Encouraged by a sudden increase in sales in my Cafepress shops ((Most of the buyers are US-based. I have a feeling it must be because school is about to start and everyone wants new shirts to wear. Alright!)), I decided to open a few more last week. Four are wedding-related since (1) I’m immersed in the industry hence it’s the easiest to make designs for; and (2) guess what, 80% of my sales are coming from the bridal shop ((Plus according to Cafepress’ newswire, the “weddings” tag is among the most sought after, well well well!)).

iDo shirts for the iPod-loving couple! (Hello, Carlo and Nina 😉 )

“Always a bridesmaid, finally a bride” tees for the been-waiting-for-mr.-right bride.

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And because I didn’t want to totally sell out, I made “Tsinelas (flip-flops) Addict” and “Bayong (basket bags) Addict” tees and knick-knacks as the second part of my Pinoy series.

You can see all the other new shops here ((You won’t believe it but Arn has shops of his own too, and his products sell even faster than any of mine! He wants to keep them secret for now but someday I’ll share the links with you. 😉)).

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My Arn recently received a really nice email from Jasper Lloyd Tan of Cagayan de Oro-based Christian pop-rock band Thoughts and Notions ((They play music in the tradition of Jars of Clay and Sixpence None the Richer.)). Jasper says that (Arn’s book) After Eden inspired him so much that he wrote a song about it called “Earthbound Angel” ((I was really touched when I learned about it — I’m sure you can tell how proud I am of my husband’s work and I know how much he’s inspired his readers but inspiring someone to write a song with a wonderful message, now that’s a first.))

Excerpt:
I could choose to soar above the skies
And be one with the flight of angels
But I am here in this world for one purpose
To be with you and be your guide
And be your earthbound angel.

Band info and streaming audio here.

Anyone who has the time and patience to make anything handmade is definitely a hero in my book, and as some of you know, I’ve been posting about everything-DIY for years ((Maybe even before the term DIY caught on locally)) so I thought, ok, for once I’ll show (and not just tell).
Project #1: Purse organizer

A 2003 issue of Real Simple ((One of my all-time favorite magazines — I hound Booksale outlets for back issues at least once a month. 😀)) featured a Purseket, an organizer that you can transfer from bag to bag and I thought “what a brilliant idea!” since I, just like every other girl, switch bags whenever the mood strikes me. (And I hate being out on the road and then realizing that oops, my license is in my other bag!) ((It’s actually happened to me a couple of times. When it does, I just drive ever-so-carefully and pray that I don’t run into violations.)) It looked fairly easy to make too so I rummaged for unused fabric and proceeded to make my own version… tadah!

There’s a pocket for everything I need when I go out: my cellphone, palm pilot, wallet, license holder, hairbrush, powder compact/tissue/blotting paper, and pen. The best thing is that it can conform to any size bag.

Here’s how to do it, it’s as easy as 1-2-3!
You will need two sheets of fabric (any kind but ideally, the stiffer, the better ((Mine’s kinda flimsy as you can see, but hey, it does its job.))), approximately 25″ x 6″; needle and thread; and velcro fasteners.

Get the measurements of each of the items you want to put inside the pockets.

Plot the layout and then cut the fabric to size, doubling the height so it can be folded over. Baste to hold the folds in place. Make two of these sheets and then form pockets by stitching them together along the lines according to your measurements.

Stick velcro fasteners along the edges and voila, you now have your very own purseket-a-like.

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I also did some spring cleaning and found an old pair of jeans that I don’t wear anymore ((Well, they don’t fit anymore, sigh. Besides, it’s baston.)) so I fashioned it into a vest for our dear little kitty.

It’s a bit crude since I got too lazy to hem the edges but Abbas seems to like it anyway. ((Abbas: “Lies! All lies!”)) The red satin ribbon “belt” is from a gift we received last Christmas and the button is from one of Arn’s old shirts.

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And finally, I also want to share with you my humble attempt at graphic storytelling — in fact it’s so far been my only attempt. The comic appeared in Ramon de Veyra‘s Hey Comics! anthology that came out in 2004. Um… hope you like it. 🙂

(It’s only 3-pages long, click here.)