To all my friends...

Happy New Year in advance!

- The Crafty Ladybug :)

Crocheted Headbands

I made these headbands as requested by my dad. He'll be giving these to his previous co-workers as Christmas presents.
I used double crochet stitch to create the fabric and added buttons and embellishments.

Busy Holidays

Lots of things to do this Christmas... work, craft projects requested by my family, shop for presents... hmmm... not yet done... And I need to finish everything before we go for a family out of town holiday vacation this weekend till mid of next week... Yikes just a few days before the big day... but I still keep my cool and just enjoy everything...

After work, I went to my holiday shopping list and started with it. I bought presents for my big sister who'll be giving birth soon (either Christmas or coming New Year), for my son and nephews, and officemates. I'm not yet thru with my list because I need to be home early to wrap the presents for my officemates. Tomorrow will be our office Christmas party. It means Videoke night! :)

These are my presents for my officemates... I just made custom Christmas gift tags using my Cuttlebug... I really love the gift wrapper :)

Crochet Practice

I thought of making a headband while studying and practicing crochet stitches I've downloaded. It's easier for me to learn that way. I made use of yarn because it's stretchable making it perfect for the project.

Crocheted pieces to be assembled

Then I hand-stitched the pieces to complete my headband... and me wearing it :)

Sick

I've been sick for 5 days and still is... I have an abscess in my throat. I didn't gave it immediate attetion because I thought it was just my usual asthma attack. I took OTC medication over the weekend and went to work last Monday. The condition got worst, until I got fever and couldn't swallow because my throat is aching. Tuesday, I was absent from work, my husband took me to the ENT to seek medical help. That's when I found out that it was an abscess and it's already blocking half of my air passage. Initially, the doctor gave me antibiotics but if it doesn't improve, I should be admitted in the hospital to get the necessary medical procedures or I will undergo a minor operation to drain it... I hope and pray to get well soon.

I just miss it...

Last night I tried to make some cards while doing laundry. I was not able to finish the cards. I find it difficult when you don't have a space where you can leave and store supplies while projects are still in progress... I just miss my crafting space which was taken by typhoon "Ondoy" on my birthday last September 26. I have so fun and memorable experiences in it. It's my stress buster, I should say... One of which was the best, was when my entry was selected for a special issue of Memory Makers Magazine: Get Organized!

This is my craft space before the typhoon... you may view more of this here...

... after...

Anyways, in spite of this, my outlook is still positive and I'm looking forward to set-up my new craft space... and it will be coming soon... Right now, I'm enjoying, learning and practicing how to crochet! I just joined in Craftbits.com to have access on some cool free craft projects :)

Playdate

(digital layout credits: The Shabby Princess Happy Go Lucky Kit elements)

We had a wonderful craft date yesterday. We did a little craft shopping which was really fun. Ails and I spent the rest of our after office hours having dinner, chats and crafting. The public place didn't stop us from making everything work. We look for a place a little quiet and sat on the available lounge and started with our session. She thought me how to crochet because I needed a refresher and I love to do any craft that doesn't require a lot of space while waiting to have my dedicated area. It's like going back to my elementary school days... She's very accommodating, making it more easy to learn and understand the craft. I was not able to finish the project she prepared but I promised to finish it at home. I needed to go because it's getting late and we both need to be home safe. Right after my son fell asleep, I continued with the piece I'm working on and finished it.

It's a Christmas tree, though my thread color is red because it's easy to for me to see if my stitches are right. My stitches are still rough but with practice it will turn out fine just like hers.

Today, I went to my favorite budget store and bought pencil and notebook cases. I re-purposed them as my take along case to hold my crochet supplies. It's a nice way to protect my things from being pinched by the hooks, as well as prevent my hooks from bending.

When close...

In my bag...

Dena

“Embellish your life with color, comfort, and unexpected details. Make it yours.” – is what Dena Fishbein always say. She’s one of my favorites. I love her designs and dainty patterns. I came to know her through early years of Lifestyle Network. I’m happy to have some of her designed papers given by my sister from Australia.

More of Dena here.

First Christmas Card

I made this card last night. It's my first Christmas card for this year. I got motivated to create by the craft goodies I bought on sale last Wednesday. I still don't have my dedicated space for crafting because right now, we are repairing our home and we need to stay here in my In-Laws till the work is done there.

Busy Hands

It's Saturday, no office work, after doing my chores I've decided to play with my two-year old son before I let him take his afternoon nap. We played with his blocks and I was suprised to see that he built a vehicle out of the block pieces... It made me smile but then I realized that my son is getting older and soon enough he will get to attend school, giving me much lesser time to play with him... It's a mix feeling but I believe every parent experiences this...

I'am thinking of what I will do tonight... Maybe I can spend some time to craft since it's a long weekend. We have no office work on Monday because it's a holiday, Bonifacio day, it's a celebration commemorating one of our country's heroes.

Getting Crafty...

I'm just new to Blogspot and I think a little sharing is nice for a start. Reasons why getting crafty is really helpful especially for a busy mom like me:

• It beats stress away.
• There are lots of things to discover and learn from it.
• Create gifts for family and friends with personal touch.
• It's also a nice way to exercise creativity and resourcefulness.
• Meet, learn and have a great time with other people and get yourself new friends.
• Above all, it's fun to do it! :)