Three Thoughts for February

We can't help but associate the month of February to Valentine's Day. There are reminders everywhere! Here are some of my thoughts about this red-letter day:  

1. Valentine's isn't just about Romantic Love  

I'm an active participant of More Love Letters, a community of letter writers empowering people in need all over the world. Every month, they put out a list of individuals facing tough times and all we have to do is mail them a letter of support. Hundreds of letters arrive at their doorstep and just imagine how this can instantly brighten their day and turn it from blah to TADA! You can read some of the inspiring stories here and if you want to participate, there is more information here. 

Here is one of the cards I made. 

A teacher sent out a request for Valentine Cards for her classroom. She was hoping to get a card from every State (and even other parts of the world). I'm pretty sure the kids feel excited when a card arrives in the mail and they look at the map to find out where the card was mailed from. A lesson in kindness and geography!

Why not write a letter or do an act of generosity? The world is filled with loneliness and small gesture can turn their day from blah to TADA! 

2. Show Yourself some Self Love

I came across this quote and I just had to share it with you. Let's all live it!

3. Lean-in to all things Heart-shaped and Love-themed 

They're in the shops, why not get yourself a little treat:

Heart-shaped Cheese

Heart-shaped sugar cookies

Heart-shaped sugar cookies

Iced sugar cookies 

May we all feel love and give love this February!

*****

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A Butterfly Keychain

At the end of every January, I create a butterfly-themed craft. You see, I lost my Mom on January 31, 2017. 

While I no longer have her, my Mom appears to me as a monarch butterfly. Whenever I see one, I know she's checking to see how I'm doing. Crafting with butterflies is my way to honor her memory, a little mother-daughter time together.

Here are some of the butterfly crafts I've made: 

A butterfly watercolor sketch

A butterfly wall hanging 

An embroidered butterfly 

So today, I'll be making something simple but one that I can carry with me on a daily basis. 

This is a keychain that was advertising a service (one side was printed with all the details). I didn't need the service but I wanted to turn this keychain from blah to TADA! So I "erased" the printed details by covering it with black paint. Then I left it alone to dry. 

 

I found this set of rubber stamps with an insect theme. We're using the butterfly design. 

Here are the materials we'll need: keychain, butterfly rubber stamp, white paint (I'm using watercolor or gouache), a brayer, a plastic placemat/flexible cutting mat (use this exclusively for crafting), and black scrap paper.

Squeeze some white paint onto the plastic placemat/flexible cutting mat (don't use this for food prep).

Roll the brayer to spread the paint upwards, downwards, and sideways until you have a square-shape of paint. 

This paint square will serve as our ink pad (this is a nifty trick of you have different colored paints but no ink pad; just make sure the paint can be washed off so you can keep reusing the mat and the brayer).  

Do a test print: dab the butterfly rubber stamp on the paint square and stamp an image on the black scrap paper. Keep testing until the design is evenly covered and the details are clear. 

Roll the brayer between stamping to even out the paint (add more paint if necessary). When done, wash the brayer and the mat immediately to get off the paint. Let these dry, and again, use the mat exclusively for crafting. 

Once you are confident, stamp directly on the keychain. Press slowly, apply pressure so that the butterfly design transfers well, and let it sit on the keychain for a few seconds before removing it. 

In case you aren't happy with the result, let the butterfly design dry then cover it up with black paint. Let the keychain dry before starting over. 

I like that the butterfly is off center. I can add my name or a quote with a white pen and brush lettering later on. This will be the keychain for my everyday keys...a reminder that my Mom is always watching over me.

That is how I turned a plain keychain from blah to TADA!

*****

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A Sketchbook Practice: Fruit Stickers

Thank you for your visit today!

When buying fruit at the supermarket, they usually have these sticker labels that indicate the brand and price code:

When I get home, I remove the stickers and wash the fruit. But I noticed that some stickers are quite attractive! Don't you agree? I usually throw these away but maybe I can incorporate them into my sketchbook practice.

My sketchbook practice involves a blank sketchbook where I get to work on my watercolor paintings. Just so that I don't get overwhelmed by a blank page, I usually use prompts like travel journaling or favorite quotes. 

And because we have a supermarket theme going on, my prompt for today is FRUIT. 

Bananas, nectarines, limes, and a mango...I tried to get their coloring as realistic as possible.

And of course, I added the fruit stickers...TADA!

Just a little sense of humor and a souvenir of the current time. Who knows, maybe someday, fruit stickers will no longer exist.

May you draw some inspiration from today's project and turn ordinary things like fruit stickers from blah to TADA!

And speaking of fruit sticker labels, Anna Bond (owner and lead designer of Rifle Paper Co.) also used them for her line of home goods a few years back:

Dish towel

Calendar

So cute and clever, right?!

*****

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How to Make a Vision Board

Hi there!

I'm pretty sure you've heard of the term "vision board" before. It's literally a board where you display photos of goals and dreams for your life. By looking at your vision board every day, you are able to focus on what's important to you and bring them to life. 

I do save pins on my Pinterest but I never made a vision board until last year. 

To make a vision board, we'll need old magazines that we are willing to tear and cut-up. 

Flip through the pages and cut out words, phrases, and images that you connect with. Some of mine include: Home, Let's Make Your Dream a Reality, and Etch Your Legacy on the Hearts of Others.   

I also chose an image to anchor my vision board. I was looking for a confident woman and I found her. 

Yes, she has no clothes on. Through her nakedness, flaws, and failures, she exudes confidence. She's standing on her tippy toes, pointing to the direction where she wants to go, and pulling something from behind. I don't think it's baggage, but maybe everyone and everything that depend on her? She won't let anyone or anything stop her from reaching her dreams...TADA!

I experimented with the layout and when I was ready to commit, I used a glue stick to glue my images and phrases to a piece of sturdy cardboard. 

I also added the year at the top to remind me of when I made it for. 

While some of the items here are still a work in progress, what's important is not just to look at the vision board daily, but also to make very concrete steps to bring them to life.  

I think it's time to make another vision board for 2025.

And that is how I turned some magazine pages and cardboard from blah to TADA!

*****

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Three Thoughts for January

Welcome 2025!

I'm grateful for another New Year, a blank slate to try and make a difference in the world. Here are three thoughts as we begin again:

1. A Tradition I Keep Every New Year's Eve

I grew up in the Philippines and every New Year's Eve, we always assembled a fruit bowl of at least 12 round fruits. They symbolize abundance and wholeness and aren't these the things we wish for the New year to be? 

Now that I live in the U.S., I keep the tradition and I have enough fruit to start the year with healthy eating...TADA!

How about you, what are some of your New Year's Eve traditions? 

2. A New Journal 

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, I use a Bullet Journal for productivity, list making, and recording memories. 

This year, I have a new one:

It's a logbook of the books I've read...TADA! It's a Muji Notebook and the cover is made of scrapbook paper and an embroidery stencil kit. 

I write the year on top of the page and make a list of titles and authors. Of course, I could gild the lily by rating the books using stamps like this one and this one. 

It encourages me to track the books I've read and include reading in my daily schedule...TADA!

3. A Prayer to Start the Year 

Whether or not you practice your faith, here is a blessing that I'd like to share:

 

May we be steadfast during the ups and downs that this year will bring and may our positive attitude turn our blahs to TADAs!

*****

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