How to Make an Ephemera Envelope

Hey everyone! Before we talk about our craft today, can I just share what I made last week? I participated in Workshop Week, a weeklong virtual creative retreat. I've been tuning in since it started in 2020 and it has always left me inspired and grateful for this community! It also reminded me to make time for art and that art can be a pathway to a fulfilling and lucrative career. 

I followed along during most of the sessions and incorporated miniature versions of them in my sketchbook as part of my daily practice:

The instructors made us feel we could do the projects even if we've never done so before. It was also exciting to learn about new techniques and tools, as well as having the right mindset: Don't overthink it; Trust the process; We're not looking for perfect. 

And really, Workshop Week is one of the highlights of my year, turning it from blah to TADA!

Now, on to our craft. Do you have paper scraps left over from other artsy pursuits? 

I keep all my paper scraps. I use them for making greeting cards, collage, envelopes and liners, and for scrapbooking. 

I group the paper scraps by size. The smaller ones go inside zipper bags and the bigger ones go inside plastic envelopes. I store everything in a plastic box and rummage through them when a paper project comes along.

Today, a paper project has come along:

 We're making an ephemera envelope...TADA! 

I got the idea from the book 'The Art of the Travel Journal" by Abbey Sy. She defines ephemera as "any form of printed matter produced for a specific short-term use. The word ephemera comes from the Greek work ephemeros, meaning short-lived." Examples of ephemera include tickets, maps, brochures, postcards, clothing tags, packaging material, coasters, paper napkins and the like. 

Collecting ephemera and including these in a travel journal extends their life and are powerful reminders of the trips we've taken. 

We can store these ephemera in an ephemera envelope that we can make out of our paper scraps. Here's how:

We will need rectangular shaped paper (ex. A5 or A6 size paper).

1. Fold the sheet of paper in half.

2. Unfold it, then fold each side into the middle fold, resulting in four even segments.

3. Fold the top outer edges towards the nearest fold, creating two triangles at the top left and top right sides of the paper.

4. Fold each side toward the middle. 

5.  Fold the bottom up about 1/2" (1.3 cm) to create a pocket.

6. Seal the center and bottom seams with washi tape.

7. Decorate the pocket envelope using stickers and rubber stamps.

We can now add this to our travel journal as a nifty way to organize all the ephemera we've collected during our journeys.

I hope this has inspired you to turn your own paper scraps from "blah to TADA!"

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Five Things for June

Let's hear it for the month of June!

June means road trips and weekends at the beach. The wind in my face, the scent of sunblock and salt water, and the warmth of sunshine really turn regular days from blah to TADA! 

Whenever I go to the beach, I make sure to bring a paintbrush. I use it to brush off the sand that sticks to the beach chairs, umbrella, and folding beach table that we take with us. It works on sandy flip-flops, too. This little hack minimizes the amount of sand in the car when we load all of our beach things...TADA! 

Back in the day, ladies and gents would take a handkerchief with them for various purposes, from dabbing sweat to wiping away the tears. I've made it a habit to take a small towel in my bag. These ones are thin but very absorbent. I use them to dry my hands (I've never been a fan of the hand dryers in public restrooms). I love that they are reusable -- no need for paper towels. Small steps like this are very helpful to the environment...TADA!  

Summer for me also means learning something new and having time for creative endeavors. For the past several years, I've been attending Workshop Week, a series of free online art classes. This photo shows the dance party on the last day (these are just some of the many instructors). I highly recommend it! Workshop Week is scheduled on June 3 to 7 and you can find more details here...TADA!

Father's Day is also this June (June 16) and if you're looking for craft ideas for the dad in your life, you can find some here, here, and here.  Happy Father's Day to all fathers and father-figures...thank you for all that you do to turn our lives from blah to TADA!

Wherever adventures take you this June, may they be fun and fabulous!

Sketchbook Practice: Paint Blobs to Birds

I'm happy you're here today!

Over the past months, I've shown you pages from my sketchbook where I make art just for myself. I've tried out collage, developing a color story, and drawing everyday objects like fashion accessories. It's a sketchbook practice to exercise my creativity and to make time for mindfulness even on a busy day. 

The empty page is always very daunting, but here's a new way to turn a blank sketchbook page from blah to TADA! I learned it at Sketchbook Revival from visual artist and creative encourager Terry Runyan. Her style is simple: make a blob and turn it into a bird.

On a blank page, Terry makes different blobs using a paintbrush and watercolors.

Then she adds more defined blobs like heads and tails.

Once the paint is dry, she adds more details with a black fineliner pen. She starts with the feet...

Then adds wings, feathers, eyes and beaks...TADA! That wasn't hard at all. Anyone can easily do this.

Below is my attempt:

On a page of my sketchbook, I made a few blobs. I was intentional with the shapes because I wanted to make different kinds of birds.

I added a second layer of paint and slowly, each bird began revealing its character.

I limited my color palette to blue, blue green and purple.

Following Terry's steps, I completed their looks. I used a black pen to draw feet, faces and fashion. Notice that each bird is wearing an accessory? 

Earrings, sneakers, a basket, a choker, a brooch and a scarf for each of these feathered friends.

A printed dress, a bowler hat, crown, sweater, headband, beanie, gold cross on a chain, eye glasses and bow tie combination, and  a pearl necklace...TADA! These birds are the fun and fashionable kind!

I'm proud of this new addition to my sketchbook practice and can't wait to try it out with other animals. I hope you enjoyed this and if you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.  

Treasures from the Trash: A Coffee Table

I'm delighted that you're here!

In previous posts, I mentioned that I see furniture on the curb ALL.THE.TIME. From benches, to chairs, shelves, more shelves, a side table and doors, they are no longer needed in their homes and are free for the taking. Most of them are still in good shape and if I had a warehouse to store these, I would scoop them up and transform them from blah to TADA! 

Another option, for all of you planning to get rid of furniture, is to donate them to The Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They have trucks that can pick-up the furniture from your home and they sell these pieces at their thrift stores. The money they raise goes to their different programs helping the underprivileged. Isn't that a thoughtful way to help?  

Here is my latest find:

It's a black, oval coffee table.

Except for a few scuff marks (that some buffing and cleaning can fix), it doesn't look bad at all. Maybe the previous owners wanted something more streamlined?

Anyway, here are a few ways to give it new life:

via Pinterest

Turn the coffee table into an altar, a special area that will both ground and energize you, where you can meditate, practice gratitude and your faith/spirituality. Learn more about creating an altar here and here. 

via Pinterest

Create a lounge area in a corner of a room and push the coffee table against the wall so that it's not in the way.  Use this area to read, listen to music, play your guitar...things to help relax and unwind. Fill the coffee table with a stack of books, plants, scented candles and favorite nibbles and beverages.

via Pinterest

Turn the coffee table into a low dining table. Use ottomans or pillows as your chairs. It's okay if the elements are mismatched -- they give a carefree, bohemian vibe.

via Pinterest

Since the coffee table is low, turn it into a kiddie table by adding small chairs. Assign this as the area for learning and doing arts and crafts.

via Pinterest

How about turning the coffee table into a Lego table? Attach the Lego baseplates on the table's surface and have bins of Lego pieces close by for afternoons of pure building creativity! You can find how to build a Lego table here.

via Pinterest

The coffee table can also be transformed into a jigsaw puzzle station in one area of the family room. No need to remove the jigsaw puzzle while it's being assembled.

via Pinterest

The coffee table can also become an official game table for card and board games. The game boxes can be kept underneath for easy access.

via Pinterest

And finally, extend the life of the coffee table when you have parties outdoors. Use it as a buffet table for snacks and drinks or turn it into a Jenga table for everyone to participate in. 

That is how we can turn an old coffee table from blah to TADA!

I hope these sparked new uses for the old pieces of furniture you might have. If you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.  

Handmade Bookmarks for Little Free Libraries

Howdy, I'm happy you stopped by! 

One of things I love to transform from blah to TADA! are cardboard and scrap paper. With some glue and simple craft materials like washi tape, rubber stamps, and yarn, I am able to make different kinds of bookmarks:

Some bookmarks I keep for myself and the others I include in my snail mail as an extra surprise for dear friends. But there will always be extra bookmarks to share. 

So I put a handful of handmade bookmarks inside a deli container, topped it with a lid and a sticker label saying: Free! Take a bookmark. 

If I find a Little Free Library in neighborhoods that I visit, I make sure to leave a container of bookmarks so that whoever takes a book can take a bookmark, too.

Since I always have cardboard and scrap paper, I'll keep making bookmarks that book lovers can freely help themselves to and keep using for every new book they read...TADA!

Don't you just love crafting and reading?

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Five Things for May

 Hey, hey, it's May!

One of the things I look forward to is seeing peonies bloom! Peonies are one of my favorite flowers because they can be as big as cabbages and their colors are vibrant, they unapologetically declare, "Look at me!" When I see them in a neighbor's garden or as bouquets at the supermarket, I really stop and admire them...TADA!

On May 12, we celebrate Mother's Day here in the U.S. Above is quote from the book "The Expatriates" by Janice Y. K. Lee, a book I thoroughly loved reading (and is now a drama series). Doesn't this sentence capture the essence of a mother?

To all mothers and mother-figures, thank you for your deep love and sacrifice! You all deserve a long rest on Mother's Day.

Apart from Mother's Day there are many other occasions in May. Did you know that there is a Lost Sock Day, Paper Airplane Day, and Talk like Yoda Day? You can find the full list of May celebrations here. I wonder who comes up with these? They definitely turn an ordinary day from blah to TADA!

Do you like washi tape? I have a collection and I like using them for my paper crafts. I thought this was a clever idea to keep tape rolls organized (c/o Yoseka Stationery). It's a wooden rack for plates or cooking pan lids but repurposed to house washi tape...TADA!  

Speaking of washi tape, does it ever happen to you that the washi tape has stuck to the roll, the edges are ragged from the effort of detaching, and you don't get a smooth peel? Many of my washi tape rolls suffer this condition and I found out that you can loosen the adhesive with concentrated heat. In this photo, I'm using an embossing heat tool but you can use a hairdryer, too. Apply direct heat to the tape for a few minutes (I hold the washi tape with a pair of tongs so that my fingers don't scorch) and set aside to let it cool. Magically, they heat loosens it up and it will be good as new...TADA!

Wishing you all a memorable May!

Sketchbook Practice: Painting Shoes and Bags

Welcome back to my blog!

Many years ago, I wanted to learn watercolor. I took a class and watched several on-line tutorials. And I practiced. A lot. 

Looking back on my old sketchbooks, I started with flat/one-dimensional sketches and over the years, I think I've improved. I don't consider myself a good watercolor artist but I've been brave enough to show my work. It's proof that I tried and I'll keep trying until I become better. That's why I maintain a sketchbook practice and I fill it with all sorts of things like travel memories and floral sketches.

Sometimes it's hard to know what to put on a blank page. But one day, I was cleaning out some junk mail and came across a shoe catalog. Shoes! That's something I've never painted before. 

Here is my attempt at shoes that got my attention in the catalog, then when I ran out, I looked for inspiration on Pinterest. 

Notice that I've been attempting adding shadows, too.

On another day, I painted bags.

Just one or two sketches a day, until I filled the page...TADA!

If you're feeling overwhelmed facing a blank page or starting a project you've always wanted to do, here is a little reminder:  

Keep at it. Show up daily. Try. Fail. Try again. Then applaud your efforts. It's the baby steps that turn the blah to TADA!

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