Manoa Road :: handcrafted goodness found here

Here's to a Grand New Year! 100 Things to look forward to in 2012.

2012-01-01T22:13:00.002-06:00

Fare thee well, 2011! This year brought us lots of blessings, one of the most important was the birth of our youngest son, Jericho Vincent.

The whole pregnancy journey yielded practically a whole year of crafty inactivity, i.e., I made diddly squat for my etsy shops or my blog or Flickr for that matter. I simply lost the motivation to make anything. It's probably because all my energy was focused on making this perfect little being in me.

But of course I still visited all the local craft supply stores.
Of course I shopped and clipped coupons.
Of course I got some cool new tools and supplies.
Of course I stocked up.
But now you know what that means. Now I have a workshop filled with organized chaos all beckoning to be made into something wonderful.

And that's what I intend to do in 2012. In the midst of raising 4 kids, no less.

In the spirit of the new year, I thought creating a lofty list of 2,012 things to do in the New Year would be ideal. But then I thought: That's as realistic as making new year's resolutions and sticking to them. One hundred would be good for now and then add to the list as the year goes on. In random order, by no means in order of importance. This is what popped in my head:

1. Take a picture a day

2. Eat oatmeal/breakfast every morning

3. Donate to St. Louis NPR during their yearly drive.

4. Master soldering

5. Clean up my workshop. Finally.

6. Finish my daughter's necklace

7. Write a review about Pinterest and tell them their site rocks but their app stinks

8. Visit the Upcycle Exchange and pick up some cool stuff

9. Attend my 20 year high school reunion in Vegas

10. The inevitable desire after the previous post: lose some weight so I don't look like a fat cow

11. Pay the mortgage

12. Buy diapers for my son at Costco

13. Buy a 7-8 passenger van; or a Chevy Traverse?

14. Reopen the Etsy shops

15. Walk every day

16. Correction: Walk at least 30 mins. a day.

17. Be a healthy example for my kids and be active.

18. Bottle up my youngest's energy

19. Go back to school

20. Research Missouri's 529 MOST plan

21. Schedule Jericho's baptism

22. Read more

23. Write on the blog more regularly.

24. Crochet.

25. Knit.

26. Make some more awesome jewelry.

27. Set up the photo station downstairs.

28. Potty train my son before he turns 1

29. Celebrate being 37.

30. Color the white hair.

31. Ooooh...Facebook timeline. Need to do that.

32. Set up my new computer for business.

33. Practice with my son his multiplication tables

34. Celebrate the hubby being 37. Bwahaha!

35. Bring the kids to the dentist.

36. Celebrate my eldest being 14. Nooooo!!!

37. Do the taxes. Boo.

38. Make sure AT&T U-verse ain't ripping me off in June.

39. Take a picture of Jericho at every monthly anniversary.

40. Donate unused craft stuff to Upcycle Exchange.

41. Eat ribs at Bogarts.

42. Get fresh fruits and veggies in the diet every day.

43. Call Mom & Dad and check on them every other day.

44. Use up the yarn stash before buying new yarn.

45. Re-surface and repaint the outside entryway.

46. Paint the foyer and fix the cracks in the drywall.

47. Rip out the carpet and install wooden flooring. Ideal!

48. Treat the wooden fencing outside.

49. Re-surface and repaint the deck.

50. Change out the back door to one that's more energy efficient

51. Learn how to take better action pictures. Okay. Just better pictures.

52. Spend less.

53. Make a workout diary on the iPod Touch to track my walks

54. Learn a new language

55. Belly laugh more

56. Stop...no, reduce, impulse spending

57. Mail out packages for the sister and parents. C'mon, Christmas 2011 is done.

58. Pick up lowercase metal stamps

59. Save more

60. Attend an outdoor show at the MUNY

61. Drive by the Way of Lights at Our Lady of the Snows this Christmas

62. Vote!

63. Renew our "Do Not Call" numbers on the national registry.

64. RCIA.

65. Ward off hubby's desire to get a third dog for as long as possible

66. Eat less

67. Consume less sugar

68. Use more coupons

69. Shred all junk mail faster so there's no stacks of junk

70. Enroll Jorryn in dance or gymnastic class

71. Try out the Guerrilla Street Food truck (the only Filipino-inspired cuisine in St. Louis City)

72. Disenroll from the Republican Party. Don't judge. I think their performance in the last 4 years has been shitty.

73. Be more patient and compassionate

74. Be persistent to get things done. Like now. (Wow. This is harder than I thought.)

75. Coordinate FB, Twitter, and Blog when I post something new. There is a way to do that in one shot, right?

76. Exercise the brain with more Words with Friends!

77. Teach kids how to cook; i.e., make a "kid's night" where they decide the dinner

78. Teach my kids a little more independence. Especially Noha.

79. Explore more of St. Louis

80. Attend a show at the Fox Theater

81. Get more active in the local craft show scene

82. Make more awesome jewelry. (Wait. I know I said that earlier.)

83. Visit Chicago and go to Argo Tea. I missed out the last two times we visited!

84. Learn how to make sago with the arnibal base

85. Collect all old cameras and see if I can trade them in before thinking about getting a new point and shoot.

86. Don't wait until Three Kings to take down Christmas decor and lights.

87. Be more well read.

88. Get more active in the kids' school community.

89. Attend an info session at Washington University and/or Maryville University for continuing ed

90. Hmmmm...grad school?

91. Update resume.

92. Help the kids create their own school resumes. Especially Jianna.

93. Finish this stinking list.

94. Make more crafty contacts.

95. Be a better friend.

96. Love more.

97. Thank God every day for all my blessings.

98. Be healthy.

99. Drop a line to the extended family every now and then.

100. Praise God when I finish what I set out to do.

Woohoo! It's a good thing I was realistic.

Thanks for reading. Here's to a prosperous and Happy New Year! Ready or not, here we come 2012!

Feature on Etsy Treasury: "Go Green" by Fifth Realm Press

2011-04-23T13:36:00.001-05:00

Thank you Fifth Realm Press for a little green love of my Minty Coffee-a-Go-Go Sleeve! Check out their fantastic treasury by clicking on the image below:

A Little Political Advice mixed with some Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 11.05.2010

2010-11-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

Turn on the TV or the radio, and there's commentary and analysis of this past week's election results -- to point my sister and I love to call, "Analysis Paralysis." With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to send handmade advice to all our lawmakers -- Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, Tea Party, whatever -- advice straight from crafty folk.

Ready? All righty then.

1: When Your Heart is Pure, Your Mind is Clear by nattopy
Childlike optimism, yes. But so true. Original artwork created with color ink pens.

2: Keep Calm and Carry On by panona
Because human thought is more rational when one is calm and not governed by emotions. 8.5"x11" original poster.

3: Ants Work Together by KrazyKutz
Self-explanatory, isn't it? Vinyl decal forMacbook.

4: Help Me Tee by CrazyInk Pink Screen
Following in the same vein as #3. We all need to help one another. Original screenprinted t-shirt.

5: Sit Down and Shut Up by WallStickz
Sometimes when we all talk at the same time, we need to sit down, shut up, and listen. Vinyl decal for your car.

6: Life is a Big Road by thepixelprince
A "motivational spoof" poster with a quotation from Bob Marley. Makes a lot of sense.

7: Opportunity for Compromise Departika Poster by Departika
Another self-explanatory piece of advice. Original 12" x 18" poster.

8: Together we Stand by violentgreen
Photographic print to remind us we are one nation.

Short, sweet, and to the point. Okay, stepping off my soap box now. Don't forget to check out the above-listed artisans and support handmade! Happy Aloha Friday!

That is all.

2010-11-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween and Keeping Up with The Karma...

2010-11-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

*Sigh* Halloween has come and gone. Pfft! Just like that. Here's a taste of our Halloween last night:

Yeah, we had Ninja theme going on...

With the exception of my eldest. I don't know what she had going on for Halloween... hee hee.

My kids have a day off from school today. They're all sleeping and enjoying their Halloween hangover. I'm taking advantage of the quiet, enjoying a cup of coffee and a slice of coconut cream pie, and listening to Sheryl Crow.

"If it makes you happy," Sheryl wails. Yes it does, Sheryl. It makes me happy to eat pie in peace. Screw the diet.

I'm doing a little catch up today. I've been recognizing many creative artisans on this blog for about a year now. Since karma works in mysterious ways, I too have had a few of my little works of art featured on some fabulous collections on Artfire, more so in the month of October than in recent memory. I'm posting the collections here to return good karma than has been given me.

First up:
On 9/23/2010, my Scrubbie-Dub-Dub Tawashi got chosen for this cute Artfire Collection entitled "Little Eco Ways" by TieDyeSara.

On October 17, 2010, LoveandPenguins listed my Coffee-a-Go-Go Sleeve on her lovely collection entitled "It's Not Easy Being Green."

The following day, Susan Sheehan added my 'Forest' Coffee-a-Go-Go Sleeve in her warm collection entitled "My Cozy Cabin".

Following in the desire to keep warm in our chilly weather, LizzieJoe included my 'Pumpkin' Coffee-a-Go-Go Sleeve in her collection, aptly named "Warm and Cozy."

Lastly, but most definitely not least, tinymatchboxstudio curated a Treasury inspired by the lyrics of the Bonnie Raitt song, "Workin' on a Love Letter" and included my Nested Heart Necklace on Etsy.

Thank you so much, everyone! Please visit the above links and peruse some handmade goodness, will you? :) Happy 1st of November!

Happily Homegrown in St. Louis: Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 10.22.2010

2010-10-22T11:23:00.001-05:00

I was jonesing for some good coffee beans the other day. My daughter and I stopped over at our neighborhood organic vegetable market, The Green House . They carry a wide variety of locally produced goods, including fruits and vegetables, breads, honey, coffees, and teas. We visited a few times before and were very impressed by their selection and more importantly, their genuine warmth and hospitality every time we visited the store. By far, my favorite item is the Mississippi Mud Coffee they carry; and I wanted some.

When we walked in, we were happily greeted by one of the owners, Christine, who surprised me by saying she read my blog that morning and loved the pumpkin selection for my Fab Finds on Aloha Friday (10/8/2010). Wow! Obviously, I was elated to hear she read my blog. I couldn't get over it and was smiling from ear to ear. It's terrific to know that in this vast expanse that is the internet, lovely people like yourself are reading. :)

A few days later, I read on Facebook The Green House has just celebrated their 7-month anniversary. Awesome! In this struggling economy, I believe it's very important to support local businesses and entrepreneurs. I am proud to support The Green House and the local businesses they support in turn. So today, I wanted to tailor a special Fab Finds on Aloha Friday in honor of their 7-month anniversary, featuring artisan goods in and around the St. Louis, Missouri area with the color green as the motif.
Enjoy!

1: Green Print Tote by flychicks

A stylish bag to tote all your goodies around town. Fashionable!

2: Daydream Handmade Olive Oil Soap by BellaLunaCrafts
Bergamot? Lemon? Orange peel? I can smell the goodness of this soap created with citrus-y essential oils from over here.

3: Little Apples Stationery, Set of 6 by pspapergoods
While e-mail is certainly quick, it lacks personality. This very cute stationery gives you some style while you keep letter-writing from going the way of the dinosaurs.

4: Elfin Apron by Gingerly Garnished
The bold pattern on this handmade apron is fabulous. I can totally see a girl elf wearing this apron while baking cookies for her Elfin husband. :)

5: Hot Apple Pie 6 oz Soy Candle by candlekitty
The smell of hot apple pie filling the air in your home? Yum. This unique candle does just that and in such a cute package, too!

6: Art Deco Rose Platter by Amanda Moon's Sunfire Shop
In going with the green motif, this little Rose Platter by pixiechick1 is absolutely cute to adorn your kitchen.

7: Jeweltone Holly Green Upcycled Neckwarmer by iheartmisslemon
With temperatures dipping down to the 40s at night, 'tis the season for warmth. This fab upcycled scarf can help you keep warm while looking cool.

8: Birdhouse for Baggins by angelsgourden
Organic and artfully painted, this gourd is a rocking home for the birds visiting your garden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to Christine and her daughter at The Green House for being my inspiration for today's Fab Finds on Aloha Friday. Happy anniversary! I wish you the best!

And to you, my lovely reader, Happy Aloha Friday.

Mod Podge Rocks. That is all.

2010-10-16T19:35:00.000-05:00

So we've only got a couple months before Christmas, right? We've started to receive the Christmas toy catalogs from the likes of Toys 'R' Us, Target, and such -- thick, glorious, full-color, pamphlets filled with toys my children love to covet. Well, my 4 year old happens to spy a Disney Princesses' kitchen, complete with the happy smiling faces of a few little girls playing with it.

"Mommy, I want THAT! Can we buy that today?"

"Uh, no, honey, you already have a play kitchen."

"But Mommy, it's blue and that's only for boys."

"What? Who told you blue was only for boys?"

"But I like the pink one, it's for girls."

"No, honey, you already have a kitchen. I'm not going to buy a new one because it's pink. I'm not made of money."

Obviously, she was not happy with my response and she gave me the saddest, puppy-dog look I've ever seen. In my defense, I bought her a way cool play kitchen from Target 3 years ago. Yes, it is blue and red, and white. But she never had a problem with it before.

I was bummed to see her long face. So, I told her, "Honey, why don't we pretty up your kitchen so it looks like the one in the picture? We could add lots of pink." This piqued her interest. "You could also help me spruce it up." A big smile spread across her face.

I got her attention.

So, we went into my fabric stash, grabbed the Mod-Podge, foam brush, scissors, and blade and we went to work. We added a foam clock and some hooks for her apron and other accessories. So now her "blah" little boy's kitchen (as she characterized it) turned into this:

So, it's not a "Disney Princesses" kitchen. So what. She was happy with it and proud she helped to redo it. And, it has quite a bit of pink.

She also learned a new word for the day: "Decoupage." And perhaps the value of improving on what you've already got.

Playing in the Pumpkin Patch - Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 10.8.2010

2010-10-08T13:52:00.004-05:00

Oooooo, the brisk October air signifies the coming of Fall -- and the time for harvesting pumpkins! We have a lovely farm less than 10 minutes away from our home and every year they open up for everyone to come and pick pumpkins for the season. IThe kiddos have already asked if we could go this weekend. I love the plump, bright orange, abundant goodness that is the pumpkin; and today's Fab Finds features unique handcrafted goodies inspired by it.

1: Halloween Gourd Jack-O-Lantern Candy Dish by PoppyGo Round

This is so cool; a gourd masquerading as a Jack-O-Lantern! Aside from its fancy craftsmanship, the best part is it won't spoil; it will last for many Halloweens to come.

2: Pumpkin Earbud Pod by WonkyGiraffe

A very cute and stylish way of stashing your earbuds.

3: Handmade Prize Needle Felted Wool Soft Sculpture Pumpkin by JaniceCordeiro
Soft and fuzzy wool is sculpted into this uber-cute pumpkin. Perfect for decor.

4: Pumpkin Cheesecake Grubby Soy Wax Tart Melts, 6 Pack by TheTemptingTart
I have to admit, I was drawn to the photograph. It looked soooooo yummy. I didn't realize it was not food until I clicked on the link. (Heh heh...) I'm sure it smells as good as it looks.

5: Funny Halloween Card / Transformations by NeatThings
Not your ordinary Hallmark card. The design spans both sides of the card and its sentiments are unique. Wish your favorite person a Happy Halloween with this pumpkin!

6: Wink - Hand Carved Jack o'Lantern by RiverOtterRustic
This amazing pumpkin was carved by hand out of cedar. I love the fact it can last! :)

7: Pumpkin Summer Fall Harvest Hand Knit Hat, 0-3 months by OurLadyoftheSnows
Adorn your sweet baby with this sweet pumpkin knit. The photo is really artistic too.

8: Oval Pumpkin, Fused Art Glass Pendant by JOChris12
Adorn yourself this Halloween season with this artfully crafted pendant. Quirky and cute.

I hope you enjoy this great Fall weather and go for a jaunt in a pumpkin patch! I'll be bringing my kids to one this weekend. Happy Aloha Friday!

Happy National Coffee Day!

2010-09-29T16:23:00.002-05:00

Where have I been all morning? My plan this morning was to add new coffee sleeves in the shop, since I had been feverishly creating some this past week. I was working so hard on the computer, that when it was time for me to tweet my new goodies, I saw someone else's tweet regarding National Coffee Day.

Really? National Coffee Day? So, where in St. Louis can I find some free coffee today?

According to the Huffington Post (article here) and the Christian Science Monitor (article here), free coffee with a printable coupon is being offered at LaMar's Donuts...unfortunately, when I checked LaMar's website; their locations are a bit far from my home. (ahem...Lee's Summit, Springfield, Kansas City?)

Starbucks? Not participating. Boo.

Dunkin Donuts? Oooo, according to the HuffPost and the Christian Science Monitor, they've a got a coupon. Upon a diligent search, I only found a coupon for signing up for some card. Nah.

But I did find a Facebook page for National Coffee Day. I RSVP'd.

I also found a fun article from Associated Content on the blessings of java; and facts about coffee from IndyPosted. Something about jittery goats and a man named Kaldi...check it out!

I had my morning coffee, but in honor of this new information, I had to go and pick up some iced Caramel Macchiato at my neighborhood Wired Coffee. With whipped cream, thank you.

Yum!

I've also got some new Coffee-a-Go-Go sleeves up in the shop too. Serendipitous, honestly. I had no clue about National Coffee Day until about 1:00pm today.

These babies perfectly compliment your plain coffee cups. And they're reusable! :)

Pumpkin Spice.

Piquant.

Carnivale!

Olive.

Drink up some java today! :)

Marvelous Monday

2010-09-27T20:10:00.000-05:00

It is a glorious Monday -- the skies are blue and the weather is perfect. I'm working on the shops for the holidays and perhaps have a giveaway or two before Christmas. Stay tuned! As of now, here's a sneak peek on the new beadwoven necklaces I will be posting in my jewelry shop in the next few days:

Sakura Necklace (Red Jade Hearts woven together with Sterling Silver wire)

Charmed Necklace with a Sterling Silver Ball Chain.

Charmed Necklace with a Sterling Silver Cable Chain.

Charmed Necklace with a variation on the colors hung from a Sterling Silver Ball Chain.

My apologies for that last shot above. My hands were not cooperating with me while taking the photos. For some reason, it looks like an earthquake had rocked me that showed up in the last set of shots. It was annoying after pulling the images up on the computer and discovering: (1) I need to get my eyes checked; or (2) I needed to retake a bunch of them.

I hope you have a good Monday!

Finds by Strange Folks! Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 9.24.2010

2010-09-24T16:44:00.011-05:00

Happy Aloha Friday, folks!

Based on my previous post, I was curious to see the vendors featured at this weekend's Strange Folk Festival. Here are some very cool artists I found from the Strange Folk website who currently are on Etsy!

1: Welcome Fall with a Brilliant Yellow Leather Journal - Eco Friendly by Binding Bee
This vibrant handstitched leather journal is perfect for jotting down your thoughts. However, I think I would spend a lot of time staring at how beautiful it is though.

2: War Buddha Print on Extra Long Asphalt Color Jersey Scarf by Baretree
Bare Tree has a host of unique designs that make a statement. Fun designs with a conscience.

3: Striped Cutting Board by Newberry Furniture
Amazing craftsmanship for your kitchen!

4: Chicago Flag Crochet Round Recycled Area Rug by Ekra
Upcycling is a huge theme for quite a few artisans at Strange Folk. Ekra's collection of crocheted rugs are a perfect example of this. Why not give recycled fabric a new life?

5: Coffee and Conversations Upcycled Farmers Market Tote by Greenie Bean Recycle
I am a coffee freak. I thought this was way cool. Greenie Bean Recycle's upcycled market tote is definitely a conversation-starter.

6: Made to Order 16oz. Cup, Heart Anatomy by Circa Ceramics
Sorry folks, coffee again. I heart coffee, what can I say?

7: Roscoe Recycled Glass and Felt Bracelet- Cayenne by Muggy Tuesday
Muggy Tuesday reincarnated glass and wool into this beautiful bracelet.

8: Small Halloween Dish by Jools Magools
I love the fall colors molded into this dish. Perfect for the upcoming season!

9: Mixed Metal Tree Branch Necklace by Factory Girl Ashli
Inspired by nature, Factory Girl Ashli uses vintage items and creates fabulous adornments.

10: Handmade Grocery Bags- Set of Two with Carrying Case by Clever Betty
When I go to the grocery store, I never come away with just one bag of groceries. This handcrafted set of bags is perfect for your trips to the nearest grocer and is very stylish too.

All of these fabulous artisans and their goods will be at the Strange Folk Festival this weekend. Don't forget to head on out there and support indie handmade!

Happy Aloha Friday!

Strange Folk Fabulousness!

2010-09-24T10:23:00.001-05:00

During this morning's daily morning ritual, I heard a segment on 90.7 KWMU (St. Louis's local NPR station) about the indie craft movement and this weekend's Strange Folk Festival in O'Fallon, Illinois. Needless to say, I was so stoked, I had to share it with you. Voted best of St. Louis in 2008, this festival featuring locals food, crafters, artists, and musicians will be held this weekend, September 25-26 at the Community Park in O'Fallon, Illinois, running from 10:00am - 6:00 pm. on both days.

Support your local artists and economy by stopping by! For more information, click on the link above, or the image below:

ooooo, more treasury love

2010-09-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

I wanted to thank AlmostFamousFriends on Etsy, who included my cotton White Chocolate Coffee-a-Go-Go Sleeve on her treasury list entitled, "Cake and Ice Cream". Very yummy list! Please check it out:

Thank you again for the Treasury love. :)

A little love

2010-09-13T07:58:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Just a playing a little catch-up still.

10th Avenue East

I wanted to share a little love I was given by these fabulous Etsians during the summer. During the first week of July (I know, I know. I'm really darn slow.), Stephanie of 10th Avenue East featured my Blueberry Coffee-a-Go-Go Sleeve on her Etsy Treasury List. I don't get featured on too many treasury lists, so I'm very honored to have been chosen on her blueberry-tastic collection.

Thank you very much, Stephanie! Please check out the vintage goodies in her shop, 10th Avenue East, on Etsy.

Art-in-Spiral Blog
On September 7th, Eszter of Art-in-Spiral featured a few of my 'Twinkle' cluster earrings on her artistic inspiration blog. I am inspired by so many people in the crafting world. It's cool to know someone is inspired by my creations too. Köszönöm szépen, Eszter! Please check out her blog here and her fabulous collection of artwork in her Etsy shop.

Spreading good karma is fabulous for the soul. I hope you have a great Monday!

Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 9/3/2010 - Inspired by Japanese Crafts

2010-09-03T16:00:00.003-05:00

We were contemplating this weekend's activities when I got wind of the Japanese Festival being held this weekend at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Woohoo!

This is the closest to what we used to do in Hawaii as we can get!

We used to live in Hawaii and the influence of Japanese culture is a part of everyday life. My kids ate bento and sushi all the time. We used to live across the street from the Moiliili Hongwanji Mission and go to their annual bon dances. For a few years we participated in the Honolulu Festival where the hubby and I donned hapi coats and helped to carry a one-ton mikoshi down Kalakaua Avenue in a parade (crazy!). In another year, we pushed a 500 lb. lantern in the shape of a Japanese warrior down the Avenue (the width of the lantern took up three car lanes). We watched taiko concerts. We took aikido. I learned kumihimo at the Japanese Cultural Center and made my own wooden loom because I was too cheap to buy one. In fact, Japanese craft stores are everywhere in Honolulu, so it was easy to get the materials to start a Japanese craft project. My favorite store is Shirokiya. I visit there every chance we get to go home.

Okay, enough nostalgia.

Needless to say (after that long-winded walk down memory lane), I love Japanese arts and crafts. Everything from kawaii items, amigurumi, kumihimo, raku pottery, kanzashi, origami, ikebana, to bonsai gardening. And although I will not be able to truly represent each art form with one photograph, I would love to share with you my:

1 - Shibori Habotai Silk Scarf by reidsemadesign
This pink and orange silk scarf from reidsemadesign is a beautiful example of Shibori, the Japanese form of dyeing textiles with a resist. For more information on Shibori, check out the World Shibori Network.

2 - Rambling Rose Silk Tsumami Kanzashi by PetalMix
Petalmix's 'Rambling Rose'Silk Tsumami Kanzashi is absolutely stunning. Kanzashi are hair ornaments worn in traditional Japanese hairstyles. Tsumami kanzashi (literal translation: 'folded fabric hair ornament') are floral hair ornaments created with silk fabric folded with origami techniques. For more information on the history of kanzashi, here's the Wikipedia link.

3 - Kokeshi Doll Sunrise by temple7e
Kokeshi are Japanese wooden dolls characteristically without arms or legs which originated from northern Japan. Temple7e's creations are a fantastic modern take on a traditional craft. For a quick read-up on kokeshi, check out this wikipedia link.

4 - Sakura Cherry Blossom Bonsai with Kokeshi by handmadekitty
Amigurumi literally means, "knitted stuffed toy". I love amigurumi (see my previous crochet post)! I actually found this pattern while searching for Kokeshi and it was so cute!

5 - Summer to Fall Kumihimo Braided Bracelet by beadbooty
Beadbooty's 'Summer to Fall' bracelet is a great example of kumihimo! Kumihimo (literal translation: 'the coming together of thread') is the art of braiding silk thread to create cording. Nowadays, you don't have to use silk thread, practically any fiber can be used on the loom. As a side note: I learned kumihimo braiding while we lived in Hawaii and it is extremely therapeutic and calming. I wanted to buy a loom similar to the one we used in class, but I was daunted by the price of the wooden Marudai. I ended up making one on my own and it works! I haven't done it since moving here to St. Louis, but now I may pick it up again.

6 - Set of Five Embroidered Linen Chicken Coasters by Coyote Craft
I'm new to Zakka style. Literally, zakka means "many things." I picked up "Zakka Sewing" by Therese Laskey and Chika Mori last year and based on that, I can say zakka is a style that incorporates cute designs for everyday home objects. Coyote Craft's embroidered linen chicken coasters are exactly that. Very kawaii.

7 - Origami Bonsai Ikebana Arrangement by Benagami
What a fantastic combination of Japanese arts! We know origami to be a Japanese craft of folding paper. Well, Benagami takes it further and creates beautiful flowers and arranges it in a traditional Japanese arrangement called ikebana.

8 - Raku Lidded Pot by earthtoartceramics
Earth to Art Ceramic's Raku Lidded Pot is a beautiful example of raku pottery. While there are many variations of the firing process of raku, it still yields some beautiful results. You can see more information on raku here. When we visited Boulder City, Nevada (just south of Las Vegas) my kids and I actually had an opportunity to create our own raku pottery and watch it being fired. I loved how the firing process yielded random designs that was created by the interaction of the metal paints and fire.

I hope you enjoyed my Fab Finds today. It's a little late in coming, but it was a lot of fun to do (especially with my trip down memory lane). Please check out the awesome Etsy artists and shops above!

Happy Aloha Friday and have a great Labor Day weekend!

Blog Mention on Handmade Spark!

2010-09-03T11:28:00.001-05:00

I received a very pleasant surprise this morning: a blog mention on Handmade Spark! A screenshot of it is below for your viewing pleasure.

My lovely little 'Harmony Earrings' are just above. Thank you, Ms. Amber of Handmade Spark.

First Order on Spoonflower

2010-09-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

I'm excited!

During our last visit to Chicago, my eldest had drawn a little happy alien she named "Merth" while we ate dinner at Buca di Beppo. It was rendered in the only drawing tool we had available: crayons given to us by the waitstaff. Drawn on the back of the paper placemat, it was so cute I had to bring it home. I thought it would be fabulous to try it as a print on Spoonflower. Here's the original:

I was able to scan the image and clean it up. I also experimented with the color, since it was drawn in red crayon. My girl had done a really good job shading Merth and gave him a cute expression.

Anyway, I ended up keeping the red color. I recently uploaded the fixed image on Spoonflower and it looks really cute on screen. Here's a snapshot:

I ordered a fat quarter and I'm excited! I hope it turns out nice. If it looks good, I may make the design public for sale. Spoonflower is really cool; if you decide to sell your design, you are able to make 10% from the total sale of the fabric, if a buyer purchases anything larger than a fat quarter. Hmmmm...donations to my girl's college fund, perhaps?

(As a side note: All images on the Manoa Road blog are reserved and not for public use without our express written consent. Please be a doll and don't swipe the images above for your own personal use. It is the original artwork of my 12-year-old girl. Thanks!)

New goodies! Gotta ruffle my feathers a bit...

2010-08-31T22:20:00.000-05:00

Just posted these items in the shop. I am so proud of these pieces and their photographs. :)

Please meet:

"To Have and to Hold"

"Halo"; and

Serenity.

More really cool photographs of these pretties are on my Etsy site. Stop on by, y'hear?

Getting Up to Speed

2010-08-30T05:00:00.035-05:00

Whew! That was a long blog vacation. I'm trying to get back into the groove of things now that the kiddoes are back in school. There was one major thing on my to-do list I had to accomplish before finally kicking it on the internet.

Fix up the basement to make it conducive to creativity.

Does that sound like a daunting task? Well, it is! And it is still a work in progress.

Our basement has originally been a kids' play area: filled with toys, a toy kitchen, art supplies for the kids, TV, video games, books. By the beginning of 2010 it also contained a work desk I built with sawhorses and 2x4s that I ended up using for my laptop; file cabinets with two printers, and bookshelves for all our books (from college, nonetheless), and a mannequin (I finally broke down and bought a jersey-covered mannequin form for photography - more on that in a bit). Just when I thought I got it together, *ahem* someone decides to pick up a monster treadmill and totally throw off my design in the basement. *sigh* It's getting there.

So my plan of action to return to the blogosphere was to start with Ravelry and update all my knitting and crocheting projects, including photos. Second would be to update Etsy and get a few items in the shop. The next task would be to get onto Flickr and update the photos, and finally move on to here.

Photographing necklaces and scarves was a pain for me. I was never satisfied with the photos I took. Plus, it didn't help I had no willing participants to model them for me. So by the middle of this summer I finally splurged and bought a jersey-covered mannequin. (Who knew St. Louis was the hub for the Store Supply Warehouse? Woohoo!) I finally caught up on taking photos of past projects for Ravelry. Here's a taste of the knitting & crocheting projects I finally posted on Ravelry & Flickr with a little commentary of each project:

First of all, man, this yarn was mega-super-chunkylicious. After working it up, I realized I absolutely do not look good wearing chunky yarn items. I recall something to that effect from Debbie Stoller's Stitch & Bitch book. LOL. C'est la vie. The yarn used is "Magnum" by Cascade Yarn. I may do a giveaway for this cowl for the fall...Hmmm...

I bought this pattern from Phydeaux Designs on Etsy as a donation to support Haiti relief efforts. It was fantastically easy to work up! I used Lion Brand Chunky Wool Ease yarn and added those funky buttons. This one is big enough to be a shawl for my little one.

This is the second of two I made of this scarf. I screwed up the first one because I didn't know how to do provisional cast on. Duh. But I learned. The pattern is by Pam Allen entitled "Soft Linen Little Leaf Scarf." I used Classic Elite Cotton yarn.

I made this capelet at or around the same time I made the Town & Country Capelet pictured at the end of this set. I admit, when I'm on a roll, well, I roll with it. This is from a pattern in Crochet Today magazine and I used a series of Cascade 220 Heather wools.

This was a fabulous pattern from knotsewcute on Etsy. I used Patons Bamboo silk yarn which has a wondeful drape when I finished the project.

Finally, here's my 'Town & Country Capelet', crocheted with Lion Brand Homespun yarn. It's nice to wear during the fall.

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I have also gotten back into the swing of creating new designs for the shop! *sigh* It took awhile.

'Silver Lining' Hoop Earrings made with hammered sterling silver wire.

Swirl Earrings created with moonstone rounds, olive jade briolettes, and sterling silver.

Glisten Earrings made with smoky quartz drops and sterling silver.

Harmony Earrings in Blue Quartz & Peridot.

Harmony Earrings with Faceted Olive Jade rondelles and Bali silver flowers.

Here's to the return of the Manoa Road blog! Thank you for sticking with me. :)

All Quiet on the Midwestern Front

2010-07-18T10:54:00.001-05:00

Well, hello y'all! Most things crafty have been quiet here at home. The month of June has been filled with shuttling the kiddoes to summer school, prepping for my 12-year old's birthday party, and home improvements galore. In the middle I received a big order for earrings for a wedding party, and then all went quiet.

I think in the back of my mind my kids and I want to be traveling like last year; but circumstances have changed and now I am consumed with how to make this month a fun one at home.

Here's a photo journal of my summer so far:

Fire Whipping at the St. Louis Renaissance Faire

Sword swallowing at the Renaissance Faire

Celebrating 12 years of life with a large dose of sugar

Enjoying a middle school band camp concert

Creating Curlicues for a wedding

Along with some pretty packaging

Building, Installing, and Painting a Trellis Privacy Wall on the deck

Braving the heat wave to paint the trellis

Crocheting Toy Story 3-inspired peas in a pod for an old friend

Watching the St. Louis Cardinals kick some Dodger butt

Witnessing Pujols in action

Summer isn't over yet. I expect it shall get a bit more exciting soon.

We Remember.

2010-05-28T11:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend, can you do me a favor? In between the barbecues, the trips to the park, the get-togethers, the preparation for vacation, etc., please take a moment some time to:

think about,

pray for, and

thank

the dedicated men and women in the past who have died in service of our great country; and all those today who put themselves on the front lines every day defending our great country and what it stands for. Because even with all our differences and disagreements, we would not be the country we are today without them.

Pres. Truman says it best below:

World War II Memorial, Washington D.C., June 2009

Arlington National Cemetery, June 2009

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery - June 2009

(These are special photographs I took last year on our trip to Washington, D.C.)

Memorial Day Weekend! Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 5.28.2010

2010-05-28T11:13:00.003-05:00

As we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend, not only do we remember the sacrifices of soldiers of the past, but also the sacrifices of their families who have given their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and fathers to something that is bigger than ourselves.

This week's Fab Finds are from 1000Markets, in particular, the "Homefront Market." If you haven't shopped on 1000Markets before, the site is visually stunning, and they have a very cool interface that allows different merchants to group together and sell under a common 'market'. The "Homefront Market," is a collaborative group of artisans who have one common background: they are all spouses of men and women in our armed forces, who sacrifice just as much if not more to keep the "home fires burning" while their significant others are on duty protecting our country.

And for the Memorial Day weekend, I present to you, my

1: "Passing Afternoon" Original Photograph by Bonnie Jones Photography
This photograph evokes a sense of serenity and longing; as if the chair is waiting patiently for its good friend to share the beautiful scenery.

2: USA Flag Limited Edition ACEO by JrzyGirlPhotography
The glory of 'Old Faithful' stands the test of time.

3: Reflections Translucent Resin Necklace by underglass
Beautiful and colorful resin pendant; reminiscent of the the "Passing Afternoon" above.

4: Skeleton Shell Sterling Silver Earrings by JoJoBell
Graceful curves and swirls make perfect earrings for any day.

5: Western Lap Quilt by Patchwork Flamingo Quilt Designs
The good 'ole Wild West as American as red, white, and blue.

6: Winding Vines - 16x20 French Memory Board or Bow Holder by Memories to You
A classy accent to your home office.

7: Flap Happy Monkey Hat - Chocolate Brown, Lt Sage Green with Lt Blue Flower by theyarnchick
How cute is this? Adorn your sweet baby with this adorable crocheted hat!

8: Scrumptious Squiggles Baby Blanket - Car Seat Sized by Moose Threads
I love the rainbow of colors on this blanket and is sure to be tactile and real fun for baby.

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This is only a taste of the goodies on the Homefront Market. You need to check out their site on 1000Markets!

Have a fabulous Aloha Friday and Memorial Day weekend!

Update on my Previous Fab Finds Post - 'For the Gardening Mama'

2010-05-24T08:53:00.001-05:00

On April 30, I wrote about my mom and her superior green thumb as an introduction to my Fab Finds for Mother's Day. The link is here.

Well, I wanted to follow-up my Fab Finds with proof positive of my mother's superior green thumb (did I say that already?). For Mama's Day we bought Mom a digital camera (Welcome to the digital age, Mom) and with the help of my bro-in-law (Thanks, Mike!), I got a slew of photographs taken with Mom's new toy. I wanted to share a few of the photos with you.

From her garden.

The side of the house.

The front of the house.

Also, the front of the house.

I neglected to mention... This is in Vegas. Yes, Las Vegas, Nevada. Who can grow plants and vegetables in Las Vegas? My mom!

*sigh* Sadly, I can do everything else BUT grow plants. Oh well, c'est la vie.

May these Fab Finds be With You! Fab Finds on Aloha Friday - 5.21.2010

2010-05-21T13:28:00.002-05:00

Last week I got bogged down uploading videos of my daughter's band performance on FB, it consumed most of my morning that I usually reserve for making my Fab Finds. Boo to me. My apologies to you.

Hopefully, this is my moment of redemption. I could do a Father's Day Finds, but the procrastinator in me will wait till next week. Father's Day is June 21, 2010, by the way.

The History Channel has a "This Day in History" site, so I looked for something cool.

The American Red Cross was founded today in 1881. Nah. Too serious.

On this day in 1927, Charles Lindbergh, the namesake of our local school district, completed the first solo flight across the Atlantic and landed in Paris. Nah, still too serious.

So I keep reading and discovered "This Week in History".
Star Wars opened this week in 1977 - May 25, 1977 to be exact. Yeeeeaaaaaahhhh!
I am going to indulge my inner geek and go with Star Wars! Okay... I know it's a tad bit early, but this should be fun.

I have all of the Star Wars movies. All six of them. We also have the animated ones too. We have 15 episodes of 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' on the DVR. Apparently, I also passed this on to my son by introducing the movies to my son and supplementing it with Star Wars Lego. Enough proof of my geekdom, thanks.

Today's search yielded 59 pages of Star Wars wonder on Etsy. Let's commence with the geekery, shall we?

1: Yoda Star Wars Golf Club Cover by TraceyKnits

How cool is this? An ace on the golf course you will be.

2: Judge Me By My Size, Do You?, Baby Onesie by Babywood
Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Too cute!

3: Kokeshi Doll - Princess and Pilot by temple7e
These artfully crafted wooden dolls are custom made to order and are plain awesome!

4: Custom Made R2D2 Star Wars Hat for Adult/Child by The Hat Lady

So geeky, I love it!

5: Childsized Custom Jedi Robe by pokeybear

For your young padawan. For playtime, for anytime!

6: The Dark Side by CustomKids

The dark side is more your fancy?

7: Storm Trooper iPhone iPod iTouch Case by nokomomo
Protect your iPod with this hand-embroidered storm trooper case created with felt.

8: Star Wars Darth Vader Stainless Steel Cufflinks by joekc27
Oooooooo, shiny. And engraved with Lord Vader himself. Awesome.

9: Lego Stormtrooper Decal for Macbook by moviemagicman
I had my son in mind when I discovered this one. Unmistakably Lego.

10: Cool Yoda iForce Macbook Decal by LanaKole
This decal ROCKS! iForce. How catchy is that? I always knew Yoda was the baddest of all the Jedi.

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Yes! All this geekery is absolutely handcrafted and discovered on Etsy! Check out these awesome artisans and visit their sites, will you?

Happy Aloha Friday and mahalo for reading!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T09:05:00.000-05:00

My gems for Mother's Day.

Beautiful notes,

Homemade Jelly-filled Biscuits,

Fantastic expressions,

Gorgeous flowers I had to plant myself (ha ha ha), and

Wishes from good friends.

What a wonderful Mamma's Day. I hope yours was equally wonderful. :)