Going back to what I love

After the creativity shattering post, I have settled my emotions and have gone back to the things I love doing.

I signed up for a Scarf Cal in Crochetville because I've been wanting to make one and I think this is the right time because rainy season is here and it can get really cold in the Holiday season and it's perfect for Simbang Gabi (Misa de Gallo.)

The scarf is two inches wide, just enough for my neck and probably 60 inches long (the photo in the right is 13 inches long.)

I used Cannon thread size 8 in Natural and steel hook 1.5 mm. The pattern is just made of shell stitches and has consumed half of the ball already and hasn't reached a quarter of the scarf yet, that's quite expected because I like my stitches tight.

You're probably wondering why the heck did I positioned it beside a CD pudding. Well those are the blanks that Kris and I have to make (the debutante preferred a mix CD for her) and to be printed, about 50 copies of those.

The photo pretty much show my current work load. I'm working on my scarf while waiting for the CD burning and printing to be finished. This situation actually help me get the idea for something that will be really useful for my crochet hobby.

Presenting to you my new Spool Caddy!

My partner KC laughed when he saw this. I used the CD pudding as a caddy for my thread. This is really useful and is actually perfect for cotton threads that come in balls. And if you are using yarns, you can use the pudding cover (visible in the background.)

The pudding case is also a great way to stack your WIPs especially for small projects, such as scarves, cozies and doilies. You just put the cover, seal it (twist the cover clockwise) and you're done. And this little plastic thing comes cheap so you can buy a couple more if you're like me that loves to jump from one small project to another.

Talk about innovation!

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Just a little rant: The debutante and her peeps borrowed my craft supplies for cutting the tags and ribbons, now they're done with their thing and playing Bingo while my supplies are nowhere to be found and my scissors have found it's way home with no cover.

Still missing are:

• steel ruler
• craft cutter
• craft zigzag scissors
• Sharpie
• craft glue

Thanks God I didn't lend my newly bought cutting board or they would have murdered it as well! I am hating them more and more each day! Geez!

Abuse me more, I like it

Still awake.

Traveling from Marikina to Quezon Ave. to Gilmore to Cubao then to Marikina again on a motorcycle is not pleasant at all. Don't get me wrong, I do love traveling and again my sense of direction has been tested twice today. But I don't like the fact that we are being rushed to do such a thing because there will be an event six days from now. I'm not really sure how it happened, it's just that everyone assumed that I will do the invitation for them. That's a new exciting challenge to me and I'm up for it if I was informed first. I didn't even know that she will have a party on her 18th birthday.

I went to my father's place last weekend and when I came back, bam, I overheard them talking about their plans for the said party. They asked me what kind of paper to be used for an invitation, so I said the things that I know and what kind of paper to buy. They should have bought samples but they bought a whole lot of stock enough for the 60 invitations I am going to print tomorrow (rather later.)

Guess what, they bought the wrong paper. It doesn't say if it's for ink jet printer or not and yet they bought a whole lot of it because it's pretty and I specifically told them to buy ink jet friendly paper. And guess what, I'm not supposed to be in the effing list and I don't want to be there, let's say that they need someone to complete the list because the SOB step mother of the debutante wanted to include some people in the list and 18 treasures was made because the debutante doesn't want to change her 18 candles list. So yeah, I'm messed up because I still have to buy a gift for her and I don't feel like giving her one because of what's happening right now.

Back to the unwanted road trip, went back tired but my partner and I still have to fix the printer for the ink refill, my partner had a headache and I had dirty hands. And that's not all, I was asked to fix the effing invitation and I have to live up to their wishes of using old style of invitation but have to reduce it to 4.25" X 6.5" (in short 8.5" x 13" specialty paper cut into four!) As expected the test print sucked because it's not the right paper for the printer and the font sucks so it looks like blotted ink on specialty paper.

So after their approval for the template of the invitation, I have to do the front page, of course, I did edit in PS the picture that they gave me because, the background sucks and her shirt camouflaged on it. After hours of testing brushes, downloading, testing, downloading and testing of brushes, I have decided that's it, that's the best regimen I can do for their sucky invitation preferences. And I am not having high hopes with the test print in parchment later.

Really, it would have cost them less if they have opted for the printing press. And she would have made our lives a bit more peaceful if she didn't follow her stepmom's wishes.

As you can see, after all the creative output I have made in this project, I will never ever have the intention of being proud of it. I did not chose the materials, it is not my style and the printing sucks. I have modified it to make it better but to no avail.

Now, my hands are stained, have a splitting headache, very tired and will have a meeting with supposed client in 30 hours which I think to be postponed because there's no way I'll go to a meeting with dirty fingers. Think indelible ink in six colors staining your tips?!

Lessons learned.

• Never accept jobs from people who have no respect for your own creativity
• Never accept jobs from people who wont accept your suggestions
• Never accept jobs from people who have no respect for you own time

So, yeah. I'm in a messed up mood so sue me.

Swap Update 10032007

I am so glad that two of my partners received their package. Packages I mailed just last week and they received it sooner that I expected. I just wish that it works the same with the items being sent to me. It's been three weeks since my partner sent in her package and I haven't received it yet. Being flaked on my first swap is not a good experience.

Moving forward, just got home from the post office to mail some private swaps.

Here are some of the items I sent Wilma (sweetsugar) just because she posted in her swap that she wants something Filipino. She loves to cook so I sent a recipe postcard of Pastillas de Leche, the other postcard is about devotees of Sto. Niño Cebu because her Mom is from there. The other two on the right are for home decoration, it says East West, Home is Best and a fridge magnet that says I *heart* Philippines because she does love the country. I can't help but grant her wish.

This one is for Katie (k_k_k_katie) I tagged her in Send something local to the person above you and I just love spreading Filipino love. Sent her a notecard with an illustration of a Filipino vendor selling soybean custard (magtataho or a person that sells taho), a fridge magnet that says Pilipinas with an old house inspired from the Spanish era. I also sent her a postcard that has pictures of Manila's tourist spots.

I'm still anxiously waiting for my packages and I called the post office in this area to check if I have a package and I realized that they have a different personnel assigned for packages and letters and the postman for this area is not around. Ironically, the post office in Marikina is quite far in my current location while the Post Office's sub branch for Quezon City is near us. So don't get confused if your mail was postmarked in Quezon City and my address says Marikina. We are between boundaries of both cities. You just have to cross the street and you're in Quezon City.

I just hope that the postman here is just like Mang Danny, our postman in Manila. He's really nice and very honest.