Foxes and Robbers

It's Been a Loooong Time...

2011-12-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

This last year and a half kinda flew by! With work and life, and mainly work, I haven't had enough hours in a day to achieve all the things I'd love to do. Hopefully, with the new year, I'll be able to prioritize my work and life a little better.

Anyway, I was recently invited to participate in a holiday craft show at a local senior community. It was a wonderful experience, being able to provide a festive atmosphere and to bring art into the lives of the residence. I was also very fortunate to meet a few very talented artists and makers! One of them is Min from Bottle Of Clouds. In addtition to the beautifully sewn wallets in her Etsy shop, she also creates the most whimsical and beautiful rings and hair accessories! Please check out her wonderful little shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bottleofclouds?ref=ss_profile

Since this is my first craft show and I had major time constraints, I had to get pretty creative with my table display. Take a look at the following pictures of the show and take a guess at what my greeting card display is made of? :)

Custom Designs for a Yarn Shop

2010-07-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted! Life just threw me a few curve balls and I'm trying real hard to deal with them. Anyway, I finally finished designing and making a couple of designs for my mom's yarn shop in Pasadena, CA. It's called Skein, and it's an incredible yarn store for those who love to knit, and beginners who'd like to try (they've got amazing on-site teachers!). Honestly, I haven't been there for a few years, but she'd always have the best yarns that ranges from affordable to exquisite! In fact, this previous summer was the 10th year anniversary (which she completely forgot!), and I must say it is an amazing feat to own a yarn shop in Los Angeles for that long!

For those of you who live in, and/or planning to visit Southern California and are in need of beautiful yarn, please check out Skein! Maybe you'll get to see some of my goodies live! :)

(This is a little sign I made for her shop for her 10th year anniversary!)

Getting More Organized...

2010-07-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

...Or try to. Because of the inconsistency of sales in my Etsy shop, there are a few little details I have been ignoring ever since I opened last September. If you have been reading this blog, you probably know that I finally printed out some business cards a couple months ago. I'm not sure how I operated this long without them, but I now finally have something nice to include with people's purchases!

Anyway, I came across a box of die-cut cards the other day and thought, "hmm...these will be great as 'thank you' notes..." After stamping on a few of them, they are indeed wonderful and simple as 'thank you' notes. I must say that my packaging has come a long way since the beginning. I used to buy the envelopes on my way to the post office, and I would grab the closest piece of paper to write my thank yous on it. Now, I have the same mailing envelopes (all hand-stamped), business cards, and thank you cards. I feel so organized and ready! :)

Thrift-store Shopping...

2010-06-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

This has been a great week for me so far! I invited my boss and co-workers over for a little lunch before work on Monday, and somehow I got that night off! I was ecstatic! I had a really rough and long night on Sunday that I didn't even think I could've work through another night at the restaurant. So the surprise day-off was a godsend! On top of that, I found out accidentally that one of my tags were among the features for one of the Storque articles! I was definitely pleasantly surprised and confused because it took me a couple of days to figure out which one it was. It was an article about the latest trends and things to look for, I'm very honored that my tags are part of this, click here for the article and to view the wonderful collection!

Anyway, my boyfriend and I went to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse today in Oakland to see what they have right now, and we found some useful stuff. He wants to make some wind chimes with apothecary bottles that they have there, and I found an old-school trivet. So we both left happy! :)

(So cool! It stretches out!)

Nostalgic Moments...

2010-06-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Even though these couple of days have been my day offs, they have been kind of blah. I should be happy and out doing things, especially since the weather has been amazing here, but I just feel exhausted and listless. I have also started to reminisce the good ol' days, when life was simpler...

Anyway, while I was in this mood, I curated another treasury which I've named, A Little Bit of Nostalgia. I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to leave a comment for these wonderful artists! :)

Let's hope the days get better...

Yippee!

2010-06-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yay! The treasury I curated the other day made Etsy's front page this morning! I'm so happy! I would like to thank all the sellers that made these beautiful items! :)

Etsy's Front Page!!! Yay!!!

2010-06-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! One of my tags are on Etsy's front page!! I'm so excited! It has always seem like such an unattainable goal! Anyway, please check out this wonderful collection curated by blockpartypress! Thank you!

Corals and Greys...

2010-06-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

Since it's my day off today, I didn't really bother with dress up or nice. My agenda today was to run some errands, cook some food, clean the house, and maybe work a little. So after I put on whatever that was sitting on top of my dresser, I looked down and realized that I really like the color combination of coral and grey! I don't feel like it's been too overdone, so after I got home from my errands, I decided to make a treasury based on these colors. I'm quite happy with the results and would like to share with you!

I've named the collection, Corally Girly, and you'll see why. Please check it out here and don't forget to leave a comment for these amazing artists! :)

Have a wonderful day!

++ Today's pic is my Pink Flower Necklace ++

New Products!

2010-06-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since the new year began, I've been thinking about expanding my shop to beyond just gift tags. After experimenting with many different items, I think I've found something that would fit into my shop - decorated wooden clothespin. (And no...not the cheesy kind!) Like all my tags, they are created with the vintage aesthetics in mind, and are multipurpose. I'm also experimenting with a new material, shrinky dinks, which is very fun to play with! I love that every one of them shrink slightly different from each other, thus consistent with the rest of my shop!

Anyway, I hope you can stop by my shop,check out the two newest listings, and let me know what you think! Thanks and have a wonderful day! :)

Short Week / Long Weekend

2010-05-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of my work week, but since my birthday is this Sunday, I have taken a few days off, so it'll be a short week! Yay! It's been a long time since I had a mini-vacation. I wish I can go out of town, but maybe rest will be good enough.

Anyway, I gotta run and get ready for a crazy night at work! Have a wonderful weekend!

++ Today's pic is my Felt & Wool Flower Brooch ++

My Handmade Stuff...

2010-05-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough couple of weeks lately, with work being busy and my computer getting eaten up by viruses, I feel like I have a lot of catching-up work to do. Unfortunately, even though the computer is fixed (thanks to my wonderful boyfriend!), I still don't have much time or energy to devote my attention to my projects. This is one of those times I miss being a child: having all the time in the world to obsess over some projects. It could just be hours of making pretty paper tissue flowers, or days of designing and creating dioramas, there always seemed to be time and energy for them. Now, with the pressure of life, bills and what not, I find it difficult most days to even muster up enough energy to sit down in front of my work table. Think it's time for a vacation...

On a brighter note, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that one of my favorite gift tags are featured in AlynCarlson's blog, Colorgirl. I love embroidery and she has included many very beautiful and whimsical embroidered items! Please check it out! :)

Last little fun tidbit, in addition to creating paper goods, I also like to design little accessories, such as pins, jewelry...etc. I would like to know what you think of them. Be honest please! :) Thanks so much!

++ Today's pic is my Peacock Flower Necklace ++

Featured Seller: Koide Studio

2010-05-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

One of the vendors at my SMASHED! Craft Fair/Party was Kiyomi from Koide Studio. She creates these beautiful ceramic wares that I completely fell in love with. Please read on and learn about her journey in becoming a ceramics artist, and don't forget to check out her shop, Koide Studio!

Hi! I am Kiyomi from Koide Studio.

Even when I was a child, I liked crafting but I’d never imagined to become a ceramist. In college, I studied architectural interior design and worked for an architecture firm after graduating. The work was a bit away from creativity, and most of my creative juice went into ceramics.

I think food is my first passion. “I wanted to make my own cup and bowl for everyday use!”, that was my motivation. Eating is an everyday activity so I wanted to make it more personal and fun. I also imagined that eating from your own bowl, or made by somebody you know would be healthier (I mean spiritually).

For the first time I discovered of joy of ceramics was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. That was long time ago, and I kept that passion hidden and I started taking ceramics classes again in 2002. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with making ceramic pieces.

My passion is making functional pieces. I want to use them, and I want them to be used. Not for special occasion, but for everyday life. I am from Japan, but I wouldn’t describe my pieces very Japanese. They are more mixed in many different cultures as I traveled and lived in some colorful countries. I like funky style, drawing with colors, round shape, kitties, etc. I also believe a bit of oddness makes pieces more interesting and special to each person. So I let modern technology to make perfect merchandises and in the meantime I make funky stuff. My inspiration comes from everywhere and from every aspect in my daily life, the changing color of the sky, falling leaves on the street, door knobs, some sweets made by a friend, etc… My ultimate goal is to travel somewhere, let’s say Spain, and find my cups used in a café I stop by. Wouldn't it be cool?

www.koidestudio.etsy.com

One Treasury, Two Treasury...

2010-05-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with two wonderful surprises waiting for me! A couple of my tags are currently featured in two treasuries! I always think it's amazing when other people actually find my items in this humongous haystack that is Etsy.

The first one has a XO theme in black and red and is curated by Monical. Please check out the whimsical treasury here!

The second one is curated by TBead with a very dramatic black and white theme. Check out her beautiful treasury here before it expires on late Friday night!

Last, but not least, is a treasury I created when I had a little down time last night. It's called the "Softness of Spring", please take a look at my treasury here!

One little note before I go, I will no longer be posting screenshots of the treasuries here. I do think that they make my blog prettier, but I would rather post the links to the actual treasury so comments can be left for the curators and the selected sellers.

So...on that note...please leave comments and support your fellow Etsy peoples!

A Blast on Sunday!

2010-05-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday was my SMASHED! Craft Fair/Party in my backyard, and I had a lot of fun! It was such a beautiful sunny day and I couldn't have ask for more. Along with my two crafty neighbors, we had three more vendors who set up their tables to sell their items. Sometimes, I forget how much better it is to see people's creations in person!

We set up a bar in one corner serving beer and Madras, and a table of food on the other. One of my friends, who's a chef, created a prawn dish and a marinated asparagus dish for the party, while my neighbor baked very delicious vegan muffins and cookies. Since the event was from 2 to 6pm, after we broke down our tables, most of our friends just gathered around our picnic table and continued the party until late in the night.

In retrospect, I wish we had a little more time to promote this event, but it was such a wonderful afternoon for all of us to enjoy: the beautiful Sunday outdoors, the company of our friends and new acquaintances, delicious food and refreshing drinks, and selling some items while doing it all!

Before I run, please check out my neighbor Megan's Etsy shop, Tapiseria. She makes the cutest jewelry using shrinky-dinks!

I'm Kinda Behind...

2010-04-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Argh!! As I've mentioned in the previous post, I'm organizing a little craft fair/party for this Sunday in my backyard. There's still so much to be done! Thankfully, I have these two days off and was able to go down my checklist and finish some stuff for both the party and my shop.

One of the things I'm really happy about accomplishing today was getting some business cards printed. I can't believe that my shop has been opened for seven months and I still haven't gotten it together and make some business cards! Since I don't have enough time to get them professionally printed (by Sunday), I bought some DIY business card paper from Avery, used their online template program, and finally printed a stack.

I was always wary of homemade business cards for fear that they don't look clean and professional, but I got the Two-Side Printable Clean Edge Business Cards paper from Avery and they actually look pretty good! :) Their online program doesn't provide a lot of fonts, so I designed it first in Photohop, then imported it onto the template. Works great! No downloads, and you can save your finish product as a PDF file.

Probably not the cheapest way to go, but it works for now! :)

My First Treasury (East)! My First Exhibit!

2010-04-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Etsy's new Treasury East, I was able to curate my first treasury ever! It was a little harder than I thought, but it was definitely very fun! It's a collection of beautiful sky blue items that I've found, ranging from clothing to jewelry to photographs, and I've named it After April's Showers. Please check it out and leave a comment here!

My shop has been approved as an exhibitor this month on Brittni's beautiful site, Papernstitch! Please check out all the beautiful items she has on this site! Check out my shop here! :)

One last bit before I gotta run...I have organized a small craft fair/party here in Oakland, CA. If you live around here or in the area, feel free to stop by this Sunday, May 2nd, 2-6pm, say hey, and enjoy the party! Click on the image of the flyer below for more info.

I Love Springtime!

2010-04-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Pink and green is probably my favorite color combinations ever! So I was pleasantly surprised when I found that one of my tags are featured in PeppermintPinwheels' treasury! Please check it out before it expires on Monday! And don't forget to stop by her shop of beautiful handmade quilts!

Please click here to leave a comment for this treasury!

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Love of Pink

2010-04-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

It's almost spring time and I'm loving the warm days! Although the bay area has been really unpredictable, this week has been blessed with fairly decent weather. The beautiful days have been inspiring and motivating. :)

My work was kinda slow tonight for a thursday night, but then I realized that today was the deadline for filing taxes. From my experience, this day is usually pretty slow at a restaurant. If you have refunds, you probably file it and got it already awhile ago. For those who have to pay, some may put it until the last minute. Who knows.

Anyway, I'm just relieved by the mellowness of tonight. I got to leave slightly earlier, hung out with my boyfriend before we went home... it was great! Then, when I got home, I received a convo from TBead that says one of my tags are featured in her newest treasury! What a wonderful way to end the night!

Please click here to leave a comment for this fun and beautiful treasury! :)

I just recently bought a candle from TBead. All her candles are made of 100% natural soy wax. I got the "rain water" candle and it smells amazing! Grapefruit, lemon and wonderfully refreshing scents! Please check out her shop for her soy candles and pretty jewelry too! :) Anyway, I'm ty-ty, gotta go to bed soon...

Snail Mail and Turquoise Love!

2010-04-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

My job has been consuming every ounce of energy I have lately, but after a hard and chaotic day today, I came home to find that couple of my tags are being featured in a couple of different arenas! Totally made my day! :)

The first one is a feature on Snail Mail Aficionado's blog. She has such a beautiful, vintage-looking site (totally up my alley!), and she features many different artists that I honestly have never come across. Please check out the feature here.

Secondly, I was messing around with Craftopolis tonight and found out that one of my tags are also currently featured in a treasury! What a pleasant surprise! I get to yield my knowledge of the screenshot again! :)

Click here to leave a comment for this treasury!

Anywho, I'm exhausted and I have five whole days in front of me... have a great week and please sleep lots for me! :)

Earthy and Heavenly...

2010-04-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day it is! It is my day off and I woke up early with the bright sunshine on my face. It felt like the possibilities are endless, and the day's adventures have just begun... but here I am, still sitting at the computer in my robe at one in the afternoon! I need to leave the house! But before I do, I would like to share with you two treasuries I'm currently featured in. These collections are simply gorgeous, and as the title suggests, earthy and heavenly!

I recently found out how to take a screenshot, so I can actually keep the collections of treasuries my tags are featured in. I know I'm technologically behind, but that's ok, better late than never! :)

The first one is curated by Etsy seller, TBead. Please stop by her shop and check out her unique jewelry and candles! Also, check out my turtle design for her logo and shop banner! :)

Click here to leave a comment at the treasury!

Etsy seller, giftdesigns, has curated the following gorgeous and heavenly treasury and I'm honored to be included! Please don't forget to check out her shop full of beautiful and elegant jewelry!

Click here to leave a comment at the treasury!

I hope you enjoy them like I do! I am going to go have fun in the sun...

I Love This Treasury!

2010-04-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday again! Where had the week gone? Anyway, much has happened this week and I'm very excited about a couple of the projects I've started. They're still in the beginning stages, so I'd rather not talk about it too much...but here's a hint: underground shopping event. More about this at a later date, now that I have gotten other people involve, it's actually moving forward...

Before I go, please check out this beautiful treasury by dreamyvintage! One of my tags are currently featured in it, so click here to view. It expires on Sunday, don't miss it!

Vintage Easter Treasury!

2010-03-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

One of my tags are currently featured in StudioZen's Treasury! It's fill with adorable vintage items! Please check it out here before it expires on Sunday!

I gotta run to work, have a great weekend! :)

Ooooh...Cookies!

2010-03-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in a few posts ago that my cousin and her husband in Los Angeles run a boutique cookie business called Sabrina's Sweetery. Her cookies are unique, beautiful, and most of all, tasty! Recently, I had the opportunity to design some bridesmaid's cards to accompany her bridesmaid's cookies. You can see them here in my shop.

Anyway, despite her busy schedule, she sent me some cookies the other day! They are vanilla cookies with lemon icing (my favorite!), and she decorated them like my tags! They are so cute and wonderful!

Please check out her amazing gallery of cookies here!

She also has a fan page on Facebook!

Read on if you want to see the different styles she made... :)

These cookies are so cute that I hesitated to even unwrap them! On the other hand, my boyfriend already ate two of them by the time I got the camera!

Thanks Sabrina! They are delicious! :)

It's Gonna Be A Long Week...

2010-03-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

My boss decides to change my schedule at the restaurant so I can work with him whenever he works, so that results in a six day week for me... It's rough, but when I got home tonight, got on the forums on Etsy, I found out by accident that one of my tags are in a treasury!

Please check out caseymcardle's treasury! It's a beautiful collection of purple items! Click here to see it! :)

Have a wonderful night. I'm ty-ty...

My Favorite Dog...

2010-03-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

I received my most dreaded message yesterday from a friend of mine whom I haven't seen for awhile. He's the owner of the most loyal and beautiful Lab I've ever met. His name (the dog) was Joey. When Joey and I first met years ago, we immediately took a great liking to each other. I adored him and he adored me, we were inseparable when we hung out together. He was also very old at that point, around 16 years old with a bad hip, so it was amazing when he always acted like a little puppy when he saw me. He would always jumped up to greet me when he saw me, then he'd follow me around until one of us had to leave...

Anyway, I just got the message that he passed away on Sunday morning...At least he's not in pain anymore...

RIP my joe...

Last Call for Giveaway!

2010-02-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm doing a giveaway on Style Symmetry's blog...and the deadline is midnight tonight PST! So if you haven't already, click here to go to her blog and enter for a chance to win some of my tags! :)

Something to look forward to soon (for me, and hopefully for you too!), I'm in the process of creating tags that are slightly more detailed and intricate than what I have in the shop already. Tags that are more similar to mini art pieces than just...tags. Anyway, more on that later, now I gotta run to work!

Have a most wonderful Sunday afternoon!

P.S. I just scored a whole bunch of stuff at this amazing reuse shop near my house. It's called The East Bay Center for Creative Reuse. Their inventory changes often and sometimes you can find exactly what you're looking for (100s of mini clear glass vials?) for just a couple of bucks! If you live around this area, check it out!

My Monday...

2010-02-25T01:22:00.000-08:00

I just got off work, tired to the maximus... but please check out simpletilly's treasury before it expires on Saturday! It's an amazing collection of teal and steel items! Very interesting and cute! :) http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=115398

Have a good night...

By the way, I listed some new tags - travel-oriented!!

Stumbled!

2010-02-23T02:20:00.000-08:00

As I was having breakfast this morning, I came across this very website that "translate" words into nightingale song. I love the colors and the style, I hope you enjoy it! Have a good night! :)

http://www.nightingale-song.com/

Cute Treasury!

2010-02-22T00:47:00.000-08:00

Check out ViolentReaction's treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=114582
Adorable items and they included one of my tags!

Anyway, I need to recover from my terrible cold and work! I was not able to take any time off work so I'm really looking forward to the next two days off.

Giveaway!

2010-02-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wish this could be me!

I'm trying to recover from my very VERY busy work week, and also trying to finish all my orders by tomorrow...so I'm too exhausted to post anything long...

Meanwhile, I'm doing my first giveaway via Style Symmetry, and I believe it ends in 2 weeks! So check it out here for the giveaway and be my first lucky winner! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Did you know that it's also Chinese New Year? Such an interesting weekend this year: Valentine's and Chinese NY on the same day, and falls on a long weekend this year because President's Day is tomorrow! If I had a regular job, I would probably go out of town and take a little vacation. I hope everybody's enjoying this little break!

Talking about Chinese New Year, I was presently surprised when I found that one of my tags are featured in a Storque article about the holiday on Etsy! Check it out here! :)

Anyway, I must go get ready for my 12-hr shift at the restaurant to make all the lovebirds happy...
Please be nice to your servers! We leave our loved ones everyday to serve and wait on hundreds of people and to make sure each and every one of them have an amazing dining experience. That said, have a wonderful Valentine's Day...

Friday...

2010-02-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Valentine's weekend is finally here! What are your plans? I unfortunately have to work this entire weekend, so my boyfriend and I decided to celebrate on Tuesday instead.

Anyway, one of my valentines made an appearance at my friend's blog a week ago!
Click here to read Celebration Anniversary Gym!

She also has a beautiful jewelry store on Etsy called Tapiseria. Have fun browsing! :)

Very Sad Day...

2010-02-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

I just saw the news that the British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen, has commited suicide and was found dead this morning. It's a very very sad day when someone so genius and innovative decides to leave this world. He has always been a great inspiration and influence for me ever since he emerged into the fashion scene in the 90s. May his legacy live on...

Click here for the full NYTimes story...

Work!

2010-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

I'm about to have a very intense and busy work week at the restaurant, so I spent the last couple of days posting a few new items and doing a little update here and there. I came across another online handmade marketplace called Artfire. As a basic member, all the basic services are free, no listing fees..etc. Does anybody know anything about them? I want to know if it's worth it (time-wise) to also post items on it. Thanks!

Anyway, have a great rest of the week! :)

Yay! Two Treasuries!

2010-02-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

I finally went to the gym today, for the first time in months! You would think that working at a restaurant is like a workout all the time, but no! When I got off the treadmill today, I was so dizzy and dehydrated! I felt like such a weakling! So when I sat down at my computer and found out that my tags are featured in two treasuries today, my energy level came right back up and I feel ecstatic!

I love looking at people's treasuries on Etsy. It's amazing when somebody can browse through thousands of items and come up with a cohesive collection to show! Every time one of my tags get featured, I feel so honored that they picked my items out of the thousands...

Anyway, enough about me, here are the links to the two very beautiful and adorable treasuries. They will expire on Saturday, so don't miss them! :)
This is cokiepopaper's kitchen-themed treasury: Click here.
and here is noabrumberg's (from Craftomania) sweet and adorable treasury: Click here.

Slightly Productive Day...

2010-02-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

After much consideration and a little research, I finally heed Heather's (Blue Eyed Dragonfly Studio) advice and posted my bridesmaids cards in my Etsy shop. One of my biggest reluctance is that I'm currently not offering any other wedding-related products to make these cards a set. Since I'm not married, and never have been, I'm not sure if people customize these cards with their wedding invitations or it's a separate thing. I saw some bridesmaids cards on Etsy, and they seem to be their own thing, so I finally decided to give it a shot! Thanks Heather!

P.S. You can see some of these cards in the previous blog "Fun Project Ahead" or stop by my newly-arranged shop! :)

Trying a Little Beautification...

2010-02-01T23:31:00.000-08:00

As I read other people's blogs, I often notice how many people customize their blogs and add many beautiful elements to match their styles. So, today I decided to give it a try and add a few things to this blog. Well, three hours later, I have concluded that either I'm really stupid, computer-illiterate, impatient, or all of the above, I only managed to add three little things to this thing! In fact, the whole experience drove me crazy!! So, I'm giving up this overly-ambitious endeavor as of right now!

On the bright side, as I was looking at other blogs to see where they got the templates and such, I'm very glad I found the ShabbyBlogs.com, where there are many different beautiful backgrounds, tag sets, buttons and such. If only I knew more about these crazy computer stuff...

Happy Friday!

2010-01-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

Even though this is still the middle of my work week, I still love Fridays! It's the end of most people's work week, everyone is happy and excitedly waiting for what the weekend may bring...it's nice.

I have been refining parts of my shop lately to make it easier to navigate. I have also began to shoot my photos with different backgrounds for different categories. For example, all my "Shabby Chic" tags are set against a black and white bird pattern background, while my "Vintage-Inspired" tags have a...well, vintage pale green and gold background. Well, this is as far as I've gotten right now, let me know what you think! :)

Also, one of my tags are featured in ThirtySixTen's Treasury these couple of days. Please check out her beautiful Valentine's Day collection! The items and colors are brilliant! Click here for the link to the treasury! :)

Have a great weekend!

Yay! Sunshine!

2010-01-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Finally! A little sunshine this early afternoon! It was getting a little depressing being grey here everyday. Sometimes I forget how much more motivated I can get when I get some sun! Today, I made three new tags for my shop, caught up on some chores around the house, cooked a couple of meals...all before I have to go off to work at 5pm!

My cat, Odin, was very excited about the sun coming through the windows too! He kept finding the warmest sun spots in the house and took very epic and comfy-looking naps. In fact, he's been in the same spot now for the last four hours!

Fun Projects Ahead!

2010-01-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Even though the season is pretty slow for me at my Etsy shop, I was recently offered a few wonderful opportunities (hopefully!) to sell my goods. It is an amazing feeling, especially after I slave away at the restaurant five days a week, coming home knowing that this is my time to creative beautiful things for people, and that people like it! It's incredible! :)

I would like to share with you here a couple of these projects I'm working on. My very talented cousin, Sabrina, operates her own cookie business with her husband in Los Angeles called Sabrina's Sweetery, and she makes the most beautiful, gourmet, and tasty cookies! Recently, she has enlisted me to design some special bridesmaid cards to accompany her bridesmaid cookies to be display at a bridal show! It's wonderful for me to have the opportunity to work with a talented baker and family!

Another project I'm also participating in is being one of the sponsors for an online digital (scrapbook) layout competition for the months of Feb to Apr. They will be using my tags and others' to create their layout challenges. Sounds really fun! Prior to this, I didn't even know what digital stamps were! :) For those of you who enjoy scrapbooking, or just want to check it out: www.sewmanylayouts.com, and this is Sarabeth's blog (the nice woman that invited me!): www.scraphappie.blogspot.com.

Read on if you want to see a sneak peek of the bridesmaid cards!

This is Stephanie...(yes, I named them...)

...and Billie...

...and Betty...

...this is just a tease! :) Shall I put these in my shop?

My Studio Space

2010-01-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of cleaning and organizing my studio space these couple of days. Well, I'm being generous when I said space, it's more like a 4' x 4' corner in my bedroom. So instead of expanding outward with my ever-growing tools and supplies, I must expand vertically upward. But what happens when I reach the ceiling!? Anyway, despite the tiny size of my work space, I'm happy to say that I have one.

I've posted a couple of photos of my work corner so read on if you're interested in taking a look! (Warning: it's messy!)

Here's part of my stamp collection...

...some of my punches...

...my ribbons...

...my peg board (so useful!)...

So there it is! My little creative corner! Thanks for stopping by! :)

New Year, New Lines

2010-01-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

I was playing with some of my new tools the other day while I was taking a break from all the Valentines card-making, and voila! I think I found a new line of tags I love to make! I named them my Shabby Chic tags and I see so many possibilities and shapes I can do. I have made a few SC-esque in the beginning, but now I'm really embracing the colors and different shapes I can use to create even more exciting ones!

I also spent a good amount of time today rearranging my etsy shop. Instead of grouping them by subject, I sorted them in terms of styles: ex> vintage-inspired, shabby chic, retro...etc. It feels more organized and I think it'll be easier for others to browse through my shop according to what they're looking for.

Anyway, back to work for me. I have a couple exciting projects coming up, and I would love to share them with you when everything is finalized! :)

Hmmm...Comments Welcome

2010-01-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to take a couple of days off to catch up on some of my projects, especially after a very intense and busy week at the restaurant, I have been so exhausted that I was not productive at all. Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I have been creating v-day-oriented tags and cards, and not leave me too much time for my other projects.

I would like to encourage everyone who reads this blog to leave me a comment about whether or not they want to see more valentine's day items, or other non-holiday-oriented items? And also, any other paper goods they would like to see more? As usual, any feedback, suggestions, or critiques are always welcome. I would like to accommodate everyone who visits my shop to have fun browsing around and maybe find something they love and find useful!

A Little Preview...

2010-01-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I've posted new items in my Etsy store. Holidays and New Year's had been a little hectic and crazy, but I'm ready to focus and create new items for Foxes and Robbers! I would like to give you a little taste of what's to come by posting couple of new items today, maybe in the early evening. If you're around, I hope you'll stop by and check them out!

Please don't forget that I always welcome any suggestions, critques, and even custom requests! Don't hesistate to drop me a line either on Etsy, Facebook, or here on my blog!

Hope everyone's having a wonderful new year!! :)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T02:51:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe 2009 is gone! It was an interesting year for me, many changes and making conscious decisions towards improving the quality of life. As I get older, I find that I treasure my time at home a lot more than I used to. With the little time I have when I'm not working, I love looking for and trying new recipes, reading a book on the couch with my cat, having little projects to improve the apartment...etc., basically trying to keep a simpler but fulfilling lifestyle.

In this coming year, Foxes and Robbers will be expanding our products from mainly gift tags to cards, invitations, and other paper products. I would like to thank everybody that has given me much love and support! Have a Happy New Year and may 2010 bring you everything you've ever dreamed of!

My (Almost) Handmade Xmas...

2009-12-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

My wonderful boyfriend surprised me with a christmas tree a few days ago, but due to work, I didn't have a chance to decorate it until yesterday. I have a few ornaments from a couple of years ago, and with our budget constraints, I decided to make my own ornaments! I'm quite impressed with the results after I was done! I stuck to my color-theme (silver and white), found paper and fabric scraps around the house, and voila! we got ourselves a very homey and shabby-chic christmas tree! I also found some pretty white fabric in the closet, but I don't know if the tree skirt would be too... ambitious...

These are the paper garlands and felt bird ornaments I made...

Happy Holidays!

Busy!!!

2009-12-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

The holidays are just around the corner and I'm really busy trying to fill many orders coming in. I'm quite excited and happy that people like many of my designs so far! When I'm not working my real job, I pretty much just slave away at my desk, with my favorite feline friend checking on me once in awhile. :) His name is Odin and he's my trusty companion! He's always by my side when I'm creating, and makes me feel that everything's worth it...

Holiday Tags!

2009-11-22T02:29:00.000-08:00

I have been working on many designs for xmas tags, and I've posted a few in my etsy shop. I'll have more new designs in a different direction soon, probably within the next couple of weeks. So, if you're in need of some unique handmade gift tags for christmas, please visit my store soon! :)

For those of you who'll be the bay area, I'll be selling some of my tags at the Compound Gallery in Oakland! If you're interested, please check out the flyer in the previous posts for the exact location and time. :)

Thanks always for stopping by! Hope to see some of you at the holiday sale from 11/27 to 12/20 at the Compound!

I'm nervous...

2009-11-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

I'll be dropping off my tags tomorrow at the Compound Gallery for the holiday show, and I'm pretty nervous. Will people like my work? I'm trying not to think about it, but still, the show is almost a month long, and I'll be sad if I don't even sell half my stuff. Anyway, I'm gonna be positive about it, because I really like what I've made. I really hope that people will see them as a special little bonus in the upcoming gift-giving season!

Aside from the show, I have also been working on some tags for the holiday season. Hopefully, I'll have a few to post by early next week. :)

New Designs

2009-11-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

I just posted a few new designs in my etsy store today, that are completely different than the ones I've been working on the last few weeks. Some slightly more feminine and elegant, and some, more bright and fun! I guess I just needed to take a break from all the hand-stitching! It has been really challenging to come up with simple designs that reflects the pattern papers that I'm using, but in the end, I'm quite satisfied with the results.

With the holiday sale coming up (so quickly!), I must thank everyone around me who has been so supportive and patient with me, with my incessant, "what do you think?"s and "do YOU like it?"s.

Anyway, back to the grind...

Holidayland Event

2009-10-25T02:39:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy between my full-time job and creating my tags for the holiday sale event that just leave me completely exhausted! But I feel extremely lucky and elated to have this opportunity. Please check out the beautiful flyer from the Compound Gallery in Oakland about the event.

For more info about the gallery: http://thecompoundgallery.com/

2009-10-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! An Invite!

2009-10-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have just been invited to sell my work at a holiday exhibit/sale event called "Holidayland" at the Compound Gallery and Blankspace Gallery in Oakland! I'm so extremely excited! It also means that I have to work extra hard to produce hundreds of my handmade tags by mid-November. The event will run from November 27-December 20. So for those of you who live in the Bay Area, I hope you'll have a chance to drop by and perhaps find something extraordinary by an amazing artist!

New Ideas

2009-10-08T02:52:00.000-07:00

Since I was a kid, I've always loved to sew and made paper stuff, so I thought, hey! why not marry the two things? Thus, my newest tags were borned! I experimented with the first one a few days ago, and it turned out beautifully. Furthermore, thanks to daniellexo, an Etsy Admin, my photo of that tag was the cover picture of her article, "Seller How-To: Tag-o-rama With Descriptive Keywords": http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/seller-how-to-tag-o-rama-with-descriptive-keywords-5474/. As you can imagine, I was very excited about it! It's a great way for people to learn the existence of my little shop, and get some exposure!

Anyway, I have since been working on my 'stitch on paper' tags. So far I have come up with 3 more designs that I love, of which I'll be posting on etsy...today...I'm hoping to come up with several more, in time for the holiday seasons. In addition to these more complicated tags, I'm also including some more basic tags for those who like to decorate their own tags. So hopefully I have something for everybody!

2009-10-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

After I opened my shop, foxes and robbers, on etsy in sept, I was really worried about how others would view my work. I have always done art and design things in little ways here and there my whole life, but to actually put it out there for the world to see, critique, and try to sell them on top of that...is scary. Now that it has been 3 weeks, I'm happy to say that everything is going better than I expected. So far, I have received many positive comments, advice, and encouragements from other sellers in the forum, and I've made 2 sales! Gotta start somewhere, right?

If anybody happen to stumble across this blog today, I'll be posting more items in my shop, http://www.foxesandrobbers.etsy.com/, the next couple of days...

Anyway, I would like to thank everybody who checked out my shop, hearted me or my items, and even bought from me! It is a great pleasure to be able to share my love and vision with people who finds my creations as special as I do.