So Cute It Hurts

Warm and fuzzy.

Thought i share this wonderful friendship story with you. My Friday started off with an unnecessary unkind event (deep breath), but i'll just say i really do have the most wonderful friends (both near and far). Just when i was feeling a little of both hurt and sad, a surprised message pop-up on my phone : "I know you haven't been feeling well lately, so I made you a little something to help cheer you up!..." i get teary writing about it.

My sweet friend Lori Patton made me two special photo lockets that featured my adorable girls. It made my heart swell as i lay eyes on the gifts. What an amazing feeling. I love this little photo locket so much it hurts. Pretty fantastic, wouldn't you say? I would. I'm over the moon.Thanks for your overwhelming generosity and kindness, Lori.

If you don't know Lori, you should drop by her Dearest Mine: For Keep's Sake page and take a look around. She's quite a sweet lady. I always enjoy her lovely posts, which happen to be full of beautiful graphic design and handmade goodies.

More soon, friends.
Stay tuned for a little something special later in the coming weeks.
The weekend is finally here, too.
Have yourself some fun,
Love to you and yours.

Photo by sweet Lori Patton.

 

 

on the mend.

A quick hello today. I'm feeling much better and in catch up mode after i spent my days sick on bed in hospital with one of the nastiest viruses in recent memory, dengue fever. It was the pits. Feeling very grateful to be on the mend.

The above photo is one i shot recently. It has been quite a while since i receive something in the mail, so i'm pretty pleased with Noodle's new lounge dress. I've been eyeing on this adorable kitty dress for Noodle for quite a while. The lovely ladies at BlytheAndTheCity, a female-owned company based in New York that creates well-made and extremely fashionable dresses for Blythe dolls.

Thanks for all the kind words during my sick days (and always), too. I really appreciate it.
Be well.
Love to you.

nice to meet you

Happy mid-week.

Sorry for the silence. I'm still here, just feeling a bit quiet lately. But before i say anything more, i must first say Thank You Thank You Thank You to all the lovely ladies who so graciously left such sweet and kind comments in this space during my time away.

I finally got around to snap a couple of photos of my two girls together and Kuroo's new wig. We certainly had a few good laughs over here styling Kuroo's new wig and these girls are such fun to photograph. I couldn't decide which photo to post today, so i picked a couple (well, make that all).

They look like sisters, don't you think? Finally, Coco and her only sister (for now), Kuroo, were in the same place at the same time. Coco did her part of not freaking out and Kuroo did hers by sharing her toys. Seeing the two babies together was sweeter than any candies!

I am head over heels for the sweet creations by Carrie of Sleeping Elf. I know some of you have seen Carrie's work before, but i found it recently and was so happy i managed to land a custom order for one of her gorgeous handmade wig. This wig is so well-made and maybe it's just me, but i think it's too cute for words. Truly.

Taking it easy this week.
Be back soon.
Love to you.

carry all.

I still haven't totally recovered from what i now refer to as "coming down with the funk" (congestion, sore throat and headache), however i had quite a productive day yesterday. Pretty proud about that...

These are some of my newest miniature tote bags, one is a custom order for a dollhouse settings and some others are Coco's goodies. She needed a few more (okay, i needed her to have a couple more).

These tote bags are definitely a great way to use up some fabric scraps, and i always like it when i find projects that work for that.

This is a new bag design. I made a pattern out of a paper and tweaked it along the way. I really dig how it turned out. Very spring. I finished it with some raw edges and Coco seemed to be down with that. I love it's raw edges and that vintage shabby chic rose print paired with the linen.

This new bag pattern is easy to sew, and it's cute ~ sometimes something being easy doesn't necessarily mean it's cute, not the case here. I love it so much, i made another one bigger in size. This time i used my all time favorite vintage cross stitch pattern and finishd it with some tinny small gathering stitches. Cute, eh? I am filled with total giddiness.

I'm looking forward to...
Taking it easy this beautiful Sunday.
Afternoon Sunday tea.
Sunday nap and reading this new book.
Love to you.

Buntings make me happy

A little while ago i had the pleasure of contacting Anna to ask if she could custom design a new set of sewing labels for So Cute It Hurts. I was pleased as punch when she said yes! It turned out exactly how i wanted it ~ simple and beautiful with one of my favorite : colorful buntings. Just in time for Spring.

I am head over heels for the sweet creations by Anna of lillalotta. She makes such beautiful and colorful tapes and prints out of her original Lilla Lotta goodness and illustrations.

Anna has always been designing and creating my lovely sewing labels since So Cute It Hurts was born and there isn't a vistor that comes by that doesn't compliment me on it or ask me where it's from. Anna also has a nifty blog, check it out for posts about her recent projects and new additions in her shop.

I can't stop smiling when i sew these new labels.
It makes me happy.
Have a lovely weekend, friends!
Love to you!

totein' about

It took some time, but i finally had the chance to finish some photos and loaded my first batch of spring tote bags to the shop! I'm feeling sorta like patting myself on the back for meeting this crafty goal. Now i've got to get started on several projects for sweet Coco and the second batch of spring tote bags in French Macaron theme (*cough Pei Li cough*) ~ more info on that as it comes in.

I"m pleased with the result. These are just simple tote bags with some inside organization (very much needed). BUT each fabric makes up for the simplicity.

I've wanted to use these vintage fabrics for a long time now and i think each tote bag turned out beautifully. I even got to make good use of my button making tools.

Give it a look and happy browsing.
Hope you're having a lovely weekend.
Love to you!

Embrace sharing

Sorry for the blog silence. Let's just say that the Pipit Market 7 preparation rush and an unexpected confirmation on a new opportunity (very happy indeed) have been a bit much.

Big sigh of relief although i cut it fairly close, i managed to finish up my last piece of journal cover. There is lots more to do, but if everything goes as planned i'll have new tote bags in the coming days.

This little piece of embroidery is inspired by the sentiment that "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give". Many times, our best thoughts and inspiration come from others. And this image has become a symbol of that.

Sharing doesn't come easy especially for some people in business. I kinda understand in a way because many of us have worked endless tired hours and even years to get where we are now. And to share your resources in an instant is just not that easy. I admire and have full respect for successful artists that share unconditionally.

Even though it's hard for me sometimes (a natural human reaction) and i'm learning, i want to share and share away. I believe in this saying, "What comes around goes around". I always remind myself of this sentiment that "there is ENOUGH for all of us and there is ROOM for all of us to succeed together". And to all of the fellow artists and friends who have shared with me. You're the best. Thank YOU, i won't let you down.

I am beginning to realize that there are still so many things for me to learn and discover for myself and this is part of what this creative journal is all about.

After weeks of anticipation, i changed my shop name!
A huge thank YOU to all my fellow sweet flyers!
To celebrate, a fun October November shop update is coming really soon!
Have a beautiful lovely merry happy weekend, sweet friends.
Love to you!

more journal love

It's a miracle that i actually finished another handmade journal cover for the newest additions to my little collection. It felt so good to sit on the floor at my creative table (i have a very Japanese style crafty table) working on a crafty project. Must try to stay healthy...

I called this piece "Letting go". This little piece of embroidery is a reminder of a sentiment that "when you trust and let go, life will flow in the direction it is meant to, with your best interest at heart".

Letting go of your old self and reaching for something greater, can be exciting but a little bit scary ~ it can be a very unpleasant experience because it hasn't happened yet. But by leaving behind where you presently stand and taking a leap of faith into the unknown, it might just reveal what you are truly capable of becoming.

This particular girl has it all figured out and knows that when we let go and trust that it will all work out, we also learn how to find happiness in the times between the dream and the realization of that dream. Something I am still learning to practice daily both personally and in my business.

I've used natural linen for the outside layer and a sweet green Polka Dots linen for the inner layer.I added a sweet green grosgrain ribbon and attached a handmade fabric embroidered button as the bookmark for flair. A few more things to share, and then all the new work will be available really soon!

Now it's time to focus. The Pipit Wonderful Market 7 (i was being accepted to do, yipee!) is just over two weeks away and i have plenty to do to prepare. Plenty. I'm creating one more journal...and then on to weekend tote bags and shopping bags. Lots to do.

October is a very special month for me here.
It was the beginning of my creative story 3 years ago.
It's hard to believe ~ something i'm finding myself saying more and more.
Thanks for being along with me for all these times.
You're so good to me!
Love to you and lots of it.

i am in love with...

It seems like the fever and sore throat have passed, just a nasty cold and cough remain. I'm gonna try out sweet friend, Emma's, suggestion of sherry with cinnamon and cloves steeped in it, more homemade soup and tea.

A wonderful friend, and fellow crafter, Lynn, sent over photos of how these wedding buntings were used and they now reside in her beautiful home. As I've mentioned before, i love seeing where my creations live.

To be able to add joy to someone's life is one of the reasons i do what i do. And connecting with Lynn is another reason i love what i do. Lynn is one of the nicest people i've met through one of my best girl, Angela. Her emails just spill over with such a genuinely joyful spirit, it's infectious. I can't thank her enough for all of her support.

Since the bride has crafty backgrounds (does crafting on the side), it was only fitting for her to throw a very hands-on handmade wedding. So with the help of their talented friends and coworkers, Lynn and Chu San tied the knot in July 2011.

I can't resist, i have to share with you more photos of this memorable occasion where the couple pour a whole lot of love ~ for handmade details and each other ~ into a heartfelt affair at a hotel's ballroom.

The sheer red, pink and a touch of citrus details inspired a very bright and vibrant event.

{Images by the beautiful bride, Lynn.}

More soon (journal love).
Happy October.
Happy merry weekend.
Happy, happy.
Love to you.

keeping it simple

Just like that, another week has flown by. Overall, it has been a pretty nice one. I even managed to get a little crafty.

I finally got around to knock off another special custom order this week and i'm pleased with the result. Two sweet and simple Wesley purses in natural linen sky dots with matching natural linen shabby chic roses for the lining.

Notice that these two are made without the detachable little handmade mod flowers? I actually really love the simplicity.

They will be off to their new home in someone's bag soon.

Thanks for all the super sweet compliments about my new tote bag. I really love finding inspiration from things i've made and using that inspiration to make something new and improved. It's very satisfying.

I'm keeping the weekend activities extremely simple. My yoga enthusiasm is moving along swimmingly, my teacher is off to a workshop today so i'll have to wait patiently till next weekend's class. However, i'm thrilled about the sunshine and nice breeze blowing around here today. It's a beautiful Saturday indeed.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.
Be Well.
Love to you.