I have a new home!
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 27, 2015
Type: Who Doesn't Love Friday?
You can find a set at Fully Booked for around 290 pesos only!
Hope you have a happy Friday!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
All I really want to do all day
Is paint flowers and people! Work has been stealing time from me, but still determined to practice and test out a few samples for an up coming project with my sisters. Out of all the different painting mediums that I've tried, watercolor is still my favorite.
Yesterday I practiced painting some peonies, trying out combinations for the bouquets of flowers in my paintings.
Yesterday I practiced painting some peonies, trying out combinations for the bouquets of flowers in my paintings.
I feel like I'm at a crossroads right now, thinking if I should pursue my career in I.T., or change a role within I.T. and slowly edge into a different path. I like the kind of work that I do in my chosen career, but I wish I had more flexibility in my time. Ah, oh well. We make the best of what we have right now, so there's no stopping me from practicing in the evenings!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Laughter is Timeless
Sharing a brush calligraphy project that I did for my cousin, Paolo. He wanted to give an un-cheesy but inspirational message to his girlfriend for Valentine's Day, and he chose this quote from Walt Disney. I think the gesture is sweet and the quote is such a classic.
Acrylic on canvas 16 x 12
Monday, February 09, 2015
Project Condo: I am Real Living's Reader of the Week!
Look, you guys! Who would've thought I'd be featured as RL Philippines Reader of the week?! I've been sharing some photos of my home on Instagram and Real Living chanced upon my photos. They contacted me through email and we've been corresponding about the things that I like about their magazine and the things that I've learned from it. It's such an honor to be selected even if I didn't hire a designer. Share your photos on instagram using the hashtag #instalivingph and get featured on their website too!
Check out the full article here:
Thank you so much, Real Living Philippines!
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Where Did January Go? The 2015 Monthly Round Up
The month of new beginnings, fresh starts and resolutions is about to end in a few days and this got me thinking on what I’ve accomplished so far in terms of my goals. I’ve been listening to this audio book called “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown and it’s been a great help as I try to identify the different aspects in my life that I need to focus on this year. Events in January are indeed aligned with my goals, so here’s a round up of what took place this month.
1. Day Hike at Mount Talamitam
During the Holiday break, I did not get the chance to go on a major out of town or out of the country trip like most people. In hopes of satisfying my wanderlust, Jim and I initiated a hike at Mount Talamitam together with a few friends. We just planned for a day hike on a Saturday because a.) according to PinoyMountaineer.com, Mount Talamitam is a minor climb and b.) we wanted to rest on Sunday before the dreaded first day funk at the office. A few google searches and a handful of Facebook messages later, final head count was confirmed and all 6 of us—Neps, Prijm, Leslie, Ronnie, Jim and I went off to have an adventure.
The hike was so short but it was surprisingly eventful! For 144 pesos, we hopped on a bus from Pasay bus terminal to Nasugbu, Batangas. We hired a tour guide and although it was optional, I’m glad we made that decision because the guide gave us a lot of options to explore the mountain. He took us to the normal route going up then asked us if we wanted to pass by the river. The initial plan was really just to have a change of scenery, but while crossing the river, some of us got wet so we decided to make the most of it and jumped right in.
It was a tiring yet fulfilling hike. Soil under my feet, trees all around me and a blue blue sky up in the heavens like a cool canopy embracing mother earth. Hopefully we make the monthly easy to medium hiking schedule!
It was a tiring yet fulfilling hike. Soil under my feet, trees all around me and a blue blue sky up in the heavens like a cool canopy embracing mother earth. Hopefully we make the monthly easy to medium hiking schedule!
2. New Project at Work
After almost 9 years of working as a Systems Analyst with Siebel CRM, I took on a different role and pursued learning a different technology for work. It was a bittersweet feeling to be rolled off from my previous project (hallo DB peeps!) because the folks there are awesome, but I figured retooling is a good opportunity for me to explore the capabilities of Cloud computing. One would think that I am taking a risk by changing course in my specialization, but It’s a career move that I decided on my own. 3 weeks into the project I’ve been learning a lot! I’m looking forward to more growth in my career as I take on new challenges, so hopefully my hard work pays off soon!
3. 4 Years with Jim
Jim and I celebrated our 4th Year Anniversary as a couple! We both filed for time off at work and spent the day together and celebrated by watching Beauty and The Beast musical at CCP because he knows it’s my favorite Disney animated film (as in memorize ko yung songs, I’m not kidding).
Hate to cheese up and get all doe-eyed about this, but 4 years is a milestone that I’ve never had in any of my past relationships. I’m happy that we have made it this far and that he has really helped me grow as an individual because he supports me in all of my endeavors. We share the same values and I guess that’s also one of the reasons why it’s easy to extend our relationship with our family and friends. It helps too, that we share the same love for music and travel, at the same time, we both understand each other’s exclusive passions--art for me, mountain biking for him. We’re definitely not the perfect couple because we also have our struggles, but we’re in a level of commitment wherein we make sure misunderstandings never lead to big fights. Our relationship has that balance that allows us to have a deep connection with each other and at the same time provide space for solitude, independence and personal growth. And also, I just really really really like the guy.
4. Real Living feature
Last January 24, I had a pleasant surprise on Instagram when Real Living tagged me in one of its posts. I checked out their website and voila! My bedroom is part of this article:
As you may find in my Project Condo series, I’ve been taking the DIY route in home decoration. When I upload photos of my apartment on Instagram, I include #instalivingph in my caption. I was definitely not expecting anything when I do this except perhaps get a few likes from friends, but to be published on the website of one of the top home decoration and interior design magazines in the country was definitely a kilig moment! I’ve used the I’m-not-an-expert disclaimer in my Project Condo posts before because I didn’t want to come off as feeling marunong, but I have to admit, the feature also gave me some sort of validation about the choices that I made in my home.
5. First Frisbee game in 2 years
There was a time in my life when ultimate was my favorite superlative. I played my first ultimate Frisbee game in 2009 Monday Beginner’s night in Meralco and got hooked ever since. It was the only sport that I played competitively. Between 2009 and 2012, I sprinted to my heart’s content on the field, always with the goal to catch and properly throw that ever elusive disc. I played out of the country, at the beach, in the mud, under the scorching heat and in the midst of the monsoon season. I never reached the elite level of playing, but I’d like to think I was decent and had my fair share of contributions as a mid-fielder. My teammates and I were regulars at Meralco, Ultra & UP Sunken Garden for trainings and hat tournaments and Manila Polo Club, Nuvali, Aguirre, Daang Hari or Alabang Country Club during the leagues. On the last few months of 2012, I completely stopped due a dissolved team, relocation at work and shifts in priorities.
Fast forward to Monday last week, I had a chance to put on my cleats and set foot on the field again. As one might expect, I did not play the same way back when I practiced 2-3 times a week. At yesterday’s training, I was out of breath during plyometrics and was about to faint during the drills. Sprinting again for the first time in a long time felt good, but it also scared me because I know I am in the worst shape of my life. The good thing is that my office is now conveniently a few minutes away from Emperador Stadium, so I can regularly rebuild the skills, endurance and competitive spirit that I once had. Frisbee was not part of the plan for 2015, but exercise definitely is. While right now I’m still not committed to playing at the leagues, I know that last Monday’s game was a good first step to achieving my health goals for the year. I plan on attending trainings and pick ups every Monday and Friday so that I can have that much needed physical activity.
6. Graphika Manila 2015 – January 31 to February 1
12 artists on a 2 day conference on creativity?! Count me in! I bought my tickets last November and I’ve been stalking the speakers for quite a while now. While I am not professionally in the creative field, I don’t think I’ll ever stop being a creative. This weekend was perfect ending for this month and you can just imagine me fan girling like a fool. My favorite presenters were Pomme Chan, Chris Lee of The Asylum and Joshua Davis! The experience was indeed an awesome one, but I will be creating a different post on Graphika 2015.
Check out the Graphika Manila 2015 website
This month set the bar for what 2015 should be like: an adventure, a leap of faith, an important milestone, a recognition of hard work, a rekindled passion and a learning experience. February, you have big shoes to fill.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
Project Condo: A Newbie Homeowner's Tips To DIY Decoration
Happy New Year everyone! First post for 2015, and it's long overdue!
2014 has been such a fantastic year and one of the biggest milestones I had in the past 12 months is finally buying and moving into my own place. As some of you may have read in my Project Condo series, it's a long and sometimes grueling process to select, edit and curate pieces for an apartment so small. The whole journey taught me that independence does not come cheap, buying furniture and keeping a well maintained home is a big big challenge. I have frequented a handful of interior decoration blogs to help me with my DIY journey, and even though my place is far from being fully finished, I can say that I've made some progress.
Recently, I received an email from a blog reader asking for some tips on decorating (Hello Lanell!) and I'm happy that a.) someone other than my family actually reads my blog and b.) that I can use the blog as a platform to help fellow first time condo owners in DIY decorating. Now here's a disclaimer: I am not armed with a degree or even work experience in interior decoration and my home is a product of trial and error. I'm definitely not an expert, but here are some things that I've learned from the DIY home improvement journey.
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| Current apartment set up and a bit of an inevitable mess |
1. Try living with what you have for the meantime.
This decision was really brought about by the fact that I have no budget for a major renovation, plus, I still don't have guts to take risks when it comes to buying colorful furniture and completely commit to it. Considering my fickle mindedness, I took the safer route, kept the furniture and walls neutral so that there are more options for me when I decide to change the look of my place. So far, the color scheme that I ended up with is the following:
60% white - since the condo came with white walls and white tiles, I kept it as it is to minimize costs
30% black and gray - I chose either grey or black for my big pieces namely the sofa and the bed. I chose dark wood for my other furniture to match the doors and cabinets.
10% pops of yellow, pink and blue. Apart from the fact that it can be changed easily and it's cheap, my pops of color came from throw pillow covers, flowers and curtains.
Also, before going on a buying spree, try to live in your newly turned over unit for a while and see the flow of your day to day activities. For me, I knew I didn't really watch TV that often so I didn't go on buying a TV console yet. I needed additional shelving in the bathroom so I bought a stainless steel towel rack (2,500 Php) and glass shelves (900 Php) where I can store my bathroom essentials. I bought a shoe rack that served as a drop off area of not only my shoes but also my bags. Getting a good idea of your daily routine allows you to prioritize the important things to buy for your home.
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| What my place looked like around November. I did not make any renovations but only added furniture an decorations. |
2. Flowers and plants make a huge difference
Since my place was mostly in monochrome, I needed a few living things to deviate from the coldness of black, gray and white. I made sure each area (living, dining, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) had at least one plant in it. Apart from the fact that plants make cheap and beautiful decorations, they also clean the air and get rid of toxic elements brought about by using cleaning agents and disinfectants.
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A couple of baskets and a water plant in a vase can be found in my bathroom as well. Baskets were brought from Make Room & More for around 375 Php each. The glass shelving and the towel rack were installed by Ring Rob, Robinson's in house concierge
The live plants that I have in my condo were taken from my mom's garden. She gave me snake plants, a cactus and some plant that can survive just by putting it in a vase with water.
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From L-R:
The Snake plant which is the tallest one is holding up well. I water it every other day and according to some blogs that I've read, it's low maintenance and impossible to kill.
The second one (I don't know what it's called) is almost dead! I really don't know the cause but I think it's from lack of direct sunlight.
The third one is also doing good because it's just a smaller version of the snake plant.
The fourth one is a pineapple plant and is still surprisingly alive
In the morning, I put them under direct sunlight. My unit faces the morning sun so between 8-10, a bit of sunshine peeks through my window. Hence the long board so that I can just roll them to where the sunlight is!
3. Pay attention to lighting
Upon turnover of your unit, only the basics are provided including overhead lighting and it's up to you to veer away from it and create an additional ambiance to your place. In the morning, I leave my curtains open so that the living and dining areas are more exposed to natural light. In my bedroom, I installed yellow lighting to invoke a bit of warmth which makes rest more inviting, then kept the white light in the living and dining areas because those are the areas where I work and eat.
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An IKEA floor lamp in my living room! Gifted by my good friend Rina!
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My apartment currently only has overhead lighting and the bulbs are totally exposed. Aaaah I'm really ashamed of that and I know I should install some fixture at some point but I haven't been able to decide on something that I really really loved. I compensate for putting candles and lamps so that the attention is brought to eye level instead of the ceiling. In my bedroom, I even used LED Christmas lights in lieu of a normal lamp. I loved the effect and it also does a good job of providing enough light when I read at night.
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| Created a vignette using my dried flowers in a vase, candles, a kalesa decor I brought from Vigan (150 bucks!) and a small cactus given by my mom. She bought a small container at Daiso for 88 Php. Candles are from Alice Blue (495 Php). |
Because travel is such a big part of what inspires me, I framed a few photos that I took from my local travels as well visits to Melbourne, New York, Paris and Mechelen. These remind me to keep my wanderlust alive and find myself another adventure.
I don't follow any rules in decorating. The important thing that you should remember is that your place should be a reflection of who you are and the things you love. While some people are aiming for picture perfect homes, I like me a bit of quirk and irregularity. Keep in mind to discern when buying decor and make a mental reminder of what look you're trying to achieve. Be mindful of your routine in your space and how the furniture in your home is arranged to support it. Finally, just have fun with experimenting!
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| Bought photo paper and had these printed at home. Frames were bought from Robinson's Mall for 199.75 Php each. |
Travel-inspired typographic decorations can also be found in my place. This one is from Robinson's Mall and it spoke to me the moment I saw it. Each of these go for about 400 Php each from Robinson's mall. I also framed a geometric watercolor artwork that I did myself.
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| Drapes, geometric shapes and a bit of color |
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| My bed where I put some books that I read before bedtime. Check out my Bed time Story post here. |
Sunday, November 23, 2014
The Splash Bash Project
Oh what a weekend it has been!
I spent last Saturday with my family to celebrate my nephew and niece's joint birthday celebration at Hillsborough Aquapark in Alabang. A month before the event, my panic-stricken sister and the celebrants' mom asked me to create the invite, cupcake toppers and menu cards for the party.
Cupcake toppers
She sent me her pegs via Pinterest and I came up with drafts. Because it's a joint celebration of a sporty football-loving 11-year old boy and an artistic and fashion forward 9 year-old girl, I didn't make the colors gender specific. I was guided by the colors of the beach ball and kept only the basic hues to provide some coherence and fun to the theme.
To make sure that guests knew right away that Splash Bash was a swimming party, I added a beach ball, a pair of flip flops and a buoy at the bottom of the invite which served as its border. Thank God for the ever reliable KG Frame font suite by Kimberly Geswein! I swear this font suite has everything you need to make interesting borders! A slab serif and a marker inspired font was also used to make the invite more fun but not too busy.
Menu cards of the event
My sister is my best patron but I'm very happy that the two celebrants also liked the invite that I made for them! :)
Here are some photos lat the party!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Project Condo: A Bedtime Story
Remember my first post on the Project Condo series? I shared my top 5 things to buy for my apartment before the year ends and 6 months into living on my own, I'm still not done with the list. Moving into my own apartment has taught me a couple of things. One: nothing ever goes as planned. Two: It's very expensive. It took me forever to buy all the furniture that I have so far and really prioritized the things that I needed the most so that I can live like a decent and independent 20-something I.T. Consultant in her own space instead of a college kid in a dorm.
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| My futon style bed |
The first thing that I mentioned in my list of furniture to buy was a bed. I had the following requirements:
1. Full or semi double size
2. Dark solid wood (not laminated)
3. Shelves as a head board
4. Drawers underneath
After looking around for some time for a ready-made bed with my specifications, I realized finding one really wasn't that easy. Most of the bed frames that I saw at the mall were made with laminated wood, didn't utilize extra storage and didn't have the shelving that I wanted. I came so close to buying the Gunther bed from SM Our Home which is made with Malaysian rubberwood. That piece had six drawers but had a normal flat headboard and goes for about 24k. I thought it was a pretty good deal, but my mom advised to check all my options. Mandaue foam also had good options, and while they also had solid wood beds that go for 18k each, none of them had both shelves as the headboard or drawers underneath. I wasn't one to settle for something that I didn't love, so I decided to have a bed customized. For the meantime, I slept on my mattress, futon style.
My mom, sister and I took a trip to Tagaytay one weekend and checked out the furniture makers in the area. It was really a random selection for us, since we didn't have a specific contact person. We ended up going to Jasren Furniture shop because it was right next to a place that sold different plants and herbs. We bought taragon, basil and mint plants before heading into the shop.
Talking to the shop owner, Adela, we were given options for the kind of wood that we wanted for our bed. She gave us suggestions on the design and the type of wood varnish. She asked for dimensions which we were prepared to provide. I made sure the dimensions fit my room no matter the orientation. I didn't want a headboard protruding by my window if I decide to arrange the bed differently.
We chose mahogany for our wood since it is very durable and is known to resist rotting. I was deciding between having the bed frame covered in wenge varnish or painting it white but the shop owner advised us that white isn't the best option for mahogany as it tends to bleed through the paint and what you'll end up getting is a white bed with reddish brown splotches. My sister chose the timber's natural color since it suited her apartment better. We finalized our transactions, gave our down payment and exchanged cellphone numbers so that they could notify us when the bed frames are ready for pick up.
It took a while to return to Tagaytay because the shop operations were affected and slowed down by typhoon Glenda. The store owner asked us for more time to work on the beds, which was understandable. So we waited a couple more weeks and arranged to borrow a pick up truck from my uncle. When we finally got the notification that the bed is ready, my mom, sister, brother and I drove to Tagaytay to see the final product. The headboard alone took 2 grown men to carry as it was really made of solid wood! The surfaces were smooth and are of good quality and I was pretty satisfied with the end result. For a bed that was only 15k and made of quality and durable timber, I say it's a pretty good deal.
Delivery charges are expensive as you might expect. From Tagaytay to Mandaluyong, they said they charge around 3k for each bed delivered! Good thing my uncle's driver, my brother and my boyfriend helped us move the bed into the apartment.
Because of this new addition to the condo, I get more and more excited to come home and rest on my bed. Because of the overhead shelves, I no longer had the need for side tables. I styled my bed with monochromed sheets and a pop of yellow using throw pillows. I also got some led Christmas lights and used it in lieu of a lamp and I loved how it turned out. My bedroom feels more grown up but still dreamy. It took me several months to get the exact bed that I wanted, and seeing how it fit my apartment so well, I can definitely say it's worth the wait. :)
Contact Jasren furniture shop in Tagaytay: 0916-7245331
Thursday, November 06, 2014
Tropical Watercolor
As usual, my drawings are inspired by flora and fauna. The sketch was made a month ago while I was watching Jim practice with his band. I had a sketchbook with me so I passed the time with a few studies. Eventually, I decided to add a few details with some hibiscus and haleconia flowers and colored the line art using my Prang watercolor set.
My pain point is always coloring the girl's skin, but the macaw's feathers was super fun to paint. The yellows and the blues mixing together to create another hue is a joy to watch. I get so restless when doing my under painting because I want to add details and shading right away, but alas, patience must be practiced.
After coloring, I finally inked some edges using waterproof markers. I use artline pt 0.3 for some of the details. It makes the colors pop and it adds more dimension to the image, don't you think?
Monday, November 03, 2014
Darling Magazine Challenge: The List Of Ten
Things have taken quite a turn since June when I transferred to a new project at work which prompted me to take a break from writing and concentrate on I.T. stuff for a while. A new project means adjusting to a new office, new colleagues and new role but I've been doing well and settling kinda great in my new environment. I'm learning a lot and have met some pretty rad people too.
I want to share something from a post from Darling Magazine called "The List of Ten". Sometimes in the midst of the hustle and bustle of every day life and in our desire to accomplish so much and stay productive, we forget to stop and celebrate the little things. Hate to sound so cliché, but see, November got me thinking about my birthday. I've been dreading turning 30 for a while now, because I feel like I still have to strike off some things from my bucket list before officially leaving my 20's behind. I still haven't done a 21km run or launched an exhibit for my drawings. I have yet to start my own notecard business and I have yet to travel to South America and Africa. While there's a feeling of discontentment because I have not done everything in my bucket list yet, it's nice to remember that I can find happiness in small things too.
The List of Ten is an exercise of gratitude. It reminds us to count our blessings, live in the moment and find joy in simplicity. So here's my list--nothing grand, but they make me happy nonetheless. I encourage you to write your own list every week, to remind you that there is so much to be thankful for.
1. Seeing a new leaf grow from my plants
2. Coffee with my siblings
3. Learning a new song on the guitar
4. Newly changed bed sheets
5. Squeaky clean floors in my apartment
6. Watercolor washes (specially when they bleed well into paper)
7. Jim waiting for me to get home and bringing me dinner after a long day
8. Lavender and vanilla scented candles
9. Finishing a good book
10. Morning sun peeking through the sheer drapes
I want to share something from a post from Darling Magazine called "The List of Ten". Sometimes in the midst of the hustle and bustle of every day life and in our desire to accomplish so much and stay productive, we forget to stop and celebrate the little things. Hate to sound so cliché, but see, November got me thinking about my birthday. I've been dreading turning 30 for a while now, because I feel like I still have to strike off some things from my bucket list before officially leaving my 20's behind. I still haven't done a 21km run or launched an exhibit for my drawings. I have yet to start my own notecard business and I have yet to travel to South America and Africa. While there's a feeling of discontentment because I have not done everything in my bucket list yet, it's nice to remember that I can find happiness in small things too.
The List of Ten is an exercise of gratitude. It reminds us to count our blessings, live in the moment and find joy in simplicity. So here's my list--nothing grand, but they make me happy nonetheless. I encourage you to write your own list every week, to remind you that there is so much to be thankful for.
1. Seeing a new leaf grow from my plants
2. Coffee with my siblings
3. Learning a new song on the guitar
4. Newly changed bed sheets
5. Squeaky clean floors in my apartment
6. Watercolor washes (specially when they bleed well into paper)
7. Jim waiting for me to get home and bringing me dinner after a long day
8. Lavender and vanilla scented candles
9. Finishing a good book
10. Morning sun peeking through the sheer drapes
Contentment does not mean you are not growing or moving forward. It just means you appreciate the present. What's on your list? :)
Thursday, June 19, 2014
1:02 PM
By fayeshka
In: calligraphy, crafts, creativity, lettering, rubberstamps, watercolor
No comments
By fayeshka
In: calligraphy, crafts, creativity, lettering, rubberstamps, watercolor
No comments
Artsy Fartsy Round Up: May and June
I know I've been posting a lot of travel and apartment-related entries lately, and I've forgotten to blog about my arts and crafts projects. I HAVE been practicing, just not writing a lot about it. Thanks to Instagram, I have proof that I have been working on creative projects.
Here's A quick round up of my artsy fartsy pursuits these past couple of months!
(Top to bottom, Left to right)
1. Stenciled my corkboard using white acrylic paint and oslo paper. It's so much easier to stencil than paint the triangles individually. (I am obsessed with them lately).
2. Lyric calligraphy for my friend who wants to use it for her tattoo. Excited to see the final outcome on actual skin! #pressure
3. Watercolored lettering on the planner's June calendar for Independence Day. Super inspired by Gang Badoy Capati's statement during that day:
"Remember: the Philippines is not its government. The Philippines is a billion other things. The ice cream guy and the cop who dances, the banana shake by the beach, and the portable lechon from an airport, the sunsets from any point, and all the mountains & smiles, and the kite surfing air space, the surf, the skateboard's sound against the midnight park, the Philippines is its music, its poets, its dancers, and more and more and more.#independenceday #philippines"
4. Watercolored portrait. Practicing my washes and painting peonies and trying to be deliberate with my techniques in watercolor.
5. Dove rubberstamp at the Bright Minds Studio! Taught my cousin how to carve stamps. She made a bamboo pattern for herself.
6. Mushroom rubberstamp which is a personal project and a new addition to my collection! Next to watercolor, this is really my favorite artsy fartsy activity.
7. Ink and graphite portrait. Trying to go back to basics with making portraits and going minimalist with black and gold details. I may have been influenced by my neutral and safe choices at the apartment, so I am practicing restraint with my illustrations also.
8. Paper flower bouquet which came in handy as decor when I still didn't have plants at the condo. They're pretty and they never wilt!
9. Monogram rubberstamp for a friend's wedding! My college batchmate Cza is getting married this August and asked me to recreate their monogram on a rubberstamp. They want to use it for giveaways for their wedding. Of course, I was totally up for the challenge! So glad they liked it!
What have you been up to lately? :)