Creating Crafts and Arts

My hobbies center on creating crafts and visual arts. I find it a great way of expressing heightened emotions, whether positive or negative. If I am inspired or emotionally laden; in love or furious; elated or depressed; I find it a constructive outlet to create something that is useful or maybe, beautiful.

Being crafty and artistic is very advantageous in many ways. During my high school and university days, I gained friends for doing drawings, printing and creating visual arts for their class projects. In high school, I earned some penny by printing the diplomas of graduates with speedball and ink. That time, computer printers were not easily accessible. Records are created with typewriters and school programs were manually designed and stenciled. Everything then were made manually - classroom visual arts included. You may even be surprised to know that we also manually design our ribbons - those used for recognizing the honor rolls in the class. We use the technique used in t-shirt printing using silk screen and film template.

I enumerated here eight aspects of my favorite arts and crafts.

Photo shows my glass etching work. I etched a glass wine for the wedding of my sister. It's a pair of glass wines for the toss. Apart from the two doves with heart, which is clearly seen here, I also etched their names and the date of the wedding at the lower portion (partially seen but not clear) and the bottom most part is a rose bouquet (totally not visible in the photo).

The link below will lead you to an Amazon product. It is a dremel.

I used this tool in etching the glass that you see in the photo above. As already mentioned, I etched that glass and made a pair and it was used as the toss glass during my sister's wedding.

With this tool, you can decorate different materials - glass, plastic, wood and even stone. It is handy and portable. Take a look at the bits included in the set and it will interest you and engage you to imagine how many variable projects you can do with this simple and cheap tool. If you have kids, this tool should be in your list of items to buy so you can create useful and beautiful things together.

May I call myself an artist?

I did not undergo formal training in drawing or painting. I acquired my skills through constant practice. I am telling my son that I wasted a lot of paper drawing and painting things when he always complain that he cannot do his art work well.

My hobbies includes arts on angels and cherubs, making cards, making costumes and headdresses, pearl and jewelry making, crafts with flowers, gardening, line drawing and water color painting.

Photo shows the Tinkerbell Wings I created for my daughter. She really loves it that she stayed in my shop wearing it. She likes hearing the compliments that she's Tinkerbell. You will find a detailed step by step instructions on how to make this Tinkerbell wings in my other hub.

She is always fascinated whenever I create something for her. As she grow, she started making something for me. Check the video I posted below - it is her demonstrating how to paint a flower.

I love making cards. In high school, I usually make my own cards for gifting. Then, when I decided to stay at home and earn from my skills, I finally monetized my hobby. I did not have my shop then. I posted my cards in a local online selling site and I meet the bride if she lives in my city. If not, we communicate through emails.

See the bunch of cards featured above? These wedding cards were made with local materials namely: "sinamay" and wood scroll holder.

Check my lens on card making to have a more detailed read on my ideas in card making. I shared there ideas that will help you make your own card.

Costumes are seasonal but it can create good income opportunity. During the months of September and October, costumes are hot. September for the United Nations celebration on October. Then end of October marks many costume party too - Halloween.

Photo chows my black Cleopatra costumes. What's notable about this? I do not know how to run a machine well (in short, I don't know how to sew). I found a cheap, old fashion back dress that no one may have even dared to buy because it is ugly. Then, I put the accessories shown in the photo, re-shaped the dress by hand seam and created a matching head dress plus a vintage gold plated eagle necklace. I will be featuring my costumes in another lens when Halloween is near.

It was one of the favorites because it was a unique item. Most Cleopatra costumes in stores are white.

The Amazon link below leads you to a grown up's costume.

Costumes are not only for the little ones. Feed your fantasies with this beautifully tailored princess dress inspired by the main character in the famous movie, Frozen.

Wearing this in a costume party will surely turn heads and everyone will give you a second look. Unlike other dresses which are made only of silk to create the glistening look, this dress is intricately sequined to radiate the wearer's stunning beauty.

I date my drawings and paintings. I affix my signature in most of my past drawings or my nickname "Babs". That's the nickname my sister gave to me. She calls me that to tease me because I was annoyed at first until I learned how to stop the teasing - I turned it as my arts signature. The photos below are my paintings almost two decades ago. I used watercolor in these two paintings.

These days, I conduct painting sessions for homeschoolers. I posted another hub about this. Our medium is acrylic.

I’m an amateur in jewelry bead making. I have yet to learn how to wrap. I know the basics like forming patterns using different beading wires, alternate techniques and other simple techniques.

The most difficult task that I have done so far is making a five layer necklace as shown in the photo above.

I created another hub about making pearl jewelries.

As an update to this hub, now that I am looking at the photo shown above, I remember those times when I was still learning how to make pearl necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I have created many pearl jewelries already. As I go over the pictures I have taken to document each piece, I can't help but smile and feel proud. These pieces may not be one that could compete in a high class market but I put my effort in it.

Creativity and artistry are required in home gardening. It is not only about sowing the seeds or planting seedlings and cut outs. You have to arrange it in an aesthetic way. I am not a veteran landscaper but I prefer to arrange my own garden plants. It may not be the best arrangement but I love working on my garden. It's a great way of releasing pent up emotions and shedding off extra fats too.

Photo shows my home garden from the second floor veranda of our house. Check my lens focused on gardening (link is included in the featured lenses) to have a visit of my home garden. You will be seeing there the outside view of my home showing the hanging plant boxes.