Walk Thru Nuuanu

Crazy Yellow Creature Graffiti Art

Hey, what's that down there? Is it...no it can't be.

I guess there's someone who really wanted to get the daily
Honolulu Advertiser...real bad!

For my health, I decided to walk around my neighborhood at the hottest time of the day. Ok, it wasn't my plan to walk around at the hottest time of the day but I decided to keep going anyway. No more excuses. Pant, pant, pant. (that's me wondering "why the hell am I walking around with the sun boiling down on me?")

Passing over Nuuanu stream, I spy a little yellow creature. Interesting graffiti art. Then, I look down and spy the blue box. I think it's a sign from above bc I've been telling myself to start reading the daily newspaper.

Wow, this is a Big Sign!

Okay, So, I didn't know about North Korea and the crazy guy in charge...what's his name...and his threat to shoot off missiles towards Hawaii during 4th of July. So, I didn't realize that Pres. Obama was pulling out the troops from Iraq...like now. So, I didn't realize that Matson was going on strike...and BTW where the heck would I get my Blueberries if that happened. Thank the Lord I have relatives who do read/watch the news.

But Hey, I did know that Michael Jackson And Farrah Fawcett passed away on the Same Day bc I saw it on Facebook (at least I read that) and then Entertainment Tonite (bc I watch useless tv). Maybe my friends and relatives should Twitter or FB more important news daily for people like me who have an aversion to reading and watching the news. Hmmm...that's an idea.

Loving Crocheted Yummy Colorful Goodness

Sarah London's Wool Eater Blanket

Sarah London's...hey, do you see a pattern here?
with my choices i mean...

Chicken Betty's

Alceda's

Another of Sarah London's

Mundo A Cores'

I've discovered the wonderful world of Crochet and i'm LoVing it! My grams used to crochet like a demon. It's too bad I never asked her to show me how to do it. Wait, I take that back...she did teach me once but I never got into it when I was a teenager. I still have my grams' handmade crocheted blue blanket which is at my mom's house. Gotta find it and take a pic.

But, when I was bopping around people's blogs, I came across some colorful crocheted blankets which just blew me away. That led me to hunt some more inspirational pieces on Flickr. And I found a Lot!

I found the lovely inspirational blankets above at the Flickr Groups: Crochet Afghans and Granny Squares.

Who would thunk that you could just explode crocheting to a whole another level of art? Guess these gals showed them.

This is so up my alley... of kaleidoscope madness! Now I just have to figure out how to crochet...YouTube?
Hmmmm....where's those crochet needle-ma-jig thingys now?

Delicious & Juicy White Nectarines On Sale Now

Yummy Yummy for Your TuMmY!
White Nectarines

These Yummy sweet and juicy White Nectarines must be in season now bc they are so Delish! We went 3x to Foodland to buy more and more and more of these this week. Yesterday, I bought 8 of these and have left them out near the window to ripen and slightly soften. Then, I'll put them in my green foodsaver bags and place them to get nice and cold in our fridge's fruit bin.

What are you still sitting here for? Go jump in your car or run down the street to Foodland and buy them now while they still have this batch left.

My 1st Chomp...chomp, chomp, chomp...Gone! :)

Do-It-Yourself Nature "Stamped" Cards

Today, we're going to learn how to stamp using these simple materials:
1) acrylic paint
2) paint brushes
3) water in a dish (to clean brushes)
4) paper towels
5) used paper or envelopes
6) Blank card & envelope
7) leaves, flowers...whatever you find in your yard (or neighbor's yard when they're not looking)
All things you can find around your home.

Lavender leaves...interesting shapes and kinda sturdy

Ferns...great to use bc they're very sturdy

Jimmy chose these leaves to create with

My loveable assistant Jimmy brushing acrylic paint onto the leaf.
Just use the paint "straight" without adding water
so it'll be thick and leave a good impression.
Place leaf, paint side down, on your card....where ever you want to "stamp".

Using paper or envelopes that are in your trash (or recycle bin), place it over the
leaf and rub lightly over the leaf...to help transfer paint to paper while keeping your hands free of paint.

Lift up leaf and voila! A pretty imprint of the leaf.

Then, start overlapping the leaves to create an interesting design.

You can also "stamp" different colors over each other...another
layering technique.

Ta Dah!

Our paint station for the day.

Okay, my fingers got a bit "dirty" when I was loading up the
leaves with acrylic paint.
Wash your hand under water and rub and the paint comes off.

Our Cards and Matching Envelopes.
Ready for Father's Day.
Lucky dads. :)

The Nature Stamped Cards and Envelopes

I've been wanting to photojournal this art project for awhile. It's very simple to do and Easy to clean up. Just water and towels for clean-up. Other stamp design material: try flowers, feathers, cut apple or other fruit, cut sponges, whatever you got around your house.

This is a great Summer Art Project for your kids. Your kids will love this. They can even do hand prints on the cards! Send the cards with a handwritten note off to their grandparents and aunts and uncles just to say "Hi!" Create several Birthday cards and have them ready for all those kiddie birthday parties this summer.

Great project for both adults and kids alike...Creating...it's good for the soul. ♥

The Misadventures of Tobey...at it AgaiN!

Ms. Tobey was up to trouble again today.

Getting into places she knows is off limits
like Joon's artful Valentine creation made especially for moi.

Little does she know that I'm documenting everything so I have proof.
She always denies flying in the "no no" territories in our house.
Her latest thing is to gravitate towards my door
filled with my friends" and customers'
cards to me
...
and then she takes a nibble on them!

She's so in her Zone that she either doesn't know I'm there
Or
she just doesn't give a damn.

I think it's definitely the latter. She's so spoiled...

"Hey Tobey, you better stop! Stop! Right now!"

The Little Queen only now figured out that she's going to get Time Out...again.

And before I knew it, she was gone in a FlaSh!

Do you like this "Ghost" effect?
She's so fast that the camera barely caught her before she took flight.

15 % off Deal for the Month of June:

Friendly Reminder....all my blog readers will get 15 % off total price of your purchases (not including Shipping fee) from any of my 3 Etsy shops....Stacy 's Designs 88, Lilikoi Cottage, and Blue Lovebirds. All you have to do is during Check-out, in the Remarks or Message to Shop Owner (you know what I mean) just write: "I'm a Reader of Stacy's Thoughts & Designs 88". And then, I will refund your 15 % back to your Paypal account. It's that EZ! This Terrific offer is Good up until and including June 30th, 2009. Have fun!

A Pleasant Surprise from Leigh of Hapa/Hale

Gypsy Rapture----Vintage Treasure Bracelet
Available Now in Lilikoi Cottage

I just got a quick note from Leigh of Hapa/Hale blog. She did a lovely write up of my new Etsy shop Lilikoi Cottage. ---called "a peek inside Lilikoi Cottage". It's always a pleasure when someone appreciates my "eye" and "gets" my art.

Please visit Leigh's Hapa/Hale blog. She's a local Hawaii gal who is now transplanted and living on the USA Continent, aka "the mainland" as we locals refer to it. Blogging about Hawaii finds made by Hawaii folks either here in Hawaii or abroad, airfare bargains to Hawaii, places to visit in Hawaii, and other exciting things happening in Hawaii is Leigh's "thing". Please visit her blog and check out all her nifty local finds, deals, and helpful info on Hawaii.

Mahalo (Thank You) and Aloha Leigh!

15 % off Deal for the Month of June:
I told Leigh that all of her blog readers would get a 15 % off total price of purchases (not including Shipping fee) from any of my 3 Etsy shops....Stacy 's Designs 88, Lilikoi Cottage, and Blue Lovebirds. So, I'm going to offer all you, my readers, the SAME Great Deal! All you have to do is during Check-out, leave a Remark to me "I'm a Reader of Stacy's Thoughts & Designs 88". I will refund your 15 % back to your Paypal account. It's that EZ! This Terrific offer is Good until the End of June. Have fun!

Quirk Number One...In Answer to the Question "What do I do all Day?"

My All Time Fav Marathon Movie

A friend recently asked me, "Stacy, what is your typical day like?" I said "it changes everday as I'm not one to stick to a routine." But, I was thinking of this question last night as I was watching "Stranger than Fiction" for the umpteenth time that day and I thought, OMG this is kinda weird.

Here's a Quirk of mine...I will watch 1 DVD over and over and over again straight during the day. Ok, I said it. It's out. Does anyone else do this? Or, am I freak of entertainment nature?

Saw this movie at the neighborhood theater by myself.
It was Highly recommended by the Ticket Lady.
Now, I'm highly recommending that you go out and Get It.

What do you mean, you watch a DVD over and over and over again?

That's what I do. I don't listen to music at home. I tried to about a month ago. It was alright. I popped in some oldies but goodies in my dusty CD player like Sheryl Crow, The Cure, English Beat, Matchbox 20....I tried cooking to music and it was good while it lasted. Like right now, as I sit here and tap tap tap away on this keyboard, there is nothing turned on in my house and I only hear the minah birds, the doves, and those little green birds talking to each other from the mango trees next door. Apple doesn't get any profits from me as I've never downloaded anything from ITunes.

The "I Know I Have this One But Where the Hell Is it?" DVD
It's in my house somewhere but now MIA

But, I do have a specific collection of DVDs. My number one rule for buying a DVD....I only buy DVDs for movies that I've already watched and want to watch in my daily DVD marathon sessions. Other DVDs in my collection, I have received from my relatives who love to burn DVDs...many of these I never saw in the theater before but after watching the DVD it made it into my collection.

My Personal DVD collection breaks down to Chick Flicks....light romance, comedy. I have a few which are non-Chick flick but that is a rare bird to make it in my collection.

The "I Can't Believe It's Not In My Collection" DVD
Gotta get this one

What's made it to personal DVD collection you ask?

Off the top, I have "You've Got Mail", "Bottle Shock", "A Good Year", "While You Were Sleeping", "Devil Wears Prada", "Return to Me", "Under the Tuscan Sun", "Bridget Jones" both 1 & 2, "Must Love Dogs", "Emma", "Wedding Planner", "27 Dresses", "PS I Love You", "The Holiday"....you get the picture.

The non-chicky flics that has made it, and one of my all time favs is "Ironman". God, I love that Robert Downey, Jr. I'm so glad that he's "clean" and hopefully "sober". I can't wait for his next Ironman film to be released.

"Ironman"...run out and get it...Now!

What do you mean "Daily Marathon Session?" It's just like on cable TV, where they play the same movie like several times. Well, I do this when I'm creating. I look at my collection, "feel" what Mood I'm in, then pick out a DVD to match it. Like somedays, I'm in the mood for "A Good Year", another day it could be "Under the Tuscan Sun". When I'm in doubt, and just wanna feel good, I'll pop in my all time "feel good" movie..."You've Got Mail".

Then, I'll turn on my AC, turn on the DVD, and Listen/Watch it all day long while I create my Jewelry or some other art form . I'll just keep replaying it when it gets to the credits.

One of the ONLY DVDs that I bought without First Watching the Movie
Initially, I thought I made a Big Mistake.
But later, it was a welcome addition to my collection.

As I'm working, I'll glance up at the tv screen every so often. Most of the time it's just the dialogue that I'm listening to. I can't say that I've remembered all the lines, bc I haven't. But I do recall certain specific lines. My DVDs are llike you listening to your IPOD.

Perhaps it's to Hear Someone Talk during the day since when I'm creating I'm like a bear in her cave. And I can stay in this "cave" for a longgggg time.

This weekend's Marathon Movie
Played it from Friday to Sunday
Click on DVD and enter the Movies Site...Pretty neat

My Latest Find is something I found at my local supermarkets. It's the next best thing to Net Flix. In the front of the market by the cashiers, they have these vending machines which dole out DVDs for only $1! You pay using your credit card and they send you a receipt via your email. You just have to return it the next day by 7pm. This makes for perfect Marathon Movie material. I've rented "Bride Wars", "Bolt", "Twilight", "Quantam of Solace"... And this thing has caught on bc now when I go to this little machine, there's other people in line. Who can pass up a Current Movie for $1?

DVD that I have to pick-up at Costco or Amazon

So that's Quirk No. 1 of mine. What's your quirk? Or am I the only quirky one....who's willing to reveal her quirk?

Fun thing...click on the DVD pics to enter that movies' website or See Movie Trailer.

Ethan's Baptism on June 7, 2009

Just wanted to share Ethan's Baptism.

What a happy occasion for our entire family!
One big HaPPy HaPPy Family! :)

How to Make Cute Tags---Pictorial Tutorial

How-To Make this Cute Tag
Stacy's Pictorial-Tutorial

A friend once told me that I should do some tutorials in my blog. Ok, that was awhile ago...and she knows who she is. So, while I was creating more of my "Thank You" tags which I enclose with customer's jewelry purchases from my Etsy shops... Stacy's Designs 88, Blue Lovebirds, and Lilikoi Cottage (I know, terrible egotistical shop plugs!)...I thought this would be a good time to snap the process for you all.

When I package my jewelry orders to send out to my customers, I always enclose a handmade "Thank You" card. On the blank back, I handwrite a special thanks to each customer. I love doing this...giving it my personal touch. I always feel like I'm sending a gift out and these are my friends, not just a customer. I'm really into the packaging bc I want everyone to feel like they are receiving a Birthday gift from me. It gives me a thrill imagining their face when they open the bubble manila envelope and pull out their specially wrapped gift box. I want them to smile and feel Happy and Special!

My array of supplies: 1) blank shipping tags from craft or supply store,
2) Close To My Heart Inked Stamp pads, 3) Close To My Heart Acrylic handles,
4) Close To My Heart Acrylic Stamps, 5) 9 1/2 inches of cut ribbon---I'm using red grosgrain ribbon,
and the 6) Finished Tags

Close To My Heart acrylic stamp, one of the designs which I used to create these tags.
Your acrylic stamps come in these nifty little organizer case which is see thru and flat.

Editor's Note: Sorry, but this "Romantic Backgrounds" stamp is no longer for sale.
You can use another of my Favorites, "Adorable" (#D1183)
which is a gorgeous and versatile Paisley print set!
See 1st Tag at top of page.

Close-up of the Acrylic stamp on the Acrylic handle.
Word to the wise, I only use acrylic stamps bc they are easy to store as they are flat
and come in their own little organizer pouch which is flat flat flat.
No more wooden stamps = way more space. :)

Here's how it's done.
Acrylic stamp "Thank You" on acrylic handle...stamping the tag.
Notice how you can see the Exact placement of your stamp on the tag. Love it !
Always get my stamp print exactly where I want it now.
I used "Black" Close To My Heart Exclusive Ink Stamp Pad.

Editor's Note: you can use this "Thank You" (#D1361) set for your choice of the word "Thank You".

Ta Dah!

Next, using one of the Acrylic CTMH stamps,
just stamp the bottom and the top of the tag...like so.
I used "Cocoa" Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad.
This is one of my favorite all time colors to use.

Using another of your favorite Close To My Heart Acrylic stamps,
and the "Tulip" Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks stamp pad, just stamp the corners of the tag.
Place the stamp whichever way you want...you'll always be right.
I like to do a little different angle on each tag bc it makes them each unique.
You're almost finished...isn't this simple?

Editor's note: oops, sorry this Butterflies stamp is no longer for sale. You can use another one of my Favs, "With Love" (#D1284) for the design on the corners. See 1st Tag at top of page. It's a lovely Asian inspired tag.

Next comes tying the ribbon to the end.
It's probably easier just to follow the photo.
Half the ribbon, pull the looped side thru the hole,
then pull the tails thru the loop and tug tight while holding onto it.

The finished "Thank You" tags. You can handwrite a personalized sentiment on the back.
On the front, you can stamp anything. Let your imagination run wild!
Have fun. :)

NOTE: I'm an Independent CTMH Consultant. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Your CTMH goodies will arrive directly at your doorstep. Isn't that neat? Crafting made simple...I Love that.