of an album for her retention. Most of the supplies are from my stash, which I gladly contributed for this party. If it's not due to this event, I wouldn't have dug out my Pion Design papers. Oh! How much have I missed for the past months no knowing these treasures I've in my stash?!? Nonetheless, I managed to do up something without any creative plan in mind. And this is solely on random mode - unprepared, unplanned and just jump in and do it!

It was indeed intriguing and interesting to do up a project as such. Without much other crafting tools with me such as 3D foam dots, glossy accents, etc. (the only tool I've was my precision scissors!), this is purely putting my creative mojo to a test. It felt so much like a sudden quiz where only nutty professors will provide, though we probably have been warned before hand. Still, at the end of the day I did enjoy the process and crafting together with my other sisters (whom probably don't have not much crafting background) together which made such a gathering a rather unique one. 

I hereby wish Ernest and Stephanie a blissful marriage ahead... God bless!!!

#Ernestephanie