Thank You Letter to our Valued Clients

Dear Creative Outlet Clients,

The Holiday Season is here and there are a lot of things to attend to and take care of. So much so that it is very easy to forget to thank our valued clients like you, for your orders and continued appreciation of our art work.

So, before we forget, thank you very much and may this Holiday Season bring you and your loved ones much blessings of hope, love and happiness.

Yours,

Creative Outlet Team

Shekinah and BF Homes Shop Till You Drop Bazaar 2009-UPDATE

I always try to keep my promise so here is what I can share with you.

Shekinah Christian Training School-Paranaque

Since Shekinah is a school who would be the contact person other than the school's directress Ms. Hedy Bautista. It was the school's second year to hold bazaars. Parents are informed and are invited to join the event. Since my cousin Lia is a parent, Creative Outlet was again visible. There were no problems encountered with the school and its organizers. We were happy to talk to the kids and let them try on our creations. Its always nice to be appreciated by kids, they really give honest to goodness review. A repeat next year will be definite.

Shop Till You Drop Christmas Bazaar 2009-BF Homes Paranaque

We were one of the first concessionaires who reserved and paid early for this bazaar. The event was hosted by Pinoy Events Management. Contact person is Ms Pam Codera. It was our first bazaar inside our village. We were excited and hopeful that the event will turn our to be great. Though we did good at our sales, there were a lot of things that can be improved. I wanted to tell Pam about it but I never got a glimpse of her during the bazaar's 2 day sale. I dont know why but I got this feeling that there were a lot of concessionaires who would do the same thing as I have in mind. Now for the big question, would Creative Outlet be there next year? Well.... lets wait and see.

Shekinah and BF Homes Shop Till You Drop Bazaar 2009

The 4 day long bazaar paid off! We at Creative Outlet would like to thank everyone who supported us in these events. To those who unconditionally appreciated our works of art, to those who believed in us, and to those who ordered more, maraming salamat po!

More about the bazaars organizers in the next post :)

Crunch Time Again

After all of the family events last weekend, I barely have two days to prepare for an upcoming 4 day bazaar. But I can and will do my best to create a little of everything I do best.

Crunch time = adrenaline rush = more creative juices flowing = colorful creations

See you all at the Shekinah Christian School grounds on December 3 and 4. Bazaar opens at 8am till 5pm. Then at BF Homes Paranaque Park on the 5th and 6th from 9am till your feet aches or till your wallet frowns on you :D

Happy Birthday

Today would have been my Papa's 65th birthday. Happy Birthday Papa! I know that you are most happy celebrating your special day with the Lord. I will see you when the time comes. In the meantime, I hope that you are glad of the person I had become now. Happy birthday Papa! I love and miss you.

2 Wins for November

Together with the legend Manny Pacquiao is a teacher in the person of Efren Penaflorida. Both gave our country prestige and honor. Both made every Filipino proud.

Manny Pacquiao recently gained his 7th belt, WBO welterweight title last November 15. He gave every Filipino an early Christmas gift. Manny at the forefront of success, each of us had been inspired to make good in our craft, we now dream big and we make all things possible to get our dream. From there we try new things to further perfect our crafts and make good in all the things we dip our fingers in. Manny not only touch our lives but also the lives of so many people around the world. Panalo ka Manny! Saludo ako syo!

Now here comes a very inspiring story of a person whose dreams of serving others became a reality. Teacher Efren Penaflorida started his dream early on in his teens. He established the Dynamic Teen Company an organization who provides free tutorials for underserved Filipino youths via the "pushcart classroom". Kuya Ef as he is fondly called by his students recently received a CNN Heroes Award. What a selfless dream he had. What a selfless person is he. What a selfless organization he has. Panalo ka Kuya Ef! Saludo ako syo!

Valle Verde 5 Mega Christmas Bazaar 2009

It had been three years since Creative Outlet joined the bazaars held at Valle Verde 5, Pasig City Philippines. Three fruitful years of selling, meeting new friends, new clients and having new things to learn. The last two bazaars was with Red Golden Events managed by friends JR and Malou Tiu and Rishi and Jovan Lee.

Let me share with you some of the things I learned/observed from last weekend's event.

• The management of Red Golden Events are very visible during bazaar days. I often see them taking photos of booths and talking with sellers. ---As a seller I feel very much at ease when organizers are always ready/visible to assist us in our questions/needs. Open communication is always fostered.
• As always the booths are properly named and numbered.---It was not a difficult job for us to locate our booth. Though before hand we always review the floor plan and layout and remember our booth number, still this gesture from the organizers is a great help for sellers like me who becomes a bit crazy before a bazaar. Haha!
• Be ready to have ample change.---Maybe it had become a routine but it helps a lot when I go to the bank a day before the bazaar and have them change my bills into smaller denominations. This way I do not bother anyone if a client hands in a large bill.
• Have a mini tool kit with you.---This will make life really easy in a bazaar. Things like scissors, paper, ballpens, pins, extra packaging, pentel pens, and other paraphernalia needed to help you make a sale.
  
• Always bring a big smile and a positive attitude with you.---This simple gesture of smiling and greeting your clients will make a huge difference on sales. A positive attitude will exude from within and be felt by clients. Clients will feel comfortable and will most often give you some of their precious time and money as well.
• Make friends with other sellers.---You will never know if you will be meeting them again or if you will become one of their client one day. Having contacts is not bad...increase your network- they are there for us to explore and discover.
  

I hope you will are able to pick some tips which you can apply. Please do share some of your bazaar tips with me too :D

I have been holding on to this words of Ken Tan of Entrebuff.com- "It is about having the enterprising character to DREAM, CREATE and make great things happen for yourself and others". From these words I have formulated my entrepreneural strategy for the next year. I hope that I will continue dreaming and most especially continue on creating something for all of you.

New Moon: Opens Today

New Moon the second book of the Twilight series is opening its doors at Philippine cinemas today! I cant help wonder how the movie will fair with its book content. How will Bella, Edward and Jacob make their audiences feel the "love triangle" involved. And how will Dakota Fanning portray the vampire we dread to be with. Well, lets watch and decide for ourselves. :D

Enjoy the weekend. Watch New Moon!

Valle Verde Christmas Bazaar

See you all this coming weekend at the Valle Verde 5 Christmas Bazaar. It will be a fun filled weekend for all of us. Bazaar starts at 9am till 9pm. Wear you most comfortable shopping attire and go shop for your Christmas give aways. :D

Aluminum wire vs Copper wire

Will I be playing with aluminum wire or copper wire today?

This question have always been a big dilemma for me every time I decide to work on a project. Like any beading material, copper wire and aluminum wire have its ups and downs. Let me share with you some of the things I have encountered so far.

Aluminum wire

• In the beading store I frequent they have aluminum wire gauges 16-20, their wire gauge availability may be enough for some people like me who works with G-16-18 but it may not be for some serious wire workers.
• Sometimes the wires are marred though I always wipe my wires with a terry cloth and follow it up with a kitchen scrub then again with my terry cloth.
• You can get your wires per kilo basis. 1/4 kilo will go a long way.
• Not all beads could fit in a G 16 wire which is my wire of choice when making beaded home accessories.
• In time (about 2 years or so) aluminum wire looses its luster especially when the wire is subjected to frequent washing and scrubbing.
• Wires are easy to twist and turn, very ideal for free form designs.
  

Copper wire

• In the store I frequent there are lots of wire gauges to choose from and a lot of copper shades too.
• Copper wires, in my opinion has more aesthetic appeal in terms of material to use when making jewelry.
• You can also get your copper wires per kilo basis. I could make approximately 30-40 pieces of rings in a 1/4 kilo wire.
• My first copper wire ring was in late 2007 and until now its still looks the way I got it.
• I havent used copper wire to make free form designs though but I have been using it as base for my bead weaving ring projects. They turn out to be perfect with the help of my wigjig and my hilarious ideas and color matches.
  

Well I guess I didn't make enough comparison of both wires. I think it might be best if you could try them out and share your experiences with me instead. :D

Here are some of the projects I made using both wires.






Now, will I be playing with both wires today? Yes I am!

PsorPhil- Psoriasis Philippines

Congratulations to the members and participants of the WPD (World Psoriasis Day) this year - Fun Walk and the recently concluded Hug Me Campaign 2009. Both activities were a HUGE success. With the many movie celebrities and some political figures gracing both events, it were really bound to be a big hit. It was a great honor that one of Manila's prime actors in the person of Robin Padilla supported the Hug Me Campaign together with other celebrities like Jake Cuenca, Robi Domingo and Nancy Castilione. The Imperial Palace Suites in Manila was jam-packed with psoriasis patients, their relatives and friends. Though I was not there to be with my "brothers and sisters", I am so happy for them and the team's success.

Thank you to the people behind both events, those who selflessly contributed - without your love of the community, both events will not be able to reach out and help people to be aware of what psoriasis is and that this disease is NOT CONTAGIOUS.

I have psoriasis and I'm not contagious.

Saludo ako sa inyong lahat mga kapatid!

Thank You MZ

I am so honored to receive a blog comment from the author of Prophecy of the Sisters, Michelle Zink. These things doesn't happen to me everyday or better yet it doesn't happen to me at all (big smile).

Many many thanks Michelle. Your comment made my day too. Wait! on the contrary, it was a pick me up to my sad and restless week. :D

Happy weekend everyone!

Prophecy of the Sisters

I had been down and out of the beading mojo since the Apex Event thing came into life. Until now we at Creative Outlet haven't had the chance to talk to the real organizers. Nor we had time to surprise them with a visit. Then again we wouldn't know what to say at their Village's security guards- we dont event know who really lives at the address we got from DTI. It was and is a sad thing. So sad that last weekend Din and I decided to give ourselves a break and reward.

Powerbooks is so near our place and what better way to reward oneself with - of course a book will do the trick. Yup, most of the time a good book is all it takes to make us smile and not ponder on the negative things that went our way.

Din got himself a techie book which I wound even try to understand. LOL! I on the other hand was not that too excited to get one but on the last minute as we were walking to the exit doors, a book, Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink, caught my eye. The book's cover made an impact of sorts, immediately I read the summary at the back. Though its a simple summary, at that moment I didn't hesitate one bit and just bought the book.

When we arrived home, I started reading and reading and reading. I couldn't take my eyes off the book. Though there are other things I have to do, most of the time I just stare at the book's cover and read the lines as though I am eating my favorite chocolate.

I didnt sleep last night, my agenda was to really finish the book but and I did at 5am this morning but I was surprised that this book is a first of a three or five part series! I couldnt believe my eyes as I read the last page, then I realized this is another series, another saga, another set of books! When when when will be the next book be released??????? I am relieving the feeling of having to acquire and read all of the books that came after The Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford or the feelings I had with all the books of the Twilight Series. I even asked a cousin to get New Moon and Eclipse in Singapore.

But it is the waiting time that makes me more intense, more curious. Waiting gives me the pleasure of re-reading over and over again how sisters Lia and Alice became friends to enemies. The excitement is burning until the next book comes along.

My review: This book is amazing not only for young readers but with old timers like me. It is dark, goth like, mysterious, and really a page turner. I have cried, felt frustrated, been happy, been annoyed and hopeful with this book. Feelings that get me through the waiting time :D

Apex Events Bazaar Scam (update)

As per Department of Trade and Industry the owner/s of Apex Events lives at

# 4 Cucumber Street, Valle Verde 5 Pasig, NCR

Apex Events Bazaar Scam

Yes, you read it right, Creative Outlet have been a victim of a bazaar scam from Apex Events.

Apex Events is the organizer behind the would be bazaar at the Makati Sports Club on November 28-29. There were no notices informing us that the bazaar will no longer push through. Had my cousin Lia not call and confirm at the Makati Sports Club last Wednesday, we wont even know about it. What happened? Where are the organizers? How could this happen to us? How about our joining fee, how can we be able to claim our hard earned money back?

Apex Events had been a good host and organizer when we had our first bazaar at Valle Verder 5 December of 2007. To say the least the bazaar was a huge success and we promised to join other events to be hosted by Apex. Though in 2008, we were not able to encounter them in any of the bazaars we joined. Still they made a good mark on us and we wanted to work with them again. And now this???!!!!!!!!

I was really pissed off when Lia was telling me about it. I had so many questions that I tried calling their landline number found at their multiply site. Luckily I was able to get through their fax number. Let me share with you what transpired between me and the girl who answered.

carrie: hello, apex events office?
girl: sorry, hindi ito ang office ng apex events.
carrie: sino ang pwede kong kausapin regarding sa apex events?
girl: wala na ang apex events at wala na silang secretary.
carrie: ibig mo bang sabihin eh hindi na nag o-operate ang apex?
girl: tama
carrie: miss, ito kasi ang number na nakalagay sa multiply site nila, baka dito nakatira ang isa sa mga may ari ng apex?
girl: ah si justine go
carrie: nasaan si justine go, pwede ko ba sya makausap?
girl: wala si justine dito, nasa opisina
carrie: anong time uuwi si justine?
girl: madaling araw na
carrie: sige tatawag na lang ako ng madaling araw
girl: hindi sasagot ng phone si justine
carrie: bakit naman? nagtatago na ba sya?
girl: yan ang sinasabi ng maraming tao, pero hindi naman sya nagtatago at late lang umuuwi at maagang pumapasok sa opisina.
carrie: so ibig sabihin nga eh nagtatago sya
girl: isipin nyo na ang gusto nyong isipin
carrie: residential ba ito? anong address?
girl: # 42 riverside village pasig
carrie: ahh sa pasig pala ito, binaha kayo?
girl: oo
carrie: dapat lang kung ganyang ang ginagawa nyo sa kapwa nyo! sino ka? anong name mo?
girl: rina

After she said her name I slammed the phone down. I was so angry but I coundnt do anything about it. The people behind Apex are unreachable. I dont even know if that Justine Go really exists or that home number still exists. I just have this on mind...... let it be a learning experience for me and my cousin. Though we know that we could not possibly have our money back, we just hope that it was put to a good use.

We also found out that this had been happening as early as May 2009. To all the vendors who have been scammed like us, please share your story. Let us unite so that organizers such as Apex will no longer hurt others.

For your perusal.

Apex Events
c/o Justine Go
#42 Riverside Village
Pasig City
Landline : 480-5667
Fax: 655-9981

Four Seasons Bazaar at The Vue

Repost from my cousin Lia.

Please be advised that this event has been cancelled.

Here is the letter from the organizer:

To All Exhibitors,

Due to the devastation caused by Typhoon Ondoy last September 26, we from Four Seasons Creative Ventures have decided to forego of the October bazaar at the Bellevue. This is to give time to honor and help with the relief efforts being offered to the typhoon victims .

Cuenca Bazaar

I am fervently wishing that this coming weekend will be a different weekend - hoping for a bright and sunny two days. These days will be Creative Outlet's first stint at the Cuenca Bazaar. Bazaars held at Cuenca St in AAV is always always a great venue to showcase one's talent. Though Creative Outlet had been joining bazaars for the past 3 years now, we have been avoiding anything that has to do with Cuenca. Why? We felt that we still have a lot to hone with regards to our projects, techniques used, our table display and on how we mingle with our customers. Three years made a big difference. And now, we feel that we have grown, our projects are continuously evolving, we have learned and executed different beading techniques - we are ready and this coming weekend will be one "stormy" bazaar weekend sans the rain.

Wish us luck and hope to see you all this weekend!

Prayers for my Country

Last Saturday's rainfall was not an ordinary one. Typhoon Ondoy made a big impact. Many areas were flooded up to the roofs of their houses. Cars washed away by raging water. Lives taken. Typhoon Ondoy made its mark in our lives, one that we will never forget.

Im asking for prayers for my relatives, friends, for those people who lost their lives, for those people who have lost family members, for those people who are going back to their muddy homes-trying to rebuild their lives, for those people who unselfishly offered their self, their time, their savings. Please please pray for them.

Filipinos are resilient. We will recover. We will endure. We will rebuild. We will rejoice once more.

Hug Me Campaign 2009

It had almost been a year since my first Hug me Campaign. What would be in store for us for this year's Hug Me? Who will be the people I will have the chance to talk and mingle with? Will there be more psoriasis patients coming out? I hope so, since this is one perfect venue to be together to celebrate life and its complexities. :D

Here is a video made by co-Psorphil members Mark and Star.

Tree of Life

Since I started researching and learning to do simple wire work, I have been enticed by how people do their own version of the famous tree. When you search the net, you would see countless interpretations in color, size and wire to use. I tried my hands with the materials I have on hand and came up with these results. Below are my translations.

Luckily all of these pendants were sold at our recently concluded bazaar last September 6 at the Tahanan Village. I even had pending orders to make and deliver. I think these made a statement all on its own. The Tree of Life made a debut at our booth and hopefully in every Filipina wardrobe.











My cousin reserved this piece before the bazaar. She got it the day before the show and brought it to Singapore and Bali as part of her wardrobe. Thanks again Meg!

Bazaar Caravan 2009

It had been almost 3 years since I joined a bazaar. My first was at Tahanan Village Bazaar in 2007 with my cousins Lia and Irene as partners of Creative Outlet. Though cousin Irene opted to pursue a different endeavor, Lia and I continued on with the biz, maintaining the fire so to speak. From our first show of 2007 we have been to our first Bazaar Caravan in 2008. And now we our on our way to our second Bazaar Caravan. Who would imagine that we could sustain the fire and the passion with what we do. Though we may not be able to create all the things that our imaginations can dream of, we are happy with what we can do and will be able to do in the future. That said, I would like to invite all of you to join me and Lia to a never ending world of color, shapes, beads, laughter and happines as we look forward yet again for another fun-filled Bazaar Caravan for 2009.

• 1st---was at the recently concluded Tahanan Village Bazaar and Foodfest
  
• 2nd--- will be at Gawad Kalinga CFC Best Buy Bazaar at Cuenca Ayala Alabang Village on October 10-11 from 9am-7pm
• 3rd--- will be at the Bellevue Hotel Bazaar on October 24-25
• 4th--- is on November 21-22 at the Valle Verde 5 Christmas Bazaar from 9am-1030pm
• 5th--- will be on November 28-29 at the Christmas Wish Bazaar, Makati Sports Club from 9am-7pm
• 6th---will be at the Shop Till You Drop at UBFHAI on December 5-6

Our schedule dates are quite hectic but we are all set, projects completed, new items on hand, with a lot of surprises awaiting every modern girl!

Come and see us at these shows and Im sure you will have the best Christmas gifts for that special someone, family and friends.

Tahanan Village Bazaar Pictures

Here are pictures from last Sunday's Tahanan Village Bazaar.


Lia and me with Tita Nini behind our booth set up. Yes we know there are a lot of things we can improve. Dont worry we are working on it ASAP. =)



Our friend Kathy's booth (she's the one in red together with her sister and husband). She sold organic products. Im so proud of you Kathy! You showed me how to be the best sales person I can be. You're a terrific example my dear! Good job! Go Green! Go organics!



Cousins and friends behind the food booth. Keep on believing in yourselves kids. I know you can do good next time. Do your share and believe that you can...blessings will come a hundred fold.

Bazaar Lessons

Everyday we learn something new and improve the things we know. It had been 3 years now that my cousin Lia and I have joined bazaars, still there were so many things that had to be learned. I would like to share with you some of those.

• SMILE! - Though we sometimes feel uncomfortable, say the weather is too hot or its raining, we have to smile for our customers. This gesture never failed me and my cousin. Sometimes a customer is just passing by but a very warm smile can make her/him stop by the booth and most often than not she/he brings home a bag or two.
• An organized set up.- a messy booth will never make an impression. We must be creative not only with what we sell but with our booth set up as well. . We can showcase our items by color scheme or by make.
• Make sure you have a SALE corner. - There are people who are bargain suckers. They dont get tired rummaging around the sale area like there is no tomorrow. I myself is a lover of bargains! Grab them while their there or be sorry!
• Dont get the negativity of other vendors pull you down.- Well, there are really people who find fault in others. Im my opinion these kinds of people should not be permitted to join bazaars or any show for that matter. Sometimes they take my groove out of me. I just remind myself over and over the reasons why Im doing this and that they are not included in those reasons.
• Never look bored or not interested in what's going on even when we are (sometimes or most of the time). - Some customers like to be attended to and some dont. Either way, we should be very approachable and attentive to them. Let us not be a regular sales person, let us be the best sales person we can.
  
• Dress the part of an artist.- Yup, I know I am my best model. I tried my best and I succeeded...me wearing dangling earrings and a statement ring is such a huge success!
• Most of all - have FUN.- I did and I hope my cousins did too.

Many many thanks to my cousin Lia for forever supporting me in this events. We are the team behind Creative Outlet.

To my other cousins who tried their luck selling food. Andy, your homemade sauces are great! Just believe that you can, I know you can do it. One step at a time kiddo! To my Aunt Julia, your banana cakes sold like ice cream! Yey! To James and Pao, I loved your Tacos so much. And Abby, it was the first time I tasted quesadillas and I love it. Let us keep on trying to be our best all the time. Though sometimes we loose and sometimes we win, there are still a lot of winning when we learn from our mistakes.

And of course, our compound family and compound friends - Im so happy to see you there supporting our booth and the food booth too. It is very rare to see family and friends during these kinds of events but you were all there for us...forgetting about the rain, humidity and the wet feeling. Thank you so much!

See you all again at Bellevue Hotel Bazaar on October 24 and 25.

Bazaar Surprises

Here are some of the things that people will see in my upcoming bazaar. I hope they will like them. Each piece is done with a lot of love, time and inspiration. Of course with milk and music too. Oh and a little bit of dancing as well. :D

Enjoy!






I will still showcase my bestsellers- serving and dining spoon and forks, those colorful bag jewels and cute mobile twinkies.

Bazaar Preparations

I am currently preparing for my upcoming bazaar to be held on the first Sunday of September. I have been beading seriously since the start of August though I don't think I have enough for the event. A little bit of everything worked for quite sometime but then again I had to work and make something new, and when I do that, I feel like starting all over again. Aarrgghh!

Bazaars makes me crazy. I tend to do all my projects at the same time. Monday-Tuesday=bracelets, Wednesday-Thursday=earrings, Friday= rings, Saturday=bag jewels and Sunday=beaded utensils. The thing is.....can I be strict and follow? If only I will be able to follow my self imposed schedule, bazaar life will be so much easier. But what the heck! I'll be in the bazaar come first Sunday of September, prepared or not I think the bottom line here is to have FUN. And I will definitely have one!

Flickr Bug Bit Me

I know its a tad late but.....Flickr ROCKS! Finally I succumb to having my Flickr account. Not the techie person that I am, I bugged Din the whole night just to teach me how to use Flickr's awesome features. Now I can upload my own photos and arrange them in sets- what an accomplishment! Its still a work in progress though but I bet before the week ends I'll be able to upload all of my work's photos.

Lovin' My New Look

I have been searching and searching for my blog's look for the longest time, and now Im lovin' what I have done. I ditched my old template and opted for the simpler and free template found at blogger.com My main reason for searching for that "perfect look" is not to compete with the wonderful pictures Din does for my creations. I wanted the pictures to speak for themselves, to be the focus of the entry. Thus I have been tweaking with the different colors and fonts available at blogger.com and have finally settled for "this look".

Though I still have to add a few details, I know that this look will definitely be the ONE for a long, long time.

I hope you enjoy my new look as I have been enjoying it!

Happy Birthday and Welcome Home

Happy Birthday Hanebe!!! Isn't it nice that for 16 days every year we get to be the same age?! I cant think of any other reason not to celebrate. That said...where would you treat me for lunch and dinner tomorrow? Haha! We eat...you pay :)

Welcome home too. After a hectic 1.5 weeks away, I'm sure you need a lot of resting and pampering. Oh, that begins at dinner tonight! Surprise!!!!!

Projects from the Heart

My version of the Tree of Life. I used aluminum wire for the basic frame of the necklace. Copperwire as the trunk and branches. Amber colored chips as leaves. This project was a hit and miss for a few minutes then I settled for the look that I wanted.

When my cousin Meg saw the pictures, she had it reserved right away. Glad that she liked it. Give me a picture Meg once you wear it. :)

This piece is my version of the Bird's Nest. I had a difficult time making this baby but when it was done, I had a big smile on my face! It was small (circumference of a 1 peso coin) and I had to manually make my coils. I used fresh water pearls as eggs. The earrings though really made the work a tedious task. But hey...it wouldn't yield a satisfying result if it weren't for the nitty gritty things. :)

Ah this piece...is my first freehand piece. I call it Morning Glory. I had fun twisting and making curves of the aluminum wire. When I got "the look" it was time to "sew" the beads on it. It took me about an hour to finish this. Not bad for a freehand piece. :)

Enjoy!

Worth the Wait

At long last Din had sometime to take pictures of my creations. It took a while since he came from Malaysia. He came back exhausted, sickly and stressed out. To top it all, the first Monday when he got back he had to be at the office to entertain a visitor from the project he was into. That first week back was hell for both of us. Luckily the second week was a bit slow both in the home front and at the office. Yesterday, I was so happy when he told me that he will be taking pictures of my work as soon as he gets up. Yay!

And so here they are:This was the first ever wirework I did. After burying myself at Donna Spadafore's site and at Jewelry Lessons by Eni Oken and friends, here is the finished product. I used a murano glass like centerpiece, copper coated wire for the base wire and copper wire for weaving. Thanks Donna for your inspiration and tutorials. Thanks too at JL.com for the tips, techniques, tutorials and the gallery. Cheers!


My second attempt. I think it turned out to be just fine. It took me the whole evening to make this. I used murano glass like for the center bead, aluminum wire as base wire and copper wire for weaving. I really had a superb time coiling manually. It took my breath away! Maybe I should try coiling with a drill sometime or better yet get myself a coiling gizmo! Saves time but would strip me off the happiness I feel for every coil I make. Haha!

It was really worth the wait. Thanks Honey for the great pictures. I owe you one!

Jewelry Lessons

About 3 days ago I stumbled upon a site that teaches people how to make jewelries. Jewelry Lessons by Eni Oken and Friends. I thought I would find a lot of tutorials on how to help me spice up the projects I am into now. But lo and behold! jewelry lessons is a site for wire lovers! And what a coincidence that I am bored with my free hand wire designs and wanted to put on more.

JewelryLessons.com opened my eyes to a new world with wire. A world where the saying "the possibilities are endless" is so TRUE. I have been up burning the midnight oil browsing through the site's many tutorials (downloaded the free ones *wink*), reading the articles and tips section, giving out comments and familiarizing myself with their more than a hundred teachers' work of art. Still I couldn't get my eyes off the site, the excitement keeps on mounting with every page I read. :)

Because of JL.com my craft table is in chaos now with everything I have that could help me with my first serious wirework. I just have to decide on what to do and how to execute my plan. :) For that.....stay tuned!

Back to Work

I had a blast spending time with my sister, her family and our big family in the province and here in Manila, most especially in Hong Kong. We had the chance to travel together and visit HK again. It was the best bonding time ever. :) Vacation time though was over when my sister flew back to Abu Dhabi first week of this month.

I on the other hand started working in preparation for an upcoming bazaar sometime in August. I started my luck with making jewelry using wire. I spent a week working with making earrings--new projects that I want to showcase for the upcoming bazaar. I also tried my hand with bracelets using half hard wires. Yes, I had those frustrated out of the world moments! LOL! But I did get it right (as per my standards) :) Now Im into making wire pendants. Easy to make, free hand one of a kind wirework designs. I havent decided yet if I will put beads on them though. Maybe I will, just to give more dimension and weight.

I'll share some of my work with you when Din takes photos of them. Soooon!!!!

Family Time

10 people.
5 mini families.
4 couples.
3 daughters.
3 son in laws.
1 son.
1 daughter in law.
1 niece.
1 grandmother.
1 photographer.
1 special day.
1 photo opportunity.
1 BIG HAPPY FAMILY.


seated: My Mom Peach and niece Nicole
standing from left: Din, me, bro in law Derrick, sister Jetty, sister Joyce, bro in law Eric, sister in law Lyn and brother Patok

1 family. 1 love. 1 heart.

After 2 Years

By 4pm tomorrow my sister and her family will be arriving at the airport for a month long vacation. It had been two years since we saw each other. Two years since the Marcelo family were complete. I have thought of many things for girl bonding, this time we will be including our youngest sister. She got married last year and is now officially included in the "bonding time".


Photo was taken....yes that was 2 years ago! We have to have our picture taken again this year. It might take another two years for us to be "together" again.

Cant wait for bonding time to begin. Yay!

Saw You Yesterday

I didnt imagine I will be able to see you yesterday but I did and I felt happy. We didnt have the chance to hug or even chat but its enough to see you even just for a short time. You look good and slimmer, healthier too. Exercise really does make wonders. keep it up.

I hope to see you and spend time with you longer dear Russ. Btw, when are you and D coming over the compound?

Goodbye Summer...welcome rainy season

I think summer just said its goodbye yesterday, vacation over. Rainy season almost immediately took over and made the weather cold, wet and dark. I cant possibly enjoy going out enjoy the wet and not feel gloomy. But just as always when the rainy season is here and I cant do anything about it, I always always sit down and start planning for new designs for my beading, wire working and dream about making a scrapbook layout.

With the radio on, my favorite music playing...a hot cup of coffee on hand- I immerse myself with experimenting with all of the possible designs I could think of making. The months of June and July marks the start of the most busiest months of my year. Experimenting with different designs, wire gauges, beads and planning how many will I make consumes all of my time within these months.

During the sunny months I have surfed the net on different jewelry designs to try and have compiled a lot of things to experiment. Here the two sites I visit most- Beading Daily and Wire Jewelry. These sites make me awake until the wee hours of the night. Sometimes I even get up and go to my craft area to work on some projects I cant seem to get out of my mind.

I hope to post some finished projects at Creative Outlet soon.

Go Go Go Manny!

Congratulations Pacman!!!!

Watch him here

Labor Day

Sa lahat ng manggagawa...MABUHAY!

Another Summer Weekend

Tivona Beach Resort at Laiya, Batangas with Din's officemates. Fun roadtrip. Food was superb. Clear skies. White sand. Inviting water. A lot of swimming. Great crowd. Fun time. A shot of tequila please. Henna tatoo anyone?

Its Summer and I love it

Summer is my favorite time of the year. During the sunny days of March till end of May, like a battery I get recharged, my skin gets rejuvenated and my spirits in happyville. Maybe its the sun's presence that makes me gay and bright, maybe the its that time of year where my family gets together often to celebrate nothingness, maybe its just that time when I am most relaxed, maybe...just maybe.






Pictures from last weekend's family outing in San Juan, Batangas.

What's Up Psorphil?

I miss my Psorphil family. I havent seen them for quite sometime. Since the bazaar craze started late last year, I have not been to any of the group's gatherings. Though I know the latest and the greatest from the mailing list...still there's something missing. I guess I just miss hnging out with them. Maybe I'd call Arjun tomorrow. Yup, think that would surprise him. :D

Bangles Galore

These were some of the things that made me busy the past week. It took me 3 hours to finish one bangle. But what the heck...I loved doing them and will continue to experiment on bead combos. Would you believe if I tell you it all started with just a metal frame bangle, a piece of ribbon, colored wires and a few of my favorite beads? Yup, those were the materials I used to make these gorgeous hand accessories. With a little bit of imagination, some good music and a cup of coffee...viola! These will all be posted at Creative Outlet to wow every woman in town.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Have a great day :)

Home Again, Safe and Sound

This is what Din gave me when he arrived from the U.S. It was such a treat to have a Twilight bag charm. Though I have to admit...I replaced the acrylic beads with crystal beads for a more dramatic look.
With the Twilight bag charm is another great treat...a wire book for my wire obsession. Yup, I am now officially obsessed with wire making. And what way to enhance my skills than this book. I hope to do a lot with this book and hopefully make a profit as well.

But more than the gifts, I am very thankful that Din made it home safely. I was very eager to hear all of his stories...from the horror ones to the happy ones. And to cap our first night together, I have decided to share with Din a lot of what I did when I had my alone time. The things I did, and the thoughts I had and most especially my contribution on how to make both our dreams a reality.

Reminiscing High School

How lucky am I to be part of CRACLSCAJJ. The first C from our group's name. Last March 22, I was with some of the ladies who belong to the same group. Years of not being together did not alter anything in our friendship.

Yes there where changes but subtle changes easily taken for granted. I had a blast with my high school friends. We reminisced about our old school, the activities we used to do, old crushes and old loves.

Here are some of our precious moments.



It will always be nice to see old friends, to blend into each others lives again, to get to know them again, and to accept and love the person they have become. I will always be grateful to be part of CRACLSCAJJ [Carrie,Rina,Althy,CheChe,Leizl,Simon,Cris,Antonette,Joy,Jojo].

Reminiscing high school will never be the same again.

Expectations

I am expecting a big crowd tomorrow for our get together [high school friends] here in our hometown in Bulacan. I hope that many of my friends who I havent seen for a loooong time will be able to come and celebrate with us.

You see, three of my friends who lives in different parts of the world are home for a vacation. And their vacations wouldnt be complete without a get together. Just a simple get together of old and probably new friends [their families].

Tomorrow is the big day and we will all be in our hometown. Cool. Its been 20 years since we finished high school, parted and lead different lives....it wouldnt hurt to share what we have been through, our different dreams and each other's company.

Home Alone...again

Its Wednesday and its the first day of the next 10 days that I will be alone. Alone in the sense that my hubby Din flew to the US to attend on a lot of meetings with his counterparts and a meeting with a new client.

Though Im here in the province in my Mother's home, with my Mom and siblings and their spouses, I still feel alone. Maybe because I am so close to Din and havent had the chance to adjust with the kind of work he has. In almost 8 years I havent. I dont know why. Or maybe I just refuse to adjust and feel alone when he travels. Really, I dont know why.

I am not lonely, I do not feel sad, I go about with my chores BUT I am alone.....and I miss my Din. Maybe I should take this feeling a notch higher and reflect on my life for a change. Its something I havent done in a long time and maybe, just maybe, now is the right time. This sounds great. The activity will do me good and will contribute a lot to my marriage.

Now, maybe I wont feel alone anymore. I have tons of things to think about, reflect and decide upon. Hmm, yes, this will be good. Maybe in the end I will feel glad that I have to be alone to reflect on my life and plan for the future.

My First 12 x 12

I cant say anything more. Here it is. Violent and non violent reactions are most welcome. BUT remember I carry a bigger stick. Haha!

Thursday Once More

This entry should be about 'Wednesday Once More' but my connection just had to take a break and so as my entry :(

Anyhow, its Thursday and its 12:11am! Alright, alright here is what you get on a Thursday morning......a table full of beads and beading materials, an empty drinking tumbler, a radio station who plays your favorite song [RJ 100.3], and a very quiet home. I should be getting some zzzzzzzzz time now but I cant and wont go to bed until I finish my entry.

Now, what will I be sharing on a Thursday morning? Ahhh, my first ever published article at myscrapworks.com titled Altered Tags

But that's not all, you might as well make a layout from a budget... read and learn Tipid Tips

So, there you have it. A project on a budget on a Thursday. Sounds good!

Catching Up with My High School Friends

How lucky am I to have the chance of catching up with some of my long time friends, especially high school friends. People I haven't seen for the longest time, who now lead a different life, who have traveled the world and who still remembers me and cherishes the memories I had with them. People who not long ago I thought don't remember me anymore.

That lucky day came last Friday, March 6, 2009 at Makati, Philippines. Leslie, Cris and I had a blast chatting, laughing, reminiscing, joking and making each other feel loved and cherished. Together with my hubby Din, we dined at Friday's and later on went to Greenbelt 3 for a night cap of coffee and waffles.

We talked of anything under the sun. We even talked of our other friends who unfortunately were not able to join us. Haha! What a day we had! Another day to include in our long list of unforgettable days with memories we will all cherish and remember as we part and go on with our respective lives.

But for the meantime, we will still rock each others world when we get together again on March 22 in our hometown of Baliuag, Bulacan, Philippines. We will be joined by our other friends and their spouses and I'm sure it will be a day of so much memories to last us a few years until we see each other again.

Beach Inspired Gifts

A friend ordered a couple of necklaces made of seed beads in vibrant colors with shells as souvenirs for a beach party. I made 20 pcs last week and everything turned out to be nice and dainty. I had a couple of rundowns with following the 16 in and 18 in length but eventually got the hang of it.

Here they are:

As for the packaging, I made medium sized envelopes using my DCWV retro stack. I even made a tag where my friend could put each gal's name or initial on it to personalize the gift.

Many thanks Carmen for these. I had fun making them even more happy with conceptualizing the project with you.

Wiggly Earrings

The past weekend was a very productive weekend for me indeed. I got very busy with playing with my WigJig. One of the many gifts I received from my hubby last Christmas. I created a couple of earrings which are now displayed at Creative Outlet. I fondly call them wiggly earrings. They are made of dark brown 0.6 wire with glass and crystal earrings as drops to add color and dimension to the whole wiggly look.

Look at how perfect they were:
I had fun doing them and hope that the person who wishes to order and wear them will have a lot of fun wearing them too.