amazing pics

angelus

crocodile island

heart from the sky

sleeping cat

teddy bear

zakka inspirations

I do admit i have an unhealthy obsession with japanese stuff. Before Pinterest I used to save photos or bookmark pages for inspirations. Going through my old files, here are just some of the ones that caught my eye and gave me an idea or two.

Fabric covered spool bobbins

Handmade Owl Buntings

Rubber Stamped business cards

kawaii stationery

Owl friends

time wasted

The only thing that cannot be recycled is time wasted...

baguio memories

to everyone who is from baguio, laking baguio, lived in baguio,,,haha this is for you... ive copied this link from my friend Edgar Lorenzo Nievera,,, one of the best people i know ...http://inspire.typepad.com/01/Baguio.html
basaen yo daytoy,,, makapakatawa,napasangit ak pay... ha-la malagip yo pay laeng ti ag-ilokano??? nasayaat,,, (say >>> wen yah)

1. taga-baguio laeng iti makaammu iti original nga kulay ti pader iti maharlika ken marbay.... nu dayu, kuna da nga napinturan iti nalabbaga....hehehe… handa ammu ma-ma gayam...
2. paboritong expression "wen ya!!!"
3. mahilig iti polo nga stripes and checked (long sleeve pay) uray aglingling-it ket madi da nga ikkaten...
4. uray pangkis iti medyas...ayos latta
5. haan ka nga taga-baguio nu haan mu nga ammu diay infamous nga "nova lodge".
6. haan ka nga taga-baguio nu haan mu nga ammu nga adda iti outbreak...
7. wash and wear style
8. naangseg iti burnham... kasatnu pagisbuan iti nababartek.. ..nu malpas ket pag-iddaan pay iti turista..hehehe
9. hindi ka taga-baguio kung nawala cellphone mo...
10. lastly, sa mga taga baguio na hindi pa nakakaalam na ang session road ay napalitan na ng pangalan, ang bagong pangalan ay "muslim road"
11. haan ka nga tigadtoy nu han mu nga malagip ti "labus angels" or " labo's angels" idyay pinagtakderan iti concrete x-mas tree idyay session
12. basta naka "leather jacket, friends forever!" ya!
13. nu malpas ti shot ket awan ti pagtaxi ibaga da intayo ag-ghost hunting .. gayam magmagna agawid...
14. awanin ti session theatre! santo haan nga inaldaw ti panag digus.. nyahaha! naglammingamin!
15. taga-baguio ka nu nabilib ka ket ibagam nga "ay-yu ya! dayta ah!! gemays!!!" hehehe…
16. nu mangmangan ka strawberries. ....haan ka taga ditoy…. ta haan mo ammu nagtubuan na ken ayna nangalaan da ti pinag-sibug da ijay.. wehehehe… ---balili creek! toinks toinks
17. han ka taga baguio nu han mu ammu ti batawa nyahahahahaha. intako mandance-dance id sidi ya!!!!! –ijay dance floor paylang ket nateng ti topic yo enya hehee
18. haan ka nga taga-baguio nu han mu ammu iti tawag da idyay ayan ti sm tatta... hehehe... intako agkibin- kibin idyay nasipnget nga parti...
19. haan ka nga taga-baguio nu han mu ammu nga kadwan dagiti jeep nga apan trinidad ken apan jay north nga ada terminal o nu sardengen tuy baguio ket country, ken ti no.1 bars ditoy ket jay bokawkan han nga ijay legarda. ken ti no.1 fm station ditoy baguio ket 99.9
20. kaaduan nga taga-baguio ket chow da ti dogie.. intako man chow ed comiles… hehehehe… naimas den pulutan da isdi…
21. paboritong expression "wen ya!!!"... "aw adi"… y nas d"
22. han ka nga taga-baguio nu han mu ammu jay tam-awan village... balay ti tam-awan u..hehehe
23. han ka nga taga-baguio nu sobra ka nga ag-ayat ti artista... uray samet agpapansin ti artista ditoy ket deadma da latta...
24. han ka nga taga baguio nu han mo ammo daytoy.... uray butbot pantalon ko bastalevi's...
25. han ka nga taga baguio nu han mo amu nga jay dati nga nagtatakderan jay centermall ita ket dati nga 'burn area'…
26. ti taga-baguio kaaduwan nga nagapwan ti taraki nga badu da ket wag-wag nga selection.
27. han ka nga taga-baguio nu ti amum ket kayo ti pagbungaan ti sayote..
28. haan ka nga taga-baguio nu apan ka diyay burnham tapno agpapicture dagidyay photographers idyay... gusto mong magpakuha? may digicam na ngayon uy!
29. han ka nga taga-baguio nu madim amo ti usar na ti side a ken side b ti underwear. ayu ket nagbagyo garud!
30. han ka nga taga-baguio nu agpara ka ket ibagam "ma, dyan lang sa tabi". weirdo, ket apay in-nam data driver?
31. han ka nga taga-baguio nu naka shorts ka ken nagpuskol ti jacket mo ken nakabonnet ka iti baguio city. ayu data a!
32. han kan nga taga-baguio nu ibagam nga "kawawa naman" iti pinikpikan nga manok. naimas ti sabaw nga kadwa iti shot! hwahahaha...kawawa nga?!!!
33. haan ka taga-baguio nu madim amu nga ti number 1 nga in-inumin ti aartek ditoy ket gin latta ah ken 4x4 pay laeng..inggana maibusan..santu sigarilyo ket hope nu saan ket winston..haan kadi?
34. haan ka taga-baguio nu han mo nga amu nu ayan na idi jay chapparal…. malagep mo pay jay “sabon ken batya”…. ken ti makitam iti kab-cabaret ket mga bhd inspektor nayunam pay ti pupulis… wheehehee
35. han ka nga taga-baguio nu haan mo nga amo nga ti number 1 tambayan idi ti high school students ket jay assumption road ta ada pay idi jay frb building, fire’s place ken girl’s high idi idjay…
36. han nga taga-baguio nu han mo nga ammo ti benedict’s place, nasukatanen ti jet bookstore idjay session…. idjay ti naimas nga aginum idi, adan ti chicks ada pay ti gulo… tatta ket jay nevada’s square aminen, gulo ken chicks, hehehe…
37. han ka nga taga-baguio nu haan mo nga ammo ti hokkee ti paginuman ti medical students nga artek… di ba doc? le fondue ti paginuman ti artist kuno ken nahilig ti acoustic… ken ayuyang ti paginuman ti nahilig ti reggae… tapos nu nabarbartek ka ket agpamawmaw ka jay 456 (lomi adi) ken jay terminal (goto to the max!)
38. han ka taga-baguio nu haan mo nga ammo nga ti sayote ket maka-high blood…. inya, sayote manen ti sida tayo!!!! inyametten!!! aahhhh!!!
39. han ka nga taga-baguio nu han mo nga ammo ti number 1 nga sports ket bilyar ken tong-its…. pustaan pay ket gin manen
hahahaha (i did it right??) heyah... yuhooooo!!! --han ka nga taga-baguio nu han mo nga i-repost daytoy....

cardstock love...

I made handmade tags today.

midi reinforced tags

... I used my vintage guillotine. It was a flea market find. I loved it for its vintage-y style and i thought I will find a use for it one day. Curiously enough, after looking for nice packaging and bits for the shop, I decided to make my own business cards and now tags. I love working with paper and card stock. I used to love making paper flowers for Christmas and card making. Its the intricate work with your fingers and the material, the tangible process of making something delicate and colourful and useful.

handmade luggage tags

recycled poo business cards

 I still make things although my guillotine has seen better days and now has to be retired permanently. I now use a more streamlined swordfish cutter - it does the work but not as romantic and quaint as my old cutter... 

first order on our new website

After the long process of moving my website from the Flash Version to HTML5, and having a soft launch, things are looking on the up and up. I just received my very first order from the new site from The Netherlands. We seem to be receiving equal amounts if not more orders from European customers as compared to local ones. Kawaii and Zakka is popular in the continent and still have a growing following, and surprisingly, recent trends have shown that this is growing ever more popular locally as well. All the better because we are now just expanding our stock lines and introducing a lot more new items. 

Choo Choo Cat Postcards

Bentoy Multi Purpose Plants Cards

Romantic Vanilla Deco Stickers

Romantic Vanilla Deco Stickers

Monopoly Cartoon Luggage Name Tags

Vintage Style Wooden Pocket Rulers

Mustache Deco Cut Outs

bricks & mortar shop

I’ve had so many inquiries if I had a proper ‘bricks & mortar’ shop / storefront and not long ago I have had an opportunity to open a shop fronting the marina. The shop location was frequented by tourists and the lease was quite reasonable for the location. So I did a feasibility test if I will decide to go ahead and lease the shop. After a few weeks, the deciding question went down to who’s going to be in the shop? I currently have a self contained office & combined storage area and most of MY time is spent there. If I did make a commitment to a shop it means halving the time I spend in the office to spend the entire day in the shop. This also meant a commute to the city during rush hour, the experience of which is very similar to a toothache. So the decision was so obvious and crystal clear – doing things in my own time is the main priority. I wasn’t ready to give up my lazy quiet mornings answering emails or the home cooked lunches or the all nighters where you stumble to bed like a zombie. I’m not saying I am never going to go for a shop one day, but for now, I am in a happy place.

queen of the damned

Blood, gore, carnage, torture, mass murder and death… overpowering themes that you will find all through out this book, but let these not discourage or shock you from reading, Anne Rice’s third instalment of the chronicles of the vampires. Although, the prevailing premise is morbid, the book is full of characters from the preternatural family tree of Lestat the Brat Prince. It starts immediately from the cliff hanger ending of the 2nd book the Vampire Lestat, and continues to introduce different characters along the first several chapters. The later part of the book takes the reader across different continents as the queen of the damned Akasha, with her now consort Lestat, races across the world wrecking havoc and murder and destroying all the undead that Lestat does not care for. They head for the inevitable confrontation with the rest of the remaining undead who are now plotting to destroy both Lestat and Akasha. Highly interesting read, if you are into vampires and stuff. The part where Anne Rice explains the source of all vampires is also very innovative. I love the part where Marius finds Armand after all that time, it’s heartbreaking almost better than when Louis comes back to Lestat. Anyway they are both heart wrenching. Also do not think the book is anything like the movie. It’s an entirely different story. Let me not ruin the end for you by telling you what happened, rather I’ll just say, it would have been nice if they all remained in the Night Island, but that is not what the undead do.A very entertaining read, if you want to know more about the Ricean vampires and their origins.

1408

I watched 1408 the other week. I was so looking forward to watching it since it’s an adaptation of a short story written by one of my favourite writers… Stephen King. The storyline is about a sceptical paranormal writer Enslin. At the start of the story there are suggestions that he “was” a brilliant writer, but had gone the path of writing a series of books concentrating on the paranormal occurrences in different locations, the theme of which is 10 nights in either graveyards or inns, because he was undergoing depression or “stuff” if you would like to call it that way. John Cusack is brilliant as Enslin, he is a wee bit older but he does carry 95% percent of the film and he does it well. Ok, its not an Oscar worthy performance but he is believable.So going back to the story, Enslin then starts his research to write his next series entitled 10 nights in 10 haunted hotel rooms and that’s how he comes across the Dolphin Hotel in New York with its room 1408 (numbers add to 13).Enslin does his best to get a reservation to stay in that room although the manager (Samuel L. Jackson) has forbidden the room EVER being used. And obviously Enslin gets to stay in the room or we don’t have a story. (Samuel L. Jackson, sorry to say only had a few scenes in this film and that is such a pity, ‘cos I think he’s a brilliant, cool actor)The build up to the stay in the room and the initial sequences when Enslin was in the room are real creepy. The story gets you going as it is more psychological the first three quarters of the film. It only gets a bit of a let down in the end, as you expect some sort of explanation or depth to what the room is, why is it evil, etc. What you get is Enslin being saved and then finding he is back in the room again… a kind of déjà vu state if you would think it that way. The film maker probably though it best to make the audience decide as to the outcome of the protagonist, although I myself would have preferred a defined ending.

mr rock and roll

Artist: amy macdonald
she's scottish, she's country, she's indie and cool... her voice is so different from the multitudes being mass-produced out there. she reminds me of dusty springfield and tracy chapman. her music is country-fied pop-indie really easy on the ears. the video is a bit country hip and kind of nostalgic with the guy and the girl eventually hooking up in the end... if you liked KT tunstall, then you will like amy macdonald.

benidorm break

Finally, after much buggering about, Ive writeen my holiday blog. Geez... that (holiday) was a month ago but, never mind; at least I'm writing about it now aren’t I? (actually I wrote drafts of this blog and just never found the time to finish it,,, so here,,, it'f finished... read on)

Sooo...

The holiday destination was Benidorm, a seaside resort in the province of Alicante, Valencia, Spain. It’s about 2 hours to get there (flying time) not considering travel time to the airport or delays. I am a DIY kind of person so knowing me I booked everything myself. I chose to fly with BMI Baby, from Manchester airport. It’s a low-cost airline, quite reasonable air fares and average service. So if you’re the snotty type, then don’t even consider, because they do not have first class.

Arrived in Alicante airport and that was a breeze. I did not even go through passport control. (Well that's one of the wonders of the EU) loads of buses to take you to your destination, or a pick-up service is available with most hotels, and taxis abound.

Arrived in the early evening, so not many things to see on the quick, quiet drive to Benidorm. But, when I got to Benidorm that was different. People, smells, sounds abound apart from the warm air that will blast your senses. I immediately dropped my bags at the hotel and went for walk down the famous Levante beach. Great fabulous beach, with a promenade walk, lined with cafes, bars and restaurants. You would not want for anything, when you're in the vicinity of this beach. During the day, deck chairs and umbrellas are on hire for the beach lovers and sun worshippers who flock by the hundreds to the coast. It’s an easy going relaxed environment. The sort where you can let everything hang out and no one really bothers or cares. So if you’re (that) body conscious, guaranteed, someone in this beach will be flabbier than you. And who cares?

Levante meets up with the other famous beach of Benidorm, Poniente, at a point in the old town. There’s a church and a modest park situated atop the rocks that naturally divide the two beaches. Do visit this place; if that is the only thing you do here. I went there in the evening, and there were street artists, vendors, music, fortune telling, face painting and a man dressed in a clown costume dancing for coins (he really gave me the creeps!). Great stuff, everything is so cool!

I also travelled to the neighbouring towns of Altea and Calpe, both are smaller, quieter towns, but worth the bus ride to see the sights, in Altea the yacht club, the beach and man made cove, and in Calpe, of course the rock formations and the beach. Just the trip on the bus going there is really good, with all the great seaside views you get.

Do have a walk around the town as there is loads of tiny shops and cafes dotted around town away from the coast. There’s also plenty of Chinese traders with their hole in the wall shops selling all kinds of things. You don’t want to miss that! Best of all are the weekend markets. There’s the Saturday market in Calpe and the big Sunday market in Benidorm. Go early in the morning though; as they start closing stalls by 1pm. don’t forget the siesta times. Spanish run shops, usually open in the morning and close around 1ish then open up again around 5 and they don’t open on Sundays.



If there is 2 things that you will buy in Spain, buy some leather and buy some pottery. I bought some of both and they are great additions to my much loved home.

You will never (NEVER) go hungry in Benidorm. Abundance of restaurants and cafes open all hours of the day and night. And for the less adventurous, there's a KFC in one of the side streets not far from the beach. I personally tried tapas (great), paella (sumptuous) and chopitos (crunchy). I think you've not been to Benidorm if you not at least try the Spanish food. There’s also this great chicken restaurant near Perla Hotel, they serve chicken, rabbit and the best ever olive oil deep fried chips (pity, just can't recall the restaurant's name). And in Altea, Pizzeria I'Sandaletti Benidorm that serve mouth watering paella mixta. service was excellent and when we complimented the chef, the waiter said, she's my mother and she's in love... awwwww be in love and to cook so well. also try some of the Spanish sangria. it should keep you cool through the warm day.

I stayed in a hotel in the center of town. so eliminated the need for taxis and such. chose the hotel for value more than amenities and turned out not so bad after all. the Perla hotel has its own pool, small-ish restaurant, and very polite helpful staff. it’s even got one coin slot computer with internet access. so what else can we ask for? 2 things... more variety in the breakfast menu and no children in our floor next time! (ha-ha)

Going back to the UK was a bit long winded than I have imagined. I checked in Alicante airport 2 hours before flight only to be told that the flight back to the UK was delayed for 3 hours. well, they at least gave me some food vouchers for burger king... hurray!!! (or is it?) and after much swapping of bag contents, the whole airport experience wasn’t really that bad. (I forgot at the last minute, that you’re not allowed liquids on board the cabin, so sangria's have to go in the luggage,,, gee-whiz)

Arrive back after 10 days, feeling just a teeny bit grumpy because the holiday was so short, but a bit glad because I’m back to the routine of our life.

My thoughts on Benidorm are its... great to go to just to be laid back and chill out. Fun and exciting for night owls with all the weird goings-on and for everybody else it's a big simmering melting pot of people from all over Europe. Join the constant fiesta. A gastronomic bonanza for various palates and just a really cool place, plus it’s just a 2 hour flight away from the UK.

Its sun, sea, good food, great views. Anything else is a bonus.

new e-commerce site

After toying with the idea for some time and doing some numbers on the viability of launching an e-commerce website, i’ve decided to take the plunge.  I have tried Moonfruit, Wix and Wordpress and so far, the site most user friendly to me is Wix. The only downside with Wix and it’s a big downside is having no local site search capability. It seems a bit duh, that a team of web techies haven’t written the code yet to enable search on websites developed with their site builder. I’ve started with the HTML coded website but halfway through developing the site, Wix launched the HTML5 builder. After a bit more reading and research, I decided it’s more logical to go with the HTML5, but and it’s still a big BUT, no site search. There is actually a long support discussion thread going on for years (I think) dedicated to Wix’s growing clientele demanding the site search coding. Anyway, I have looked and tried the recommended search apps, but they are all not just suitable. For one thing, after a few searched, the app deactivates and you can only use it if you have a paid subscription which is a bit sneaky I would say since I think a search app should be free for paying website subscription holders. Anyway, all in all the builder I am currently using is really easy to use so I still stuck with them. You can check out the site and the cute goodies I add nearly everyday on this link. I’ve added categories on the header menu and sub categories on the pages for easier navigation, and hopefully soon we will see the elusive site search tool.

rather a dull day

cold and grey today. nothing much on the agenda today but it seems i have tons to do, like change sheets, clean, feed the family (several times!). and by the time i have mustered enough gusto to accomplish some tasks, i am virtually exhausted.

it's so grey wish the good weather would come back soon. this photo was from Paris on a long summer's day walk along the Seine River towards the Eiffel. I used to travel a lot more, but I only venture out maybe once a month to the big town and most times I am out that will be for groceries or some necessary errand. I think there will be more travelling later, but not until I have my projects settled and ticking over, so for now travelling is in the back burner and on my list of things to do.

the right fit

Not so long ago an acquaintance asked me for some advice about stocking their own haberdashery, then not long after that someone complimented us about having an eye for things. So I think this answers the first question. I replied with – “Trust your instincts. The shop reflects your personality. You have to appreciate what you sell, so you can show people what you can see”. I suppose it takes some feel when you decide which things to go for. So far the feeling has been good and everything fits right.

is love over rated?

Sense and sensibility – is love over rated?

Today I was reading email messages from my beloved younger sister. Normal catching up news and chit-chat, but an on-going subject we have been talking about reminds me of the film sense and sensibility.

Sense and sensibility is a book written by Jane Austen using he pseudonym (The Lady), and adapted for film by Emma Thompson (she also stars as Ellinor in the film) and directed by Ang Lee (yes, he is a Chinese film-maker, directing and English period piece). I shall base all my references of the story on the film version, which I have seen quite a lot of times.

In the story, there are 2 sisters, Ellinor and Marianne Dashwood, both looking at imminent spinster-hood, as at that time in England, going into your twenties, still unengaged or without promising suitors is disastrous. Ellinor falls for Edward, but she finds out he is already engaged to Lucy. Edward does not break off the engagement, even though it was a commitment brought about by an impulsive act. He does imply his deep feeling for Ellinor. Marianne on other hand meets the dashing Willoughby, and from the on set, he leads her to believe he has feelings for her. Marianne also has the admirations of Col. Brandon, a man twice her age. The story follows the experiences of the 2 sisters as they deal with upheavals and awkward situations.

I would like to focus on the part of the story of Marianne, the younger sister. As I have mentioned, she met the handsome Willoughby and got enamoured by him. Well, who wouldn’t? But eventually the story unfolds and reveals that he is a libertine, and then leaves Marianne without word whatsoever of their “assumed” relationship. Finally, after pursuing him with letters, Marianne finds out, from attending a party that Willoughby is now with the wealthy, Ms. Grey. In due course, Marianne finds out that, Willoughby through his actions, finds himself under threat of not being supported by his sponsor, his old aunt, and by this fear of being impoverished, sacrifices whatever feelings he harbours for Marianne and gets engaged to Ms. Grey instead.

Marianne is inconsolable. Nearly kills herself by walking out in the rain and becoming deathly ill. But who takes her home? Who picks her up in the rain and carries her back?... Brandon.
So what happens?

Ellinor marries Edward after Edward’s fiancée, Lucy marries his now richer, younger brother Robert. Marianne after courtship from Brandon, decides to marry him, and does realize she loves him. Maybe not the passionate love she felt initially for Willoughby but a deep, lasting love you feel for someone who you know will never leave, never cheat and never lie.

So IS LOVE OVER-RATED?

Love has so many descriptions, meanings, assumptions. With love, here, I mean the love between 2 adults. So is it really just an elusive dream?

There are probably 3 kinds of people out there.

- people who know what they want, who they want, and follow their heart- people who know what they want , who they want, BUT their heart is the least of their priorities- people who don’t know what they want, or who they want (yet) The 3rd category of people would just say to you “I don’t know”. Of course they don’t know… they don’t even know what they want in the first place so how the hell would they know if love is over-rated. The 2nd category of people would I would think absolutely confirm that love IS over-rated. It’s sad because, these sorts of people, like Willoughby, think they will find happiness by pursuing, money or ambition. In the end people like Willoughby, end up with someone they eventually dislike, if not hate, or they end up bitter, cynical and worst alone. A lot of people these days, think “oh if I make enough money I will be happy”. Really? Since when can money buy happiness? Yeah yeah, money can get you unimaginable things but how do you know what people think of you when you don’t have the dosh to keep your entourage? Some people think, oh I want to be with someone made and has status, yeah right… more yadah yadah… in the end when the going gets tough, they will end up yearning for a person who will stand by them no matter what.

So, brings me to people who follow their heart. Doest mean they are senseless people who just act on emotions, I think it’s quite the opposite. They see sense where others can’t think and they see sensibility where others can’t feel. Maybe I am biased as I see myself this way, but I have no time to waste on people who can’t make up their mind then complain how miserable their life is.

LOVE is definitely NOT OVER-RATED.

Love is worth fighting for, living for, dying for. Without it you dont have anything… nothing. Everyday you have it, everything seems just a lot better. You are one of the lucky ones if you know WHO you want. A lot of people walk this earth not knowing who they are meant to be with, how sad. And if you don’t know who you want yet then at least you know what you want, a love, that lasts and will be with you for always.

They do not love that do not show their love. The course of true love never did run smooth. Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but Love. William Shakespeare

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. Franklin P. Jones

goodbye, Superman

Christopher Reeve, the actor who played Superman in the film adaptation of the famous comic book, died today, October 10th in 2004.

trial & error

as i started making handmade items, i was plagued with a multitude of ideas and inspirations but was strapped for time, since i was still working full time during this time. holding a day job and setting up a business was a juggling act and most times it was the business that suffered. even so, i was able to try out and make different patterns and designs and found out by trial and error the designs that sold and the ones that lingered. i started listing my products on eBay and by happen stance discovered Etsy, an American based market, similar to eBay but they concentrate only on handmade goods and craft supplies. finding this site was fantastic, mostly as members are in the same crafty mind frame that i was in. Etsy has a lot of resources and articles that are really helpful if you are starting your own home business and specially if you are considering quitting your day job to go full time on your craft.

below are some of the first projects i made.

the right stuff

so in the beginning of my small business i went back to my first love which is crafting and particularly sewing. in a way its like going back to my roots since my father was a tailor and his mother before him was a dress maker. even 3 of my father's sibling were also in the trade, 2 aunts being seamstresses / dressmakers and an uncle was a tailor and is now working for a really famous sports clothing brand. anyway, i selected several projects that interested me and i got started crafting.

along the way i discovered that i needed supplies for branding and packaging my little projects but there was hardly anything close that was out there in the online market close to what i had in mind. at first i made do with what i can get my hands on by buying odds and ends from different online sellers. then i thought i see this gap in the market and i am sure i am not the only crafter looking for certain supplies. so after a year and a half of sewing and crafting, i went back to research and started compiling promising leads for suitable supplies. not long after i made a small order from several suppliers and i started developing products that fit the homespun look. i also slowly added stationery and lifestyle items to my inventory and in about a year i have come from research stage to concept to selling online.

i decided to sell on Ebay for starters as its the easiest platform to sell in. you can start selling privately and register as a business once you get busier. however, there is a lot of competition on Ebay and sometimes some customers can be difficult and unfortunately buyers always have the upper hand. but if your customer service level is above average to excellent then this shouldn't be a problem. i get to test run products and see how the market responds before i go all out and stock in bulk. some items i stock and develop take off just like that, but then some competitors come in and copy what we sell so then the profit margins go down. so to keep the business fresh and turning, i always leave time to research new products to sell. the trick is to get new items before anyone else and get a foot hold before the market gets saturated with everyone else getting on the bandwagon and when that happens, if you have a wide range of products, you wont feel the loss much should you decide to discontinue a product line. it also doesn't hurt to attend trade fairs at least once or twice a year to see how the market is trending and to just pick up ideas and contacts. sometimes its takes a while to find the right stuff, but once you do grab and run with it.

beginnings

i moved to the UK in the fall of 2004. the decision was not easy since i have gotten used to the slow pace of life, however job prospects were not as rewarding and are even less fulfilling in Manila. as much as i hated it i had to take on very long hours in the distribution sector just north of Manchester. i was just lucky i got work immediately then circumstances changed and i got full time office job and a part time job with a drinks retail chain. the wine stores company then started an NVQ program for employees run by Preston College but was done on premises, so i was able to get extra retail training during work which was great. not long after though the company was dissolved and i had more time on my hands than i was normally used to. i then started rethinking of the stuff i always wanted to do and maybe i can make something out of it. so i started doing a lot of research. it took me months and months but i gleaned a lot of information and resources but it was time well spent. i decided to devote time into setting up a small business and i soon started collating project ideas. i also made an investment with getting my very own embroidery sewing machine.

and so it began...

bienvenue

welcome to my blog!

i have been thinking for a long time on how to catalogue the random thoughts and ideas that pop into my brain. i have this idea of a cohesive and coherent journal and undoubtedly the end result will be slightly off center and would have probably gone around the houses quite a few times.

this blog has been populated with articles previously that were relevant to me personally but since turning a new leaf and having an online business, my thoughts focus on reincarnating this blog to catalogue the adventures i encounter along the way of this venture. i will be writing mostly about lifestyle, craft products and activities but i will still also be sharing some life milestones, more than a few opinions and anything i can think of.

thanks for dropping by and i will share more in my next post.