Happy Halloween!

Originally uploaded by desireux.

Have a blast treat-or-tricking, dressing up, scaring people, getting spooked!

Finally the leaves are changing

Originally uploaded by desireux.

I was just thinking to myself a few days ago how fall seems to be coming a little slow this year. Most of the trees were still green and the weather was fluctuating rather drastically. Yesterday it even reached 27C in the afternoon (but no, I'm not complaining!). This morning, after a night of rain, it was chilly but nice and I looked up and saw yellows, oranges, reds, and bare branches. Is it possible for the leaves to change color overnight?

Curtis Orchards

Baby pumpkin
Originally uploaded by desireux.

The pumpkin patch is beautiful, all the bright orange pumpkins of all shapes and sizes scattered on the ground, with little kids and big kids with their red wagons searching for the perfect pumpkin. But what I find so hilarious about pumpkin picking is that all the pumpkins are actually all harvested from the plant already. When walking around the patch today, I was just imagining how every morning, the workers will drive to the patch and lay the pumpkins all over the place, ready to be 'harvested' by us. How cute especially for the little ones, thinking that they are harvesting pumpkins :P

Anyway, for those around Champaign-Urbana who want to go pumpkin picking, visit Curtis Orchards. They have very good apple cider too.

Etsy commercial on Youtube

Check out this awesome video about Etsy on Youtube. Too cool!

Spotlight: Featured in The Storque

Spotlight: Featured in The Storque
Originally uploaded by desireux.

Leah from Leah's Glass Creations (go visit her, I've got one of her mobiles and it's so cool!) convo-ed me one morning to tell me I was featured in The Storque. I was so thrilled! I think Adam did a very nice little write-up and loved his choice of cards to feature. Thanks again, Leah and Adam! Here's the link to the 'spotlight' if you would like to read it.

Daddy Long Legs ... finally becomes a reality

Daddy Long Legs ...
Originally uploaded by desireux.

For the past two weeks, daddy long legs has been swimming in my head. I had the idea and was looking for the spider- either a sticker, small plastic toy or even a small spider puncher but I just couldn't find a suitable one. They were either too big, too crude, too expensive, or just plain ugly. Then, I was playing around with making it out of wire.. and so on. Finally, I just 'saw' how daddy long legs could be made in an efficient way, not to mention so adorable! Well, I made him and his web earlier tonight, took some photos and now it's on Etsy. I'm happy :)

Also, I'll be in the Etsy Halloween Showcase today, for 24 hours so do check it out. There'll be other cool Halloween creations too.

PS: look at daddy long leg's eyes.. the punch (see last entry) is proving useful.

Tool Time

Bats in progress
Originally uploaded by desireux.

Finally got myself two different sized punches. One's 1/16" and another is 1/8". I've been debating whether to get them for the longest time, because many times, I have bought tools thinking they would help but I end up not using them. So this time I thought hard and long, and decided that yes, they will save time and make my work better. They have been rather useful, I use the 1/16" ones to make my bat's eyes, yay! no more hand cutting dozens of little orange circles. Plus, I think they make my work look so much neater and more professional. The punches I got were from McGill and I'm satisfied with the quality of their punching; clean smooth egdes on cardstock. They do seem a bit tough but I also think that's because my hands are small.

Happiness x2

Boardwalk on the sand dunes
Originally uploaded by desireux.

One of the greatest rewards for making my handmade cards is the feedback I get. The especially touching ones are those that tell stories of how a card made someone dear to them smile, or how a card would be perfect for a certain person in their lives. I love how cards are usually bought to be given away, so it's even more meaningful. Ever since I was young, when I create something, I would imagine the person I'm making it for, and their reaction when they get it. So now when I make the cards, I think of the person who buys it, and then of the other receipient of the card. That's like twice the happiness and twice the fun :)

Look towards the east

Originally uploaded by desireux.

I'm glad that as I was heading out this morning, I looked towards the east and saw such a beautiful sight. It was foggy, and the sun's rays were shinning though the trees, making the 'messy with construction' street, actually look dreamy! I walked a little slower, felt a little happier and was 7 minutes late for class. But it was all worth it :)