i'm giving the blackbird market another shot! 13 march 2010.

if you're there, say hello. :)

talk about doing things well ahead of time.

we're planning to come home to the Philippines in december and while there, we plan to have our daughter christened/dedicated and hold a christening/post-birthday and thanksgiving party as well. she is nearly two, born 8 weeks early and is absolutely gorgeous. it will be the first time most of our family will get to meet her, and it will be about 8 weeks after her second birthday and we wanted a thanksgiving party because the Lord has just been so good to us.

last night, we have agreed to have a carnival-themed party. it would be great for the kids --- we're planning to have face-painting, clowns and magicians.

today i have started to gather ideas for the party, starting with the invitations. and i stumbled upon cathie filian's etsy shop! she's got great items, but i think the ultimate treasure is in her blog, where she discusses diy projects, holds giveaways and basically just shares artistic magic.






reading her blog just makes me want to create and create! if only i had all the time. she's also releasing her own line of glitter, and it looks promising. after all, who doesn't need any sparkle?

i think i'm going to make invitations out of carnival tickets, some glue and a lot of glitter!

i had quite a scare this afternoon. i was working in the rumpus on my laptop, updating my twitter account and the CAST blog and my facebook page when i decided to check on my mobile which was in our bedroom. four missed calls and an SMS which said "love, i'm going to the hospital, i cut my finger."

my husband usually helps out in my uncle's charcoal chicken shop on saturdays. visions of the big sharp knives they have in the kitchen flashed through my mind in quick succession. my first thought was: if it was just a simple cut, it wouldn't require a trip to the hospital, would it?

i quickly changed into decent clothes, changed my daughter as well and packed stuff into my trusty nappy bag --- an extra change of clothes for hubby, nappies, clothes, a container of nibbles and a bottle of water for my daughter, medicare cards, my wallet and my mobile. grabbed the car keys and sped out of the estate.

the sky was overcast, and i was praying on the way.

then ciggy, my husband called. he wasn't in the hospital, but in a private clinic. i said i can't talk, i'm driving but i'll see you shortly.

it was just a cut. or cuts, should i say. two fingers (the middle and the ring) on his left hand. deep cuts. but he didn't need stitches. and there was a lot of blood.

there goes my chef.

but thank you Lord, he's ok.

a few minutes after, we were in my aunt's cafe kitchen, and he was again handling a knife, preparing my lunch. my knees were still trembling at this point, but i was able to breathe again. all in a day's work.

it rained. thus, foot traffic wasn't as much as expected at the Blackbird Market on 13feb2010. i have made a few sales, but it was disappointing. on the plus side though, i have made friends, met some really cool people, saw some amazing talent and basked in really really good artistic vibes. all in all, it was a lovely well-spent day. and spent is the word. i crashed when we got home. the next market day is coming (13mar2010) and i am hoping that this one will be better sales-wise. i still need to find a hand mannequin because i think the tiered t-bar jewellery display stand i used previously makes the bracelets inaccessible to customers who want to try them on. it was good for organising, considering the limited table space i had, but it was not really very customer-friendly. i am redesigning my display for easier access to the jewellery. below is a photo of my display, not exactly the best photo, as this was taken using a phone camera.




sweet with an edge. flirty fun and mysterious. this bracelet is made of carefully wire-wrapped pink jade beads of the sweetest colour, ending in a black rose with a pink center. two antiqued brass leaves accent the chain. it measures approximately 17.8cms (around 7inches) and is secured by an antiqued bronze dainty toggle clasp.

perfect for when you want to say "i only look innocent".

feminine, dainty, sweet, flirty, romantic

black and ivory glass pearls are wire-wrapped together to form part of the bracelet, while on the other end, ivory glass pearls and black and crystal crackle glass beads are attached to a delicate silver chain. a silver-plated swallow holds the toggle clasp where a white lucite rose, a gunmetal gray glass pearl and a crystal glass teardrop wire-wrapped bead are suspended.

simple and elegant, this is the perfect bracelet to accessorize your white-shirt-and-jeans outfit or a simple white cotton day dress.

this bracelet features a burgundy acrylic rose. it has wire-wrapped burgundy glass pearls linked with wire-wrapped burgundy/deep purple swarovski crystal rondelles. attached to this link is a gold chain holding wire-wrapped burgundy swarovski crystal rondelles and wire-wrapped deep purple czech glass beads. a gold swallow holds the toggle ring where the rose is suspended along with a single swarovski multi-coloured black crystal rondelle.

the length may be adjusted to your wrist size, please send me a note upon checking out.

this bracelet is perfect for simple shift dresses, or to glam up a shirt-and-jeans outfit with a scarf of the same colour family.

it's almost the end of the year and looking back at the year that has just gone, it amazes me how good God has been to me and my family. blessed, i am. and to summarize my 2009, here goes:

faith. love. God. one. child. mom. dream. fight. new. trust. joy. risk. heat. hope. break. friend. move. fly. work. ex. heal. fear. plan. pray. choice. run. pure. new. write. ache. build. fire. grudge. quench. light. dark. war. lie. hand. give. take. loss. start. warmth. here. now. bliss. pain. grow. live. step. talk. hug. play. goal. yes. laugh. home. I. you.

big things have little names.

trying to beat the christmas rush. amidst the packing stuff for moving house and preparing for the lovely holiday season, crammed listing new items and i was able to post five new items yesterday. here goes:


black onyx beads with gold bead caps hang from gold earring hooks. below the bead is a cascade of delicately wire-wrapped lemon quartz rondelles with gold seed beads at the ends. these earrings will fall approximately 6.5cms (around 2.55inches) from your piercing.

the perfect accessory for your little black dress!

stunning, gorgeous, elegant, understated, simple 

stand under my umbrella necklace. :) this playful piece of jewellery is a fun addition to your jewellery collection! it features a gold vermeil umbrella and sapphire blue glass teardrop crystals to make 'rain'. all hang from a gold chain which is secured by a gold lobster clasp.

the necklace is approximately 52cms (around 20.5inches) long from end to end.

playful, fun, flirty, unique.


this pair of earrings is perfect to glam up, complement and accessorize an office outfit, or to wear with a simple black dress. it features different sizes, shapes and shades of black, gray, silver and crystal. from a large silver jump ring hang a gunmetal gray glass pearl, onyx beads, black trumpet flowers, black/crystal shattered glass beads, champagne crystal quartz, black foiled czech glass beads and swarovski crystal rondelles, all wire-wrapped with silver ballpins.

elegant, simple, stunning.

we're moving house! amidst all the chaos, i have managed to create this:


the contrast between the iciness of the green turqouise and the warmth of the peach rose creates a stunningly beautiful unique necklace. the focal point of this piece is the peach rose which is to be worn slightly off-center. surrounding it are lovely green turquoise wire-wrapped beads in gold designer wire. it closes with a gold lobster clasp.

the necklace measures roughly 44cms (17.3inches) from end to end and has a 9cm (3.5inch) extension chain, for when you want to wear it longer.

beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, feminine, floral. a real eye-catcher.

can we ever have more hours within the day? i find that i am busier working from home, than when i still had a full-time job.

i was able to finish a squidoo article yesterday about beading and jewelry-making for beginners, and have made a recommendation for a fantastic resource, the Beading for Beginners eBook. i also was able to update the links on my sidebar (finally!) and have informed those linked. i am planning to feature artists on this blog as a regular thing, i just need to put a few things in order before proceeding. i also managed to make updates and fix my twitter account. aside from that, i listed four items in my etsy shop and sold three!


stunning and sure to be a converstaion-starter, it is made of various beads of aqua, purple, a combination of aqua and purple, clear crystal rondelles and swarovski AB crystals. the focal point of this piece is the purple resin bead.

the length of the earring including the hook is approximately 7cms (around 2.75inches)

very attractive, gorgeous, fun, colourful and would liven up any outfit!