Oh Happy Mails

Receiving snail mails (with the exception of bills!) is pretty exciting!

I was patient enough waiting to see these goodies. They arrived months before me, so opening them all at once is just like opening presents at a Christmas day all over again. 

Be warned! I will show you a lot of amazing products. Please don't drool! Tee hee! And if you love them, you know where to get them. Links to the shops are provided below.

These stamps and washi tapes are treats for me. I have ton of stamps already and most of them are still unopened. But as one that has a serious hobby, you would understand, wouldn't you? 

I also bought myself a birthday present from one of the amazing jewelry artists, Aya of Aya Designs. I truly love her designs.  

Not too long ago, I purchased these cute necklaces and bracelet from my buddy, Zei of Pelhuaz by Red.

Check out this beautiful flower charm from Pelhuaz and adorable pink owl from Unique Creations by Tracy.

I was lucky enough to win this cute Wezen by J by G's giveaway, hosted at Pelhuaz's blog. I'm going to put it on my desk. I think it will do a very good job in cheering me up whenever I feel my day is not as good as I'd like it to be.

Networking with other business owners are rewarding. When you have a small business and your marketing budget is so limited, working with others is the best way to go. Interacting with others such as commenting their FB statuses, helps you to be seen as well. When they do a giveaway, you participate by entering and spreading the word. Who know, maybe you are lucky and you get to be the winner. 

This beautiful scarf is from Alesia of Green Barn Yarn and Gifts (previously known as Sew Accessible).

These pretty earrings are from Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. Catherine is an amazing lady and her creations are one of a kind, beautiful and made with only high-quality material. Such a blessed to have a friend like her.

This cute monster plush is from Cody of Lu & Ed. It was made based on my little guy's drawing. Truly one-of-a-kind!

In addition, I received this goodies bag. What not to love? Such a pleasure being in this amazing community. These are from my favorite handmade shops! Some I come to know as wonderful virtual friends.



Now, who is not going to love Pedra, the lion? Kelly of Kiser Krafts is the amazing creator.



Pedra is so cheerful and a perfect companion for my little guy. He said she is pretty. :-)

Last but not least, look what I got in the mail the other day, a surprise bag from Violetsbuds. Pretty, pretty, and pretty!

I want to thank all these ladies for creating beautiful products. I'm honored to be the recipient. 

If you are looking for a gift for yourself or loved ones, I highly recommend those shops above. Their products are one-of-a-kind, created with passion and I guarantee you that you get superb customer service. 

Tutorial by VioletsBuds: Ruched Zinnia Flower

I'm amazed by how pretty VioletsBuds' creations are. She makes beautiful handmade accessories and home decors. Her flowers are simply adorable! They are beautifully made and her design is fabulous.

Want to learn how to make a runched Zinnia flower? Well, Melanie from VioletsBuds generously shares a tutorial on how to make one.

The Zinnia Ribbon flower is one of my favorites, but I don't make it very often. It can be quite time consuming, but it makes a fun, unique flower. I find it easiest to use a 7/8" or 1" wide ribbon, but other sizes can be used as well.

Starting at the bottom corner, make a running stitch at a 45*   angle. Count the number of stitches it takes to make the first pass. (I like to use an even number). You will want to use the same number of stitches for each pass so that your petals all look even.

Once you get to the edge, make a 90* turn and stitch to the   next edge. (If  you like, you can draw lines at 90* angles down the strip (zig zag). I   skipped this step and just eyeballed the angle while I stitched.) After making a few passes you can start pulling the thread taut and make the ruched petals.

When your ruched ribbon is as long as you want it, knot & cut the thread. Next, start curling the ribbon in a circle to form a flower. You can secure it with thread, sewing it in place. Or, you can use a hot glue gun to glue the flower down to a piece of felt.

The finished flower should look like this. It can be attached to a headband or clip to wear as a hair accessory, or put on a lapel pin, or to adorn a handbag. I used a blue zinnia in this hair fascinator and love the added texture it brings.



If you make a ruched ribbon zinnia, we would love to see your work! Let us know what you think of the tutorial too.

Creations of the Week: Flowers Bunch

These are SUPER adorable cards. Okay, I may be biased, but I'll let you be the judge. Leave me a comment whether you like it or not and trust me, I won't be offended :-)

The flowers are made from flower punches tied together with cute buttons. The leaves are handcut and I don't have a template for that....simply hand cutting and gauge the size.

I'm hoping I can list them at my shop sometimes tonight if not tomorrow, but if you really like them, simply contact me :-) If you like the papers that I use, feel free to browse my natsupplies shop where I have some destashed papers sold in great bargain.

My last note, if you haven't entered a great giveaway to win ceramic love birds designed by Orly Design, then why wait? Enter here please.

Thanks Card

I've been in love with this design, and the result . . . is a set of sweet thank you cards. They are available at my Etsy shop.